Roger Kelke D.D. (abt. 1523 - 1576)

Born about 1523 in Lincolnshire, England

Ancestors

Died 1576 at about age 53 in England

Biography

Roger was the son of Christopher Kelke and Isabel Girlington.^[1][2] He was born after his father made his Will on 3 April 1519. He was his parents' youngest son,^[3] and an older brother, William was also born after the date of his father's Will,^[4] so he would have been born no earlier than 1520. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography gives his birth year as 1523/4.^[5] He was probably born in Lincolnshire where his parents lived.

Roger was awarded a BA at Cambridge University in 1542-3, a MA in 1547, a BD degree (Bachelor of Divinity) in 1560 and a DD (Doctor of Divinity) in 1563-4. He became a Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge in 1545.^[6]

During the reign of Mary I Roger went into exile, going to Zurich and Basle, Switzerland. He returned to England at the start of the reign of Elizabeth I, and was ordained priest on 14 January 1559/60.^[5] In 1560 he was chosen to be a minister and preacher at Ipswich, Suffolk. In 1562 he was charged with being a liar and a preacher of "no trew doctrine".^[3] He also held the following church positions:

• 1563-1576: Archdeacon of Stow, Suffolk^[6]
• 1568-1581: Rector of Sproughton, Suffolk^[6]
• 1572: Rector of Teverton, Cambridgeshiure^[6]

In 1565 Roger became Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge. There he sought to resist the compulsory wearing of priestly vestments.^[3][5]

Roger was Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University briefly in 1567 and again in 1571/2. In 1569 his name was pout forward to be Master of St John's College, Cambridge, but he was not selected.^[5]

Roger married someone called Rose, who survived him. The date of their marriage is not known. They had a daughter, Abigail.^[5]

Roger died on 6 January 1575/6. He was buried at the church of Great St Mary, Cambridge. His wife survived him - she is recorded in Ipswich, Suffolk in 1580.^[6]

Roger's Will was dated 1575 and proved on 9 February 1575/6. In it he:^[7]

• described himself as Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge
• named
  • his wife Rose and his daughter "Abigail" (Abigail), who was under age
  • his brother Francis and his daughter Anne
  • his nephew Christopher Kelke
  • his godson Roger Tyrwhitt, son of his "brother" Marmaduke Tyrwhitt (Marmaduke was the brother-in-law by her second marriage of Isabel, widow of Roger's brother Christopher)
• appointed his wife sole executor

Sources

1. ↑ Douglas Richardson. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 4 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham, 2nd edition (Salt Lake City: the author, 2011), Vol. II, pp. 466-467, KELKE 14, Googler Books
2. ↑ Douglas Richardson. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), Vol. III, pp. 410-411, KELKE 19
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Christina Hllowell Garrett. The Marian Exiles, Cambridge University Press, 1938 (reprinted 1966), pp. 202-203, Internet Archive
4. ↑ A R Maddison. Lincolnshire Pedigrees, Vol. II, Harleian Society, 1903, pp. 556-557, Internet Archive
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4} Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, entry by N G Jone for 'Kelke, Roger', print and online 2004, revised online 2008
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4} J A Venn. Alumni Cantabrigienses, Vol, III, Part I, Cambridge University Press, 1924, p. 3, Internet Archive
7. ↑ The National Archives, ref. PROB 11/57/679, Discovery Centre catalogue entry

• Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Vol. 30, pp. 338-339, entry for 'KELKE, ROGER (1524–1576)', Wikisource
• Wikipedia: Roger_Kelke