John Jewel Biography

Dromo's Den

JEWEL, John (1522-71). A prominent English churchman of the time of Elizabeth. He was born in the Parish of Berimber or Berrynarbor, Devonshire, May 24, 1522. While a student at Oxford, he was led to favor reformed doctrines, and for openly inculcating them he was deprived of a fellowship at Corpus Christi on Mary's accession in 1553. Later he was induced to sign adherence to a form of doctrine essentially Roman Catholic; but he repented of his act and in 1555 fled to Frankfort, where he abjured his recantation. He lived at Strassburg and Zurich until Elizabeth's accession, when he returned to England (1559), was one of eight Protestant divines appointed by the Queen to dispute with a similar number of Roman Catholics, and in 1560 was made Bishop of Salisbury. In 1562 he published his work in defense of the English church, Apologia Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ, which was condemned by the Council of Trent. It was translated into English the same year, and by Elizabeth's order a copy was placed in every parish church. Thomas Harding published An Answer to Doctor Jewel's Challenge (1564), to which Jewel replied (1565); then Harding published a Confutation of an Apology (1566) and was answered by Jewel in a Defense of the Apology (1567). He died at Monkton Farleigh, Sept. 23, 1571. His complete works were issued with memoir, by Featley (London, 1609); by Ayre, with memoir, for the Parker Society (4 vols., Cambridge, 184: 50) ; and by Jelf (8 vo1s., Oxford, 1848 ). Consult his biography by C. W. Le Bas (London, 1835).

The New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. XII (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1920) 671.