John Ponet 1516?-1556

John PONET or POYNET or PUNNET 1516?-1556

Biographical Note

Born in Kent. Edwardian bishop of Winchester, Marian exile, mathematician and scholar. BA University of Cambridge 1532/3, fellow of Queens'College 1533, MA 1535, BD 1547. He served as chaplain to Archbishop Cranmer, was rector of St Michael, Crooked Lane 1543-1551, of Lavant, Sussex 1545, was the canon of Canterbury 1546, vicar of Ashford, Kent 1549-50, and bishop of Rochester 1550-1551, Winchester 1551-1553. He retired to Strassburg where he died in 1556

Inscription on the title page of Ponet's copy of Tragedia di F. N. B. intitolata... (1546), Middle Temple Library L (B).

Books

At least three of Ponet's books have been identified in the Middle Temple Library. A total of thirty six of Ponet's books, as well as his holograph manuscripts, have been identified and studied in the work of Mark Earngey.

Characteristic Markings

The books at Middle Temple have inscriptions and one contains marginalia.

Sources

• Earngey, Mark, "The life and theology of Bishop John Ponet (1516-1556)", Ph.D thesis, University of Oxford, 2018.
• Venn, J. and J. A., Alumni Cantabrigienses, Cambridge, 1922.
• Information from Renae Satterley.