William Latymer
William Latymer was a notable English cleric born in 1498 into a wealthy family in Suffolk. He pursued higher education at Cambridge, where he earned his master's degree in 1536. Latymer became a chaplain to Anne Boleyn, one of the wives of King Henry VIII, and faced brief imprisonment following her arrest in 1536. Despite this setback, he was later appointed to oversee a Welsh diocese. In 1538, he became the master of the College of Saint Laurence in London, although the institution was dissolved after eight years. Latymer married during this period, supporting the idea of clerics marrying, which later contributed to his decline in status during Queen Mary I's reign. However, he regained favor when Queen Elizabeth I took the throne in 1558, ultimately becoming the archdeacon of Westminster and the queen's chaplain. He also authored a biography of Anne Boleyn, titled *A Brief Treatise: Or, Chronicle of the Most Virtuous Lady Anne Bulleyne*, which remained unpublished until 1990 and is recognized as a significant firsthand account of Boleyn’s life.
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William Latymer
Author
- Born: 1498
- Birthplace: Suffolk, England
- Died: August 1, 1583
- Place of death: England
Biography
William Latymer was born in 1498 to a wealthy family in Suffolk, England. He attended college in Cambridge, earning his master’s degree in 1536. He became a chaplain to Anne Boleyn, one of the eight wives of King Henry the VIII. When Boleyn was arrested in 1536, Latymer was also briefly imprisoned. However, he managed to escape the ruin that befell Boleyn and her cohorts and was given charge over a Welsh diocese later that year. In 1538, King Henry appointed Latymer master of the College of Saint Laurence in London, but after eight years the school was dissolved. It was around this time that Latymer married, after voting in favor of clerics being allowed to take spouses.
When Queen Mary I assumed the throne after her father’s death in 1553, Latymer lost the favor he held at court and within the church, in no small part due to his marriage. However, within three years a shortage of clerics found Latymer overseeing two parishes. When Queen Elizabeth I assumed the throne in 1558, Latymer was restored, and within two years became the dean of Peterborough and was titled the archdeacon of Westminster. He eventually became the queen’s chaplain and clerk.
While in service to Queen Elizabeth, Latymer composed his biography of Boleyn, A Brief Treatise: Or, Chronicle of the Most Virtuous Lady Anne Bulleyne, Late Queen of England. This work was addressed to Queen Elizabeth and remained unreleased to the public until 1990. It is considered an important first person account of the life of Boleyn, despite the author’s desire to paint Boleyn as a perfect individual and paragon of ideal Protestantism.