Second son of John Nowell, Read Hall, Whalley, Lancs., and his second wife Elizabeth Kay, Rochdale, Lancs. ; b. ; ed. Middleton, Lancs., and Brasenose Coll.Oxford ; BA 1536 ; MA 1540 ; DD 1595 ; Fellow, Brasenose Coll. 1536-8 ; Head Master, Westminster School Mar 1540/1-55 ; ordained ; Prebendary of Westminster 5 Dec 1551- c.May 1554, when deprived as being a married man ; MP West Looe Sep 1553, but in Oct 1553 was declared unable to sit, as being “a Prebendary of Westminster and thereby having a voice in Convocation House” ; fled to European Continent 1555 ; studied at Strasbourg and subsequently settled with other English Protestant exiles at Frankfurt am Main, Germany ; did not return to England until after death of Queen Mary ; preached consecration sermon for Right Rev.Edmund Grindal, Bishop of London, in Dec 1559, and was appointed his chaplain ; Archdeacon of Middlesex 1 Jan 1559/60 – Nov 1560 ; Rector of Saltwood with Hythe, Kent 3 Feb 1559/60, but resigned shortly afterwards ; Prebendary of Canterbury 14 Feb 1559/60 – res by May 1564 ; Prebendary of Westminster 21 Jun 1560 – res by Jul 1564 ; Dean of St.Paul’s from 17 Nov 1560, also Prebendary of St.Paul’s from 3 Dec 1560 ; Rector of Much Hadham, Herts., 18 Dec 1562-89 ; sat on ecclesiastical commissions 1573, 1576, 1590 ; Canon of Windsor from 25 Apr 1594 ; Principal, Brasenose Coll. 6 Sep – 14 Dec 1595 ; a keen angler ; author of three catechisms ; m.1st, Joan, widow of Thomas Bowyer, citizen and grocer of London, and dau. of Robert Merry, Hatfield, Herts. ; m.2nd, Elizabeth, widow of Lawrence Ball, and of Thomas Blount, Customer of London, and dau. of William Haste, Norwich ; d. 13 Feb 1601/2, aged 93. ODNB.
