Charles Blount, 5th Baron Mountjoy
Encyclopedia
Charles Blount, fifth Baron Mountjoy
(28 June 1516–10 October 1544) was an English
courtier and patron of learning.
, where his father, William Blount, 4th Baron Mountjoy
, was governor. Charles Blount's mother was William 's second wife, Alice, daughter of Henry Keble
, Lord Mayor of London
.
In 1522 Jan van der Cruyce, a graduate of the university
at Leuven
and a friend of Erasmus, travelled to England to become private tutor to Mountjoy's children. He remained in the household until 1527, when he returned to Leuven and was appointed a professor of Greek. Possibly on the recommendation of Erasmus, van der Cruyce was succeeded by Petrus Vulcanius
of Bruges
, also a graduate of Leuven, who remained in England until 1531. In 1531 Erasmus praised Blount for his fine written style, but after Vulcanius's departure realized that the credit should have gone to the preceptor rather than the student.
John Palsgrave
, who composed L'esclarcissement de la langue francoyse (printed in 1530 and dedicated to Henry VIII
) and was tutor to Henry Fitzroy
, also gave tuition to the sons of several court noblemen, Blount among them. One of his fellow schoolmates in this group was Lord Thomas Howard
, son of the second Duke of Norfolk
, whose own tutor at Lambeth
had been John Leland. Leland in turn praised Charles's skill in Latin and presented a book along with commendatory verses to him.
In 1523 Juan Luis Vives
wrote a short educational treatise dedicated to Charles, De ratione studii puerilis ad Carolum Montioium Guilielmi filium. This served as a parallel to the tract on female education Vives had composed in the same year for the benefit of Mary Tudor
. Erasmus added Charles's name to that of his father in the dedication to the 1528 edition of the Adagia
and Charles was the dedicatee of the next two editions (1533, 1536) as well. Erasmus also dedicated his 1531 edition of Livy
to him.
About August 1530 Charles Blount married his stepsister Anne, daughter of Robert Willoughby, 2nd Baron Willoughby de Broke
. Her mother was Dorothy, daughter of Thomas Grey
, Marquess of Dorset
, who had become the fourth wife of Charles's father.
Succeeding to the title after his father's death in 1534, Mountjoy was regular in his attendance in the House of Lords
. In May 1537 he was one of the peers summoned for the trial of lords Darcy
and Hussey
and he was also on the panel of 3 December 1538 for the trial of Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu
, and Henry Courtenay
, Marquess of Exeter
, his own brother-in-law. His country house was at Apethorpe
, Northamptonshire
, and in London he lived in Silver Street.
After the dissolution of Syon Abbey
in 1539 Mountjoy granted asylum at his London house to the pious, learned, and outspokenly conservative priest Richard Whitford
, who had been patronized by his father. Whitford remained in the household until his death in 1542 and may have acted as tutor to Mountjoy's children. Like his father, Mountjoy was deeply interested in the humanist educational programme and he tried to engage the learned scholar and educationist Roger Ascham
, then teaching at Cambridge, as a tutor to his eldest son and secretary to himself. Although Ascham did not take the position — and he also refused a similar offer from Margaret Roper
— he admired Mountjoy and referred in flattering terms to his learning, likening his household for its patronage of learning to that of the Medici
.
Mountjoy drew up his will on 30 April 1544, just before embarking for France with the expeditionary force. In it he admonished his children to 'kepe themselfes worthye of so moche honour as to be called hereafter to dye for there maister and countrey' (PRO, PROB 11/30, fol. 343). He also composed his own epitaph in English verse. After being present with Henry VIII at the siege of Boulogne he died on 10 October 1544 at Hooke, Dorset
(formerly the home of his mother), probably from illness contracted on campaign. In his will he reckoned his assets, in money, goods, and debts owed to him, at nearly £2,100. Among other bequests he left 40 marks to provide lectures for the children of Westbury-under-the-Plain, Wiltshire, for the succeeding two years. He was buried at St Mary Aldermary
in the City of London. His widow remarried and lived until 1582.
Baron Mountjoy
The titles of Baron Mountjoy and Viscount Mountjoy have been created several times for members of two separate families: the Blounts and their descendants and the Stewarts of Ramelton and their descendants....
(28 June 1516–10 October 1544) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
courtier and patron of learning.
Life
Charles Blount was born on 28 June 1516 in TournaiTournai
Tournai is a Walloon city and municipality of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut....
