Background
Dawes was born at Lyons, near Braintree in Essex and from the age of nine attended Merchant Taylors" School in London.
priest Archbishop of York Bishop of Chester
Dawes was born at Lyons, near Braintree in Essex and from the age of nine attended Merchant Taylors" School in London.
Dawes was born at Lyons, near Braintree in Essex and from the age of nine attended Merchant Taylors" School in London. Already excelling in Hebrew by the age of 15, he was barely 18 when he wrote his work in verse: The Anatomy of Atheisme, and his eminent The Duties of the Closet in prose.
In 1687, William matriculated at Street John"s College in Oxford, the college he also became a fellow of, then migrated to Street Catharine"s College, Cambridge in 1689. He received his Master of Arts degree from Street Cat"s in 1695 on royal decree (per lit reg) due to his young age.
In 1696 he graduated in theology (Doctor of Divinity).
He served as Bishop of Chester from 1708 to 1714 and then as Archbishop of York from 1714 to 1724. William Dawes became the permanent pastor of William III (1688–1702) and was later court pastor of Queen Anne (1702-1714). From 1698, at a young age, he was Canon of Worcester Cathedral.
He was Master of Street Catharine"s College, Cambridge between 1697 and 1714 and Vice-Chancellor, 1698-1699.
He was elected rector in the village of Bocking (where the rector is called Dean of Bocking) near to his estates in Essex. Here he introduced the innovative custom of taking Holy Communion not only on the three great feasts, but once every month.
On 8 February 1708 he was consecrated Bishop of Chester: this was at the personal wish of Queen Anne, who overruled the advice of her ministers in appointing him. He was Archbishop of York from 1714 until his death in 1724 and a Privy Counsellor.
He owed his advancement to the good will of the Queen and of his predecessor, John Sharp, who had a great regard for him, and had great influence with the Queen: it was Sharp"s dying request that Dawes succeed him at York, which the Queen happily granted.
He restored the Archbishop"s palace in York, the Bishopthorpe. He died on 30 April 1724 from inflammation of the bowels. He was the most outstanding preacher of his period, a representative of the ideal of aristocratic prelate, of a high and authoritative personality.
William Dawes was the son of Sir John Dawes, 1st Baronet of Putney and Christian Lyons of Bocking.
Their daughter Elizabeth married William Milner (?−1745), 1st Baronet of Nun Appleton Hall, Member of Parliament of York in the early 18th century. 1671–1690: William Dawes Esq.
1690–1695: Sir William Dawes Bt 1695–1696: The Reverend Sir William Dawes Bt 1696–1698: The Reverend Doctor Sir William Dawes Bt 1698: The Reverend Canon Doctor Sir William Dawes Bt 1698–1708: The Very Reverend Doctor Sir William Dawes Bt 1708–1714: The Right Reverend Doctor Sir William Dawes Bt 1714–1724: The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Doctor Sir William Dawes Baronet
Privy Council of the United Kingdom.