Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Brooks, James
BROOKS, JAMES (1512–1560), bishop of Gloucester, born in Hampshire in May 1512, was admitted a scholar of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, in 1528, and a fellow in January 1531-2, being then B.A. After graduating M.A. he studied divinity and was created D.D. in 1546. In the following year he became master of Balliol College. He was chaplain and almoner to Bishop Gardiner (Strype, Cranmer, 310, 374, fol.), and after Queen Mary's accession he was elected bishop of Gloucester, in succession to John Hooper, at whose trial he assisted (Strype, Eccl Memorials, iii. 180, fol.) He was consecrated in St. Saviour's Church, Southwark, on 1 April, and received restitution of the temporalities on 8 May 1554 (LeNeve, Fasti, ed. Hardy, i. 437). In 1555 he was delegated by the pope to examine and try Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer; and in 1557-8 Cardinal Pole appointed him his commissioner to visit the university of Oxford (Strype, Eccl. Memorials, iii. 391, fol.) On Queen Elizabeth's accession he was deprived of his see for refusing to take the oath of supremacy, and was committed to prison, where he died in the beginning of February 1559-60 (Dodd, Church Hist. i. 499). He was buried in Gloucester Cathedral, but no monument was erected to his memory. Wood describes him as 'a person very learned in the time he lived, an eloquent preacher, and a zealous maintainer of the Roman catholic religion' (Athenæ Oxon. ed. Bliss, i. 315), but Bishop Jewel says he was 'a beast of most impure life, and yet more impure conscience' (Letter to Peter Martyr, 20 March 1559-60).
His works are:
- 'A Sermon, very notable, fruictefull, and godlie, made at Paules Crosse, the xii. daie of Nouembre in the first yere of Quene Marie,' Lond. 1553, 8vo, 'newly imprinted and somewhat augmented,' 1554. His text was Matt. ix. 18, 'Lord, my daughter is even now deceased,' These words he applied to the kingdom and church of England, upon their late defection from the pope, but the protestants censured the sermon, saying that he had made himself to be Jairus, England his daughter, and the queen Christ (Strype, Eccl. Memorials, iii. 74, fol.)
- Oration in St. Mary's Church, Oxford, on 12 March 1555, addressed to Archbishop Cranmer.
- Oration at the close of Archbishop Cranmer's examination.
These two orations are printed in Foxe's 'Acts and Monuments.'
[Ames's Typogr. Antiq. (Herbert), 829; Cotton. MS. Vespasian, A, xxv. 13; Cranmer's Works (Cox), ii. 212, 214, 225, 383, 446, 447, 454, 455, 456, 541; Dodd's Church Hist. i. 498; Foxe's Acts and Monuments; Godwin, De Præsulibus (Richardson), 552; Jewell's Works (Ayre), iv. 1199, 1201; Lansd. MS. 980, f. 250; Latimer's Works (Corrie), ii. 283; Le Neve's Fasti (Hardy), i. 437, iii. 540; Machyn's Diary, 58; Philpot's Examinations and Writings (Eden), p. xxviii; Ridley's Works (Christmas), pp. xii, 255, 283, 427; Rudder's Gloucestershire, 156; Rymer's Fœdera (1713), xv. 389, 489; Strype's Works (see general index); Wood's Annals (Gutch), ii. 130-131; Wood's Athenæ Oxon. (Bliss), i. 314, ii. 791; Zurich Letters, i. 12.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.38
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
| Page | Col. | Line | |
| 438 | ii | 21 | Brooks, James: after Balliol College insert He was vice-chancellor of Oxford in 1552 |