John Piers

The Most Reverend

John Piers
The Most Reverend; John Piers
Archbishop of York
Installed	1589
Term ended	1594
Predecessor	Edwin Sandys
Successor	Matthew Hutton
Personal details
Born	1522/23; South Hinksey
Died	1594; Bishopthorpe
Buried	York Minster
Nationality	English
Denomination	Church of England

John Piers (Peirse) (1522/3 – 1594) was Archbishop of York between 1589 and 1594. Previous to that he had been Bishop of Rochester and Bishop of Salisbury.

Life

He was born at South Hinksey, near Oxford, and was educated at Magdalen College School. He became a demy of Magdalen College in 1542, and graduated B.A. in 1545, M.A. 1549, B.D. 1558, and D.D. 1565–6. He was elected probationer-fellow of Magdalen in 1545, and full fellow in 1546. In the following year he became a senior student of Christ Church, Oxford, on the condition of returning to his old college if at the end of twelve months he desired to do so. This he did, and was re-elected fellow in 1548–9.

He took holy orders, and in 1558 was instituted to the rectory of Quainton, Buckinghamshire. There, according to Anthony à Wood, he fell into the habit of drinking in alehouses, he was weaned of the habit by a clerical friend. He was rector of Langdon in Essex from 1567 to 1573. On his return he took a leading place in the university, and his course of promotion was steady and rapid. In 1570 he was elected Master of Balliol College, holding also the college living of Fillingham in Lincolnshire.

In 1567 he was appointed to the deanery of Chester, to which, in May 1571, he added that of Salisbury. At Salisbury, by command of the Queen, he brought the ritual and statutes of his cathedral into conformity with the spirit of the Reformation, with changes away from Catholic practice. In the same year (1571) he received from the crown the deanery of Christ Church, Oxford, with licence to hold his other deaneries and livings in commendam. Chester he resigned in 1573, and Salisbury in 1578. On the elevation of Edmund Freake to Norwich he was elected bishop of Rochester, and was consecrated 15 April 1576. He held the bishopric of Rochester little more than a year, being translated to Salisbury on Edmund Gheast's death in November 1577.

Elizabeth made him in 1576 lord high almoner In this capacity he had a dispute with the George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury respecting deodands, which was settled amicably. In January 1583 he was employed by Elizabeth to signify to Grindal that he should resign his archbishopric on account of failing health and increasing blindness. The archbishop's death in July of that year put an end to the negotiation. In 1585 he was consulted by Elizabeth whether she could legitimately assist the Low Countries in their struggle with Philip II of Spain, and gave a long affirmative reply. In 1585, again, he was one of the prelates before whom Edward Gellibrand, fellow of Magdalen, was cited as being the ringleader of the Presbyterian party in Oxford. Two years later Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester made an ineffectual attempt to obtain his translation to Durham. On the defeat of the Spanish Armada, he was appointed by Elizabeth to preach at the thanksgiving service at St. Paul's Cathedral on 24 November 1588.

His translation to the archbishopric of York was as Sandys's successor in 1589. His tenure of the primacy was short. He died at Bishopthorpe on 28 September 1594, aged 71. He was unmarried. He was buried at the east end of York Minster, with a long epitaph.

References

Claire Cross, ‘Piers, John (1522/3–1594)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004

Attribution

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Piers, John". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

Church of England titles
Preceded by Edmund Freke	Bishop of Rochester 1576–1578	Succeeded by John Young
Preceded by Edmund Gheast	Bishop of Salisbury 1577–1589	Succeeded by John Coldwell
Preceded by Edwin Sandys	Archbishop of York 1589–1594	Succeeded by Matthew Hutton
Academic offices
Preceded by Robert Hooper	Master of Balliol College, Oxford 1570	Succeeded by Adam Squier

v t e Deans of Chester
Early modern	Thomas Clerk Henry Man William Cliffe Richard Walker John Piers Richard Langworth Robert Dorset Thomas Modesley John Nutter William Barlow Henry Parry Thomas Mallory William Nichols Henry Bridgeman James Arderne Laurence Fogg Walter Offley Thomas Allen Thomas Brooke William Smith George Cotton
Late modern	Hugh Cholmondeley Robert Hodgson Peter Vaughan Edward Copleston Henry Phillpotts George Davys Frederick Anson John Howson John Darby Frank Bennett Norman Tubbs Michael Gibbs George Addleshaw Ingram Cleasby Stephen Smalley Gordon McPhate Tim Stratford

v t e Dean of Christ Church, Oxford
Predecessors	John Hygdon* John Oliver* John London Richard Cox
Early modern	Richard Cox Richard Marshall George Carew Thomas Sampson Thomas Godwin Thomas Cooper John Piers Tobias Matthew William James Thomas Ravis John King William Goodwin Richard Corbet Brian Duppa Samuel Fell Edward Reynolds John Owen Edward Reynolds George Morley John Fell John Massey Henry Aldrich Francis Atterbury George Smalridge Hugh Boulter William Bradshaw John Conybeare David Gregory William Markham Lewis Bagot Cyril Jackson
Late modern	Charles Henry Hall Samuel Smith Thomas Gaisford Henry Liddell Francis Paget Thomas Strong Henry Julian White Alwyn Williams John Lowe Cuthbert Simpson Henry Chadwick Eric Heaton John Drury Christopher Lewis Martyn Percy Sarah Foot
* – Academic deans only; prior to the establishment of Christ Church Cathedral; ** – Cathedral deans at Osney.

