WHITGIFT, JOHN, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
Arms.—Impaled.
Dexter: Az., an archiepiscopal staff headed with a cross pattée or, surmounted of a pall arg., charged with 4 crosses pattée fitchée sa., fringed and edged or. See of Canterbury.
Sinister: Arg., on a cross flory sa., 4 bezants. Whitgift.
[Dionysii Lebei Batillii Reg. mediomatricii Praesidis Emblemata. Francofurti ad Moen[=u], 1596.]
John Whitgift (born 1530, died 29th February 1603) was the son of Henry Whitgift of Great Grimsby in Lincolnshire. He was educated at Cambridge and took orders in 1560. He was an eloquent preacher and quickly made his name famous.
In 1567 he was made Regius Professor of Divinity, and took much interest and effected many reforms in the Government of the University. In 1571 he became Dean of Lincoln. Dr. Whitgift was made Bishop of Worcester in 1576, and in 1583 Archbishop of Canterbury. Archbishop Whitgift was a rich man, and was also a great favourite of Queen Elizabeth's. He was an excellent organiser and ruled church matters with a strong hand. He left a number of sermons and tracts, several of which have been published by the Parker Society, and others still remain in manuscript at Lambeth, the Bodleian, the Record Office, and the British Museum.
