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The Vicar of Bray
Whatsoever king may reign, I'll still be vicar here.
Stand where it happened
- What's there
- Thames-side village with medieval church
- Legend from
- Proverb (1662) / satirical song
- Tone
- Light-hearted
A parson who changed sides with every king, and kept his job through all of them.
The Vicar of Bray is an 18th-century satirical song about a parson who changes his beliefs with every monarch to keep his living. The joke was old by then: Thomas Fuller recorded the saying 'The Vicar of Bray will be the Vicar of Bray still' in 1662. The vicar is usually tied to Bray in Berkshire. The song was popular enough to be parodied in America in 1779 to mock colonists who switched sides. The name is still used for anyone who changes principles to keep a job.
One sourceOnly one written account of this legend has been found so far.