William Aubrey

{{about||the Welsh engineer|William Aubrey (engineer)|William Aubrey (by 1501-49)|Weymouth (UK Parliament constituency)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix = Dr

|name = William Aubrey

|native_name =

|native_name_lang =

|honorific-suffix = MP

|image = WilliamAubrey.jpg

|image_size =

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|alt =

|caption = William Aubrey

|office =

|term_start =

|term_end =

|alongside =

|constituency_MP = Carmarthen Boroughs

|term = 1554

|constituency_MP2 = Brecon

|term2 = 1558

|constituency_MP3 = Hindon

|term3 = 1559

|constituency_MP4 = Arundel

|term_start4 = 1563

|term_end4 = 1567

|constituency_MP5 = Taunton

|term5 = 1593

|predecessor =

|successor =

|prior_term =

|birth_date = {{circa|1529}}

|birth_place = Brecknockshire

|death_date = {{Death date|df=y|1595|06|25}}

|death_place = London

|death_cause =

|resting_place = Old St Paul's Cathedral, London

|citizenship =

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|father = Thomas Aubrey, MD

|education = Christ College, Brecon

|alma_mater = All Souls College, Oxford

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|battles = St Quentin (1557)

}}

William Aubrey (c. 1529 – 25 June 1595) was Regius Professor of Civil Law at the University of Oxford from 1553 to 1559, and was one of the founding Fellows of Jesus College, Oxford. He was also a Member of Parliament for various Welsh and English constituencies between 1554 and 1592.

Early life and Oxford University

Aubrey was born in Brecknockshire, Wales, the second of Thomas Aubrey, MD, of Cantreff.

After being educated at what later became Christ College, Brecon, Aubrey went to Oxford University, becoming a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford in 1547. He obtained a BCL degree in 1549 and was appointed Principal of New Inn Hall, Oxford in 1550. In 1553 he succeeded Robert Weston as Regius Professor of Civil Law. He held the position until 1559, when he was succeeded by John Griffith.{{cite ODNB |url= http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/887 |title=Aubrey, William (c.1529–1595) |last=Watkin |first=Thomas Glyn |date=January 2008 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/887 |accessdate=24 February 2008}} {{DNBfirst|wstitle=Aubrey, William}} He served as judge-marshal of the army led by William Herbert, the Earl of Pembroke in the St. Quentin campaign of 1557.{{cite web| url = http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/aubrey-william-1529-95 |title= AUBREY, William (1529-95), of Cantreff, Brec., Doctors' Commons, London and Sydenham, Kent. |publisher= History of Parliament Online |accessdate=25 November 2012}}

In 1571 he was named in the foundation charter as one of the original eight fellows of Jesus College, Oxford.{{cite web|url= https://www.jesus.ox.ac.uk/about/the-founders|title= The Founders|publisher =jesus.ox.ac.uk| access-date=12 October 2018}} He obtained the degree of DCL in 1554 and the following year he was made a Master in Chancery.

Legal and political work

File:Wenceslas Hollar - Aubrey (monument) (State 1).jpg. This engraving of his monument is by Wenceslaus Hollar.]]

In 1562 Aubrey was a member of the commission set up by Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury that declared unlawful the marriage of Lady Catherine Grey to Henry Herbert (son of the 1st Earl of Pembroke). He was one of the signatories of the opinion that John Lesley (Bishop of Ross and an ambassador for Mary, Queen of Scots) could be tried in England for intriguing against Queen Elizabeth.

He was MP for various constituencies: Carmarthen Boroughs (1554), Brecon (1558), Hindon (1559), Arundel (1563), and Taunton (1593). He was a member of the Council of Wales and the Marches from 1586. He was also auditor and vicar-general of the Province of Canterbury under Archbishop Grindal, retaining his position as vicar-general under Archbishop Whitgift.

Death

Aubrey died in London, England in 1595 and was buried in Old St Paul's Cathedral."Memorials of St Paul's Cathedral" Sinclair, W. p99: London; Chapman & Hall, Ltd; 1909