Biography

Ecclesiastical career

He was educated at New College, Oxford,^[3] and took the degree of B.C.L. on 5 November 1508. He was a canon of Lincoln cathedral in 1518, rector of Bocking, Essex in 1522 and of St. Dionis Backchurch in 1528. He was collated Archdeacon of Cleveland from June to August 1533, Archdeacon of London in 1533-4 and Archdeacon of Cornwall in 1536. He was canon of St. Paul's cathedral in 1534, of York cathedral in 1536, of Wells cathedral and of Chichester cathedral in 1534 and rector of All Hallows, Barking in 1534.^[4]

Political career

In 1520 he was acting as secretary to William Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury, serving in that capacity until the archbishop's death in August 1532. Within a month the king Henry VIII took him into his service as one of the royal chaplains, and on 14 October he signs a letter to the king as clerk of the council, a post to which he had recently been appointed. He soon was high in the favour of Thomas Cromwell and Thomas Cranmer, whose views on ecclesiastical policy he adopted.^[5]

His first public employments were in connection with Henry's divorce from Catharine of Aragon. After being sent to Oxford to obtain opinions from the university in the king's favour, he accompanied Cranmer to Dunstable as one of the counsel on the king's side, when the archbishop pronounced the final sentence of nullity of marriage. Several letters from him are extant recording the course of the trial and the pronunciation of the sentence, in the drawing up of which he had some share.^[5]

In the next two years (1534 and 1535) he was engaged in obtaining the oaths of the inmates of several religious houses to the royal supremacy; in conducting as one of the king's council the examination of Bishop John Fisher and of Sir Thomas More, when tried for treason for refusing the oath; and in assessing the values of ecclesiastical benefices in England. When the smaller monasteries were suppressed by act of parliament in 1536, Bedyll visited many of them in the neighbourhood of London to obtain the surrenders of the houses; and about the same time presided over a commission appointed to examine papal bulls and briefs conferring privileges on churches and dignities in England, with a view to their confirmation or abolition. The "book" that was circulated throughout England as a basis for sermons on the futility of the pope's claims to authority in England, was revised and corrected by him.^[5]

References

^ MacCulloch, Diarmaid (2018). Thomas Cromwell : a life. London: Allen Lane. p. 273. ISBN 9780141967660.
^ Martin 1885, pp. 120, 121.
^ British History On-line
^ "Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714". British History Online. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Martin 1885, p. 120.

Attribution

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Martin, Charles Trice (1885). "Bedyll, Thomas". In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 3. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 120, 121.

v t e Archdeacons of Cornwall
High Medieval	Roland Alnothus Ernaldus Hugo de Auco William A. Walter Ralph Luce Peter Galterus Walter Fitz Rogo Simon Martin Thomas John Rof Jordan Geofrey de Bismano Robert de Tefford John de Esse Henry de Bolleghe
Late Medieval	William Bodrugan Adam de Carleton Walter Nicholas de Scotton Annibale Cardinal di Ceccano Adam de Carleton (again) John de St Paul Papal grants: John Harewell Thomas David Alexander Neville Royal grants: William Cusance Nicholas de Newton Thomas de Orgrave Robert Braybrooke Nicholas Braybrooke Richard Lentwardyn Edward Dantsey John Bremore Richard Penels William Fylham Walter Trengof Richard Helyer Henry Trevilian John Selot Thomas Marke William Sylke
Early modern	Thomas Harrys Bernard Oldham John Fulford Hugh Ashton Richard Sampson Rowland Lee Thomas Bedyll Thomas Wynter John Pollard Hugh Weston John Rixman George Harvey Roger Alley Thomas Somaster Nicholas Marston William Hutchinson Jasper Swift William Parker Martin Mansogg/Nansogg William Parker (again) Robert Peterson Robert Hall George Hall Edward Cotton Edward Drew Lancelot Blackburne ? Charles Fleetwood George Allanson John Sleech George Moore
Late modern	William Short John Bull John Sheepshanks William Phillpotts John Cornish Stamford Raffles-Flint Guy Hockley John Holden Frederick Boreham Peter Young Arnold Wood Raymond Ravenscroft Trevor McCabe Rodney Whiteman Roger Bush Bill Stuart-White Audrey Elkington, Archdeacon of Bodmin (Acting) Paul Bryer

