Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Young, John (1534?-1605)
YOUNG, JOHN (1534?–1605), master of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, and bishop of Rochester, was born in Cheapside, London, about 1534, and was educated at the Mercers' School. Thence he proceeded to Cambridge, probably to Pembroke Hall, the admission register of which is not extant, and graduated B.A. in 1551–2. He was elected fellow of Pembroke in 1553, and in 1555 commenced M.A.; in 1561 he was ordained, and in 1563 proceeded B.D. On 31 Aug. in the latter year he was collated by Grindal, whose chaplain he was, to the rectory of St. Martin's, Ludgate, and vacated his fellowship. He was presented to the living of St. Giles without, Cripplegate, and on 3 May 1564 was collated to the prebend of Cadington Major in St. Paul's Cathedral. Notes of a sermon preached by him at St. Paul's on 24 March 1565–6 are extant in Tanner MS. 7. 45. On 7 May following he was collated to the prebend of North Muskham in Southwell collegiate church, and on 24 Sept. in the same year to the rectory of St. Magnus by London Bridge.
On 12 July 1567 Young was elected master of Pembroke Hall in succession to Whitgift, being created D.D. and appointed vice-chancellor in 1569. On 26 April 1572 he was elected canon of Windsor, and in the same year preached before convocation. His tenure of the mastership is remarkable for the number of eminent literary men attracted to Pembroke Hall during its course. Spenser entered as a sizar in May 1569, and other pupils of Young were Lancelot Andrewes [q. v.] and Edward Kirke [q. v.] Gabriel Harvey [q. v.] and Thomas Neville [q. v.] were elected fellows of Pembroke during Young's mastership, and the former's letters to Young form a considerable part of Gabriel Harvey's ‘Letter-book’ published by the Camden Society. The best testimony, however, to Young's faculty for securing the affections of his pupils and colleagues is Spenser's celebration of him as ‘faithful Roffy’ in the ‘Shepheard's Calendar,’ ‘Roffy’ being an abbreviation of ‘Roffensis,’ which became Young's title when on 18 Feb. 1577–8 he was elected to the bishopric of Rochester.
Young retained his bishopric for more than twenty-seven years; he was almost immediately selected one of the delegates to represent the church of England at a proposed diet in Germany, but the project was abandoned (Acts P.C. 1577–8, pp. 248, 263). On 19 Feb. 1578–9 the deprived bishop Thomas Watson (1513–1584) [q. v.] was committed to his charge, and in August 1581 he was summoned by the council to concert measures for stopping the spread of Roman catholicism consequent upon the efforts of the jesuits and seminary priests. In 1584 Whitgift vainly urged on Burghley Young's translation to Chichester (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1581–90, p. 201). On 22 Sept. 1589 (Sir) Christopher Perkins [q. v.] was placed in his custody, and on 16 Nov. following he was one of the bishops specially charged with the duty of suppressing the Martin-Marprelate tracts. In 1592 he roused some obloquy by presenting himself to the rectory of Wouldham, Kent, but in 1594 he was offered the bishopric of Norwich, declining it because Bishop Scambler had spoiled the revenue of the see. He died at his palace at Bromley on 10 April 1605, and was buried there, leaving by his wife Grace one son John. He was the author of one or two separately printed sermons.
[Besides Cooper's Athenæ Cantabrigienses, ii. 405–7, and the authorities there cited, see Gabriel Harvey's Letter-book (Camden Soc.), and Spenser's Works, ed. Grosart, passim; Acts of the Privy Council, ed. Dasent, 1570–90; Brit. Mus. Add. MS. 32092, f. 29; and Hennessy's Nov. Rep. Eccl. Londin. 1898.]