GROCYN, WILLIAM (1446?-1519), English scholar, was born at Colerne, Wiltshire. He was a scholar and fellow of New college, Oxford, reader in divinity in Magdalen college, and in 1485 became prebendary of Lincoln cathedral. About 1488 Grocyn left England for Italy, and before his return in 1491 he had visited Florence, Rome and Padua, and studied Greek and Latin under Demetrius Chalchondyles and Politian. As lecturer in Exeter college he found an opportunity of indoctrinating his countrymen in the new Greek learning.
Erasmus says in one of his letters that Grocyn taught Greek at Oxford before going to Italy. He seems to have lived in Oxford until 1499, but when his friend Colet became dean of St. Paul's in he was settled in London. He was chosen by his friend to deliver lectures in St. Paul's. He also counted Linacre, William Lily, William Latimer and More among his friends, and Erasmus writing in 1514 says that he was supported by Grocyn in London, and calls him "the friend and preceptor of us all." He held several preferments, including the wardenship of All Hallows college at Maidstone, Kent. He died in 1519, and was buried in the collegiate church at Maidstone. Linacre acted as the execu tor of his estate.
An interesting account of Grocyn written by Professor Burrows appeared in the Oxford Historical Society's Collec tanea (189o).