Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vaughan, Richard (1550?-1607)
VAUGHAN, RICHARD (1550?–1607), bishop successively of Bangor, Chester, and London, born about 1550 at Nyffryn in Llyn, Carnarvonshire, was second son of Thomas ap Robert Vychan or Vaughan of that place, by his wife, a member of the Griffin family (Dwnn, Heraldic Visitation, ii. 183). He was related to John Aylmer, bishop of London, and it was probably through his influence that Vaughan was sent to Cambridge. He matriculated as a sizar of St. John's College on 16 Nov. 1569, and had as tutor John Becon [q. v.] On 6 Nov. 1573 he was admitted a scholar on the Lady Margaret's foundation; he graduated B.A. in 1573–4, M.A. in 1577, B.D. before 1588, and was created D.D. in 1589 (Baker, St. John's College, ed. Mayor, i. 254–5). Soon after graduating M.A. Vaughan became chaplain to Bishop Aylmer, and on 22 April 1578 he was admitted to the living of Chipping Ongar, Essex (Lansd. MS. 983, f. 60). On 24 Nov. 1580 he was presented to the rectory of Little Canfield, in the same county, and on 18 Nov. 1583 was collated to the prebend of Holborn in St. Paul's Cathedral (ib.; Hennessy, Nov. Rep. Eccl. p. 2). In 1584 he was incorporated M.A. at Oxford, and on 26 Oct. 1588 was appointed archdeacon of Middlesex. On 17 April 1591 Aylmer recommended Vaughan for a residentiary canonry in St. Paul's, which he does not appear to have secured (Lansd. MS. 68, art. 24); but on 19 Feb. 1591–2 he was collated by Aylmer to the rectory of Great Dunmow; on 29 Aug. 1592 he was admitted to the rectory of Moreton, Essex (ib. 983, f. 61); in 1593 to the canonry of Combe in Wells Cathedral; and in 1594 to the rectory of Stanford Rivers, Essex. He was also chaplain to the queen and to Lord-keeper Puckering. In the latter year he was mentioned for promotion to the see of Llandaff (Cal. Hatfield MSS. iv. 561, v. 18), but on 22 Nov. 1595 was elected bishop of Bangor, and in the following year became archdeacon of Anglesey. Essex and his friends proposed his translation to Salisbury (Lansd. MS. 983, f. 61) on Bishop Coldwell's death in 1596, but Henry Cotton [q. v.] was preferred, and in 1597 Vaughan was translated to the bishopric of Chester, being enthroned on 10 Nov. On 31 Jan. following he was commissioned to determine ecclesiastical causes in his diocese, and the prevalence of recusancy gave him trouble (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1598–1601 passim). In 1604 James I promoted Vaughan to the bishopric of London in succession to Bancroft; he was enthroned on 26 Dec. In January following he was summoned to a conference to consider the scandal caused by the sale of church livings (ib. 1603–10, p. 189); his tenure of the bishopric was marked by the deprivation and silencing of extreme puritans, but, according to John Chamberlain, Vaughan's measures were taken with such wisdom and temperance as to earn him commendations ‘even among that faction,’ and the reputation of being ‘the most sufficient man of that coat.’
Vaughan died of apoplexy on 30 March 1607, and was buried in Bishop Kemp's chapel in St. Paul's Cathedral. An inscription to his memory was destroyed in the fire of 1666. A portrait of Vaughan is in the University galleries at Oxford (Cat. Pictures, 1796, p. 12), and another, ascribed to Cornelius Janssen, is in the library at Fulham Palace. Engraved portraits are given in Holland's ‘Herωologia’ and Freherus's ‘Theatrum.’ He had three sons and six daughters, of whom Elizabeth married Thomas Mallory, dean of Chester, and was mother of Thomas Mallory [q. v.]
Vaughan is said to have drawn up the Lambeth articles for Archbishop Whitgift in 1594 (Heylyn, Laud, p. 193), and to have published in 1573 two Latin poems on Sir John Pryse's ‘Historiæ Britannicæ Defensio.’ He assisted William Morgan (1540?–1604) [q. v.] in his translation of the Bible into Welsh; a Latin letter to the University of Cambridge, dated 29 Dec. 1604, is printed in Heywood and Wright's ‘Transactions,’ ii. 217, and an answer to an address on behalf of the French and Dutch churches in London in Strype's ‘Annals,’ iv. 395.
[In Harl. MS. 6495, art. 6, is an account of Vaughan by his kinsman John Williams [q. v.], archbishop of York, entitled Vaughanus redivivus sive … Richardi Vaughani … vita atque obitus. See also Lansdowne MSS. 68 art. 24, 445 f. 34, 983 ff. 60–1; Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1595–1610 passim; Cal. Hatfield MSS. vols. iv–vi.; Owen's Epigrams, ii. 23, 24, iv. 92; Strype's Works (general index); Fuller's Worthies; Wood's Athenæ; Le Neve's Fasti, ed. Hardy; Newcourt's Repert.; Hennessy's Novum Repert. pp. 2, 9, 30, 383; Baker's Hist. St. John's Coll. i. 204, 254–5, ii. 664–5; Foster's Alumni Oxon. 1500–1714; Cooper's Athenæ, ii. 450–2; Notes and Queries, 9th ser. iv. 4.]