Diocese Diocese of York Buried St Cat's chapel Name Sir Dawes, Predecessor John Sharp Province Province of York | In office 1714–1724 (death) Denomination Anglican Successor Lancelot Blackburne Consecration 1708 | |
Other posts Master of St Catharine's College, Cambridge (1697–1714)
Dean of Bocking (1698–?)
Bishop of Chester (1708–1714) Born 12 September 1671
Lyons, Essex, England ( 1671-09-12 ) Nationality English (later British) Died April 30, 1724, City and Liberty of Westminster Alma mater St John's College, Oxford, St Catharine's College, Cambridge | ||
Sir William Dawes, 3rd Baronet PC (12 September 1671–30 April 1724) was an Anglican prelate. He served as Bishop of Chester from 1708 to 1714 and then as Archbishop of York from 1714 to 1724.
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Education
Dawes was born at Lyons, near Braintree in Essex and from the age of nine attended Merchant Taylors' School in London. Already excelling in Hebrew by the age of 15, he was barely 18 when he wrote his work in verse: The Anatomy of Atheisme, and his eminent The Duties of the Closet in prose.
In 1687, William matriculated at St John's College in Oxford, the college he also became a fellow of, then migrated to St Catharine's College, Cambridge in 1689. He received his MA degree from St Cat's in 1695 on royal decree (per lit. reg.) due to his young age. In 1696 he graduated in theology (DD).
Anglican priest
William Dawes became the permanent pastor of William III (1688–1702) and was later court pastor of Queen Anne (1702–14). From 1698, at a young age, he was Canon of Worcester Cathedral.
He was Master of St Catharine's College, Cambridge between 1697 and 1714 and Vice-Chancellor, 1698–9.
He was elected rector in the village of Bocking (where the rector is called Dean of Bocking) near to his estates in Essex. Here he introduced the innovative custom of taking Holy Communion not only on the three great feasts, but once every month.
On 8 February 1708 he was consecrated Bishop of Chester: this was at the personal wish of Queen Anne, who overruled the advice of her ministers in appointing him. He was Archbishop of York from 1714 until his death in 1724 and a Privy Counsellor. He owed his advancement to the good will of the Queen and of his predecessor, John Sharp, who had a great regard for him, and had great influence with the Queen: it was Sharp's dying request that Dawes succeed him at York, which the Queen happily granted. He restored the Archbishop's palace in York, the Bishopthorpe.
He died on 30 April 1724 from inflammation of the bowels. He was buried in the chapel of St Catharine's together with his wife. He was the most outstanding preacher of his period, a representative of the ideal of aristocratic prelate, of a high and authoritative personality.
Family
William Dawes was the son of Sir John Dawes, 1st Baronet of Putney and Christian Lyons of Bocking.
He married Frances Cole d'Arcy (1673–1705; daughter of Thomas d'Arcy {1632–1693} and Jane Cole {1640–?}) on 1 December 1692, at St Edmund King and Martyr, Lombard St, City of London.
Their daughter Elizabeth married William Milner (?−1745), 1st Baronet of Nun Appleton Hall, MP of York in the early 18th century.