John Bell (Bishop of Worcester)

:For other men with the same name, see John Bell

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John Bell LL.D (died 1556) was the Bishop of Worcester during the reign of Henry VIII of England. He was educated at Balliol College, Oxford, and in 1504 he took the degree of LL.B at Cambridge University.

Related Topics:
1556 - Bishop of Worcester - Henry VIII of England - Balliol College, Oxford - 1504 - Cambridge University

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During the reign of Henry VIII and the Reformation, he held several ecclesiastical posts. Bell was among those sent to Rome by Henry VIII to the Lateran council. Bell was made one of Henry VIII's chaplins. He was employed by him in various ways in furthering his divorce from Catharine of Aragon. In 1527 he appeared as the King's proxy and in 1528 was consulted by the King and by Cardinal Wolsey on the matter of the Pope's dispensation and on the commission to Wolsey and Lorenzo Cardinal Campeggio to decide the validity of his union to Catharine. In 1529, Dr. Bell appeared as King's counsel and led those who pleaded for the King before legatees in Blackfriars Hall; and further, he was one of a commission including Sir Thomas More to assist the Archbishop in preparing royal proclamation against William Tyndale's translation of the Scriptures and a number of heretical books.

Related Topics:
Reformation - Lateran council - Chaplin - Catharine of Aragon - 1527 - 1528 - Cardinal Wolsey - Pope's dispensation - Lorenzo Cardinal Campeggio - 1529 - Blackfriars Hall - Thomas More - William Tyndale - Heretical books

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In 1537 he was one of the composers of the Bishop's Book. In 1539, Bell succeded Hugh Latimer as Bishop of Worcester and assisted with the baptism of Edward VI at Hampton Court. In 1540 he was a member of the committee of convocation which pronounced the marriage of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves illegal. Bishop Bell resigned from the see of Worcester in 1543, and retired to Clerkenwell, where he died in 1556.

Related Topics:
1537 - Bishop's Book - 1539 - Hugh Latimer - Bishop of Worcester - Baptism - Edward VI - Hampton Court - 1540 - Convocation - Anne of Cleves

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Source: Oxford DNB, pb. 1925

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