CLYNNOG
,
MORYS
(or
MAURICE
CLENOCKE
)
(
c.
1525
-
1581
),
Roman Catholic theologian
;
his birthplace, in all probability, was
Clynnog-fawr in Caerns.
He went up to
Christ Church
,
Oxford
, where he graduated
B.C.L.
in
1548
. After being successively
chaplain
to
(
cardinal
)
Reginald
Pole
,
rector
of
Orpington, Kent.
, and
dean
of
Shoreham
and
Croydon
, he was, in
1556
, appointed
rector
of
Corwen
, by
Goldwell
,
bishop of S. Asaph
. On the death of
William
Glyn
(q.v.)
in
1558
, he was raised to the
see of Bangor
but, before he was consecrated,
queen
Mary
died and he went into voluntary exile rather than conform with the new dispensation under
Elizabeth
. In
1561
he,
bishop
Goldwell
, and
Gruffydd
Robert
(q.v.)
,
archdeacon of Anglesey
, arrived in
Rome
.
Goldwell
was appointed
warden of the English Hospital
in that city,
Gruffydd
Robert
became
chaplain
in
1564
, and
Morys
Clynnog
‘
Camerarius
’ in
1567
. In
1577
he was appointed
warden
. The
following year
Owen
Lewis
,
archdeacon of Hainault
and later
bishop of Cassano
(q.v.)
, succeeded in establishing the
English College
in
Rome
, and
Morys
Clynnog
was elected
rector
with a staff of three
Jesuits
to assist him in teaching the
English
and
Welsh
students.
Clynnog
was alleged to have shown favouritism to the
Welsh
, and a riot occurred, but there is a suspicion that this was instigated by the
Jesuits
who wished to gain control of the college. At any rate, he was forced to resign in
1579
after the
English
students, who had threatened to leave the college if he did not do so, had sent a petition to
cardinal
Morone
protesting against his administration, and a deputation to the
pope
to demand his removal.
Father
Agazzari
, a
Jesuit
, was appointed in his place. In
1580
we hear of
Morys
Clynnog
embarking at
Rouen
. It is believed that he was
drowned
early in
1581
on his way to
Spain
.
In
1568
he published a little book in the form of a catechism. It was called
Athravaeth Gristnogavl
, had an introduction by
Gruffydd
Robert
, and was printed at
Milan
; see the article
Bonaparte
,
Louis-Lucien
.
Bibliography:
-
Oxford Dictionary of National
Biography
;
-
Foster
,
Alumni Oxonienses
;
-
The Transactions of the Honourable Society
of Cymmrodorion
,
1903
;
-
A History of the Venerable English College,
Rome an account of its origins and work from the earliest
times to the present day
, London / New York etc.,
1920
;
-
G. J. Williams
(ed.),
Gramadeg Cymraeg yn ôl yr argraffiad y
dechreuwyd ei gyhoeddi ym Milan yn 1567
, Cardiff,
1939
;
- see also C. 1/1342/26 (P.R.O.).
Author:
Dr Geraint Bowen, M.A., Ruabon
