Church Church of England Term ended 1609 (death) Successor George Abbot Diocese Diocese of London Name Thomas Ravis Predecessor Richard Vaughan | Elected 18 May 1607 Died December 14, 1609 Ordination 1582 Installed 2 June 1607 Education Westminster School | |
Other posts Bishop of Gloucester
1604–1607
Dean of Christ Church, Oxford
1596–1607 Place of burial St Paul's Cathedral, City of London, United Kingdom | ||
Thomas Ravis (c. 1560 – 14 December 1609) was a Church of England clergyman and academic.
Contents
Early life
He was born at Old Malden in Surrey, probably in 1560, and was educated at Westminster School. he was elected, on the recommendation of Lord Burghley, to Christ Church, Oxford, in 1575; the dean and chapter declined to admit him on the ground that there was no room, until Burghley remonstrated with them. He graduated B.A. on 12 November 1578, and M.A. on 3 March 1582, proceeding B.D. in 1589 and D.D. in 1595.
Priestly career
He took holy orders in 1582, and preached around Oxford for some time. On 17 April 1588 he was elected one of the proctors, and in July 1596 and again in July 1597 was chosen Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford . In 1591 he was admitted to the rectory of Merstham, Surrey, and from 27 December of the same year until May 1598 was vicar of Allhallows Barking. From February 1593 till 1607 he was prebendary of Westminster, and from 1596 until 1605 an authoritarian Dean of Christ Church. As Dean he commuted the commons allowance for food into monetary form, of two shillings a week. Some of those who resisted this innovation he expelled; others he sent before the council, and others he imprisoned.
On 7 July 1598 he became vicar of Islip, and in the following October vicar of Wittenham Abbas, Berkshire. He was one of the six deans who attended the Hampton Court Conference in 1604, and later supplied notes for William Barlow's account, the Sum and Substance of the Conference. He was then involved in the subsequent creation of the King James Bible, being appointed one of the Oxford committee deputed to translate part of the New Testament. Also in that year he was elected prolocutor of the lower house of convocation.
Episcopal career
In October 1604 Ravis was appointed Bishop of Gloucester, and was consecrated on 17 March 1605; he was allowed to hold in commendam with his bishopric the deanery of Christ Church, his Westminster prebend, and the parsonages of Islip and Wittenham. At Gloucester he improved the bishop's palace. On 18 May 1607 Ravis was translated to the see of London, and installed as Bishop of London on 2 June. He was intolerant of all nonconformity. Ravis died on 14 December 1609, and was buried in the north aisle of St Paul's Cathedral.