The Rector Who (Probably) Never Came: Andrea Ammonio and Christian Malford, 1507-1517

All Saints Church Christian Malford Wiltshire 2015 by Ray Bird

Andrea/s Ammonius (or Ammonio) was born Andrea della Rena in Lucca, Italy in around 1476. In his lifetime, Andrea was a humanist scholar, poet, friend of Erasmus, secretary to Henry VIII, and, in a strange twist of fate, something that has for centuries been overlooked, he was rector of Christian Malford.

The circumstances of Andrea’s rectorship are murky, although his life and career are relatively well-documented. By 1506, Andrea a university educated cleric was in England, probably having travelled with Cardinal Silvestro Gigli, also from Lucca, who Pope Julius II had sent to give gifts to Henry VII. Gigli became Bishop of Worcester. However, it was another cardinal agent of the Pope who appointed Andrea as an English rector. Cardinal Adriano Castellesi was the Bishop of Bath and Wells, and had the advowson of Christian Malford, the right to choose its rector. Andrea was suffering from lack of funds, but by good fortune the rector of Christian Malford, Thomas Beaumont, died in 1507, and Adriano gave the living to his countryman, Andrea.

If Andrea spent any time at all in Christian Malford, rather than keep the revenue of the rectorship and simply employ a curate to fulfill his pastoral responsibilities, it is likely to have been between 1507 and 1509, after which he became Latin secretary to William Blount, Lord Mountjoy. Between 1509 and 1511 Andrea is also known to have lodged with Thomas More, who later became Lord Chancellor, and it was here his deep friendship with the celebrated humanist thinker Erasmus was cemented.

But Andrea was unhappy with his career to this point, expressing regret to Erasmus in November 1511 that he had ever left Rome, despite having been appointed Latin secretary to the teenaged Henry VIII a few months before. However, more church preferments followed including a prebend of St Stephens cathedral in Westminster, another at Fordington and Writhlington in Salisbury, one at Compton Dundon in Bath and Wells, and a canonry at Worcester. Pluralism (having more than one church living) was common but Andrea's case was extreme. Each brought Andrea more status than being the humble rector of Christian Malford. Did his parishioners even know their rector's identity? However, Andrea’s role with the King, whom he even accompanied on military campaign on the Continent, also kept him from his other church posts too. And Andrea had his sights on higher things, that of becoming the Pope’s collector of papal taxes in England, an ambition which caused bitter conflict with his former patron, Cardinal Castellesi who had made him rector of Christian Malford. Andrea’s political machinations finally paid off in June 1517 when he was awarded the role of collector, but he was not to enjoy his success for long, dying suddenly of the ‘sweating sickness’ in London two months later.

Andrea was deeply mourned by his friend Erasmus, meanwhile in Christian Malford his passing was probably barely noticed.

Louise Ryland-Epton