Biography of Archbishop William Laud 1573-1645
Around 1585 Archbishop William Laud (age 11) educated at Reading School Reading.
On 17 Oct 1589 Archbishop William Laud (age 16) was educated at St John's College, Oxford University.
In 1594 Archbishop William Laud (age 20) graduated Bachelor of Arts at St John's College, Oxford University.
On 04 Jan 1601 Archbishop William Laud (age 27) was ordained Deacon.
On 05 Apr 1601 Archbishop William Laud (age 27) was ordained priest.
On 26 Dec 1605 Charles Blount 1st Earl Devonshire (age 42) and Penelope Devereux Countess Devonshire (age 42) were married at Wansted House during a service conducted by Archbishop William Laud (age 32) (future). The marriage was regarded as uncanonical and resulted in the disgrace of both parties, who were banished from King James I's court circles. She by marriage Countess Devonshire. She the daughter of Walter Devereux 1st Earl Essex and Lettice Knollys Countess Essex (age 62). They were third cousins.
In 1608 Archbishop William Laud (age 34) was awarded Doctor of Divinity at St John's College, Oxford University.
Before 10 Jan 1615 [his step-father] Archdeacon William Robinson and [his mother] Lucy Webbe were married.
In 1616 Archbishop William Laud (age 42) was appointed Dean of Gloucester Cathedral.
On 18 Nov 1621 Archbishop William Laud (age 48) was appointed Bishop of St David's.
In Sep 1626 Archbishop William Laud (age 52) was appointed Dean Chapel Royal.
On 18 Sep 1626 Archbishop William Laud (age 52) was appointed Bishop of Bath and Wells.
On 15 Jul 1628 Archbishop William Laud (age 54) was appointed Bishop of London.
On 14 Apr 1629 Dean Thomas Turner (age 38) was collated by Archbishop William Laud (age 55) to the Prebend of Newington in St Paul's Cathedral [Map].
On 27 Jun 1630 the future Charles II was baptised by Archbishop William Laud (age 56) at Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. Louis XIII King France (age 28) and Marie de Medici Queen Consort France (age 55) were godparents. 
Robert Kerr 1st Earl Ancram (age 52) was created 1st Earl Ancram.
In 1631 Daniel Mijtens (age 41). Portrait of Archbishop William Laud (age 57).
On 06 Aug 1633 Archbishop William Laud (age 59) was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
Around 1636 Anthony Van Dyck (age 36). Portrait of Archbishop William Laud (age 62). Wearing a black Chimere over his white Rochet.
Evelyn's Diary. 10 Jun 1640. London, and especially the Court, were at this period in frequent disorders, and great insolences were committed by the abused and too happy City: in particular, the Bishop of Canterbury's (age 66) Palace [Map] at Lambeth was assaulted by a rude rabble from Southwark, Surrey [Map], my Lord Chamberlain (age 55) imprisoned and many scandalous libels and invectives scattered about the streets, to the reproach of Government, and the fermentation of our since distractions: so that, upon the 25th of June, I was sent for to Wotton, Surrey [Map], and the 27th after, my father's (age 53) indisposition augmenting, by advice of the physicians he repaired to the Bath, Somerset [Map].
In Nov 1640 Archbishop William Laud (age 67) was accused of treason during the Long Parliament.
On 18 Dec 1640 Archbishop William Laud (age 67) arrested and placed in the custody of Black Rod.
After 18 Dec 1640 Archbishop William Laud (age 67) was imprisoned at Tower of London [Map].