v t e Archdeacons of London and of Charing Cross
High Medieval	Edward Reinger William de Beaumis Hugh de Mareni Nicholas Peter de Waltham Alard de Burnham Peter of Blois Walter Gilbert de Plesseto William of Sainte-Mère-Église Geoffrey de Lucy William de Rising Peter de Newport John Chishull William Passemer Geoffrey de Mortuo Mari Richard Swinefield Robert de Ros Richard de Gravesend
Late Medieval	John de Bedford John de Sancto Claro Peter de Dene Bego de Cavomonte Reginald de Sancto Albano Hélie de Talleyrand-Périgord Richard de Aston Pontius de Podio Barzaco Itherius de Concoreto Edmund Howard John of Thoresby Richard Kilvington Peter Cardinal du Cros James de Beaufort John Barnet Fortanerius Vassalli, Patriarch of Grado Adam de Hertington Thomas Baketon Thomas Stowe Reginald Kentwood John Snell Richard Moresby William Fallan Richard Martyn John de Gigliis John Forster Pedro de Ayala William Horsey John Young, suffragan bishop Geoffrey Wharton William Cliffe Thomas Bedyll Richard Gwent
Early modern	Edward Moylle John Wymmesley John Harpsfield John Mullins Theophilus Aylmer Thomas Paske John Dolben Thomas Lamplugh Edward Stillingfleet Thomas Tenison William Stanley Robert Tyrwhit Edward Cobden John Jortin Anthony Hamilton Richard Beadon William Bingham Joseph Pott William Hale
Late modern	Piers Claughton Edwin Gifford William Sinclair Ernest Holmes Ernest Sharpe Oswin Gibbs-Smith George Appleton Martin Sullivan Sam Woodhouse Frank Harvey George Cassidy Peter Delaney David Meara Nick Mercer Luke Miller
Charing Cross	John Klyberg Bill Jacob Rosemary Lain-Priestley, Archdeacon for the Two Cities Adam Atkinson Katherine Hedderly (announced)

v t e Archdeacons of Cleveland
High medieval	Hugh the Chanter Ralph de Baro John son of Letold Ralph Jeremy Geoffrey de Muschamp John de Gray Ralph de Kyme Hugh Murdac William of Ely Matthew Scot Serlo/Serlo John de Langeton the elder Roger Rufinus of Tonengo Thomas de Grimston
Late medieval	Stephen de Mauley Adrian de Fieschi Innocent de Fieschi William de Weston John Ellerker Thomas de Holwell William de Ferriby William de Catton William Kexby Roger de Ripon Robert de Manfeld Adam Spencer John Marshall John Fitzthomas Alexander Herle Thomas Walkington Clement Stanton Richard Pittes William Pelleson William Duffield Stephen Wilton William Brande William Poteman William Constable Henry Carnebull Geoffrey Blythe John Hole Thomas Crossley
Early modern	John Reynald Richard Rawlins James Denton Thomas Bedyll/Bedell William Cliffe Richard Langridge John Warner Christopher Malton Ralph Coulton Richard Remington Richard Byrde John Phillips Henry Thurscross Timothy Thurscros John Neale Robert Feild John Lake Barnabas Long John Burton James Fall John Richardson Jaques Sterne Francis Blackburne Robert Peirson
Late modern	Charles Baillie-Hamilton Francis Wrangham Leveson Venables-Vernon-Harcourt Henry Todd Edward Churton William Hey Henry Yeoman William Hutchings Thomas Lindsay Basil Carter Edmund Hope George Townley William Palin Stanley Linsley John Southgate Ron Woodley Chris Hawthorn Paul Ferguson Richard Rowling (Acting) Samantha Rushton Clay Roundtree (Acting) Amanda Bloor

Biography

Ecclesiastical career

Political career

Death

References