William Sancroft

Sancroft was born at Ufford Hall in Fressingfield, Suffolk, son of Francis Sandcroft (1580–1647) and Margaret Sandcroft née Butcher (1594–1631). He was educated at the Bury St Edmunds free grammar school before being admitted to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in September 1633[3] and matriculating there in 1634.[4] His uncle William Sancroft the Elder was then master of the college. He graduated B.A. in 1638, M.A. in 1641 and became a fellow in 1642,[5] but was ejected in 1649 for refusing to accept the "Engagement". He then remained abroad till the Restoration, after which he was chosen one of the university preachers, and was elected Master of his alma mater Emmanuel College, Cambridge in 1662, serving until 1665. In 1663 was nominated to the deanery of York. He became Dean of St Paul's in 1664, greatly assisting with the rebuilding after the Great Fire of London,[6] towards which he contributed £1400. He also rebuilt the deanery, and improved its revenue.[7] He was criticized for leaving London during the Great Plague of 1665, though in his defence it must be said that virtually all of the upper class did the same.

In 1668 he was admitted Archdeacon of Canterbury upon the king's presentation, but he resigned the post in 1670. In 1677, being now prolocutor of the Convocation, he was unexpectedly advanced to the archbishopric of Canterbury, at the express wish of the King, who trusted in his moderation.[7] So unwilling was he to accept that the King only persuaded him by explaining that he had already appointed the new Dean of St Paul's. He attended Charles II upon his deathbed, and "made to him a very weighty exhortation, in which he used a good degree of freedom." He crowned King James II in 1685.[6] Sancroft wrote with his own hand the petition presented in 1688 against the reading of the Declaration of Indulgence, which was signed by himself and six of his suffragans (collectively known as the Seven Bishops). For this they (of whom Sancroft was oldest, at 71) were all committed to the Tower of London, but were acquitted.[7]

• Archbishop Sancroft High School – A Church of England academy in Harleston, Norfolk, England

• Fur praedestinatus (1651)
• Modern Policies (1652)
• Three Sermons (1694)
• Nineteen Familiar Letters to Mr North (afterwards Sir Henry North) published in 1757
• The Life of William Sancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury, Volume I by George D'Oyly (1821)
• The Life of William Sancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury, Volume II by George D'Oyly (1821)

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Sancroft, William". Encyclopædia Britannica. 24 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 128.
• Hutton, William Holden (1897). "Sancroft, William" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. 50. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
• Beddard, R. A. P. J. "Sancroft, William (1617–1693)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/24610. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)