John King (bishop of London)

This article is about the Church of England bishop. For the Roman Catholic bishop, see John King (Bishop of Portsmouth). For other people named John King, see John King (disambiguation).

John King (died 30 March 1621) was the Bishop of London in the Church of England from 1611 to 1621.

The Right Reverend and Right Honourable John King
Bishop of London
Church	Church of England
See	London
In office	1611–1621
Predecessor	George Abbot
Successor	George Monteigne
Personal details
Died	1621

Life

King was born in Worminghall, Buckinghamshire, to Philip King and Elizabeth (née Conquest). After an early education at Westminster School, he matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford, in 1577, taught under Dr Thomas Holland, graduating B.A. in 1580 and M.A. in 1583.^[1] A chaplain to bishop John Piers, King became preacher to the city of York before becoming domestic chaplain to Thomas Egerton in London. As Rector of St Andrews, Holborn in 1597 and prebend of Sneating in St Paul's in 1599, King became a well-known Calvinist anti-Catholic preacher. Appointed a chaplain in ordinary to James I, James then made John King dean of Christ Church in August 1605. He was Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University from 1607 until 1610. He was consecrated Bishop of London on 8 September 1611.^[1]

In 1617, according to Samuel Purchas, while Pocahontas was in London King entertained her "with festival state and pomp beyond what I have seen in his greate hospitalitie afforded to other ladies".^[2]

King died on 30 March 1621 (Good Friday), seemingly of gall stones or kidney stones. Roman Catholic propagandists' claims that he converted to their church on his deathbed were denied in a sermon preached by his son, Henry King, the following November.^[1]

Family

King married Joan Freeman, and had five sons and four daughters:^[3]

• Henry King (1592–1669), poet, Bishop of Chichester
• John King (1595–1638/9), canon of Westminster and Windsor
• Robert King (c. 1598–1654), soldier and voyager to the Americas
• William King (c. 1601–1635/6?), Rector of St Botolph Billingsgate, 1629–1635/6^[4]
• Philip King (1603–1666/7), Archdeacon of Lewes
• Elizabeth King (c. 1605 – after 1670),^[5] married (1) Edward Holte, son of Sir Thomas Holte Bt, (2) John Millington
• Mary King (died before 1653), married Mr. Gill
• Dorothy King (died 1658), married Sir Richard Hubert of Langley
• Anne King (1621 – after 1671), poet, married (1) John Dutton MP, (2) Sir Richard Howe Bt MP^[6]

Memorials

There was a memorial brass to him at Old St Paul's Cathedral.^[7]

King Street, Hammersmith's main street, is named after him.^[8]

See also

• Christianity portal

• List of bishops of London

References

1. P. E. McCullough, ‘King, John (d. 1621)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Jan 2008, accessed 26 Jan 2009
2. Samuel Purchas, Hakluytus Posthumus, Vol. 19, p. 118
3. Henry King (1843). John Hannah (ed.). Poems and Psalms. pp. xcv–ciii. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
4. Clarke, A. W. Hughes (1935). London Pedigrees and Coats of Arms. p. 77. Retrieved 14 January 2025. William King, educ. Ch. Ch. and All Souls' Coll., Oxford; matric. 19 April 1616, aged 15; Rector of St. Botolph, Billingsgate, 1629–1635-6; succeeded by his brother Philip.
5. "Elizabeth Holte (c.1605–after 1670)". ArtUK. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
6. "Anne Dutton, Née King, Later Howe (1621-after 1671)". Early Modern Women Poets (1520-1700): An Anthology. 2001. p. 294. doi:10.1093/oso/9780198184263.003.0105.
7. "Memorials of St Paul's Cathedral" Sinclair, W. p99: London; Chapman & Hall, Ltd; 1909
8. "HUC History". Hammersmith United Charities. Retrieved 23 July 2020.

External links

• Portraits of John King at the National Portrait Gallery, London

Church of England titles
Preceded by George Abbot	Bishop of London 1611–1621	Succeeded by George Monteigne