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Revision as of 03:35, 13 April 2003 by Zoe (talk | contribs) (Reverted to last edit by Deb)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)William Laud (1573-1645) was Archbishop of Canterbury and a fervent supporter of King Charles I of England whom he encouraged to believe in the Divine Right of Kings. Laud was born in Reading, England, and educated at St. John's College, Oxford. In 1601, he entered the church, and his Catholic tendencies, combined with his intellectual and organisational brilliance, soon made him a name. In 1605, somewhat against his will, he obliged his patron, Charles Blount, Earl of Devonshire, by performing his marriage service - to a divorcée. He continued to rise through the ranks, becoming Bishop of St David's in 1622, Bishop of Bath and Wells in 1626, and Bishop of London in 1628. Thanks to patrons who included George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham and the king himself, he reached the highest position the church had to offer in 1633. At the same time, he was prominent in government, taking the king's line and that of Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford in all important matters. His intolerance towards the Presbyterians in Scotland led to the Covenanter movement and the Bishops' War. The Long Parliament of 1640 accused him of treason, resulting in his imprisonment in the Tower of London. He remained there throughout the early stages of the English Civil War, but was eventually convicted, and executed on Tower Hill.