Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vaughan, Edward
VAUGHAN, EDWARD (d. 1522), bishop of St. David's, was presumably of Welsh origin, being, according to some, a native of South Wales. He was born about the middle of the fifteenth century, and was educated at Cambridge, where he graduated LL.D. On 21 June 1487 he was instituted to the church of St. Matthew, Friday Street, London, and subsequently became vicar of Islington also. At St. Paul's he was successively promoted to the prebend of Reculverland, 15 April 1493, that of Harleston, 16 Nov. 1499, and was made treasurer 10 Nov. 1503, holding along with the latter the prebend of Bromesbury in the same church. He built a house near St. Paul's for his successors in the treasurership, and distributed five hundred marks to the poor in London in time of dearth (Leland, Collectanea, 2nd ed. ii. 324). He was made archdeacon of Lewes in 1509, and on 22 July in the same year, vacating his London appointments, he was consecrated bishop of St. David's, to which he was promoted by the pope's bull of provision dated 13 Jan. 1508-9.
To Vaughan has been assigned 'the most prominent place among the prelates who occupied the see of St. David's during the closing days of the ante-reformation era' (Jones and Freeman). Excepting Gower, the see never had a more munificent benefactor. In lieu of what had been, up to his time, a 'vilissimus sive sordidissimus locus,' he erected at St. David's 'the beautiful chapel' which still bears his name. On its walls he placed three coats-of-arms, namely, his own, those of Henry VII, and of Sir Rhys ap Thomas, 'who probably had been once his patron' (Willis, pp. 77, 89), and who spent his latter days at Carew Castle, close to Lamphey, which was then an episcopal residence (Laws, Little England, p. 235). He remodelled and roofed the lady-chapel and its ante-chapel, while the roof of the nave, and probably also the porch and the upper stage of the tower, belong to his period. He also built the chapel at Lamphey, and Leland (loc. cit.) ascribes to him the chapel of St. Justinian (now in ruins), the chapel at Llawhaden Castle, where Vaughan often resided, together with general repairs at the same place, and a great barn (now destroyed) at Lamphey. 'The beautiful interior decoration' of Hodgeston church is supposed to be his (Laws, p. 232).
Vaughan died in November 1522, and was buried in the chapel which he built and which bears his name. Over him was placed 'a plain marble tomb, with his effigy in brass richly engraven,' and underneath an inscription, which is quoted by Browne Willis (p. 20). All that now remains of it is 'a large slab of shell marble, immediately in front of the altar.' His will, dated 20 May 1521, was proved on 27 Jan. 1522-3.
[Godwin, De Praesulibus Angliae, ed. Richardson, 1743, p. 585; Newcourt's Repertorium, i. 106 (see also pp. 118, 153, 203, 475, and 677); Le Neve's Fasti, ed. 1854, i. 300, ii. 355, 364, 389, 430; Browne Willis's St. David's, pp. 15-22, 117-18; Fenton's Pembrokeshire, pp. 89, 313, 431; Cooper's Athenae Cantabrigienses, i. 26; Bevan's Diocesan Hist. of St. David's (S.P.C.K.), p. 146; Newell's Welsh Church, p. 396. A full account of Vaughan's architectural work is given in Jones and Freeman's History and Antiquities of St. David's, pp. 69, 96, 124, 163-8, 308, and Arch. Cambr. 2nd ser. xiii. 67, 5th ser. xv. 223-6.]