Alcock was born at
Beverley in
Yorkshire, son of Sir William Alcock,
Burgess of
Kingston upon Hull, and was educated at
Beverley Grammar School and the
University of Cambridge. In 1461 he was made
dean of
St Stephen's Chapel, Westminster, and his subsequent promotion was rapid in both church and state. In the following year he was made
Master of the Rolls, and in 1470 was sent as ambassador to the
Crown Court of Castile. He was nominated to the
see of Rochester on 8 January 1472, was consecrated
Bishop of Rochester on 15 March and was successively translated to the
see of Worcester on 15 July 1476 and the
see of Ely on 6 October 1486. He was the first president of the
Council of the Marches in Wales from 1473 to 1500. He twice held the office of
Lord Chancellor, once from 10 June 1475 to 28 September 1475 (during the absence of the Lord Chancellor
Thomas Rotheram and then again from 7 October 1485 to 6 March 1487. Alcock was one of the leading pre-
Reformation divines; he was a man of deep learning and also of great proficiency as an architect. Besides founding a charity at Beverley and endowing
Hull Grammar School, he restored many churches and colleges; but his greatest achievement was the building of
Jesus College, Cambridge, which he established on the site of the former
Convent of St Radegund. Alcock was appointed to the Council in 1470 and became Master of the Rolls in 1471, soon after being appointed tutor to
King Edward IV's eldest son,
Prince Edward. After the King's death he was with Prince Edward when he was intercepted by
Richard, Duke of Gloucester, at
Stony Stratford. Alcock was arrested and removed from office but soon rejoined the council. He was with King Richard III when he entered
York in August 1483 and was a member of the English delegation that met the Scots at
Nottingham. Later Alcock was one of several clerics who openly canvassed the proposition that
Henry Tudor marry
Elizabeth of York. Appointed temporary Lord Chancellor he opened King Henry VII's first Parliament on 7 November 1485 and became one of the new king's most trusted servants. Alcock died on 1 October 1500 and lies buried in the Alcock Chantry in
Ely Cathedral. ==Writings==