William Fulke

1538-1589. Puritan divine. Born in London, he studied at St. John's College, Cambridge, and Clifford's Inn. He became a friend of Thomas Cartwright and took a prominent part in the Vestiarian Controversy* in the university. For his extremism he was deprived of his fellowship and expelled. Later he was readmitted. He became chaplain to the earl of Leicester and through his help received the livings of Warley and Dennington in Essex-Suffolk. He became head of Pembroke Hall in 1578 and vice-chancellor in 1580. The last decade of his life was taken up with literary activity in defense of Protestantism and against Roman Catholicism, especially against Cardinal Allen and other leaders of the Counter- Reformation. His defense of the English translation of the Bible (“Bishops' Bible”*) against the attacks of Gregory Martin of Reims revealed Fulke's wide learning and ability. It also helped to make known the Douai-Reims NT in England, so that its language influenced the AV of 1611.