Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Skevington, Thomas

613540Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 52 — Skevington, Thomas1897William Arthur Jobson Archbold

SKEVINGTON or Pace, THOMAS (d. 1533), bishop of Bangor, son of John Pace of Leicestershire by Margaret, daughter and heiress of William Cobley, is said to have been born at Skeffington, the seat of the family of that name in Leicestershire. He entered the Cistercian monastery of Merevale, Warwickshire, and studied at the Cistercian college of St. Bernard in Oxford, to which he left 20l. at his death. As the custom was, he took a new name on entering religion, and selected that of what is supposed to have been his birthplace. His connection with Skeffington is, moreover, shown by the blazon of his arms in a window of the church there. He became abbot of Waverley in Surrey, and on 17 June 1509 was consecrated bishop of Bangor. A tradition says that he never went thither, but this can hardly be, as, though he doubtless lived much at the abbey of Beaulieu which he held in commendam, he was active as a builder at Bangor. He finished the palace and built the tower and the nave of the cathedral. He died on Sunday, 13 Aug. 1533 (Letters and Papers, vi. 1002). His body was buried at Beaulieu, but his heart was taken to Bangor and sunk, none too securely, in the pavement in front of what seems to have been a picture of St. Daniel. Humphrey Humphreys [q. v.] used to play with it when a boy. It would seem that he was rich (ib. xiv. 1222).

[Wood's Athenæ Oxon., ed. Bliss, ii. 741; Visitation of Leicestershire (Harl. Soc.), p. 63; Nichols's Leicestershire, II. i. 548, iii. 447; Walcott's Memorials of Bangor, p. 44; Browne Willis's Survey of Bangor, p. 97; Letters and Papers, Henry VIII, ii. 1131, &c.]

W. A. J. A.