Coverdale

Coverdale, Miles (1488-1568), an English bishop, widely known as a translator of the Bible into English. Born in Yorkshire, he was educated at Norwich and at Cambridge, and joined the Angustinian Order of Friars, being ordained priest. He was one of the first to become a Protestant, and, possibly owing to the danger he was consequently exposed to, he went abroad. In 1535 he made a translation of the Bible, his version of the Psalms, which is of far greater beauty as English than that of the Authorised Version, being still used in the Book of Common Prayer. In 1538 he went to Paris, apparently with the view of publishing his translation, but the Inquisition seized and destroyed the work. But he had a share in the "Great Bible," which was published in England in 1539. In 1540 he again went abroad, but in 1547 he was in England, and in 1551 was appointed to the see of Exeter. In Mary's reign he was imprisoned, but escaped with his life, and went into exile first to Denmark, and then to Geneva, where he took part in the Geneva translation. He came back to England, but was not reappointed to his bishopric. He, however, became the rector of St. Magnus's church in London, which living he resigned in 1566, and spent the remaining years of his life in retirement, giving up his time to literary pursuits and the study of botany. He was buried in 1569 in the church of St. Bartholomew, whence, upon the destruction of the church in 1840, his bones were removed to St. Magnus's church.