Samuel Harsnett, from the memorial brass in Chigwell Parish Church
Why name ourselves after Samuel Harsnett?
Samuel Harsnett was born in 1561, the son of a Colchester baker. Between 1597 and 1605 he was the Vicar of the Parish of Chigwell. In his later career he became Bishop of Chichester, then Bishop of Norwich and, at the time of his death, in 1631, was Archbishop of York.
He was buried in Chigwell Parish Church, where he is commemorated by the brass reproduced at the top left of this page.
The inscription on the brass reads:
"Here lies Samuel Harsnett, formerly Vicar of this church, first the unworthy Bishop of Chichester, next the more unworthy Bishop of Norwich, and finally the most unworthy Archbishop of York."
As well as this brass, there are several other lasting memorials to Samuel Harsnett in the towns where he lived and worked.
In Chigwell, he founded the old Grammar School, now Chigwell School.
In Colchester, to which he bequeathed his library he is commemorated in a stained glass window in St Botolph's church and in a stone sculpture in an alcove of the Town Hall.
Samuel Harsnett enjoyed a certain amount of fame in his day. He was well known for his support of the Anglican campaign against the practice of exorcism. His treatise, 'A Declaration of Egregious Popish Impostures', was published in 1603 and appears to have been used by Shakespeare as a reference for certain scenes in King Lear.
