Prideaux, John (1578-09-17 - 1650-07-29)

Born to John Prideaux and Agnes, farmers, at Stowford, Devon 17 September 1578. After he failed to become parish clerk at Ugborough, Prideaux entered Exeter College as a servant. Matriculated October 1596; BA, January 1600; fellow of Exeter College, 1601; MA, 1603. Appointed chaplain to Henry, prince of Wales, allowing him to dispense with some requirements of obtaining his BD, which he earned May 1611. Prince Henry's patronage secured Prideaux the rectorship of Exeter in April 1612 and an early DD in June later that year. Also in 1612, he married Anne, daughter of Dean William Goodwin of Christ Church and was appointed chaplain to King James, a position renewed at the accession of Charles. Regius professor of divinity, 1615. In addition to his university and court preferments, Prideaux was vicar of the Oxfordshire parishes of Kidlington, (attached to the Exeter rectorship), Bampton, 1614-1634, and Chalgrove, 1620-1625; canon of Christ Church, 1617, and of Salisbury, 1620; rector of Bladon-cum-Woodstock, 1625-1641, and of Ewelme, 1629-1641. His staunch Calvinism put him in conflict with William Laud, but also helped earn his election as Bishop of Worcester in 1641 as Charles sought to calm puritan anger at his religious policies. He quickly ran afoul of parliament due to his support of the King, and was sequestered in 1643. He lived with his son-in-law, Henry Sutton, at Bredon until he died of fever 29 July 1650. Of his nine children with Anne, only two daughters survived their father.