William Sancroft (30 January 1617 – 24 November 1693) was the 79th Archbishop of Canterbury, and was one of the Seven Bishops imprisoned in 1688 for seditious libel against King James II, over his opposition to the king's Declaration of Indulgence. Deprived of his office in 1690 for refusing to swear allegiance to William III and Mary II, he later enabled and supported the consecration of new nonjuring bishops leading to the nonjuring schism.
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Life
Sancroft was born at Ufford Hall in Fressingfield, Suffolk, son of Francis Sandcroft (1580–1647) and Margaret Sandcroft née Butcher (1594–1631). He was educated at the Bury St Edmunds free grammar school before being admitted to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in September 1633 and matriculating there in 1634. His uncle William Sancroft the Elder was then master of the college. He graduated B.A. in 1638, M.A. in 1641 and became a fellow in 1642, but was ejected in 1649 for refusing to accept the "Engagement". He remained abroad till the Restoration, after which he was chosen one of the university preachers, and was elected Master of his alma mater Emmanuel College in 1662, serving until 1665. He began fundraising for a new chapel for the college in 1663 and contributed largely towards the cost. He continued to play a role in college affairs and the chapel was completed in 1667 to a design by Christopher Wren.
In 1663 he was nominated to the deanery of York. He became Dean of St Paul's in 1664, greatly assisting with the rebuilding of St Paul's Cathedral after the Great Fire of London, towards which he contributed £1400. He also rebuilt the deanery, and improved its revenue. He was criticized for leaving London during the Great Plague of 1665, though in his defence virtually all of the upper class did the same.