Bishop John Fisher
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Bishop John Fisher as played by Bosco Hogan
UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTER QUOTES
DEFINING EPISODES | MEMORABLE SCENES
PHOTOS
Bishop John Fisher as played by Bosco Hogan
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Born 1469 - executed June 22nd, 1535 by order of King Henry VIII Character's backstory: enrolled at Cambridge University in 1483, ordained in 1491, and in 1502 became chaplain to Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of King Henry VII. With her money and his ideas, they greatly altered Cambridge, restoring the teaching of Greek and Hebrew, bringing Erasmus over as a lecturer, and endowing many chairs and scholarships. In 1504 Fisher was made Chancellor of Cambridge and Bishop of Rochester. When Henry VII's funeral was held at St. Paul's Cathedral, he preached the sermon. He was at the coronation of both Henry VIII and Katherine or Aragon in 1509. In 1527 he became chaplain to the new king, Henry VIII, and confessor to the queen Katherine of Aragon. He stood high in the favor of Henry, who proclaimed that no other realm had any bishop as learned and devout. Trouble arose for both Fisher and Sir Thomas More when Henry determined to seek a declaration that his marriage with Katherine was null on grounds of consanguinity. Fisher and More disagreed with him, and would not yield, either on the question of the annulment, nor later, when they were required to acknowledge the King as the final authority on ecclesiastical questions in England. John Fisher holds the unpleasant distinction of being the only person to die for the Catholic faith while a member of the College of Cardinals. He was executed just days before Thomas More; both were later made saints and share the same feast day...June 22nd on the Roman Catholic calender of Saints and July 6th (date of More's death) on the Anglican calender of Saints. Bishop John Fisher's last moments were thoroughly in keeping with his previous life. He met death with a calm, dignified, courage which profoundly impressed all who were present. His body was treated with particular rancour, apparently on Henry's orders, being stripped and left on the scaffold till evening, when it was taken on pikes and thrown naked into a rough grave in the churchyard of All Hallows. There was no funeral prayer. A fortnight later, his body was laid beside that of Sir Thomas More in the chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula within the Tower of London. The bishop's head was stuck upon a pole on London Bridge, but its ruddy and lifelike appearance excited so much attention that, after a fortnight, it was thrown into the Thames, its place being taken by that of Sir Thomas More, Gentility: Son of a well-to-do-merchant Education: University of Cambridge, Doctorate in Theology Position: Bishop, Cardinal Personality type: Signature look: Endearing trait(s): Fisher was a close adviser of Catherine of Aragon. He ardently supported the Queen and claimed he was prepared to die on her behalf. Unfortunately, Henry took him at his word. Annoying trait(s): His intransigence
| "He is the one man at this time who is incomparable for uprightness of life, for learning and for greatness of soul." ~ Erasmus
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CHARACTER CONNECTIONSFamily members: Robert Fisher, father Agnes Fisher, mother Romance(s): None | Friends: Sir Thomas More Queen Katherine of Aragon Enemies: The Boleyn Faction Thomas Boleyn Henry VIII Thomas Cromwell |
UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTER QUOTES
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DEFINING EPISODES | MEMORABLE SCENES
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<embed allowfullscreen="true" height="411" src="http://widget.wetpaintserv.us/wiki/thetudorswiki/widget/youtubevideo/6cce05412cb42648b3844593aa13f5490aa5e6fa" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="503" wmode="transparent"/> Season 2 episode 5 |
PHOTOS
sketch by Hans Holbein | |
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