He was a son of Sir Angel Donne, an Alderman of the City of London, resident in 1506 in Bassishaw ward. His London house was notable for a belvedere tower of brick, which was mentioned by Stow in his Survey of London. His will was dated 21 October 1505, in which he describes himself as a Citizen of London, a Grocer and a merchant of the Staple of Calais. He desired to be buried in "Our Lady Chapel, St. Margaret Patens, London" and left 200 marks to found a chapel for St. John in the churchyard, whence his body was to be removed. He bequeathed his wife "Anne Dune" one-third of his estate, as was usual for widows, and an additional £100 and household stuff. He gave another third to his minor children Edward, Francis and Elizabeth. The two sons were given an additional £100. Later on in his will he left his son Gabriell £10 to be used to school him at Cambridge or Oxford." Probate was granted on 9 December 1506. Donne is said by some sources to be descended from the family anciently called "Downe", seated at the manor of "Doune Raph" or "Downe-Ralph", etc. later called "Rowsedown", today called Rousdon near Axminster in Devon. However the arms used by the family of "Doune of Doune Raph" given by the Devon historian Pole are: Paly of six argent and azure on a fesse gules three mullets or, not the same as the Wolf arms of Gabriel Donne visible on the roof of Trinity Hall, Cambridge.
Career
He was admitted a member of St Bernard's College, Oxford, a house for student monks of his order, and proceeded M.A. He afterwards entered the Cistercian house ofStratford Langthorne, Essex. On 26 October 1521 he presented himself before his university as a supplicant for the degree of B.D., but was apparently not admitted. He was a student, pretended or real, at Leuven in 1535, went to Antwerp in the disguise of a servant to Henry Phillips, and there planned with the latter the arrest of William Tyndale, which took place in the city on 23 or 24 May in the same year. He assisted in preparing the case against Tyndale. On his return to England he obtained by the influence of Thomas Cromwell, then secretary of state, the abbacy of the house of his order at Buckfastleigh in his native Devon, at that time in the patronage of Vesey, bishop of Exeter, a bitter persecutor of the reformers. He appeared as abbot of that house in the convocation of June 1536, and subscribed the articles then agreed upon. Within two years of his election he alienated much of the monastic property, and on 25 Feb 1538-9, despite the solemn oaths he had taken, he, with nine others of his religious, surrendered his abbey into the hands of Henry VIII. On the following 26 April he was rewarded with the large pension of £120, which he enjoyed till his death. The site of the abbey was granted by the king to Sir Thomas Dennis, knight, of Holcombe Burnell in the same county, who had married Donne's sister Elizabeth. Donne became prebendary of Mapesbury in St. Paul's Cathedral on 16 March 1540-1 and was instituted to the sinecure rectory of Stepney, Middlesex, 25 October 1544. On the deprivation of Bonner, Bishop of London, in September 1549, Donne, then one of the canons residentiary of St. Paul's Cathedral, was appointed by Archbishop Cranmer to be his official and keeper of the spiritualities, to exercise all manner of episcopal jurisdiction in the City and Diocese of London, which office he continued to fill until Ridley became bishop in April 1550. In making such an appointment Cranmer was probably acting to his own advantage, for he had all along been kept well informed of the part Donne had taken in the betrayal of Tyndale.
Death and burial
Donne died on 5 December 1558 and was buried on the 9th of that month in St. Paul's Cathedral, near the high altar.
Bequests
His will, dated 5 February 1557-8, with a codicil dated 5 December 1558, was proved on 14 December 1558. He owned the advowson of Grantham Church, Lincolnshire. He gave 'to the late Barnard Colledge in Oxforde soche nomber of my bookes as myne executors shall thinke god.' 'The residue of my goodds and chattells I require myne executors to bestowe at theire discretions to the advauncemente of poore maidens marriages, releef of scolleres and students, specially to soche as myne executors shall thinke metest as shal be towarde lerninge disposed to be preestes and ministers of Christis Churche.' One of his executors was Henry Harvey, LL.D., precentor of St. Paul's, and afterwards master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge.
Donne Scholarship, Trinity Hall
At his instance £120 was received under this bequest by Trinity Hall, Cambridge, which was applied to the foundation of a scholarship and feast. The "Gabriel Downe Scholarship" still exists, and his arms, Azure, a wolf rampant argent a chief of the last, are visible as one of 15 oval escutcheons of various benefactors of the college on the coffered ceiling of Trinity Hall Chapel. The arms of Sir John Donne, a Welsh courtier, diplomat and soldier, a notable figure of the Yorkist party, were Azure, a wolf rampant argent, as visible on the Donne Triptych by Hans Memling in the National Gallery, London.
