John Christopherson

John Christopherson (died 1558) was Chaplain and confessor to Queen Mary I of England, Master of Trinity College, Cambridge (1553–1558), Dean of Norwich (1554–1557) and Bishop of Chichester (1557–1558) - all during the reign of Queen Mary (1553–1558).

Born at Ulverstone, Lancashire, John Christopherson was educated at the University of Cambridge, graduating B.A. in 1540-1 and M.A. in 1543. He became Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge in 1541, Fellow of St John's in 1542 and Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge in 1546. During the reign of Edward VI he went abroad to Louvain.[1] In 1555, he was one of accusers of William Wolsey and Richard Pygot,[2] and he was involved in the trial of the Protestant martyr Richard Woodman in Southwark.

He was a member of a commission under direction from Stephen Gardiner to reintroduce Catholicism to the University of Cambridge.

He died in 1558. He had been put under house arrest following his definition of Protestantism as “a new invention of new men and heresies” on 27 November 1558, preached in response to a sermon at Paul's Cross. He died in the end of December 1588, either the 22nd or the 28th, and was buried at Christchurch, Newgate Street, where he had held a lease to the Prior's lodging and two gardens.[3]

He is particularly known for writing a tragedy on Jephthah (based on Euripides' Iphigenia at Aulis), which is noteworthy for being the only Tudor play written in Greek. (The Scotsman George Buchanan wrote one in Latin on the same theme.)

References

"Christopherson, John (CHRR540J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2011-03-23.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
History of Greyfriars: the site and buildings; British History Online

Sources

Church of England titles
Preceded by George Day	Bishop of Chichester 1557–1559	Succeeded by William Barlow
Academic offices
Preceded by William Bill	Master of Trinity College, Cambridge 1553–1558	Succeeded by William Bill

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[1] "Christopherson, John (CHRR540J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.

[2] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2011-03-23.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[3] History of Greyfriars: the site and buildings; British History Online

Deans of Norwich
Early modern	William Castleton John Salisbury John Christopherson John Boxall John Harpsfield John Salisbury George Gardiner Thomas Dove John Jegon George Montgomery Edmund Suckling John Hassal John Crofts Herbert Astley John Sharp Henry Fairfax Humphrey Prideaux Thomas Cole Robert Butts John Baron Thomas Bullock Edward Townshend Philip Lloyd
Late modern	Joseph Turner George Pellew Meyrick Goulburn William Lefroy Henry Wakefield Henry Beeching John Willink David Cranage Herbert St Barbe Holland Norman Hook Alan Webster David Edwards Paul Burbridge Stephen Platten Graham Smith Jane Hedges (announced)