George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham
Encyclopedia
George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham (c. 1497-29 September 1558) was an aristocrat
during the early Tudor dynasty
in England
. A soldier and magnate
, he participated in the English wars of his days and in the political turmoil following the death of Henry VIII
.
Brooke was the oldest surviving son of Thomas Brooke, 8th Baron Cobham, and Dorothy Haydon. As a teenager, he accompanied his father to the marriage of Henry VIII's sister, Princess Mary, to Louis XII of France
. He returned to France during the 1520s, fighting with some distinction around Calais
. At home in Kent
, he fulfilled his feudal duties, serving as justice of the peace for the county. In 1544, he occupied a high position in the English army that invaded Scotland
; later that year, he was appointed commanding officer of English-controlled Calais
. He was made a Knight of the Garter
on 24 April 1549.
Brooke's family were dogged by scandal. His sister, Elizabeth Brooke
was married to Sir Thomas Wyatt
but lived openly in adultery with another man. She allegedly attracted the attention of Henry VIII
in 1542, and the Imperial ambassador
thought that if she tried, she could become Henry's sixth wife. Brooke's daughter, Elisabeth Brooke, Marchioness of Northampton
was also prone to scandal. She lived with William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton
, from 1543, as he was separated from his adulterous wife, Anne Bourchier. They eventually married during the reign of Edward VI, but this was declared invalid by Mary I
. In the reign of Elizabeth I, their marriage was again declared valid.
He resigned his post in 1550 and became a member of the Privy Council
of Edward VI
. After Edward's death, Brooke supported Dudley's
attempt to place Lady Jane Grey
on the throne. He was pardoned by Mary
, but subsequently fell under suspicion again. His nephew, Sir Thomas Wyatt the younger
, led a Protestant rebellion, bringing suspicion on the whole family. Brooke's daughter, Elisabeth Brooke, is thought to have been the instigator of the plot to put Lady Jane Grey on the throne instead of Mary. During Wyatt's rebellion
, Wyatt besieged and took Cobham in the latter's home, Cooling Castle
; Brooke claimed to have resisted, but after the rebellion failed, he was imprisoned in the Tower of London
for a brief period. The next year, however, he was assigned to entertain Cardinal Pole during the papal legate's visit to England
during a formal reconciliation with Rome
. The entertainment is recorded as having taken place at Cooling Castle in 1555.
After his release, Brooke limited himself to local affairs in Kent. He died 29 September 1558, closely followed by his wife, Anne Bray. He was succeeded in the barony by his son, William
.
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
during the early Tudor dynasty
Tudor dynasty
The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
in England
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...
. A soldier and magnate
Magnate
Magnate, from the Late Latin magnas, a great man, itself from Latin magnus 'great', designates a noble or other man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or other qualities...
, he participated in the English wars of his days and in the political turmoil following the death of 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...
.
Brooke was the oldest surviving son of Thomas Brooke, 8th Baron Cobham, and Dorothy Haydon. As a teenager, he accompanied his father to the marriage of Henry VIII's sister, Princess Mary, to Louis XII of France
Louis XII of France
Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes...
. He returned to France during the 1520s, fighting with some distinction around Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
. At home in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, he fulfilled his feudal duties, serving as justice of the peace for the county. In 1544, he occupied a high position in the English army that invaded Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
; later that year, he was appointed commanding officer of English-controlled Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
. He was made a Knight of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
on 24 April 1549.
Brooke's family were dogged by scandal. His sister, Elizabeth Brooke
Elizabeth Brooke, Lady Wyatt
Elizabeth Brooke was the wife of Thomas Wyatt, the poet, and the mother of Thomas Wyatt the younger who led Wyatt's Rebellion against Mary I. She was the sister of George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham and was considered a possible candidate for the sixth wife of Henry VIII of England.Elizabeth separated...
was married to Sir Thomas Wyatt
Thomas Wyatt (poet)
Sir Thomas Wyatt was a 16th-century English lyrical poet credited with introducing the sonnet into English. He was born at Allington Castle, near Maidstone in Kent – though his family was originally from Yorkshire...
but lived openly in adultery with another man. She allegedly attracted the attention of 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...
in 1542, and the Imperial ambassador
Eustace Chapuys
Eustace Chapuys was a Savoyard diplomat who served as the Imperial ambassador to England from 1529 until 1545 and is best known for his extensive and detailed correspondence.-Life:...
thought that if she tried, she could become Henry's sixth wife. Brooke's daughter, Elisabeth Brooke, Marchioness of Northampton
Elisabeth Brooke, Marchioness of Northampton
Elisabeth Brooke was the eldest daughter of George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham of Kent and Anne, his wife. She was the niece of Sir Thomas Wyatt the elder, the courtier-poet credited with bringing the sonnet form into the English language, and Elizabeth Brooke who was associated with Henry VIII of...
was also prone to scandal. She lived with William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton
William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton
William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton, 1st Earl of Essex and 1st Baron Parr, KG was the son of Sir Thomas Parr and his wife, Maud Green, daughter of Sir Thomas Green, of Broughton and Greens Norton...
, from 1543, as he was separated from his adulterous wife, Anne Bourchier. They eventually married during the reign of Edward VI, but this was declared invalid by Mary I
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...
. In the reign of Elizabeth I, their marriage was again declared valid.
He resigned his post in 1550 and became a member of the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
of Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
. After Edward's death, Brooke supported Dudley's
John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland
John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, KG was an English general, admiral, and politician, who led the government of the young King Edward VI from 1550 until 1553, and unsuccessfully tried to install Lady Jane Grey on the English throne after the King's death...
attempt to place Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey , also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed...
on the throne. He was pardoned by Mary
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...
, but subsequently fell under suspicion again. His nephew, Sir Thomas Wyatt the younger
Thomas Wyatt the younger
Sir Thomas Wyatt the younger was a rebel leader during the reign of Queen Mary I of England; his rising is traditionally called "Wyatt's rebellion".-Birth and career:...
, led a Protestant rebellion, bringing suspicion on the whole family. Brooke's daughter, Elisabeth Brooke, is thought to have been the instigator of the plot to put Lady Jane Grey on the throne instead of Mary. During Wyatt's rebellion
Wyatt's rebellion
Wyatt's Rebellion was a popular uprising in England in 1554, named after Thomas Wyatt the younger, one of its leaders. The rebellion arose out of concern over Queen Mary I's determination to marry Philip II of Spain, which was an unpopular policy with the English...
, Wyatt besieged and took Cobham in the latter's home, Cooling Castle
Cooling Castle
Cooling Castle was built in the 1380s by John Cobham on the edge of marshes at Cooling, six miles north of Rochester, Kent. It is now about two miles inland. It was besieged by Thomas Wyatt the younger during Wyatt's rebellion in 1554; Lord Cobham surrendered after a brief resistance...
; Brooke claimed to have resisted, but after the rebellion failed, he was imprisoned in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
for a brief period. The next year, however, he was assigned to entertain Cardinal Pole during the papal legate's visit to England
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...
during a formal reconciliation with Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. The entertainment is recorded as having taken place at Cooling Castle in 1555.
After his release, Brooke limited himself to local affairs in Kent. He died 29 September 1558, closely followed by his wife, Anne Bray. He was succeeded in the barony by his son, William
William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham
William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham was Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, and a Member of Parliament for Hythe. Although he was viewed by some as a religious radical during the Somerset protectorate, he entertained Elizabeth at Cobham Hall in 1559, signalling his acceptance of the moderate regime.His...
.