Mews was born at
Caundle Purse in Dorset, and was educated at the
Merchant Taylors' School, London, and at
St John's College, Oxford, of which he was scholar and
fellow. When
the Civil War broke out in 1642, Mews joined the Royalist army, and, having been made a captain, was taken prisoner at
Naseby; but he was soon released and in 1648 sought refuge in Holland. He became friendly with
King Charles I's secretary,
Sir Edward Nicholas, and being skilful at disguising himself was very useful to the Royalists during the rule of
Oliver Cromwell, undertaking two journeys to
Scotland in 1653. In August of that year, his friend Nicholas applied to
Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange, to use her influence to get Mews a post as reader in philosophy at the
Orange College of Breda, but had a reply from
Hyde that the place called for a man "that hath not bene a truant from his bookes". Before this Mews had been ordained. Taking the degree of
DCL and regaining his fellowship at Oxford after the
Restoration, he became
Archdeacon of Huntingdon,
vicar of
St Mary's, Reading, and chaplain to the King; then, having obtained two other livings, he was made
canon of Windsor,
canon of
St David's, and
Archdeacon of Berkshire (1665–1672). In 1667, when at
Breda arranging
peace between England and the Dutch Republic, he was chosen
President of St John's College, Oxford, in succession to his father-in-law,
Richard Baylie, afterwards becoming Vice-Chancellor of the
University of Oxford and
dean of Rochester. He was appointed
Bishop of Bath and Wells in 1672. He used his position to report on well-to-do non-conformist families. He gave
Mary Speke and her family particular attention. Mews resigned his presidency at Oxford University in 1673, and in 1684 he was elected
Bishop of Winchester, a position which this "old, honest cavalier," as
Thomas Hearne calls him, filled until his death. The bishop is buried in
Winchester Cathedral. Mews lent his carriage horses to pull the cannon at a critical moment during the
Battle of Sedgemoor, where he was wounded whilst accompanying the royal army. He was, however, in sympathy with the
Seven Bishops, and was only prevented by illness from attending their meeting; and as
visitor of
Magdalen College, Oxford, he supported the fellows in their resistance to
James II, admitted their nominee,
John Hough, to the presidency, and restored the ejected fellows in October 1688. He took the oaths to
William III and
Mary II in 1689. In the absence of
Henry Compton,
Bishop of London, Mews took the chief part at the
consecration of
John Tillotson as
Archbishop of Canterbury in 1691. A portrait is displayed in the Great Hall of the 15th-century manor house,
Athelhampton Hall, known as
Athelhampton House, just a few miles outside
Dorchester in Dorset. His portrait also hangs in the Long Gallery of the
Bishop's Palace in Wells and there is another in the hall of
Dunster Castle in Somerset. ==References==