Henry Holbeach

Henry Holbeach (c. 1477 – 2 August 1551) was an English clergyman who served as the last Prior and first Dean of Worcester, a suffragan bishop, and diocesan bishop of two Church of England dioceses.

Born as Henry Rands (or Randes) in Holbeach, Lincolnshire, he assumed the name of his birthplace on becoming a monk at Crowland Abbey. He proceeded to Cambridge (Bachelor of Theology (BTh) 1527, Doctor of Theology (DTh) 1534),^[1] and became prior of Buckingham College, Cambridge.^[2]

In 1536, he was elected the Prior of Worcester,^[3] and two years later he also became the Bishop of Bristol, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Worcester.^[4] Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1540, the priory was re-established as a cathedral with Holbeach becoming the first Dean of Worcester in 1542.^[5] In 1544, he became Bishop of Rochester,^[6] and finally in 1547 Bishop of Lincoln.^[7]

He is believed to have been the first of the English (post reformation) bishops to have been married, his wife Joan proving his will on 5 October 1551 and he left a son Thomas Randes. According to his descendant, Cater Rand, he was "one of the compilers of the liturgy". Holbeach developed the sweating sickness and died on 2 August 1551 at Nettleham (some accounts give 6 August as date of death) and was buried there on 7 August 1551.