Sir John Gage
Encyclopedia
Sir John Gage KG
(28 October 1479 – 18 April 1556) was an English
courtier during the Tudor period
. He held a number of offices, including Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
(1542–1547), Comptroller of the Household
(1540–1547), Constable of the Tower
(1540–1556) and Lord Chamberlain
(1553–1556).
in Surrey
. He was the only son of William Gage and Agnes Bolney.
He married Philippa, daughter of Sir Sir Richard Guildford
, in 1502 and they had eight children.
and Henry VIII
, he served offices in the Pale of Calais
, becoming Comptroller in 1524. After receiving a knighthood in 1525, he moved to the post of Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
in 1526, leaving court in 1533. He also represented Sussex
three times (1529, 1539 and 1542) in the parliaments of Henry VIII.
He remained active, attending, in 1537, the baptism of Prince Edward
and the funeral of Jane Seymour
. He returned to favour, and 1540 saw his appointment as Comptroller of the Household
, Constable of the Tower
and as a Privy Counsellor
. In 1541 he became a Knight of the Garter
and in 1542 he succeeded as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
. In 1544 he undertook an important role for the invasion of France, organising transport and supplies for the army, and he became a knight banneret
.
Present at the funeral of Henry VIII, he was appointed one of the executors of the king's will and a member of Edward VI
's Regency Council. Differences soon arose between him and The Duke of Somerset
, who expelled him from the council and from his posts of Comptroller and Chancellor when he became Lord Protector
in 1547. He re-joined the council, before resigning upon the accession to power of The Earl of Warwick, later Duke of Northumberland
. He was suspended as Constable for not supporting Northumberland's attempt to install Lady Jane Grey
as Edward's successor. The accession of Mary I
saw his restoration as Constable and appointment as Lord Chamberlain
. He bore her train at her coronation and at her marriage to Philip of Spain
. As Constable, he guarded Princess Elizabeth
in 1555; he was described by Heylyn
as "her bitter enemy, but more for love of the Pope than for hate of her person".
Gage died at his house, Firle Place
, on 18 April 1556, and was buried on 25 April at West Firle Church by his wife.
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...
(28 October 1479 – 18 April 1556) was an English
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
courtier during the Tudor period
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
. He held a number of offices, including Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster...
(1542–1547), Comptroller of the Household
Comptroller of the Household
The Comptroller of the Household is an ancient position in the English royal household, currently the second-ranking member of the Lord Steward's department, and often a cabinet member. He was an ex officio member of the Board of Green Cloth, until that body was abolished in the reform of the local...
(1540–1547), Constable of the Tower
Constable of the Tower
The Constable of the Tower is the most senior appointment at the Tower of London. In the middle ages a constable was the person in charge of a castle when the owner - the king or a nobleman - was not in residence...
(1540–1556) and Lord Chamberlain
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
(1553–1556).
Early life and family
Gage was born in 1479 at BurstowBurstow
Burstow is a parish in Tandridge, Surrey, England. It is one of the largest parishes in the local government district of Tandridge and its principal settlement is the village of Smallfield...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. He was the only son of William Gage and Agnes Bolney.
He married Philippa, daughter of Sir Sir Richard Guildford
Richard Guildford
Sir Richard Guildford , KG was an English courtier who held important positions at the court of Henry VII, including the office of Master of the Ordnance.-Life:...
, in 1502 and they had eight children.
Career
An Esquire of the Body to both Henry VIIHenry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
and 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...
, he served offices in the Pale of Calais
Pale of Calais
The Pale of Calais is a historical region of France that was controlled by the Kingdom of England until 1558.- History :After the Battle of Crécy in 1346, Edward III of England, having renounced the throne of France, kept some territory within France, namely Aquitaine and the area around Calais,...
, becoming Comptroller in 1524. After receiving a knighthood in 1525, he moved to the post of Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
The Vice-Chamberlain of the Household is usually a junior government whip in the British House of Commons and is an officer of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He or she is the Deputy to the Lord Chamberlain of the Household. The Vice-Chamberlain's main role is to compile...
in 1526, leaving court in 1533. He also represented Sussex
Sussex (UK Parliament constituency)
Sussex was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
three times (1529, 1539 and 1542) in the parliaments of Henry VIII.
He remained active, attending, in 1537, the baptism of Prince Edward
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...
and the funeral of Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as queen consort following the latter's execution for trumped up charges of high treason, incest and adultery in May 1536. She died of postnatal complications less than two weeks after the birth of...
. He returned to favour, and 1540 saw his appointment as Comptroller of the Household
Comptroller of the Household
The Comptroller of the Household is an ancient position in the English royal household, currently the second-ranking member of the Lord Steward's department, and often a cabinet member. He was an ex officio member of the Board of Green Cloth, until that body was abolished in the reform of the local...
, Constable of the Tower
Constable of the Tower
The Constable of the Tower is the most senior appointment at the Tower of London. In the middle ages a constable was the person in charge of a castle when the owner - the king or a nobleman - was not in residence...
and as a Privy Counsellor
Privy Council of England
The Privy Council of England, also known as His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, was a body of advisers to the sovereign of the Kingdom of England...
. In 1541 he became 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...
and in 1542 he succeeded as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster...
. In 1544 he undertook an important role for the invasion of France, organising transport and supplies for the army, and he became a knight banneret
Knight banneret
A knight banneret, sometimes known simply as banneret, was a Medieval knight who led a company of troops during time of war under his own banner and were eligible to bear supporters in English heraldry.The military rank of a knight banneret was...
.
Present at the funeral of Henry VIII, he was appointed one of the executors of the king's will and a member 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...
's Regency Council. Differences soon arose between him and The Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp of Hache, KG, Earl Marshal was Lord Protector of England in the period between the death of Henry VIII in 1547 and his own indictment in 1549....
, who expelled him from the council and from his posts of Comptroller and Chancellor when he became Lord Protector
Lord Protector
Lord Protector is a title used in British constitutional law for certain heads of state at different periods of history. It is also a particular title for the British Heads of State in respect to the established church...
in 1547. He re-joined the council, before resigning upon the accession to power of The Earl of Warwick, later Duke of Northumberland
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...
. He was suspended as Constable for not supporting Northumberland's attempt to install 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...
as Edward's successor. The accession of 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...
saw his restoration as Constable and appointment as Lord Chamberlain
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
. He bore her train at her coronation and at her marriage to Philip of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
. As Constable, he guarded Princess Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
in 1555; he was described by Heylyn
Peter Heylin
Peter Heylin or Heylyn was an English ecclesiastic and author of many polemical, historical, political and theological tracts. He incorporated his political concepts into his geographical books Microcosmus in 1621 and Cosmographie .-Life:He was born in Burford, Oxfordshire, the son of Henry Heylyn...
as "her bitter enemy, but more for love of the Pope than for hate of her person".
Gage died at his house, Firle Place
Firle Place
Firle Place is a Manor house in Firle, East Sussex, United Kingdom and is the family seat of Nicolas Gage, 8th Viscount Gage, whose family the Viscounts Gage have owned the land at Firle since acquiring it from the Levett family in the 15th century. The manor house was first built in the late 15th...
, on 18 April 1556, and was buried on 25 April at West Firle Church by his wife.