Richard Foxe

Clergyman, born in Ropsley, Lincolnshire, EC England, UK. He studied at Oxford, Cambridge, and Paris, and became bishop successively of Exeter, Bath and Wells, Durham, and Winchester. In 1517 he founded Corpus Christi College, Oxford.

For Richard Edwin Fox (murderer), see Richard Edwin Fox.

Richard Foxe (c. 1448 - October 5, 1528) was an English churchman, successively Bishop of Exeter, Bath and Wells, Durham, and Winchester, Lord Privy Seal, and founder of Corpus Christi College, Oxford.

He was born at Ropesley near Grantham, Lincolnshire. His parents belonged to the yeoman class, and little is known about Foxe's early career.

In 1484 he was in Paris, perhaps for the sake of learning or because he had made himself unpopular with Richard III. In January 1485 Richard intervened to prevent Foxe's appointment to the vicarage of Stepney on the ground that he was keeping company with the "great rebel, Henry ap Tuddor."

The important offices conferred on Foxe immediately after the Battle of Bosworth imply that he had already seen more extensive political service than can be traced in records. But without an intimate knowledge of Foxe's political experience and capacity he would hardly have made him his principal secretary, and soon afterwards Lord Privy Seal and Bishop of Exeter (1487). The ecclesiastical role was provided a salary not at Henry's expense; for Foxe never saw either Exeter or the diocese of Bath and Wells to which he was moved in 1492. during John Morton's lifetime, Foxe was his subordinate, but after the archbishop's death he was first in Henry's confidence, and had an important share in all the diplomatic work of the reign. In 1487 he negotiated a treaty with King James III of Scotland, and in 1491 he baptized the future King Henry VIII of England.

Meanwhile in 1494 Foxe had been translated to Durham, not merely because it was a richer see than Bath and Wells but because of its political importance as a palatine earldom and its position with regard to the Borders and relations with Scotland. For these reasons rather than from any ecclesiastical scruples Foxe visited and resided in his new diocese; In that same year he negotiated Perkin's retirement from the court of James IV, and in 1498-1499 he completed the negotiations for that treaty of marriage between the Scottish king and Henry's daughter Margaret which led ultimately to the union of the two crowns in 1603 and of the two kingdoms in 1707.

This consummated Foxe's work in the north, and around 1501 he was once more translated to Winchester, then reputed the richest bishopric in England. His last diplomatic achievement in the reign of Henry VII was the betrothal of the king's younger daughter Mary to the future emperor Charles V.

In 1500 he was elected chancellor of Cambridge University, an office not confined to noble lords until a much more democratic age, and in 1507 master of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge. The Lady Margaret Beaufort made him one of her executors, and in this capacity as well as in that of chancellor, he had the chief share with Fisher in regulating the foundation of St John's College, Cambridge, and the Lady Margaret professorships and readerships. but the story is told in greater detail of Foxe by Erasmus, who says he had it from Sir Thomas More. It is in keeping with the somewhat malicious saying about Foxe, reported by William Tyndale, that he would sacrifice his father to save his king, which is not so damning as Wolsey's dying words.

The accession of Henry VIII only increased Foxe's power, the personnel of his ministry remaining unaltered. The Venetian ambassador called Foxe "alter rex" and the Spanish ambassador Carroz said that Henry trusted him more than any other adviser, although he also reports Henry's warning that the Bishop of Winchester was, as his name implied, "a Foxe indeed." His colleagues were William Warham and Ruthal, but Warham and Foxe differed on the question of Henry's marriage, Foxe advising the completion of the match with Catherine of Aragon while Warham expressed doubts as to its canonical validity.

Thomas Wolsey's rapid rise in 1511 put an end to Foxe's influence. The pacific policy of the first two years of Henry VIII's reign was succeeded by an adventurous foreign policy directed mainly against France; and Foxe complained that no one dared do anything in opposition to Wolsey's wishes. Foxe resigned the privy seal because of Wolsey's ill-advised attempt to drive King Francis I of France out of Milan by financing an expedition led by Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1516. Cuthbert Tunstall protested, Wolsey took Warham's place as chancellor, and Foxe was succeeded by Ruthal, who, said the Venetian ambassador, "sang treble to Wolsey's bass."

He now devoted himself to his long-neglected episcopal duties. Foxe refused, and Wolsey had to wait until Foxe's death before he could add Winchester to his archbishopric of York and his abbey of St Albans, and thus leave Durham vacant as he hoped for his own illegitimate son.

The crown of Foxe's career was his foundation of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, which he established in 1515-1516. Foxe also built and endowed schools at Taunton and Grantham, and was a benefactor to numerous other institutions.

See Letters and Papers of henry VII.