Thomas Grey, 15th Baron Grey de Wilton
Encyclopedia
Thomas Grey, 15th and last Baron Grey of Wilton (d. 1614) was an English aristocrat, soldier and conspirator. He was convicted of involvement in the Bye Plot
against James I of England
.
in 1588. He succeeded his father as Lord Grey of Wilton in 1593; and identified himself with the Puritans.
Grey took part as a volunteer in the Islands Voyage
of 1597. He was anxious to command a regiment; and when Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
went to Ireland as Lord Deputy in March 1599, Grey was one of his followers, and received a commission as colonel of horse. Soon after his arrival in Ireland Essex asked him to declare himself his friend only, and to detach himself from Sir Robert Cecil but Grey declined on the ground that he was indebted to Cecil. Henceforth Essex and Essex's friend Southampton
treated Grey as an enemy. In a small engagement with the Irish rebels fought in June he charged without directions from Southampton, who was general of horse and his superior officer. He was accordingly committed for one night to the charge of the marshal.
The disgrace rankled in Grey's mind, and in May 1600 he abandoned Essex in Ireland, and with Sir Robert Drury (1575–1615) took a small troop of horse to serve the United Provinces
in Flanders
. Queen Elizabeth was incensed, but in July Cecil sent Henry Brooke, Lord Cobham and Sir Walter Raleigh to meet him at Ostend
, and assure him of the queen's good will. This meeting at Ostend brought together for the first (and perhaps only) time Grey, Cobham, and Raleigh, who were afterwards charged with joint complicity in treason. Fighting under Maurice of Nassau, Grey took part in the battle of Nieuport, 2 July 1600, in which the Dutch gained a decisive victory over the Spanish forces under Albert VII, Archduke of Austria
; Grey was wounded in the mouth. He sent home an account of the victory two days later.
Grey was again in London early in 1601. The queen warned Grey and Southampton to keep the peace, but Grey in January assaulted Southampton while on horseback in the street, and was committed to the Fleet Prison
; and Essex was deeply affronted. Grey was quickly released, and on 8 February 1601 acted as general of the horse in the forces sent out to suppress Essex's rebellion. On 19 February he sat on the commission which tried Essex and Southampton at Westminster, and condemned them to death. When at the opening of the trial his name as commissioner was read out in court by the clerk, Essex, according to an eye-witness, laughed contemptuously and tugged Southampton by the sleeve.
In May 1602 Grey returned to the Low Countries, but he was disappointed by his reception by the Dutch. He attributed his neglect to Sir Francis Vere's jealousy, and came home in October embittered. Early in 1603 Elizabeth made him a grant of lands.
, in the audience-chamber of Queen Anne of Denmark
at Windsor
in June 1603, may have intensified his dislike of the new regime. He complained of the Scotchmen crowding to court in search of office.
Grey's friend, George Brooke
, Lord Cobham's brother, was similarly discontented, and had fallen in with William Watson
, a secular priest, Sir Griffin Markham, and other Catholics. They were plotting to seize the king, and obtain from him promises of religious toleration
for Catholics by intimidation. Grey allowed Brooke to introduce him to Markham and his allies, and apparently assented to the desirability of forcing on James's notice a petition for general toleration. Grey disliked their religious views, and he later declared that he has contemplated disclosing their plans to the government. Watson imagined that Grey could carry out seizure of the king's person, and that others should be at hand to rescue James from Grey's hands so that they might pose as patriotic Catholics. Before the day (24 June 1603) for the attack arrived Grey announced his refusal to take any part in it. By that time the government knew all, and the conspirators fled without attempting anything.
Grey went abroad to Sluys, but he was arrested there in July, and was brought prisoner to the Tower of London (July). When interrogated by the lieutenant of the Tower (3 August), he denied any traitorous intention. Coke drew up an abstract of treasons in which Grey was stated to have engaged to bring together a hundred gentlemen of quality for the purpose of seizing the king. The plot in which Grey was involved was known as the `Bye' or 'Priest's' plot. Another plot, known as the Main Plot
, or Cobham's plot, had been found out at the same time, with the result that Cobham and Raleigh were arrested soon after Grey, Markham, and their group.
The government then tried to identify the two conspiracies, though Grey was not complicit with Cobham and Raleigh. Nevertheless Grey and Cobham were tried together at Winchester (18 November) before a court composed of thirty-one peers, presided over by the chancellor. Grey made a spirited defence, which occupied the best part of the day, and referred to the patriotic services of his ancestors. He was condemned to death, and on 10 December he and Cobham and Markham were taken to the scaffold. But after each had made a declaration of innocence, a reprieve was announced, and they were taken once again to the Tower of London.
