Simon Aleyn
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According to Thomas Fuller and Richard Brome, 16th Century cleric, Simon Aleyn, parish priest of Bray, Berkshire, is the likely subject of the famous ballad, "The Vicar of Bray (song)" and subsequent comic opera The Vicar of Bray (opera).
Aleyn retained his benefice during the reigns of Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I, by changing his religious opinions to suit those of his rulers. In the ballad, the Vicar is represented as living in the time of the Stuarts.
This article incorporates text from The Modern World Encyclopædia: Illustrated (1935); out of UK copyright as of 2005.
