Francis Dee

Not to be confused withFrances Dee.

Francis Dee(before 1580 – 8 October 1638) was an English churchman andBishop of Peterboroughfrom 1634.

He was the son of the Rev. David Dee ofSt Mary Hall, Oxford,who held the rectory ofSt Bartholomew-the-Great,West Smithfield from 1587 to 1605, when he was constrained. Francis Dee was born in London, and was admitted a scholar ofMerchant Taylors' Schoolon 26 April 1591. He proceeded toSt. John's College, Cambridge,where he was admitted in 1595 and became a scholar on the Billingsley foundation in 1596. He took his degree of M.A. in 1603, B.D. in 1610, and D.D. in 1617.

In 1606, the year after his father's deprivation, he was appointed to the rectory ofHoly Trinity the Lessin the city of London, which he resigned in 1620. In 1615 he became rector ofAllhallows, Lombard Street,and held the benefice with his other preferments till his elevation to the episcopate. In 1619 he received the chancellorship ofSalisbury Cathedral.In 1629 he seems to have been chaplain to the English ambassador in Paris; he forwarded toWilliam Lauda petition from a John Fincham, in France on the king's service and imprisoned in theBastille.

In 1630 he was one of the assistants in the foundation ofSion College.He becameDean of Chichester30 April 1630. He was consecrated bishop of Peterborough atLambethby Archbishop Laud, assisted byWilliam Juxon,on 18 May 1634, and was enthroned by proxy on 28 May. In his diocese, as elsewhere, the order for placing thecommunion tablealtarwise at the east end of thechancel,and fencing it in with rails, produced discontent among the clergy, and Dee received frequent instructions from thehigh court of commissionto proceed against those who refused to obey. Dee died atPeterboroughon 8 October 1638 and was buried in his cathedral. By his will, dated 28 May 1638, he donated to the repair of his cathedral, and to St. John's College the impropriate rectory ofPaghamfor the foundation of two scholars and two fellows to be chosen from Peterborough grammar school. He also bequeathed to the college works in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, and his chapel plate. He was twice married: first to Susan le Poreque, and secondly to Elizabeth, daughter of John Winter, canon of Canterbury, by whom he left an only daughter, who married Brian King, canon of Chichester. He preached before the court in praise ofvirginity,which was considered tactless.

References

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:"Dee, Francis".Dictionary of National Biography.London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.