George Montaigne

George Montaigne (or Mountain; 1569 – 24 October 1628) was an English bishop.

For the Anglican bishop of Quebec, Canada, see George Mountain.

The Most Reverend George Montaigne
Archbishop of York
George Montaigne during his time as Bishop of London.
Church	Church of England
Diocese	York
Installed	July 1628
Term ended	24 October 1628
Predecessor	Tobias Matthew
Successor	Samuel Harsnett
Orders
Ordination	28 June 1593 by Richard Howland
Consecration	14 December 1617 by George Abbot
Personal details
Born	1569 Cawood, Yorkshire
Died	24 October 1628 London
Buried	All Saints Church, Cawood
Nationality	English
Denomination	Anglican

Ordination history of George Montaigne
History Diaconal ordination Ordained by Richard Howland Date 28 June 1593 Place Peterborough Priestly ordination Ordained by Richard Howland Date 28 June 1593 Place Peterborough Episcopal consecration Principal consecrator George Abbot Co-consecrators Marco Antonio de Dominis John King Lancelot Andrewes John Buckeridge John Overall Date 14 December 1617 Place Lambeth
Source(s): [1]

Life

Montaigne was born in 1569 at Cawood, Yorkshire.[2] He was educated at Queens' College, Cambridge, matriculating at Michaelmas 1586, graduating B.A. 1590, M.A. 1593, B.D. 1602, D.D. 1607, and holding a fellowship at Queens' 1592–1611. He was ordained deacon and priest at Peterborough in 1593.[3]

In 1597 he was chaplain to Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, on his expedition against Cadiz. He became rector of Great Cressingham in 1602. He was Gresham College Professor of Divinity in 1607, and in 1608 Master of the Savoy and chaplain to James VI and I.[2]

He was Dean of Westminster in 1610. He was appointed Bishop of Lincoln in 1617 and was consecrated on 14 December that year by Archbishop George Abbot, and co-consecrated by the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Split Marco Antonio de Dominis. He was appointed Lord High Almoner in 1619, Bishop of London in 1621 and Bishop of Durham in 1627.[2]

When in 1628 the archbishopric of York fell vacant by the death of Tobias Matthew, Montaigne is said to have secured the nomination by remarking to Charles I, "Hadst thou faith as a grain of mustard seed, thou wouldst say unto this mountain, be removed into that sea [see]" (Matthew 17:20). He was duly elected to the archbishopric on 1 July, but died in London on 24 October 1628, and was buried in Cawood Church.[2]

He was one of the Arminian group of bishops who arose in opposition to the general Calvinism that prevailed in the Church of England in the early seventeenth century. One manifestation of his views were prosecutions in his London diocese for the disrespectful wearing of hats in services.[4]

Notes and references

1. The Apostolic Succession and the Catholic Episcopate in the Christian Episcopal p. 181 (Google Books)
2. Bradley, E. B. (1894). "Montaigne, George" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. 38. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
3. "Montaigne, George (MNTN586G)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
4. Corns, Thomas N. (2003). A Companion to Milton. p. 115.

External links

Academic offices
Preceded by William Dakins	Gresham Professor of Divinity 1607–1610	Succeeded by William Osbaldeston
Church of England titles
Preceded by Richard Neile	Bishop of Lincoln 1617–1621	Succeeded by John Williams
Preceded by John King	Bishop of London 1621–1627	Succeeded by William Laud
Preceded by Richard Neile	Prince-Bishop of Durham 1627–1628	Succeeded by John Howson
Preceded by Tobias Matthew	Archbishop of York 1628	Succeeded by Samuel Harsnett