Evelyn's Diary. 24 May 1641, I returned to Wotton; and, on the 28th of June, I went to London with my sister Jane, and the day after sat to one Vanderborcht for my picture in oil, at Arundel House [Map], whose servant that excellent painter was, brought out of Germany when the Earl returned from Vienna (whither he was sent Ambassador-extraordinary, with great pomp and charge, though without any effect, through the artifice of the Jesuited Spaniard, who governed all in that conjuncture). With Vanderborcht, the painter, he brought over Winceslaus Hollar, the sculptor, who engraved not only this unhappy Deputy's trial in Westminster Hall, but his decapitation; as he did several other historical things, then relating to the accidents happening during the Rebellion in England, with great skill, besides many cities, towns, and landscapes, not only of this nation, but of foreign parts, and divers portraits of famous persons then in being; and things designed from the best pieces of the rare paintings and masters of which the Earl of Arundel was possessor, purchased and collected in his travels with incredible expense; so as, though Hollar's were but etched in aqua-fortis, I account the collection to be the most authentic and useful extant. Hollar was the son of a gentleman near Prague, in Bohemia, and my very good friend, perverted at last by the Jesuits at Antwerp to change his religion; a very honest, simple, well-meaning man, who at last came over again into England, where he died. We have the whole history of the King's (age 40) reign, from his trial in Westminster-hall and before, to the restoration of King Charles II, represented in several sculptures, with that also of Archbishop Laud (age 67), by this indefatigable artist, besides innumerable sculptures in the works of Dugdale, Ashmole, and other historical and useful works. I am the more particular upon this for the fruit of that collection, which I wish I had entire.
On 12 Mar 1644 Archbishop William Laud (age 70) was tried.
On 10 Jan 1645 Archbishop William Laud (age 71) was beheaded at Tower Hill [Map]. He was buried at St John's College, Oxford University.
Diary of Isabella Twysden 1645. 10 Jan 1645. The 10 of Janu: my lo: of canterbury (age 71) was beheaded on tower hill [Map] and was buried at barking church [Map].
Evelyn's Diary. 11 Jul 1654. Was the Latin sermon, which I could not be at, though invited, being taken up at All Souls, where we had music, voices, and the orbos, performed by some ingenious scholars. After dinner, I visited that miracle of a youth, Mr. Christopher Wren (age 30), nephew to the Bishop of Ely. Then Mr. Barlow (age 46) (since Bishop of Lincoln), bibliothecarius of the Bodleian Library, my most learned friend. He showed us the rarities of that most famous place, manuscripts, medals, and other curiosities. Among the MSS. an old English Bible, wherein the Eunuch mentioned to be baptized by Philip, is called the Gelding: "and Philip and the Gelding went down into the water", etc. The original Acts of the Council of Basil 900 years since, with the bulla, or leaden affix, which has a silken cord passing through every parchment; a MS. of Venerable Bede of 800 years antiquity; the old Ritual secundum usum Sarum exceeding voluminous; then, among the nicer curiosities, the "Proverbs of Solomon", written in French by a lady, every chapter of a several character, or hand, the most exquisite imaginable; an hieroglyphical table, or carta, folded up like a map, I suppose it painted on asses' hide, extremely rare; but, what is most illustrious, there were no less than 1,000 MSS. in nineteen languages, especially Oriental, furnishing that new part of the library built by Archbishop Laud, from a design of Sir Kenelm Digby (age 51) and the Earl of Pembroke (age 33). In the closet of the tower, they show some Indian weapons, urns, lamps, etc., but the rarest is the whole Alcoran, written on one large sheet of calico, made up in a priest's vesture, or cope, after the Turkish and Arabic character, so exquisitely written, as no printed letter comes near it; also, a roll of magical charms, divers talismans, and some medals.
Evelyn's Diary. 12 Jul 1654. We went to St. John's, saw the library and the two skeletons, which are finely cleansed and put together; observable is here also the store of mathematical instruments, chiefly given by the late Archbishop Laud, who built here a handsome quadrangle.