v t e Deans of Salisbury
High Medieval	Walter Osbert Robert Serlo Roger Azo Robert of Chichester Henry de Beaumont John of Oxford Jordan Eustace Richard Poore Adam William de Wanda Robert de Hertford Robert Wickhampton Walter Scammel Henry Brandeston Simon de Micham
Late Medieval	Peter of Savoy William Rufati Reymund de Fargis Bertrand de Fargis Reynold Orsini James Orsini Robert Braybrooke Thomas Montagu John Chandler Simon Sydenham Thomas Brunce Nicholas Bildeston Adam Moleyns Richard Leyot Gilbert Kymer James Goldwell John Davison Edward Cheyne
Early modern	Thomas Ruthall William Atwater John Longland Cuthbert Tunstall Richard Pace Peter Vannes William Bradbridge Thomas Cole Edmund Freke John Piers John Bridges John Gordon John Williams John Bowle Edmund Mason Richard Baylie Ralph Brideoake Thomas Pierce Robert Woodward Edward Young John Younger John Clarke Thomas Greene Rowney Noel John Ekins
Late modern	Charles Talbot Hugh Pearson Francis Lear Henry Hamilton J. C. Ryle George Boyle Allan Webb William Page Roberts Andrew Burn John Randolph Edward Henderson Henry Robins Robert Moberly Kenneth Haworth Fenton Morley Sydney Evans Hugh Dickinson Derek Watson June Osborne Ed Probert (Acting) Nick Papadopulos

v t e Bishops of Rochester
Pre-Conquest	Justus Romanus Paulinus of York Ithamar Damianus Putta Cwichelm Gebmund Tobias Aldwulf Dunn Eardwulf Diora Waermund (I) Beornmod Tatnoth Badenoth Waermund (II) Cuthwulf Swithwulf Ceolmund Cyneferth Burgric Beorhtsige Ælfstan Godwine (I) Godwine (II) Siward
Conquest to Reformation	Arnost Gundulf Ralph d'Escures Ernulf John (I) John (II) Ascelin Walter Waleran Gilbert Glanvill Benedict of Sausetun Henry Sandford Richard Wendene Lawrence of St Martin Walter de Merton John Bradfield John Kirkby Thomas Ingoldsthorpe Thomas Wouldham Hamo Hethe John Sheppey William Whittlesey Thomas Trilleck Thomas Brinton William Bottlesham John Bottlesham Richard Young John Kemp John Langdon Thomas Brunce William Wells John Low Thomas Rotherham John Alcock John Russell Edmund Audley Thomas Savage Richard FitzJames John Fisher
Post-Reformation	John Hilsey Nicholas Heath Henry Holbeach Nicholas Ridley John Ponet John Scory Maurice Griffith Edmund Allen Edmund Gheast Edmund Freke John Piers John Young William Barlow Richard Neile John Buckeridge Walter Curle John Bowle John Warner Episcopacy abolished (Commonwealth) John Warner John Dolben Francis Turner Thomas Sprat Francis Atterbury Samuel Bradford Joseph Wilcocks Zachary Pearce John Thomas Samuel Horsley Thomas Dampier Walker King Hugh Percy George Murray Joseph Wigram Thomas Legh Claughton Anthony Thorold Randall Davidson Edward Talbot John Harmer Linton Smith Christopher Chavasse David Say Michael Turnbull Michael Nazir-Ali James Langstaff Jonathan Gibbs

v t e Bishops and Archbishops of York
Pre-Reformation bishops	Paulinus Chad Wilfrid Bosa John of Beverley Wilfrid II
Pre-Reformation archbishops	Egbert Æthelbert Eanbald I Eanbald II Wulfsige Wigmund Wulfhere Æthelbald Hrotheweard Wulfstan I Oscytel Edwald Oswald Ealdwulf Wulfstan II Ælfric Puttoc Cynesige Ealdred Thomas of Bayeux Gerard Thomas II Thurstan William FitzHerbert Henry Murdac William FitzHerbert Roger de Pont L'Évêque Geoffrey Plantagenet Simon Langton Walter de Gray Sewal de Bovil Godfrey Ludham William Langton Bonaventure Walter Giffard William de Wickwane John le Romeyn Henry of Newark Thomas of Corbridge William Greenfield William Melton William Zouche John of Thoresby Alexander Neville Thomas Arundel Robert Waldby Richard le Scrope Thomas Langley Robert Hallam Henry Bowet Philip Morgan Richard Fleming John Kemp William Booth George Neville Lawrence Booth Thomas Rotherham Thomas Savage Christopher Bainbridge Thomas Wolsey
Post-Reformation archbishops	Edward Lee Robert Holgate Nicholas Heath Thomas Young Edmund Grindal Edwin Sandys John Piers Matthew Hutton Tobias Matthew George Montaigne Samuel Harsnett Richard Neile John Williams Episcopacy abolished (Commonwealth) Accepted Frewen Richard Sterne John Dolben Thomas Lamplugh John Sharp Sir William Dawes Bt Lancelot Blackburne Thomas Herring Matthew Hutton John Gilbert Robert Hay Drummond William Markham Edward Venables-Vernon-Harcourt Thomas Musgrave Charles Longley William Thomson William Connor Magee William Maclagan Cosmo Lang William Temple Cyril Garbett Michael Ramsey Donald Coggan Stuart Blanch John Habgood David Hope John Sentamu Paul Ferguson (acting diocesan) Stephen Cottrell