William Warham
William Warham [1]
an eminent English prelate, was born at Okeley, in Hampshire, about 1450. He was educated at Winchester School and at New College, Oxford, of which he became a fellow in 1475. He remained at Oxford until 1488, having in the meantime taken holy orders, and then, it is believed, was collated to some living in the Church. Shortly after this, he is found practicing as an advocate in the Court of Arches, and acting as principal or moderator of the Civil Law School of the parish of St. Edward's, Oxford. In 1493 he was sent by Henry VII as a joint envoy to the duchess of Burgundy, to complain of her countenance to the pretender Perkin Warbeck. He was master of the rolls from 1494 to 1502; joint envoy to Maximilian of Burgundy in 1501-2; became keeper of the great seal Aug. 11, 1502; lord chancellor, Jan 1, 1503; bishop of London in 1503; archbishop of Canterbury, March 9, 1504; and chancellor of Oxford University soon after. He was an intimate friend of Erasmus; a rival of Fox, bishop of Winchester; and, later, a rival of cardinal Wolsey, with whom he had many contentions concerning jurisdiction. He opposed the marriage of Catharine of Aragon with Henry VIII, but officiated at the ceremony in June, 1509; and resigned the great seal to Wolsey, Dec. 22, 1515. During his latter years he drew some discredit upon himself by his: connection with the affair of the Maid of Kent, to whose pretensions he lent some support. He died at St. Stephen's, near Canterbury, Aug. 23, 1532.
