Edmund Freke
Bishop of Worcester
Church	Church of England
Diocese	Diocese of Worcester
Installed	1584
Term ended	1591 (death)
Predecessor	John Whitgift
Successor	Richard Fletcher
Other post(s)	Bishop of Rochester & Archdeacon of Canterbury (1572–1575) Bishop of Norwich (1575–1584)
Personal details
Born	c. 1516 Essex
Died	1591 (aged 74–75)
Nationality	English
Denomination	Anglican
Alma mater	Cambridge University

Edmund Freke (also spelled Freake or Freak; c. 1516–1591) was an English dean and bishop.

Life

He was born in Essex, and educated at Cambridge,^[1] gaining his M.A. there c. 1550.^[2]

In 1565 he was appointed Canon of the sixth stall at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, a position he held until 1572.

He was Dean of Salisbury and Dean of Rochester from 1571 to 1572 when he became Bishop of Rochester and was simultaneously Archdeacon of Canterbury in commendam.^[3] In 1575, he became Bishop of Norwich.^[4] There, unlike his predecessor John Parkhurst, he campaigned hard to impose uniformity in his diocese.^[5]^[6]

In 1579 he tried and then burnt a Norfolk plowwright, Matthew Hamont, for heresy.

In 1584, he became Bishop of Worcester.^[4] He was also appointed Lord Almoner, a position he held until his death.^[7]

Notes

^ "Archdeacons of Canterbury | British History Online".
^ "Freake, Edmund (FRK550E)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^ British History Online: Archdeacons of Canterbury 1541–1857: Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae, volume 3: Canterbury, Rochester and Winchester dioceses (1974), pp. 15-17. Date accessed: 10 January 2010.
^ ^a ^b Concise Dictionary of National Biography
^ Christopher Durston, Princes, Pastors and People: The Church and Religion in England, 1529-1689 (1991), p. 133.
^ Ralph Houlbrooke, Godly Reformers and their Opponents in Early Modern England: Religion in Norwich, c.1560-1643, The English Historical Review 2007 CXXII(497), pp. 751-753.
^ Usher, Brett. Lord Burghley and Episcopacy, 1577-1603.

Church of England titles Preceded byEdmund Gheast Bishop of Rochester 1572–1576 Succeeded byJohn Piers Preceded byJohn Parkhurst Bishop of Norwich 1575–1584 Succeeded byEdmund Scambler Preceded byJohn Whitgift Bishop of Worcester 1584–1591 Succeeded byRichard Fletcher

Deans of Rochester

Early modern

Late modern

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

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	United States
Other	SNAC