Simon Symonds Explained

Simon Symonds M.A. (d. 1551) was a Canon of Windsor from 1535–1551.^[1]

Career

He was educated at Eton College and King's College, Cambridge and graduated B.A. in 1509 and M.A. in 1511.

He was appointed:

• Vicar of Elmdon, Essex 1518
• Vicar of St Michael's Church, Bray 1522–1551
• Vicar of South Petherton, Somerset, 1533–1548
• Prebendary of Lichfield 1534–1546
• Prebendary of Netheravon in Salisbury 1534
• Rector of Taplow, Buckinghamshire 1537–1551
• Prebendary of Lincoln 1544

He was appointed to the first stall in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle in 1535, and held the stall until 1551.

Symonds was considered to be a prime candidate for the subject of the proverbial character, "The Vicar of Bray", since he was twice a Papist and twice a Protestant, serving as vicar from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I.^[2]

Notes and References

1. Fasti Wyndesorienses, May 1950. S.L. Ollard. Published by the Dean and Canons of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle
2. Oxford Companion to English Literature 4th Edition