Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Standish, John

by William Arthur Jobson Archbold

STANDISH, JOHN (1507?–1570), archdeacon of Colchester, born about 1507, is said to have belonged to the family of Standish of Burgh in Lancashire. The pedigrees, however, are not full enough to decide the matter. His uncle was Henry Standish [q. v.], bishop of St. Asaph. He was educated at Brasenose College, Oxford, whence he was moved as a probationary fellow to Corpus Christi. He graduated B.A. on 16 May 1528, and proceeded M.A. on 11 July 1531, B.D. 1540, and, after long teaching in London and preaching at St. Paul's, D.D. on 2 Aug. 1541. Wood speaks of his ‘drudging much in the faculty of divinity,’ and he was fellow of Whittington College when he took his doctor's degree. In 1543 he became rector of St. Andrew Undershaft, in 1544 vicar of Northall, Middlesex, and in March 1550 rector of Wigan. On 2 Aug. 1550 he became canon of Worcester, and in January 1552–3 he was for a few days archdeacon of Colchester (Le Neve, ii. 342). Strype says that he was chaplain to Edward VI; and he was also in 1553 vicar of Medbourne, Leicestershire. In 1554, after Mary's accession, he was deprived of his rectory of Wigan because he was married; but he seems to have put away his wife, and in 1555 he became rector of Rodmarton, Gloucestershire. On 21 Oct. 1557 he was collated to the prebend of Ealdland in St. Paul's Cathedral, and he again became archdeacon of Colchester on 15 Oct. 1558. When Elizabeth came to the throne he lost his archdeaconry, his prebend, and the living of Paglesham, Essex, which he had received in 1554. But subsequently he was restored to his prebend, and died in possession before 31 March 1570.

Standish wrote:

1. ‘A Little Treatise against the Protestation of Robert Barnes at the time of his Death,’ London, 1540, 8vo; answered by Coverdale.
2. ‘Treatise of the Union of the Church,’ London, 1556.
3. ‘A Discourse wherin is debated whether it be expedient that the Scripture should be in English for al men to read,’ London, 1554, 4to; 2nd edit. 1555.

[Wood's Athenæ Oxon. ed. Bliss, i. 235; Chetham Soc. Publ. lxxxii; Reg. Univ. of Oxford, i. 150, and Fowler's Hist. of Corpus Christi College (both Oxford Hist. Soc.); Foster's Alumni Oxon. 1500–1714; Le Neve's Fasti, ed. Hardy; Newcourt's Rep. Eccl. Lond.; Strype's Memorials, I. i. 570, II. ii. 260.]

W. A. J. A.