Whitgift, John, Archbishop of Canterbury (1530 -1604)

John Whitgift was the eldest son of Henry Whitgift, of Great Grimsby in Lincolnshire, and Anne Dynewell. He was educated at St Anthony's School in London, Queens' College, Cambridge, and Pembroke Hall, where he matriculated in May 1550, taking his B.A. in 1554, and M.A. in 1557. Made a Fellow of Peterhouse in 1555, he remained at Cambridge during Mary's reign and did not take orders until 1560. He was Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at Cambridge in 1563, Master of Pembroke Hall 6 April 1567, D.D. at the same time, Master of Trinity 4 July 1567, Dean of Lincoln 1571, Bishop of Worcester 1577, and Archbishop of Canterbury in 1583. The arms were granted to him in 1588. He was a strong anti Puritan, and vigorous in enforcing his beliefs. The mar prelate tracts were largely directed at him. In Ms Tanner 79 f.189 in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, there is a bill, dated 11 August 1582 and receipted May 18, 1583, from the London bookseller Thomas Chard to Whitgift as Bishop of Worcester for eighteen priced items including two maps total £2.1s.8d. There is also a list of 144 MSS given by him to Trinity College, Cambridge in Trinity College, Cambridge MS R.17.8 (Donor's Book), A catalogue of his library in Trinity College Dublin MS E.4.13, is described by W. O'Sullivan in the Times Literary Supplement 3 August 1956 p. 468. A number of books with Whitgift's arms are in the Harsnett Library in Colchester, but the larger part of his library is at Lambeth Palace. The catalogue there lists 561 books with his arms.