Bach. of Div.
Jul…. Bernard Gilpyn of Queens Coll.—This Person who was born of an antient and gentile Family at Kentmeire in Westmorland, became a poor serving child of the said Coll. in 1533. aged 17 or thereabouts, and about the time that he proceeded M. of A. he was made Fellow thereof, being then esteemed a good Disputant in Logick and Philosophy, and well read in the Greek and Hebrew; in which tongues, he was instructed by his contemporary Thomas Neale of New Coll. who was afterwards Heb. Prof. of this Univer∣sity. About that time his eminence in learning was such, that he was made choice of to be one of the first Masters to supply Ch. Ch. when first founded for a Dean, Canons and Students by K. Hen. 8. But continuing there not long, was at length taken thence, and by the care and charge of his Mothers Uncle Dr. Cuthb. Tonstall Bishop of Durham, he was sent to travel, and while he continued in the University of Paris, he did him some service in correcting and prin∣ting one of his books, as I have elsewhere told you. After his re∣turn he confer'd on him the rectory of Esington, with the Archdea∣conry of Durham annex'd, about 1556; but in whose room or place I cannot tell, unless in that of one Will. Franklin Bach. of De∣crees and Chancellour of Durham, who occurs Archdeacon of Durham 1531. After he was setled at Esington, he preached much against the vices, errors, and corruptions of the times, to the great displeasure of some of the neighbouring Ministers, who were then R. Catholicks. But his desire being to part with those troublesome places, as too much for one Man to keep (as he pretended) he was presented to the rich rectory of Houghton in the Spring in the coun∣ty pal. of Durham, where being setled, his Preachings were so frequent, and in other places as well remote, as near thereunto, that he was commonly called The Northern Apostle. His almes were also so large, frequent, and constant, that he was usually called The common father of the poor. In his Archdeacony of Durham suc∣ceeded John Ebden Bach. of Div. sometimes Proctor of the Uni∣versity of Cambridge, who had it given to him by Qu. Elizabeth, while the See of Durham was void, 22. May 1560; a little be∣fore which time, Gilpyn had a congedeslier sent to him to be ele∣cted Bishop of Carlile on the death of Owen Oglethorp, but refused it. Soon after he erected a Grammar School at Houghton, and be∣stowed 460 l. to buy Lands to endow it for a Master and Usher. Which, with other Moneys and Lands given for that purpose by Joh. Heath of Kepier Esq; the School was setled in 1572 or there∣abouts. To conclude, this worthy Person having his life written and published by one of his Scholars, I shall now say no more of him only that he died on the 4. March 1583 aged 66 and was buried in the Church at Houghton, and that by his will dated 17. Oct. 1582, he left half of his goods to the poor of that place and the other half in exhibitions upon Scholars and Students in Oxon, viz. Mr. Rich. Wharton, Mr. Steph. Copperthwaite, George Carleton (afterwards B. of Chich.) Ralph Ironside born in Houghton before∣mention'd (Father to Gilbert Bishop of Bristow an. 1660) Evan Airay, Hen. Airay (afterwards Provost of Qu. Coll.) Will. Cayrus, Franc. Risley, Tho. Collinson, &c. He hath written several things, but hath nothing extant, only A Sermon before the King and Court at Green∣wich, on the first Sunday after Epiph. an. 1552, on Luke 2. from verse 41. to 48. Lond. 1581. oct. there again 1630. qu.
☞ Not one Doctor of Law, Phys. or Divinity can I find to have been admitted this year, for the reason before specified.