Hannah Wood
ODNB; AO (Foster)
Thomas Bickley was born in Stowe (Bucks) and became a chorister at Magdalen College, Oxford in 1531. He received his B.A. from Magdalen in 1540, M.A. in 1545, B.D. in 1552, and D.D. in 1570, serving as fellow from 1540-54. Made a royal chaplain in 1552, Bickley suffered a reversal of fortune upon Mary's accession to the throne when he was expelled from his position at Magdalen and forced to flee to France. Upon returning to England under Elizabeth, Bickley became chaplain to Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury. He was made chancellor of Lichfield Cathedral in 1560, rector of Biddenton (Kent) in 1562, archdeacon of Stafford in 1567, warden of Merton College from 1569-89, canon of Lincoln in 1572, and rector of Sutton Waldron in 1578. With the endorsement of John Whitgift, Bickley was consecrated as bishop of Chichester in 1586 at the advanced age of 68. Bickley died at his palace of Aldingbourne on 30 April 1596 and was buried at Chichester Cathedral.