Name Richard of | Died 1611 | |
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Richard White (1539–1611) was an English jurist and historian, in later life an expatriate scholar who became a Catholic priest.
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Life
He was son of Henry White of Basingstoke, Hampshire, who died at the siege of Boulogne in 1611. His mother was Agnes, daughter of Richard Capelin of Hampshire. He was born at Basingstoke, entered Winchester School in 1553, and was admitted perpetual fellow of New College, Oxford, in 1557. He took the degree of B.A. on 30 May 1559. On the advice of John Boxall he travelled abroad to study law; his fellowship was declared void in 1564.
White went to Louvain and then to the University of Padua, where he was created doctor of the civil and canon laws. He was admitted to Doctors' Commons in 1568; but emigrated in 1570. At Douay he was constituted royal professor of law. He resided for twenty years at Douay, where he married twice and acquired wealth by each wife. By order of the pope he was made, though out of his ordinary turn, magnificus rector of the university, and about the same time he was created comes palatinus.
After the death of his second wife White was, by dispensation of Pope Clement VIII, ordained priest, and about the same time a canonry in the church of St. Peter at Douay was bestowed upon him. He died at Douay in 1611, and was buried in the church of St. Jacques there.
Works
In his study of British history White received encouragement from Thomas Goldwell, Sir Henry Peacham, and Sir Francis Englefield; and particularly from Cardinal Baronius, with whom he maintained a correspondence. His works are: