23 October – John Hopkins, psalmodist and shepherd

On this day in Tudor history, 23rd October 1570, John Hopkins, poet, psalmodist and Church of England clergyman, was buried at Great Waldingfield in Suffolk.

You've probably never heard of John Hopkins, but his versions of the Psalms were "the best-known English verses" in the late 16th and 17th century because they were sung in church by every member of society.

He was a clergyman and psalmodist, but also appears to have been a shepherd of sheep, as well as men! Find out more in today's video.

You can read at "The whole booke of Psalmes collected into Englysh metre by T. Starnhold, J. Hopkins, & others" at Early English Books - https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A13988.0001.001?view=toc

Also on this day in history:

• 1545 – Death of Sir Humphrey Wingfield, lawyer, Speaker of the House of Commons (1533-36) and patron of humanist education, at Ipswich.
• 1556 – Death of Sir John Gresham, brother of Sir Richard Gresham and Lord Mayor of London (1547). He was buried in the church of St Michael Bassishaw.