Bishop of London – William Juxon issued passport 1640

Bishop of London – William Juxon issued passport 1640

William Juxon (1582 – 4 June 1663) was an English churchman, Bishop of London from 1633 to 1649 and Archbishop of Canterbury from 1660 until his death. Juxon studied law at Oxford, but afterward took holy orders, and in 1609 became vicar of St Giles’ Church, Oxford, where he stayed until he became rector of Somerton, Oxfordshire in 1615. In December 1621, he succeeded his friend, William Laud, as President (i.e. head) of St John’s College, and in 1626 and 1627 he was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford. Juxon soon obtained other important positions, including that in 1632 of Clerk of the Closet to King Charles I.

In 1627, he was made Dean of Worcester and in 1632 he was nominated to the See of Hereford and resigned the presidency of St John’s in January 1633. Though he legally became Bishop of Hereford by the confirmation of his election in late July 1633, he never took up duties at Hereford, as in October 1633 he was consecrated Bishop of London in succession to Laud.

n March 1636 Charles I entrusted Juxon with important secular duties by making him Lord High Treasurer of England as well as First Lord of the Admiralty; for the next five years, he had to deal with many financial and other difficulties. He resigned the treasurership in May 1641. During the Civil War, the bishop, against whom no charges were brought in parliament, lived undisturbed at Fulham Palace. His advice was often sought by the king, who had a very high opinion of him. The king selected Juxon to be with him on the scaffold and to offer him the last rites before his execution.

17th-century passport.- Juxon (William, Archbishop of London, (bap. 1582, d. 1663) Passport made out to Captain Thomas Edwards to travel abroad, Document signed: “Guil: London” as Bishop of London and Lord High Treasurer, “Jo: Finch” John Finch, first Baron Finch (1584-1660), judge, and politician, Speaker of the House of Commons; “Manchester” Henry Montagu, first Earl of Manchester (c. 1563-1642), judge, politician & others, manuscript, 1p., blind seal at head, browned, folds, right edge-creased and slightly stained, folio, Whitehall, 29th May 1640.

Juxon was deprived of his bishopric in 1649 and retired to Little Compton in Gloucestershire, where he had bought an estate, and became famous as the owner of a pack of hounds. At the restoration of Charles II, letters missive were issued (on 2 September 1660) naming Juxon (Bishop of London) Archbishop of Canterbury.

The congé d’élire was issued the next day and the chapter of Canterbury duly elected him on 13 September. The king’s assent to the election was given on 15 September and the confirmation of Juxon’s election (the legal ceremony by which he took office) was held in the Henry VII Chapel of Westminster Abbey on 20 September 1660. He received the temporalities on 22 September and was enthroned at Canterbury on 25 September. Juxon, as Archbishop of Canterbury, then took part in the new king’s coronation, but his health soon began to fail and he died at Lambeth in 1663. By his will the archbishop was a benefactor to St John’s College, where he was buried; he also aided the work of restoring St Paul’s Cathedral and rebuilt the great hall at Lambeth Palace.

Bishop of London – William Juxon issued passport 1640

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