Tobias Matthew

Early life

He was the son of Sir John Matthew of Ross in Herefordshire, England, and of his wife Eleanor Crofton of Ludlow. Tobias was born at Bristol on 13 June 1546.

Matthew was educated at Wells, Somerset, and then in succession at University College and Christ Church, Oxford. He proceeded BA in 1564, and MA in 1566.

Ties to Elizabeth I

He attracted the favourable notice of Elizabeth I, and his rise was steady though not quite rapid. He was first appointed a public orator in Oxford in 1569, and then President of St John's in 1572, Dean of Christ Church in 1576, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University in 1579, Dean of Durham in 1583, Bishop of Durham in 1595, and Archbishop of York in 1606.

After the Union of the Crowns, in June 1603 James VI and I sent his courtiers Roger Aston and James Hudson to give the Bishop his command to travel north to meet Anne of Denmark, who was bringing Prince Henry and Princess Elizabeth to Windsor Castle.

Years as Archbishop

In 1581, Matthew had a controversy with the Jesuit Edmund Campion, and published at Oxford his arguments in 1638 under the title, Piissimi et eminentissimi viri Tobiae Matthew, archiepiscopi olim Eboracencis concio apologetica adversus Campianam. While in the north he was active in forcing the recusants to conform to the Church of England, preaching hundreds of sermons and carrying out thorough visitations.

In 1617, he delegated his trusted lieutenant Phineas Hodson to advise Roger Brearley, who had founded the Grindletonian nonconformist sect and been accused of heresy as a result, on how he might reconcile with the Church of England.

Final years and death

During his later years he was to some extent in opposition to the administration of King James I. He was exempted from attendance in the parliament of 1625 on the ground of age and infirmities. His wife, Frances, was the daughter of William Barlow, Bishop of Chichester. His son, Tobie Matthew was an MP and later a convert to Roman Catholicism. Tobias died at Cawood on 29 March 1628 at 81 years old; he was buried in the Lady Chapel of York Minster.

Matthew left his fortune not to his sons or the church but to his wife Frances Matthew. Amongst his possessions were 600 books, valued then at £300 (approx £70,500 GBP in September 2025). Frances later give them all to York Minster. These books are the basis of the library (now at Old Palace, York). Frances had been his wife for over fifty years and she died the following year and was buried in York Minster's lady chapel.

References

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References

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