Diocese Diocese of Winchester Name George Morley Predecessor Brian Duppa Denomination Anglican Successor Peter Mews | Nationality English Education Westminster School Buried Winchester Cathedral Role Bishop of Worcester | |
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In office May 1662 (trans.)–1684 (death) Other posts Dean of Christ Church (26 July 1660–1660)
Bishop of Worcester (1660–1662)
Dean of the Chapel Royal (1663–February 1668) Born 27 February 1597
Cheapside, City of London, England ( 1597-02-27 ) Died October 29, 1684, Farnham, United Kingdom Place of burial Winchester Cathedral, Winchester, United Kingdom Books Shakespeare's Greenwood: The Customs of the Country; the Language; the Superstitions; the Customs; the Folklore; the Birds & Trees; the Parson; the Poets; the Novelist | ||
George Morley (27 February 1598 – 29 October 1684) was an English Anglican bishop, Bishop of Worcester and then of Winchester.
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Early life
Morley was born in London, England, in February 1598, to Francis Morley and Sarah Denham, and educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford. He graduated BA, 1618, and MA, 1621. Throughout the 1620s and 1630s he moved in the illustrious intellectual political circles of Lucius Cary, 2nd Viscount Falkland at Great Tew. During these years, he served as domestic chaplain to Robert Dormer, 1st Earl of Carnarvon. In 1640, he was presented to the sinecure living of Hartfield, Sussex, and in the following year he was made canon of Christ Church, Oxford and exchanged Hartfield for the rectory of Mildenhall, Wiltshire.
Civil Wars and Interregnum
He preached before the House of Commons in 1642, but his sermon gave offence, and when in 1647 he took a prominent part in resisting the parliamentary visitation of Oxford University he was deprived of his canonry and living.
Leaving England, he joined the court of Charles II, and became one of the leading clergy at The Hague. Shortly before the Restoration he came to England on a highly successful mission to gain for Charles the support of the Presbyterians. In 1660, he regained his canonry, and soon became Dean of Christ Church. In the same year, he was consecrated Bishop of Worcester. At the Savoy Conference of 1661 he was chief representative of the bishops. He was translated to the See of Winchester in 1662 and made Dean of the Chapel Royal in 1663, a position he held until dismissed by Charles II in 1668.
Works
His works are few and chiefly polemical, e.g. The Bishop of Worcester's to a friend for Vindication of himself from the Calumnies of Mr. Richard Baxter.