A Dictionary of British and Irish History

A

ABBOT, GEORGE

(b. 29 Oct. 1562 at Guildford, Surrey, England; d. 4 Aug. 1633 at Croydon, Surrey, aged 70). A clothworker’s son and Church of ENGLAND clergyman, Abbot was appointed bishop of Coventry and Lichfield (1609), bishop of London (1610), and archbishop of CANTERBURY and privy councillor (1611) by JAMES VI/I. He lost favour with the king in 1613 for opposing annulment of the countess of Essex’s marriage (see SOMERSET, ROBERT EARL OF). As a CALVINIST who tolerated moderate PURITANISM, Abbot welcomed the condemnation of ARMINIANISM in 1619 by the international Synod of Dort in the Dutch Republic. In July 1621 he accidentally killed a gamekeeper with a crossbow while hunting. Thereafter he was frequently taunted about the incident.

Abbot was disregarded by CHARLES I (king from 1625) who preferred advice from the anti‐Puritan William LAUD. He was effectively suspended from office during 1627–8 for rejecting a royal order: he had refused to license publication of a sermon that advocated absolute obedience to the king.

ABDICATION CRISIS

Events of 1936 which led EDWARD VIII to renounce his position as king of Great Britain and Ireland. On 16 Nov. Edward expressed determination to marry Wallis Simpson, an American socialite. The prime minister, Stanley BALDWIN, and archbishop of Canterbury, Cosmo Lang, judged it impermissible for the titular head of the Church of ENGLAND to wed a twice‐divorced woman. DOMINION premiers agreed. The British press refrained from reporting ...