Thomas Gorges
Encyclopedia
Thomas Gorges an Elizabethan courtier
and Groom of the Chamber
to Queen Elizabeth I, a second cousin of Queen Anne Boleyn
, the mother of Queen Elizabeth I all descendants of the first Howard Duke of Norfolk
.
His father was Sir Edward Gorges of Wraxall
,
and his mother one of Sir Edward's wives, Mary Newton, or Mary Poyntz, sister of Nicholas Poyntz
(d.1557).
He was the uncle of Arthur Gorges
, the poet and translator.
.
In 1576 he married Helena Snakenborg, the widowed Marchioness of Northampton
and Lady-in-waiting
to Queen Elizabeth I, and they built a triangular Swedish pattern castle - Longford Castle
- on the banks of the River Avon.
The castle had a round tower in each corner, and a park, fruit garden and kitchen garden.
Their children are
1. Elizabeth Gorges (married, firstly, Sir Hugh Smythe of Long Ashton
, Somerset and then colonial entrepreneur Sir Ferdinando Gorges
, 28 Sep 1629, Wraxall, Somerset, England)
2. Francis Gorges
3. Frances Gorges (married Thomas Tyringham, circa 1610, Little Langford, Wiltshire, England)
4. Edward Gorges (1st Baron Gorges of Dundalk
)
5. Theobald Gorges
6. Bridget Gorges (married Robert Phelipes)
7. Robert Gorges
Sir Thomas Gorges
was governor of Hurst Castle
, when, during the Spanish Armada
, one of the Spanish ships was driven aground there.
Lady Gorges asked the Queen if she could have the wreck, and the request was granted - the ship was one of the Spanish treasure ships laden with silverhttp://www.wiltshire-web.co.uk/towns_villages.asp.
He was knighted at Beddington in 1586.
In the reign of James I, Sir Thomas Gorges, and Lady Northampton, his wife, were granted the office of Keeper of the palace of West Sheen or Richmond
, keeper of the wardrobe, vessels and provisions there, and keeper of the gardens and of Richmond Park; and Letters of Privy Seal
granting her an allowance of £245. 5s. p.a.http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Sir Thomas and his wife Helena have a remarkable monument in Salisbury Cathedral
.
Courtier
A courtier is a person who is often in attendance at the court of a king or other royal personage. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
and Groom of the Chamber
Groom of the Chamber
Groom of the Chamber and Groom of the Privy Chamber were positions in the Royal Household of the English monarchy, the latter considerably more elevated. Other Ancien Régime royal establishments in Europe had comparable officers, often with similar titles...
to Queen Elizabeth I, a second cousin of Queen Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
, the mother of Queen Elizabeth I all descendants of the first Howard Duke of Norfolk
Duke of Norfolk
The Duke of Norfolk is the premier duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the premier earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the...
.
His father was Sir Edward Gorges of Wraxall
Wraxall, Somerset
Wraxall is a village in North Somerset in England. The parish of the same name also included Nailsea and Flax Bourton until 1811. It is now within the parish of Wraxall and Failand.-History:...
,
and his mother one of Sir Edward's wives, Mary Newton, or Mary Poyntz, sister of Nicholas Poyntz
Nicholas Poyntz
Sir Nicholas Poyntz was a prominent English courtier during the latter part of Henry VIII's reign. There is a portrait drawing by Hans Holbein the Younger in the Royal Collection and an oil portrait after the same artist based on the drawing in the National Portrait Gallery, London...
(d.1557).
He was the uncle of Arthur Gorges
Arthur Gorges
Sir Arthur Gorges , was a sea captain, poet, translator and courtier.-Early life:He was born the son of Sir William Gorges of Charlton and his wife Winifred Budockshede, heiress to the manor of Budockshede.Sir William Gorges died in Dec 1584, in the Tower of London: he was knighted in Ireland in...
, the poet and translator.
Life
In 1573 Thomas Gorges acquired the manor of Langford, now Longford, in WiltshireWiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.
