Home > William Sancroft

He became M.A. in 1641 and fellow in 1642, but was ejected in 1649 for refusing to accept the "Engagement." He then remained abroad till the Restoration, after which he was chosen one of the university preachers, and in 1663 was nominated to the deanery of York. In 1664 he was installed dean of St Paul's. In this situation he set himself to repair the cathedral, till the fire of London in 1666 necessitated the rebuilding of it, towards which he gave £1400. He also rebuilt the deanery, and improved its revenue.

In 1668 he was admitted archdeacon of Canterbury upon the king's presentation, but he resigned the post in 1670. In 1677, being now prolocutor of the Convocation, he was unexpectedly advanced to the archbishopric of Canterbury. He attended Charles II upon his deathbed, and "made to him a very weighty exhortation, in which he used a good degree of freedom." He wrote with his own hand the petition presented in 1687Events March 19 The men under explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle murder him while searching for the mouth of the Mississippi River. July 5 Isaac Newton's Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica is published. December 31 The first Huguenots set sail against the reading of the Declaration of IndulgenceThe Declaration of Indulgence (or the declaration for the liberty of conscience) was made by King James II of England, on the April 4, 1687. It was a first step at establishing freedom of religion in England. It was later revised, again by King James II,, which was signed by himself and six of his suffragans. For this they were all committed to the TowerThe Tower of London is officially Her Majesty's Palace and Fortress, The Tower of London although the last ruler to reside in it as a palace was King James I ( 1566- 1625). The White Tower the square building with turrets on each corner that gave it its n, but were acquitted.

Upon the withdrawal of James IIJames II of England and VII of Scotland ( 14 October 1633 16 September 1701) became King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 6 February 1685. He would prove to be the last Catholic monarch to reign over England, Scotland or Ireland. His subjects distrus he concurred with the LordsThis article is about the British House of Lords. See also the historical Irish House of Lords. The House of Lords is a component of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also includes the Sovereign and the British House of Commons. The House of Lor in a declaration to the prince of Orange for a free parliament, and due indulgence to the Protestant dissenters. But, when that prince and his consort were declared king and queen, he refused to take the oath to them, and was accordingly suspended and deprived. From August 5August 5 is the 217th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (218th in leap years), with 148 days remaining. Events 642 Battle of Maserfeld Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia 1100 Henry I crowned King of England in Westminster Abbey 1 1691Events March 5 French troops under Marshal Louis-Francois de Boufflers besiege the Spanish-held town of Mons March 29 Siege of Mons ends to the city’s surrender Treaty of Limerick penalizes public worship of catholics and Presbyterians Change of emperor o till his death on November 24 1693, he lived a very retired life in his native place. He was buried in the churchyard of Fressingfield, where there is a Latin epitaph to his memory.

Sancroft was a patron of Henry Wharton (1664-1695), the divine and church historian, to whom on his deathbed he entrusted his manuscripts and the remains of Archbishop Laud (published in 1695).

He published Fur praedestinatus (1651), Modern Politics (1652), and Three Sermons (1694). Nineteen Familiar Letters to Mr North (afterwards Sir Henry North) appeared in 1757.

This entry was originally from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.