John Bland (abt. 1515 - 1555)

Born about 1515 in Sedbergh, Yorkshire, England

Died 12 Jul 1555 at about age 40 in Canterbury, Kent, England

Biography

John was born circa 1515 in Sedbergh Yorkshire. In his own words:

"And Sir John Baker said, 'Bland, ye are, as we hear say, a Scot: where were ye born and brought up?' And I said I was born in England. And he said, 'Where?' And I said, 'In Sedberg, and brought up by one Doctor Lupton, provost of Eton college.' "^[1]

Dr Roger Lupton established the Sedbergh Grammar School in 1525 and three of the four governors were Rowland, Harry and Thomas Bland. No doubt one of these men was the father of John.

John attended St John's College Cambridge receiving a BA in 1532/3 and a MA in 1536.^[2]John became a Canon at the College of Secular Canons in Ratling Kent holding the position from 14 Mar 1542/3 when he compounded for the first fruits^[3] until the dissolution in 1547 when he received a pension of £6 13s 4d.^[4]

Upon the accession of Queen Mary he was undisturbed until 3 Sep 1553 after he was accused of denying Mass, arrested, interrogated, condemned and finally burnt at the stake at Canterbury 12 July 1555.

A discourse of the whole process and doings of Master Bland, written and reported by himself to his father in his own letter as followeth: see The Acts and Monuments of the Christian Church by John Foxe (or Fox), better known as Foxe's Book of Martyrs, was first published in Latin in 1550 and subsequently in an English translation, revised and expanded by the author, in 1563, with subsequent versions in 1570, 1576 and 1583.

https://www.exclassics.com/foxe/foxintro.htm

Research Note: no mention of wife or children was made.

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.exclassics.com/foxe/foxe299.htm
2. ↑ Venn, J. A., comp.. Alumni Cantabrigienses. London, England: Cambridge University Press, 1922-1954.
3. ↑ Hussey, A. (1896) Chronicles of Wingham. Jennings:Canterbury
4. ↑ Archaeologia Cantiana Vol 14 (1882) pg 165