, came to England to marry the Princess Elizabeth
, he appealed to James to grant Grey's release; James refused the request. Grey is said to have been kept subsequently in more rigorous confinement, on the grounds of a relationship with one of the women attending of Lady Arabella Stuart, a fellow-prisoner. He died in the Tower, after eleven years' imprisonment, on 9 July 1614.
, on the River Wye
, had been alienated before the attainder of 1603 to Grey Brydges, 5th Baron Chandos
. The confiscated estates of Whaddon
were granted to George Villiers
, the king's favourite. Many of Grey's papers passed, through a sister, to Philip Wharton, 4th Baron Wharton
, and thence to Thomas Carte
the historian; they went with the Carte MSS. to the Bodleian Library
.
Bye Plot
The Bye Plot was a conspiracy by a Roman Catholic priest, William Watson, to kidnap James I of England and to force him to repeal anti-Catholic legislation.-Background:...
against James I of England
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
.
Early life
The son of Arthur Grey, 14th Baron Grey of Wilton, by his second wife, he served in the fleet against the Spanish ArmadaSpanish 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...
in 1588. He succeeded his father as Lord Grey of Wilton in 1593; and identified himself with the Puritans.
Grey took part as a volunteer in the Islands Voyage
Islands Voyage
The Islands Voyage was an English campaign against the Portuguese colonies in the Azores in 1597 as part of the Anglo–Spanish War. It was led by Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex with Sir Walter Raleigh as his second in command - other participants included Jacob Astley and Robert Mansell...
of 1597. He was anxious to command a regiment; and when Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
went to Ireland as Lord Deputy in March 1599, Grey was one of his followers, and received a commission as colonel of horse. Soon after his arrival in Ireland Essex asked him to declare himself his friend only, and to detach himself from Sir Robert Cecil but Grey declined on the ground that he was indebted to Cecil. Henceforth Essex and Essex's friend Southampton
Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton
Henry Wriothesley , 3rd Earl of Southampton , was the second son of Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton, and his wife Mary Browne, Countess of Southampton, daughter of the 1st Viscount Montagu...
treated Grey as an enemy. In a small engagement with the Irish rebels fought in June he charged without directions from Southampton, who was general of horse and his superior officer. He was accordingly committed for one night to the charge of the marshal.
The disgrace rankled in Grey's mind, and in May 1600 he abandoned Essex in Ireland, and with Sir Robert Drury (1575–1615) took a small troop of horse to serve the United Provinces
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
. Queen Elizabeth was incensed, but in July Cecil sent Henry Brooke, Lord Cobham and Sir Walter Raleigh to meet him at Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
, and assure him of the queen's good will. This meeting at Ostend brought together for the first (and perhaps only) time Grey, Cobham, and Raleigh, who were afterwards charged with joint complicity in treason. Fighting under Maurice of Nassau, Grey took part in the battle of Nieuport, 2 July 1600, in which the Dutch gained a decisive victory over the Spanish forces under Albert VII, Archduke of Austria
Albert VII, Archduke of Austria
Archduke Albert VII of Austria was, jointly with his wife, the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia, sovereign of the Habsburg Netherlands between 1598 and 1621, ruling the Habsburg territories in the southern Low Countries and the north of modern France...
; Grey was wounded in the mouth. He sent home an account of the victory two days later.
Grey was again in London early in 1601. The queen warned Grey and Southampton to keep the peace, but Grey in January assaulted Southampton while on horseback in the street, and was committed to the Fleet Prison
Fleet Prison
Fleet Prison was a notorious London prison by the side of the Fleet River in London. The prison was built in 1197 and was in use until 1844. It was demolished in 1846.- History :...
; and Essex was deeply affronted. Grey was quickly released, and on 8 February 1601 acted as general of the horse in the forces sent out to suppress Essex's rebellion. On 19 February he sat on the commission which tried Essex and Southampton at Westminster, and condemned them to death. When at the opening of the trial his name as commissioner was read out in court by the clerk, Essex, according to an eye-witness, laughed contemptuously and tugged Southampton by the sleeve.
In May 1602 Grey returned to the Low Countries, but he was disappointed by his reception by the Dutch. He attributed his neglect to Sir Francis Vere's jealousy, and came home in October embittered. Early in 1603 Elizabeth made him a grant of lands.
