Nicholas Ridley was an influential English theologian and clergyman who served as the Bishop of London during the mid-16th century. Born in Tynedale around 1500, he rose through the academic and ecclesiastical ranks, serving as the Master of Pembroke College and the Bishop of Rochester before his appointment to London. A key figure in the English Reformation, he participated in the development of the first Book of Common Prayer. His commitment to established religious reforms led to his execution by burning at the stake in Oxford in 1555.