Francis Mallet

Who was Francis Mallet?

Francis Mallet was an English churchman and academic, and chaplain to Mary Tudor.

The son of William Mallet of Normanton, West Yorkshire, Francis Mallet graduated from the University of Cambridge, B.A. in 1522, M.A. and D.D., and became the last Master of Michaelhouse, Cambridge, in 1533, before it was merged with King's Hall to form Trinity College. He had in this the support of Thomas Cromwell; Mallet became chaplain to Thomas Cranmer in the mid-1530s, and was chaplain to Cromwell in 1538. Mallet was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, in 1536 and in 1540. The college was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1546.

He became chaplain to the Princess Mary in 1544 leaving the employment of the current Queen Consort Katherine Parr. Under Edward VI, he ran into trouble, for celebrating mass for Mary, in May 1551. He was confined to the Tower of London for a period. He was later made Dean of Lincoln, by Mary as Queen. Around the time of her death, he was nominated as Bishop of Salisbury, but was unable to take up the post, remaining Dean.

Francis Mallet died at Normanton 16 December 1570. Henry Mallet, brother of Francis, attended Cambridge as well, was a fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, entered the ministry, and later served as prebendary of Lincoln, vicar of St Giles-without-Cripplegate, London, and rector of St Martin Orgar, London.