Henry Holbeach

Henry Holbeach (c. 1477 – 2 August 1551) was an English clergyman who served as the last Prior and first Dean of Worcester, a suffragan bishop, and diocesan bishop of two Church of England dioceses.

Life

Born as Henry Rands (or Randes) in Holbeach, Lincolnshire, he assumed the name of his birthplace on becoming a monk at Crowland Abbey. He proceeded to Cambridge (Bachelor of Theology {BTh} 1527, Doctor of Theology {DTh} 1534), and became prior of Buckingham College, Cambridge.^[1]

In 1536, he was elected the Prior of Worcester,^[2] and two years later he also became the Bishop of Bristol, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Worcester.^[3] Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1540, the priory was re-established as a cathedral with Holbeach becoming the first Dean of Worcester in 1542.^[4] In 1544, he became Bishop of Rochester,^[5] and finally in 1547 Bishop of Lincoln.^[6]

Marriage

He is believed to have been the first of the English (post reformation) bishops to have been married, his wife Joan proving his will on 5 October 1551 and he left a son Thomas Randes. According to his descendant, Cater Rand, he was "one of the compilers of the liturgy". Holbeach developed the sweating sickness and died on 2 August 1551 at Nettleham (some accounts give 6 August as date of death) and was buried there on 7 August 1551.

References