William Rugge (bishop)
William Rugge (also Rugg, Repps, Reppes; died 1550) was an English Benedictine theologian, and bishop of Norwich from 1536 to 1549. Life. He was born in Northrepps, Norfolk. He was a Doctor of Divinity of Gonville Hall, Cambridge in 1513. The Carthusian Thomas Spencer (died 1529) wrote "A Trialogus between Thomas Bilney, Hugh Latimer and William Repps", in which Rugge appears to balance two reformers. He became Abbot of St Benet's Abbey in 1530. He retained the abbey "in commendam" on being appointed bishop of Norwich; the community there was suppressed in 1539. He was one  of the authors of "The Bishops' Book" of 1537. A theological conservative, he was one of the group trying, without success, to have the Book include material defending pilgrimages. He disputed publicly with Robert Watson, an early evangelical Protestant, in 1539, on the topic of free will. Resignation. He resigned his diocese in 1549. Reasons given are financial problems, and royal anger at his sloth in opposing Kett's Rebellion (which may have amounted to sympathy). Gilbert Burnet claimed that the see was needed as place to move Thomas Thirlby, bishop of Westminster, so that Nicholas Ridley could be translated  from Rochester, to become bishop of London. Rugge had in fact long been a thorn in Thomas Cranmer's flesh, and after Kett was put down he was eased out in disgrace, but pardoned and pensioned off. Family. "The family of "Rugg", took their name from a lordship, or hamlet in the town of "Pattingham" in "Staffordshire", and were of good degree and eminency; (fn. 7) the younger branch came into "Norfolk": in the 49th of "Edward" III. "Nicholas Rugg", second son of "John Rugg", of "Rugg", seated himself there, and was father of "Clement Rugge", who was living in  the 12th of "Henry" IV. his son "William" was father of "Thomas Rugge", who occurs in the 23d of "Henry" VI.; and left "Robert Rugge" of "North Repps", his son and heir, in the 2d of "Edward" IV. father of "William", whose son "Robert" lived in the 1st of "Edward" V. and was father of "William", of "North Repps", Gent." William Rugge, abbot and bishop, was the son of William Rugge (d.1512) of Northrepps and Agnes – who had four sons, Nicholas, Roger, William, Bishop of Norwich, and Robert. Children of William Rugge and Agnes: The Bishop's much younger brother , Robert Rugge (by 1503 – 18 February 1558/9), of Norwich in Norfolk, was an English politician. «In the 24th of Henry VIII. William Rugge, abbot of St. Bennet's conveyed the manor of Greengate to Robert Rugge, his brother, alderman of Norwich, which the said Robert held in 1558, with that of Spicer's "alias" Berd's, in Hoveton St. John, and St. Peter, Tunstead, Belaugh, and Ashmanhaugh; the last sold to him also by the late abbot, his brother.» Robert "m." 1) Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Wood of Norwich, gentleman of the horse to Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, they  had 5 sons and 3 daughters; 2) Alice ("d."1566), daughter of William Wayte of Tittleshall, widow of William Hare of Beeston. He made his will on 24 December 1558 and died on the following 18 February. He gave his wife Alice a life interest in certain lands and a house, furnishings and plate, and divided the remaining lands between his elder sons William and Francis. The executors were William and Francis Rugge. He had two sons-in-law, Robert Flint and George Thimblethorpe. Children of Robert Rugge (d.1558/9) and Elizabeth Wood: William Rugge (d.1616), Esq. son of Robert, was  heir to his uncle, the Bishop, and lived in Brian's Manor in Felmingham in Norfolk, as did his son Thomas, whom he had by his wife Thomasyne. William Rugge, Esq. was lord of North Repps in 1572, and married Thomasine, daughter of Sir Robert Townshend of Guiest, Justice of Chester, and the widow of William Curson of Beckhall and Bilingford. Children of William Rugge and Thomasine Townsend: Thomas Rugge, the diarist, was also of this family. His great-grandnephew the Reverend William Rugge, Rector of Buckland (16 May 1740 – 2 November 1786), had the same coat of arms as  William Rugge, Bishop of Norwich. The Reverend William Rugge was the grandson of the nephew of the diarist, John Rugge (d.1720) of the Inner Temple, London and Stirtloe, Buckden in the county of Huntingdonshire, gentleman, and Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Robert Wright, Chief Justice of the King’s Bench. Their son William Rugge of Conduit Street, St. George Hanover Square, London, was the father not only of the Reverend, but of Mary Rugge (1752 – 22 February 1838) who married Sir Charles Price, 1st Baronet (1747 – 1818), merchant in the City of London, shipowner, Lord Mayor of London and politician, on  16 December 1773 at St. James's Church, Piccadilly. Through this marriage they were the ancestors of the Price, later Rugge-Price baronets, of Spring Grove. The Rugge-Price baronets of Spring Grove are therefore direct descendants of this family. "[T]he family now quarter the arms of Rugge and use the Rugge crest in addition to their own"From his monument in Buckland Church, the coat of arms of the Reverend William Rugge, Rector of Buckland is described as:"Arms: Gules a chevron engrailed between three mullets pierced Argent."Of the arms of William Rugge, Bishop of Norwich, it is said:"William Rugge , Esq. of Felmingham", is said to have changed his arms, per fess, "sable" and "argent", and unicorn saliant, counterchanged, armed, mained and unguled "or", to that of "gules", a chevron engrailed, between three mullets pierced, "argent"; but "Richard de Rugge", who lived in the 2d of "Richard" III. and the Bishop of "Norwich", bore, as it appears, this last coat. These two men shared one coat of arms: "Gules, a chevron engrailed, between three mullets pierced, argent" Of this family was probably also the ship surgeon John Rugge (d.1761), surgeon of His Majesty's ship the Falmouth, who was buried  in India on 2 June 1761. He leaves his entire estate to William Rugge of Conduit Street, Esquire, and appoints him sole executor. Of this family was also the husband of Elnathan Rugge (d.1685), widow, of Buckden in Huntingdonshire, who mentions "my nephew John Rugg of Bugden". She gives him 'my silver tankard that hath his arms upon it' and a vast deal more. The Rugge coat of arms can be seen on the monument of Francis Rugge (1535–1607), Mayor of Norwich at St. Andrew's Church in Norwich, though the chevron does not appear to be engrailed. Francis Blomefield , Rector of Fersfield in Norfolk, however, confirms this to be the coat of arms of Rugge in his "An Essay Towards A Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: Volume 4, Containing the History of Norwich, Part II." The coat of arms of Rugge quarters, 1st, "arg". a chevron ingrailed between six keys "sab". 2d, "arg". a chevron ingrailed "sab". between three birds. 3d, Brome. There is a crescent for difference. The said quartered coats impale Aldrich, and there is a shield of Aldrich single. Of the other coats of arms the Rugge coat of arms is quartered with, "Argent , a chevron, between three birds (martlets), sable", appears to be the coat of arms of Elizabeth Wood, Francis Rugge's mother. According to "The Visitations of Norfolk" the arms of Rugge were quartered with "Argent, a chevron engrailed between three pairs of keys addorsed sable" as early as in 1552. Edmund Farrer identifies this coat of arms as that of "Mynshawe". This indicates a Rugge marriage to a Mynshawe heiress prior to that date.