Background
Tobias Matthew was born in 1546, at Bristol, the son of Sir John Matthew of Ross in Herefordshire, England, and of his wife Eleanor Crofton of Ludlow.
Tobias Matthew was born in 1546, at Bristol, the son of Sir John Matthew of Ross in Herefordshire, England, and of his wife Eleanor Crofton of Ludlow.
Matthew was educated at Wells, Somerset, and then in succession at University College and Christ Church, Oxford. He proceeded BA in 1564, and MA in 1566.
He attracted the favourable notice of Queen Elizabeth I, and his rise was steady though not very rapid. He was public orator in 1569, President of St John's College, Oxford in 1572, Dean of Christ Church in 1576, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University in 1579, Dean of Durham in 1583, Bishop of Durham in 1595, and Archbishop of York in 1606.
In 1581, he had a controversy with the Jesuit Edmund Campion, and published at Oxford his arguments in 1638 under the title, Piissimi et eminentissimi viri Tobiae Matthew, archiepiscopi olim Eboracencis concio apologetica adversus Campianam. While in the north he was active in forcing the recusants to conform to the Church of England, preaching hundreds of sermons and carrying out thorough visitations.
In 1617, he delegated his trusted lieutenant Phineas Hodson to advise Roger Brearley, who had founded the Grindletonian nonconformist sect and been accused of heresy as a result, on how he might reconcile with the Church of England.
During his later years he was to some extent in opposition to the administration of King James I. He was exempted from attendance in the parliament of 1625 on the ground of age and infirmities.
Tobias Matthew died on March 20, 1628, and was buried in the Lady Chapel in York Minster.
Tobias Matthew was an eminent prelate, who was promoted from the Deanery to the Archbishopric of York.
Tobias Matthew was married twice. Tobias's first wife, and mother of his elder son Samuel, is unknown. Tobias married, as his second wife, the widow Frances Barlow, they had three sons: Toby, John and Samuel.
Sir Tobie Matthew was an English member of parliament and courtier who converted to Roman Catholicism and became a priest.
Archbishop of York
