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Sengham, William (DNB00)

SENGHAM, WILLIAM (fl. 1260), Austin friar, of humble parentage, took the Augustinian habit at Rome in his youth, and was sent to teach in England, together with Albertinus de Verona, by Lanfranc, prior-general of the order. By Sengham's industry twenty houses of Austin friars were founded. Nicasius Baxius wrote of him:

    ‘Anglia me genuit, formavit Roma, recepit
    Anglia, quo caperet quæ mihi Roma dedit.’

Tanner attributes to him the following works, of which only the last is known to be extant: 1. ‘De Claustro Animæ.’ 2. ‘De Professione Novitiorum.’ 3. ‘De Tentationum Remediis.’ 4. ‘Scripturarum Explicationes.’ 5. An Index to the ‘De Fide et Legibus, ascribed to William Perault, extant in a manuscript belonging to the dean and chapter of Lincoln. Thomas Colby, bishop of Waterford, made indices to his works and praised his teaching.

[Ossinger's Bibl. August.; Tanner's Bibliotheca; Bale's Scriptores.]

M. B.