, where his father, William Blount, 4th Baron Mountjoy
William Blount, 4th Baron Mountjoy
Sir William Blount, 4th Baron Mountjoy KG was an English scholar and patron of learning.William Blount was born circa 1478 in Barton Blount, Derbyshire, the eldest son of John Blount, 3rd Baron Mountjoy and Lora Berkeley...
, was governor. Charles Blount's mother was William 's second wife, Alice, daughter of Henry Keble
Henry Keble
Sir Henry Keble was a grocer and Lord Mayor of London in 1510, in the second year of King Henry VIII's reign.Sir Henry was a leading grocer in London. He was a Merchant of the Staple in Calais. He was originally from Coventry, but had settled in the parish of St Mary Aldermary. He was six times...
, Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
.
In 1522 Jan van der Cruyce, a graduate of the university
Old University of Leuven
The Old University of Leuven is the name historians give to the university, or studium generale, founded in Leuven, Brabant , in 1425, and closed in 1797, a week after the cession to the French Republic of the Austrian Netherlands and the principality of Liège by the Treaty of Campo Formio.When...
at Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
and a friend of Erasmus, travelled to England to become private tutor to Mountjoy's children. He remained in the household until 1527, when he returned to Leuven and was appointed a professor of Greek. Possibly on the recommendation of Erasmus, van der Cruyce was succeeded by Petrus Vulcanius
Petrus Vulcanius
Petrus Vulcanius otherwise Pieter De Smet was a humanist scholar and local government official of Bruges.-Life:...
of Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
, also a graduate of Leuven, who remained in England until 1531. In 1531 Erasmus praised Blount for his fine written style, but after Vulcanius's departure realized that the credit should have gone to the preceptor rather than the student.
John Palsgrave
John Palsgrave
John Palsgrave was a priest of Henry VIII of England's court. He is known as a tutor in the royal household, and as a textbook author.-Life:...
, who composed L'esclarcissement de la langue francoyse (printed in 1530 and dedicated to Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
) and was tutor to Henry Fitzroy
Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset
Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset was the son of King Henry VIII of England and his teenage mistress, Elizabeth Blount, the only illegitimate offspring whom Henry acknowledged.-Childhood:...
, also gave tuition to the sons of several court noblemen, Blount among them. One of his fellow schoolmates in this group was Lord Thomas Howard
Lord Thomas Howard
Lord Thomas Howard , courtier, was a younger son of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk by his second marriage to Agnes Tilney. He is chiefly known for his affair with Lady Margaret Douglas , the daughter of Henry VIII's sister, Margaret Tudor, for which he was imprisoned in the Tower, where he died...
, son of the second Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal , styled Earl of Surrey from 1483 to 1514, was the only son of John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk by his first wife, Katherine Moleyns...
, whose own tutor at Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
had been John Leland. Leland in turn praised Charles's skill in Latin and presented a book along with commendatory verses to him.
In 1523 Juan Luis Vives
Juan Luís Vives
Juan Luis Vives , also Joan Lluís Vives i March , was a Valencian Spanish scholar and humanist.-Biography:Vives was born in Valencia...
wrote a short educational treatise dedicated to Charles, De ratione studii puerilis ad Carolum Montioium Guilielmi filium. This served as a parallel to the tract on female education Vives had composed in the same year for the benefit of Mary Tudor
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
. Erasmus added Charles's name to that of his father in the dedication to the 1528 edition of the Adagia
Adagia
Adagia is an annotated collection of Greek and Latin proverbs, compiled during the Renaissance by Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus. Erasmus' collection of proverbs is "one of the most monumental ... ever assembled" Adagia (adagium is the singular form and adagia is the plural) is an...
and Charles was the dedicatee of the next two editions (1533, 1536) as well. Erasmus also dedicated his 1531 edition of Livy
Livy
Titus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...
to him.
About August 1530 Charles Blount married his stepsister Anne, daughter of Robert Willoughby, 2nd Baron Willoughby de Broke
Robert Willoughby, 2nd Baron Willoughby de Broke
Robert Willoughby, 2nd Baron Willoughby de Broke, de jure 10th Baron Latimer, KB , 2nd Baron Willoughby de Broke and de jure 10th Baron Latimer....
. Her mother was Dorothy, daughter of Thomas Grey
Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset
Thomas Grey, 7th Baron Ferrers of Groby, 1st Earl of Huntingdon and 1st Marquess of Dorset, KG , was an English nobleman, courtier and a man of mediocre abilities pushed into prominence by his mother Elizabeth Woodville's second marriage to the king, Edward IV.-Family:Thomas was born about 1455,...
