Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Pedder, John
PEDDER, JOHN (1520?–1571), dean of Worcester, born about 1520, was educated at Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. 1538, M.A. 1542, and B.D. in 1552. Having embraced the protestant faith, he went abroad on Queen Mary's accession in 1553. In 1554 he was at Strasburg, and supported Grindal in his advocacy of the prayer-book of the church of England (Troubles at Frankfort, p. 23). But when, three years later, he was a member of the Frankfort congregation, he took the side of the main body, or calvinistic church members, in the disputes as to discipline. Returning to England at Elizabeth's accession, he was, on 27 Dec. 1559, installed dean of Worcester (cf. Rymer, Fœdera, xv. 563). He was already prebendary of the sixth stall of Norwich, and rector of Redgrave in Suffolk, which he resigned on 24 Feb. 1560. On 26 Sept. 1561 he was collated to the vicarage of Snitterfield, Warwickshire (Dugdale, Warwickshire, p. 505); and on 15 May 1563 to a prebend at Hereford, which he retained till death. He resigned his Norwich prebend on 24 Feb.
Pedder attended the lower house of convocation 1561–2, and subscribed the articles in February 1562, although he also approved of and signed the ‘six articles’ propounding certain alterations in the rites and ceremonies (13 Feb. 1562) (Strype, Annals, ii. 504; Burnet, Reformation, vi. 481). He supported the twenty-one ‘requests’ in which the lower house of convocation petitioned for changes in the articles, liturgy, and discipline (ib. p. 512).
Pedder, who improved the revenues of the church of Worcester, died on 5 April 1571, and was buried on the 8th in the cathedral. His successor in the deanery, Arthur Lake [q. v.], later bishop of Bath and Wells, erected a monument to his memory.
[Cooper's Athenæ Cantabr.; Blomefield's Norfolk, iii. 669; Rymer's Fœdera, xv. 563; Willis's Cathedrals, i. 564, 658; Lansd. MS. 981, f. 114; Thomas Abingdon's Antiq. of Worcester, p. 129; Thomas's Worcester, p. 69; Wood's Fasti Oxon. i. 691; Calendar of Proceedings in Chancery, temp. Eliz. iii. 170; Strype, ubi supra (Parker Soc.); Cranmer's Works, i. 9; Dugdale's Warwickshire, i. 505.]