Gilbert Sheldon
Gilbert Sheldon (
1598-
1677),
Archbishop of Canterbury, was born at
Stanton in the parish of
Ellastone,
Staffordshire, and educated at
Trinity College, Oxford.
He was ordained in
1622 and was appointed chaplain to
Lord Coventry (
1578-
1640). Four years later he was elected warden of
All Souls College, Oxford. During the years 1632-1639 he received the livings of
Hackney (1633);
Oddington, Oxfordshire;
Ickford,
Buckinghamshire (1636); and
Newington, Oxfordshire; besides being a
prebendary of
Gloucester from 1632.
In
1638 he was on a commission appointed to visit
Merton College, Oxford. He was intimate with the Royalist leaders, participated in the negotiations for the
Uxbridge treaty of
1644, and collected funds for
Charles II in exile. In 1648 he was ejected from All Souls by order of parliament, and imprisoned for some months, but he regained the wardenship in 1659.
In 1660 he became
bishop of London and
master of the Savoy, and the
Savoy Conference was held at his lodgings. He was consecrated
archbishop of Canterbury in
1663. He was greatly interested in the welfare of Oxford University, of which he became chancellor in 1667, succeeding
Clarendon (1609-1674). The
Sheldonian Theatre at Oxford was built and endowed at his expense.
