Creed, William (1615-03-25 - 1663-07-19)

William Creed, of Reading, Berkshire, matriculated at St. John’s College, Oxford in 1633 and became a fellow in 1634. He graduated B.A. in 1635 and M.A. in 1639; he was appointed proctor in 1644 and proceeded B.D. in 1646. Due to his royalist leanings during the Civil War Creed was expelled from by fellowship by parliamentarian visitors in 1648. He was made rector of Codford St Mary in 1645 and of Stockton in 1658. Creed published several works in 1660, including a set of royalist sermons, and enjoyed preferment upon the Restoration. He was made archdeacon of Wiltshire in 1660 and was granted a prebend at Salisbury Cathedral the same year. He was created D.D. at Oxford in 1660, and the following year was appointed regius professor of divinity and canon of Christ Church. Creed is remembered for moving clerical attention away from theological divisiveness during his professorship at Christ Church, focusing instead on uniting the church against common enemies of Catholicism and parochial conflict. He died on 19 July 1663 and was buried in the cathedral in Oxford. While nothing is known about his wife, he was survived by sons Robert, William, and John.