John Bird, D.D. descended from an ancient family in Cheshire, educated as a Carmelite Friar at Oxford, and distinguished there by his learning and zeal. In 1516 he became provincial of the order of Carmelites throughout England, which office Godwin erroneously states he held at the dissolution of the monasteries. Bird did not advocate the king’s supremacy, until he found that the pope’s power was waning, when Henry 8th appointed him one of his chaplains, and thus confirmed his hitherto wavering opinions. He was soon after consecrated Bishop of Ossery, from which he was translated in 1539 to Bangor, and thence to Chester in 1541. On Queen Mary’s accession, he accommodated himself to the changes which were introduced, but could not preserve his see, of which he was deprived in 1553, in consequence of his being married. Wood states that the Bishop, after his deprivation, lived in obscurity at Chester, and, dying there in 1556, was buried in the Cathedral. Bishop Bird was a learned man, and published several short discourses in Latin and English. Posterity, however, would have thought more favourably of him, had he not alienated some of the revenues of his see, and made leases injurious to his successors. George Coates was B.A. in 1522, when he was elected Probationer Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford. He afterwards became a Fellow of Magdalene College in the same university; M.A. 1526, Proctor 1531, and elected Master of Balliol in 1539. He was also Rector of Cotgrove, near Nottingham, and became Prebendary of Chester in 1544; and on the 1st of April, 1554, was consecrated Bishop of Chester. He did not long survive his last appointment, as he died at Chester in the year 1555, very shortly after he had condemned George Marsh to the fires of martyrdom at Boughton. This intrepid martyr regarded his faith as being too precious to be sacrificed, even to save his life. He held his principles with unflinching steadfastness; they were the ripened convictions of his judgment—the pabulum of his inward life—and he nobly maintained them, even to the death. The following account is given by Foxe of the life and persecutions of this faithful and holy man:—