, Marquess of Dorset
Marquess of Dorset
The title Marquess of Dorset has been created three times in the Peerage of England. It was first created in 1397 for John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, but he lost the title two years later. It was then created in 1442 for Edmund Beaufort, 1st Earl of Dorset, who was created Duke of Somerset...
, who had become the fourth wife of Charles's father.
Succeeding to the title after his father's death in 1534, Mountjoy was regular in his attendance in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. In May 1537 he was one of the peers summoned for the trial of lords Darcy
Thomas Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy de Darcy
Thomas Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy de Darcy , was an English statesman and rebel leader, who was executed for his part in an English rebellion known as the Pilgrimage of Grace.-Origins:...
and Hussey
John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford
John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford was Chief Butler of England from 1521 until his death...
and he was also on the panel of 3 December 1538 for the trial of Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu
Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu
Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu , the only holder of the title Baron Montagu under its 1514 creation, was most famous as one of the peers in the trial of Anne Boleyn.-Life:...
, and Henry Courtenay
Henry Courtenay, 1st Marquess of Exeter
Henry Courtenay, 1st Marquess of Exeter, KG, PC was the eldest son of William Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon and Catherine of York, and grandson of King Edward IV of England.He was an older brother of Margaret Courtenay...
, Marquess of Exeter
Marquess of Exeter
Marquess of Exeter is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1525 for Henry Courtenay, 2nd Earl of Devon...
, his own brother-in-law. His country house was at Apethorpe
Apethorpe
Apethorpe is a village and civil parish in East Northamptonshire district of the shire county of Northamptonshire, England. The 2001 census records a population of 133....
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, and in London he lived in Silver Street.
After the dissolution of Syon Abbey
Syon Abbey
Syon Monastery , was a monastery of the Bridgettine Order founded in 1415 which stood until its demolition in the 16th c. on the left bank of the River Thames within the parish of Isleworth, in the county of Middlesex on or near the site of the present Georgian mansion of Syon House...
in 1539 Mountjoy granted asylum at his London house to the pious, learned, and outspokenly conservative priest Richard Whitford
Richard Whitford
Richard Whitford was an English Catholic priest known as an author of many devotional works.-Life:...
, who had been patronized by his father. Whitford remained in the household until his death in 1542 and may have acted as tutor to Mountjoy's children. Like his father, Mountjoy was deeply interested in the humanist educational programme and he tried to engage the learned scholar and educationist Roger Ascham
Roger Ascham
Roger Ascham was an English scholar and didactic writer, famous for his prose style, his promotion of the vernacular, and his theories of education...
, then teaching at Cambridge, as a tutor to his eldest son and secretary to himself. Although Ascham did not take the position — and he also refused a similar offer from Margaret Roper
Margaret Roper
Margaret Roper was an English writer and translator. She was the daughter of Thomas More and wife of William Roper. During More's imprisonment in the Tower of London, she was a frequent visitor to his cell, along with her husband.Roper married William Roper in 1521 in Eltham, Kent...
— he admired Mountjoy and referred in flattering terms to his learning, likening his household for its patronage of learning to that of the Medici
Medici
The House of Medici or Famiglia de' Medici was a political dynasty, banking family and later royal house that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici in the Republic of Florence during the late 14th century. The family originated in the Mugello region of the Tuscan countryside,...
.
Mountjoy drew up his will on 30 April 1544, just before embarking for France with the expeditionary force. In it he admonished his children to 'kepe themselfes worthye of so moche honour as to be called hereafter to dye for there maister and countrey' (PRO, PROB 11/30, fol. 343). He also composed his own epitaph in English verse. After being present with Henry VIII at the siege of Boulogne he died on 10 October 1544 at Hooke, Dorset
Hooke, Dorset
Hooke is a small village in west Dorset, England, 13 kilometers northwest of Dorchester. The village has a population of 118 . The village is situated in the valley of the short River Hooke, a tributary of the River Frome, in the Dorset Downs chalk hills...
(formerly the home of his mother), probably from illness contracted on campaign. In his will he reckoned his assets, in money, goods, and debts owed to him, at nearly £2,100. Among other bequests he left 40 marks to provide lectures for the children of Westbury-under-the-Plain, Wiltshire, for the succeeding two years. He was buried at St Mary Aldermary
St Mary Aldermary
Ashlar-faced outside and Gothic throughout, St Mary Aldermary is an Anglican church in Bow Lane in the City of London. The church was badly damaged in the Great Fire of London in 1666, and rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren.-History:...
in the City of London. His widow remarried and lived until 1582.