William Sancroft

Infobox Archbishop of Canterbury
Full name = William Sancroft


birth_name =
began = 1677
term_end = 1690
predecessor = Gilbert Sheldon
successor = John Tillotson
birth_date = 30 January 1617| birthplace = Fressingfield, Suffolk, England
death_date = 24 November 1693, | deathplace = Fressingfield, Suffolk, England
tomb = Ufford Hall, Fressingfield|Anglican Portal

William Sancroft (30 January 1617 - 24 November 1693), was the 79th archbishop of Canterbury.

Life

Sancroft was born at Fressingfield in Suffolk, and entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in July 1634. His parents were Francis Sandcroft (1580-1647) and Margaret Sandcroft née Butcher (1594-1631). He became M.A. in 1641 and fellow in 1642, but was ejected in 1649 for refusing to accept the "Engagement." He then remained abroad till the Restoration, after which he was chosen one of the university preachers, and in 1663 was nominated to the deanery of York. He became Dean of St Paul's in 1664, greatly assisting with the rebuilding after the Great Fire of London, [cite web |url=http://www.onesuffolk.co.uk/FressingfieldPC/Villagehistory/WilliamSancroft.htm|title= William Sancroft|accessdate=2007-07-05 |format= |work= ] towards which he contributed £1400. He also rebuilt the deanery, and improved its revenue.

In 1668 he was admitted archdeacon of Canterbury upon the king's presentation, but he resigned the post in 1670. In 1677, being now prolocutor of the Convocation, he was unexpectedly advanced to the archbishopric of Canterbury. He attended Charles II upon his deathbed, and "made to him a very weighty exhortation, in which he used a good degree of freedom." He crowned King James II in 1685. [cite web |url=http://www.onesuffolk.co.uk/FressingfieldPC/Villagehistory/WilliamSancroft.htm|title= William Sancroft|accessdate=2007-07-05 |format= |work= ] Sancroft wrote with his own hand the petition presented in 1687 against the reading of the Declaration of Indulgence, which was signed by himself and six of his suffragans (collectively known as the Seven Bishops). For this they were all committed to the Tower of London, but were acquitted.

Nonjuring schism

Upon the withdrawal of James II he concurred with the Lords in a declaration to the Prince of Orange for a free parliament, and due indulgence to the Protestant dissenters. But, when that prince and his consort were declared king and queen, he refused to take the oath to them, and was accordingly suspended and deprived in 1690. [cite web |url=http://www.onesuffolk.co.uk/FressingfieldPC/Villagehistory/WilliamSancroft.htm
title= William Sancroft|accessdate=2007-07-05 |format= |work= ]

Many years after it was composed, John Overall's "Convocation Book" was published by Sancroft, to justify theprinciples of his Nonjuring party. The book was “on the subject ofGovernment, the divine institution of which was very positively asserted.” It consisted partly of canons and partly of introductory and explanatory dissertations on the matter of the canons and had been duly sanctioned in theConvocation of 1610. It was, however, a strange oversight in Sancroft's party to publish the book, as there are several canons in it which clearly lay down that a de facto government is, when completely established, to be held in the light of a de jure government; and it was upon the very grounds set forth in this book that Dr. Sherlock took the oaths to King William."King’s Handbook tothe Cathedrals of England", by Richard John King, published by John Murray,Albemarle Street, Oxford, 1862, p166.]

Sancroft was a patron of Henry Wharton (1664-1695), the divine and church historian, to whom on his deathbed he entrusted his manuscripts and the remains of Archbishop Laud (published in 1695). From 5 August 1691 till his death two years later, he lived a very retired life in his home village. He was buried in the churchyard of Fressingfield, where there is a Latin epitaph to his memory. [cite web |url=http://www.onesuffolk.co.uk/FressingfieldPC/Villagehistory/WilliamSancroft.htm|title= William Sancroft|accessdate=2007-07-05 |format= |work= ]

Bibliography

*"Fur praedestinatus" (1651)
*"Modern Politics" (1652)
*"Three Sermons" (1694)
*"Nineteen Familiar Letters to Mr North" (afterwards Sir Henry North) published in 1757

References