George Abbot

George Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury

George Abbot (1562–1633) was a prominent English bishop who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1611 to 1633. He was also the fourth chancellor of the University of Dublin from 1612 until his death.

Life and Career

Born in Guildford, Surrey, Abbot was educated at the Royal Grammar School and later at Balliol College, Oxford, where he became Master of University College in 1597 and Dean of Winchester in 1600. He served as Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University three times and was instrumental in preparing the authorized version of the New Testament. His diplomatic efforts with King James I regarding the union of the churches of England and Scotland led to his appointment as Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry in 1609, followed by a translation to the see of London a month later.

On March 4, 1611, Abbot was elevated to Archbishop of Canterbury. During his tenure, he defended the apostolic succession of Anglican bishops and the validity of the church's priesthood. He was a translator of the King James Version of the Bible. Abbot was known for his Calvinist beliefs, which sometimes led him into conflict with Roman Catholics and the royal court. He opposed the divorce suit of Lady Frances Howard and forbade the reading of the Declaration of Sports. He supported the marriage of Princess Elizabeth to Frederick V, Elector Palatine, and opposed the projected marriage of the Prince of Wales to the Spanish Infanta.

The Hunting Accident

In July 1621, Abbot was involved in a hunting accident at Lord Zouch's park where a bolt from his cross-bow struck and killed a gamekeeper. This event deeply distressed Abbot, leading to a period of melancholia. His enemies used the incident to question his fitness for office, though the king, James I, referred the matter to a commission and ultimately voted in Abbot's favor, signing a formal pardon. He remains the only Archbishop of Canterbury to have killed a human being.

Later Years and Legacy

Following the hunting accident, Abbot largely withdrew from public life due to infirmities, though he performed the coronation ceremony for King Charles I in 1625. His refusal to license a sermon urging absolute non-resistance to royal commands led Charles I to deprive him of his primatial functions, though these were later nominally restored. He spent his final years in retirement, with William Laud and his party gaining ascendancy. Abbot died on August 4, 1633, and was buried in Guildford. He endowed Abbot's Hospital in his native town and had an extensive personal library. Guildford remembers him with his hospital, a statue, and a school named in his honor.