In 1576 he married Helena Snakenborg, the widowed Marchioness of Northampton
Helena, Marchioness of Northampton
Elin Ulfsdotter Snakenborg, Marchioness of Northampton, also known as Helena, and Helena the Red for her red hair, was a Swedish-born noblewoman, Maid of Honour of Queen Elizabeth I of England, and titular Marchioness of Northampton.- Family and lineage :She was born in Sweden, as Elin Ulfsdotter...
and Lady-in-waiting
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
to Queen Elizabeth I, and they built a triangular Swedish pattern castle - Longford Castle
Longford Castle
Longford Castle is located on the banks of the River Avon south of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England.In 1573 Thomas Gorges, of Langford acquired the manor , which was originally owned by the Cervingtons. Prior to this the existing mansion house had been damaged by fire...
- on the banks of the River Avon.
The castle had a round tower in each corner, and a park, fruit garden and kitchen garden.
1. Elizabeth Gorges (married, firstly, Sir Hugh Smythe of Long Ashton
Long Ashton
Long Ashton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. It falls within the Unitary Authority of North Somerset, a few miles south west of the city of Bristol. The parish has a population of 4,981...
, Somerset and then colonial entrepreneur Sir Ferdinando Gorges
Ferdinando Gorges
Sir Ferdinando Gorges , the "Father of English Colonization in North America", was an early English colonial entrepreneur and founder of the Province of Maine in 1622, although Gorges himself never set foot in the New World.-Biography:...
, 28 Sep 1629, Wraxall, Somerset, England)
2. Francis Gorges
3. Frances Gorges (married Thomas Tyringham, circa 1610, Little Langford, Wiltshire, England)
4. Edward Gorges (1st Baron Gorges of Dundalk
Baron Gorges of Dundalk
Baron Gorges of Dundalk was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 13 July 1620 for Sir Edward Gorges, 1st Baronet. He had already been created a Baronet, of Langford in the County of Wiltshire, in the Baronetage of England on 25 November 1611...
)
5. Theobald Gorges
6. Bridget Gorges (married Robert Phelipes)
7. Robert Gorges
Sir Thomas Gorges
was governor of Hurst Castle
Hurst Castle
Hurst Castle on the south coast of England is one of Henry VIII's Device Forts, built at the end of a long shingle barrier beach at the west end of the Solent to guard the approaches to Southampton. Hurst Castle was sited at the narrow entrance to the Solent where the ebb and flow of the tides...
, when, during the Spanish Armada
Spanish Armada
This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
, one of the Spanish ships was driven aground there.
Lady Gorges asked the Queen if she could have the wreck, and the request was granted - the ship was one of the Spanish treasure ships laden with silverhttp://www.wiltshire-web.co.uk/towns_villages.asp.
He was knighted at Beddington in 1586.
In the reign of James I, Sir Thomas Gorges, and Lady Northampton, his wife, were granted the office of Keeper of the palace of West Sheen or Richmond
Richmond Palace
Richmond Palace was a Thameside royal residence on the right bank of the river, upstream of the Palace of Westminster, to which it lay 9 miles SW of as the crow flies. It it was erected c. 1501 within the royal manor of Sheen, by Henry VII of England, formerly known by his title Earl of Richmond,...
, keeper of the wardrobe, vessels and provisions there, and keeper of the gardens and of Richmond Park; and Letters of Privy Seal
Privy Seal
A privy seal refers to the personal seal of a reigning monarch, used for the purpose of authenticating official government document.-Privy Seal of England:The Privy Seal of England can be traced back to the reign of King John...
granting her an allowance of £245. 5s. p.a.http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Sir Thomas and his wife Helena have a remarkable monument in Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture....
.
The Gorges Monument (1635) in Salisbury Cathedral is the tomb of Helena, Marchioness of Northampton and her husband Sir Thomas Gorges. Each side of the elaborate canopy above the tomb displays two cuboctahedra and an icosahedron. The monument as a whole is crowned by a celestial globe with a dodecahedron on tophttp://www.btinternet.com/~connectionsinspace/Form_and_Structure/Gorges_Monument/body_gorges_monument.html.
It features stone polyhedra in Leonardo's style http://www.georgehart.com/virtual-polyhedra/art-misc.html.