HOOPER (John), bishop of Worcester, and a martyr in the Protestant cause, was born in Somersetshire, and educated at Oxford, probably in Merton-college. In 1518 he took the degree of bachelor of arts, and afterwards became a Cistercian monk; but at length, disliking his fraternity, he returned to Oxford, and there became infected with Lutheranism. In 1539 he was made chaplain and house-steward to Sir John Arundel, who afterwards suffered with the protector in the reign of Edward VI. But that very catholic knight, as Wood calls him, discovering his chaplain to be a heretic, Hooper was obliged to leave the kingdom. After continuing some time in France, he returned to England, and lived with a gentleman called Seintlowe; but, being again discovered, he escaped in the habit of a sailor to Ireland; thence
Hooper embarked for the continent, and fixed his abode in Switzerland.
When king Edward came to the crown, Mr Hooper returned once more to his native country. In 1550, by his old patron Sir John Arundel's interest with the earl of Warwick, he was consecrated bishop of Gloucester; and in 1552 was nominated to the see of Worcester, which he held in commendam with the former. But queen Mary had scarce ascended the throne, before his lordship was imprisoned, tried, and, not choosing to recant, condemned to the flames. He suffered this terrible death at Gloucester, on the 9th of February 1554, being then near 60 years of age. He was an avowed enemy to the church of Rome, and not perfectly reconciled to what he thought remnants of Popery in the church of England. In the former reign he had been one of Bonner's accusers, which sufficiently accounts for his being one of queen Mary's first sacrifices to the holy see. He was a person of good parts and learning, as may be found in Fox's Book of Martyrs.