William Britten (or Bretton)

William Britten (Bretton or Brettayn) was a Canon of Westminster from 1540 until his death on 18th July 1552. His grave was probably in the north transept, according to an early burial list and it had a brass plate or strip. This no longer remains but the epitaph was recorded by antiquary Francis Thynne in 1582 and this read:

"Live mindful of death. Here under lyeth buried master William Bretone, Doctor of Civil Lawe, which dyed the XVIII daye of Julye anno.christi 1552, whose sowle Jesus pardone"

This was not included in the Abbey guidebook published by William Camden in 1600, so the brass may have gone by that date.

His life

He was educated at Cambridge University and admitted to Doctors Commons in 1518. He was a vicar of Toft in Lincolnshire, and of East Grinstead in Sussex. From 1532-1552 he was a prebendary of Lincoln cathedral. Just before his death he was rector of St Dionis Backchurch in London, and he seems to have died unmarried. In his will he left bequests to the poor and to his late brother John's widow Anne and their sons Richard and William and three daughters.

Further information

For the epitaph: British Library MS. Cotton Cleop. III, C. fol.11v

His will is at the National Archives, Kew (under spelling Brettayn)