Richard Corbet

For other people named Richard Corbet, see Richard Corbet (disambiguation).

Portrait of Bishop Richard Corbet by Sylvester Harding

Richard Corbet (or Corbett) (1582 – 28 July 1635) was an English bishop in the Church of England. He was also a poet of the metaphysical school who, although highly praised in his own lifetime, is relatively obscure today.

Life

The son of a prominent nurseryman in Twickenham,^[1] he was educated at Westminster School and Oxford, and entered the Church, in which he obtained many preferments, e.g. James I., in consideration of his “fine fancy and preaching,” made him one of the royal chaplains. In 1620 he became vicar of Stewkley, and in the same year was made dean of Christchurch, Oxford. He later became Bishop of Oxford (1628) and then Bishop of Norwich (1632).^[2]

Corbet was noted as a practical joker and considered rather scatter-brained. He was celebrated for his wit, which sometimes classed as buffoonery. Reportedly, he was to give a sermon before James I and was so entertained playing with a ring the King gave him that he forgot the sermon altogether.

He knew both John Donne and Ben Jonson. His poems, which are often mere doggerel, were not published until after his death. They include Journey to France, Iter Boreale, the account of a tour from Oxford to Newark, and the Farewell to the Fairies. He wrote numerous ballads, which he would also sing.

References

↑ Twickenham', The Environs of London: volume 3: County of Middlesex (1795), pp. 558-604. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=45451
↑ Chisholm 1911.

Attribution

Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Corbet, Richard". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Sources

Kenner, Hugh, ed. Seventeenth Century Poetry. New York: Rinehart Editions, 1964.
Corbett, Richard. Poems. J.A.W. Bennett and H. R. Trevor-Roper, eds. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1955.

Church of England titles
Preceded by John Howson	Bishop of Oxford 1628–1632	Succeeded by John Bancroft
Preceded by Francis White	Bishop of Norwich 1631–1635	Succeeded by Matthew Wren

Deans of Christ Church, Oxford

Predecessors	John Hygdon* John Oliver* John London Richard Cox

Early modern	Richard Cox Richard Marshall George Carew Thomas Sampson Thomas Godwin Thomas Cooper John Piers Tobias Matthew William James Thomas Ravis John King William Goodwin Richard Corbet Brian Duppa Samuel Fell Edward Reynolds John Owen Edward Reynolds George Morley John Fell John Massey Henry Aldrich Francis Atterbury George Smalridge Hugh Boulter William Bradshaw John Conybeare David Gregory William Markham Lewis Bagot Cyril Jackson

Late modern	Charles Hall Samuel Smith Thomas Gaisford Henry Liddell Francis Paget Thomas Strong Julian White Alwyn Williams John Lowe Cuthbert Simpson Henry Chadwick Eric Heaton John Drury Christopher Lewis Martyn Percy

* – Academic deans only; prior to the establishment of Christ Church Cathedral; ** – Cathedral deans at Osney.

Bishops of Oxford

Early modern	Robert King Thomas Goldwell Hugh Curwen John Underhill John Bridges John Howson Richard Corbet John Bancroft Robert Skinner William Paul Walter Blandford Nathaniel Crew Henry Compton John Fell Samuel Parker Timothy Hall John Hough William Talbot John Potter Thomas Secker John Hume Robert Lowth John Butler Edward Smallwell John Randolph

Late modern	Charles Moss William Jackson Edward Legge Charles Lloyd Richard Bagot Samuel Wilberforce John Mackarness William Stubbs Francis Paget Charles Gore Hubert Burge Thomas Strong Kenneth Kirk Harry Carpenter Kenneth Woollcombe Patrick Rodger Richard Harries John Pritchard Colin Fletcher (acting)

Authority control	VIAF: 34800773 ISNI: 0000 0000 8371 6565 SUDOC: 08676330X BNF: cb10347353m (data)

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Richard Corbet

Life

See also

References

Sources