Hugh Oldham | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Exeter | |
 Effigy of Hugh Oldham (d. 1519), Bishop of Exeter, Oldham Chapel, south aisle, Exeter Cathedral | |
| Church | Roman Catholic |
| See | Exeter |
| Installed | 12 January 1505 |
| Term ended | 25 June 1519 |
| Predecessor | John Arundel |
| Successor | John Vesey |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 5 January 1505 by William Warham |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1452 |
| Died | 25 June 1519 Exeter, Devon |
| Buried | Exeter Cathedral |
Hugh Oldham (c. 1452 – 25 June 1519) was an English cleric who was Bishop of Exeter (1505–19) and a notable patron of education as a founder and patron of Manchester Grammar School and Corpus Christi College, Oxford.
Born in Lancashire to a family of minor gentry, he probably attended both Oxford and Cambridge universities, following which he was a clerk at Durham, then a rector in Cornwall before being employed by Lady Margaret Beaufort (mother of King Henry VII), rising to be the chancellor of her household by 1503. During this time he was preferred with many religious posts all over the country, being made archdeacon of Exeter in 1502 and finally bishop of that city in 1505, a decision that was probably influenced by Lady Margaret.
He was a conscientious bishop who ensured that only educated people were appointed to ecclesiastical posts. His patronage of educational establishments included the foundation of The Manchester Grammar School and Corpus Christi College, Oxford for which he donated £4,000. After his death he was buried in Exeter Cathedral in a chantry chapel that he had caused to be built for that purpose. The chapel is decorated with numerous carvings of owls, which were his personal device.