The Vicar of Bray

For the article about the 18th century folk song of the same name, see: "The Vicar of Bray (song)".

For the article about the 19th century comic opera of the same name, see: The Vicar of Bray (opera).

The Vicar of Bray is a satirical description of an individual fundamentally changing his principles to remain in ecclesiastical office as external requirements change around him. The religious upheavals in England from 1533 to 1559 and from 1633 to 1715 made it almost impossible for any individual to comply with the successive religious requirements of the state.

A satirical 18th century song, "The Vicar of Bray" recounts the career of a vicar of Bray, Berkshire, towards the end of this period and his contortions of principle in order to retain his ecclesiastic office despite the changes through the course of several monarchs from Charles II to George I. A comic opera covers a later period in 18th century history, while a film set in Bray, County Wicklow in Ireland, covers Charles I, the English Civil War, the Commonwealth of England, The Protectorate, and restoration of Charles II.

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Historical basis

Several individuals have been proposed as the model for the Vicar of Bray.

• Thomas Fuller and the English dramatist Richard Brome argue that the model for the song was the 16th century cleric and vicar of Bray, Berkshire, Simon Aleyn (1540–1588), who lived in the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary, and Elizabeth.

• The most frequently sung words refer to 17th century monarchs. Therefore, a later proposed model is Simon Simonds, who was an Independent in the Protectorate, a Church of England cleric under Charles II, a Roman Catholic under James II, and a moderate Anglican under William and Mary.

• Thomas Barlow (1607–1691), bishop of Lincoln, is another candidate.

• Timothy Bray (1480–1539), abbot of Heath, Derbyshire, is another candidate.

Description of the song

In the song, "The Vicar of Bray", the eponymous vicar was the clergyman of the parish of Bray-on-Thames, Berkshire. The most familiar version of the lyrics recount his adaptability (some would say amorality) over half a century, from the reigns of Charles II to George I. Over this period, he embraced whichever form of liturgy, Protestant or Catholic, was favoured by the monarch of the day in order to retain his position as vicar of Bray. See the annotated lyrics to "The Vicar of Bray".

The earliest version of the song's lyrics may have been written by "an officer in Colonel Fuller's regiment," according to one source. They exist in various forms. However, the story of the vicar's cheerful reversals of principle remains the same in all circumstances.

Comic Opera

The Vicar of Bray is an 1882 comic opera by Sydney Grundy and Edward Solomon. The opera is based on the character described in the 18th century song, as well as on The History of Sandford and Merton, a series of 18th century moral tales.

1937 Film version

A film version of the tale was released in 1937 starring Stanley Holloway as the vicar. SeeThe Vicar of Bray at the Internet Movie Database In the film, the vicar (of Bray, County Wicklow in Ireland) is given a more positive character and events are placed at a slightly earlier period, during the English Civil War. He successfully protects his parishioners by adopting a diplomatic approach during the turbulent events and secures forgiveness for moderate rebels from the restored Charles II.

Cultural impact

The Vicar of Bray is also referenced in the song Parlour Songs in the Stephen Sondheim musical, Sweeney Todd, although the song has been removed from more recent performances of that musical.

George Orwell wrote an essay called, 'A good word for the vicar of Bray'.

Scientific evolutionary theory

"The Vicar of Bray" is the name given to a hypothesis attempting to explain why sexual reproduction might be favoured over asexual reproduction, in which sexual populations are able to outcompete asexual populations because they evolve more rapidly in response to environmental changes. Under the Vicar of Bray Hypothesis, sex benefits a population as a whole, but not individuals within it, making it a case of group selection. A currently more popular explanation for the evolutionary origin and maintenance of sex is the Red Queen Hypothesis, which instead proposes that sex benefits individuals directly.