Pepy's Diary. 21 Oct 1666. Lord's Day. Up, and with my wife to church, and her new woman Barker with her the first time. The girle will, I think, do very well. Here a lazy sermon, and so home to dinner, and took in my Lady Pen (age 42) and Peg (age 15) (Sir William being below with the fleete), and mighty merry we were, and then after dinner presently (it being a mighty cool day) I by coach to White Hall, and there attended the Cabinet, and was called in before the King (age 36) and them to give an account of our want of money for Tangier, which troubles me that it should be my place so often and so soon after one another to come to speak there of their wants-the thing of the world that they love least to hear of, and that which is no welcome thing to be the solicitor for-and to see how like an image the King (age 36) sat and could not speak one word when I had delivered myself was very strange; only my Chancellor (age 57) did ask me, whether I thought it was in nature at this time to help us to anything. So I was referred to another meeting of the Lords Commissioners for Tangier and my Lord Treasurer (age 59), and so went away, and by coach home, where I spent the evening in reading Stillingfleet's (age 31) defence of the Archbishopp, the part about Purgatory, a point I had never considered before, what was said for it or against it, and though I do believe we are in the right, yet I do not see any great matter in this book.
Pepy's Diary. 17 Mar 1667. Then I went back to White Hall, and there up to the closet, and spoke with several people till sermon was ended, which was preached by the Bishop of Hereford (age 64), an old good man, that they say made an excellent sermon. He was by birth a Catholique, and a great gallant, having £1500 per annum, patrimony, and is a Knight Barronet; was turned from his persuasion by the late Archbishop Laud. He and the Bishop of Exeter, Dr. Ward, are the two Bishops that the King (age 36) do say he cannot have bad sermons from. Here I met with Sir H. Cholmly (age 34), who tells me, that undoubtedly my Lord Bellasses (age 52) do go no more to Tangier, and that he do believe he do stand in a likely way to go Governor; though he says, and showed me, a young silly Lord, one Lord Allington (age 27), who hath offered a great sum of money to go, and will put hard for it, he having a fine lady (age 22), and a great man would be glad to have him out of the way.
Pepy's Diary. 16 Sep 1668. So to the office, and thence to St. James's to the Duke of York (age 34), walking it to the Temple [Map], and in my way observe that the Stockes are now pulled quite down; and it will make the coming into Cornhill [Map] and Lumber Street mighty noble. I stopped, too, at Paul's, and there did go into St. Fayth's Church [Map], and also in the body of the west part of the Church; and do see a hideous sight of the walls of the Church ready to fall, that I was in fear as long as I was in it: and here I saw the great vaults underneath the body of the Church. No hurt, I hear, is done yet, since their going to pull down the Church and steeple; but one man, on Monday this week, fell from the top to a piece of the roof, of the east end, that stands next the steeple, and there broke himself all to pieces. It is pretty here to see how the late Church was but a case wrought over the old Church; for you may see the very old pillars standing whole within the wall of this. When I come to St. James's, I find the Duke of York (age 34) gone with the King (age 38) to see the muster of the Guards in Hyde Park; and their Colonel, the Duke of Monmouth (age 19), to take his command this day of the King's Life-Guard, by surrender of my Lord Gerard (age 50). So I took a Hackney-coach and saw it all: and indeed it was mighty noble, and their firing mighty fine, and the Duke of Monmouth (age 19) in mighty rich clothes; but the well-ordering of the men I understand not. Here, among a thousand coaches that were there, I saw and spoke to Mrs. Pierce: and by and by Mr. Wren (age 39) hunts me out, and gives me my Lord Anglesey's (age 54) answer to the Duke of York's (age 34) letter, where, I perceive, he do do what he can to hurt me, by bidding the Duke of York (age 34) call for my books: but this will do me all the right in the world, and yet I am troubled at it. So away out of the Park, and home; and there Mr. Gibson and I to dinner: and all the afternoon with him, writing over anew, and a little altering, my answer to the Duke of York (age 34), which I have not yet delivered, and so have the opportunity of doing it after seeing all their answers, though this do give me occasion to alter very little. This done, he to write it over, and I to the Office, where late, and then home; and he had finished it; and then he to read to me the life of Archbishop Laud, wrote by Dr. Heylin; which is a shrewd book, but that which I believe will do the Bishops in general no great good, but hurt, it pleads for so much Popish. So after supper to bed. This day my father's letters tell me of the death of poor Fancy, in the country, big with puppies, which troubles me, as being one of my oldest acquaintances and servants. Also good Stankes is dead.
