Background

Son of Richard Sandford, of Chard, Somerset, he was born there about 1565.

Education

He entered Balliol College, Oxford, as a commoner about 16 October 1581, and graduated Bachelor of Arts from Balliol on 17 December 1586, Master of Arts

Career

On 27 May 1595. He was chosen in 1593 chaplain of Magdalen College, but more than once was censured for absenting himself from public worship. Sandford retained the office of chaplain at Magdalen until 1616. But before that date he commenced travelling as chaplain to Sir John Digby.

About 1610 Sandford was in Brussels, and on 20 March 1611 they started for Spain, Digby"s mission being the Spanish Match.

In 1614 Sandford was at Lambeth Palace, acting as domestic chaplain to George Abbot, archbishop of Canterbury. Abbot in 1615 presented him to a prebend in Canterbury Cathedral, and to the rectories of Ivechurch in Romney Marsh, and Blackmanstone, also in Kent.

On 27 October 1621 he was presented to Snave in the same county, which he held until his death on 24 September 1629. He was buried in Canterbury Cathedral.

Achievements

• He was also a neo-Latin poet, and a founder of the tradition of literary nonsense under the pseudonym Glareanus Vadianus, a mocker of Thomas Coryat.