The Bye Plot
On the death of Elizabeth (24 March 1603) Grey attended the hasty meeting of the council, at which it was resolved to support the claim of King James VI of Scotland. He had reservations. A chance meeting with Southampton, who had been released from the Tower of LondonTower 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...
, in the audience-chamber of Queen Anne of Denmark
Anne of Denmark
Anne of Denmark was queen consort of Scotland, England, and Ireland as the wife of King James VI and I.The second daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark, Anne married James in 1589 at the age of fourteen and bore him three children who survived infancy, including the future Charles I...
at Windsor
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
in June 1603, may have intensified his dislike of the new regime. He complained of the Scotchmen crowding to court in search of office.
Grey's friend, George Brooke
George Brooke (conspirator)
The Rev. Sir George Brooke was an English aristocrat, executed for his part in two plots against the government of King James I.-Origins and education:...
, Lord Cobham's brother, was similarly discontented, and had fallen in with William Watson
William Watson (priest)
William Watson , English Roman Catholic priest and conspirator, executed for treason.-Life:In 1586 he became a Roman Catholic priest in France, and during the concluding years of Elizabeth's reign he paid several visits to England; he was imprisoned and tortured more than once...
, a secular priest, Sir Griffin Markham, and other Catholics. They were plotting to seize the king, and obtain from him promises of religious toleration
Religious toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
for Catholics by intimidation. Grey allowed Brooke to introduce him to Markham and his allies, and apparently assented to the desirability of forcing on James's notice a petition for general toleration. Grey disliked their religious views, and he later declared that he has contemplated disclosing their plans to the government. Watson imagined that Grey could carry out seizure of the king's person, and that others should be at hand to rescue James from Grey's hands so that they might pose as patriotic Catholics. Before the day (24 June 1603) for the attack arrived Grey announced his refusal to take any part in it. By that time the government knew all, and the conspirators fled without attempting anything.
Grey went abroad to Sluys, but he was arrested there in July, and was brought prisoner to the Tower of London (July). When interrogated by the lieutenant of the Tower (3 August), he denied any traitorous intention. Coke drew up an abstract of treasons in which Grey was stated to have engaged to bring together a hundred gentlemen of quality for the purpose of seizing the king. The plot in which Grey was involved was known as the `Bye' or 'Priest's' plot. Another plot, known as the Main Plot
Main Plot
The Main Plot was an alleged conspiracy of July 1603 by English courtiers, to remove King James I from the English throne, replacing him with his cousin Arabella Stuart. The plot was supposedly led by Henry Brooke, Lord Cobham, and funded by Spain...
, or Cobham's plot, had been found out at the same time, with the result that Cobham and Raleigh were arrested soon after Grey, Markham, and their group.
The government then tried to identify the two conspiracies, though Grey was not complicit with Cobham and Raleigh. Nevertheless Grey and Cobham were tried together at Winchester (18 November) before a court composed of thirty-one peers, presided over by the chancellor. Grey made a spirited defence, which occupied the best part of the day, and referred to the patriotic services of his ancestors. He was condemned to death, and on 10 December he and Cobham and Markham were taken to the scaffold. But after each had made a declaration of innocence, a reprieve was announced, and they were taken once again to the Tower of London.
Later life
Grey had declined to beg for his life, but after his return to the Tower he wrote to thank the king for his clemency, and presented petitions subsequently for his release. He was allowed to correspond with friends, and watched the course of the war in the Low Countries. In 1613, when Frederick V, Elector PalatineFrederick V, Elector Palatine
Frederick V was Elector Palatine , and, as Frederick I , King of Bohemia ....
, came to England to marry the Princess Elizabeth
Elizabeth of Bohemia
Elizabeth of Bohemia was the eldest daughter of King James VI and I, King of Scotland, England, Ireland, and Anne of Denmark. As the wife of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, she was Electress Palatine and briefly Queen of Bohemia...
, he appealed to James to grant Grey's release; James refused the request. Grey is said to have been kept subsequently in more rigorous confinement, on the grounds of a relationship with one of the women attending of Lady Arabella Stuart, a fellow-prisoner. He died in the Tower, after eleven years' imprisonment, on 9 July 1614.
Legacy
The barony of Grey of Wilton became extinct at his death. Of the family estates, Wilton CastleWilton Castle
Wilton Castle is a 12th-century Norman castle fortification located in southeastern Herefordshire, England on the River Wye adjacent to the town of Ross-on-Wye. The castle is named for the manor associated with it....
, on the River Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
, had been alienated before the attainder of 1603 to Grey Brydges, 5th Baron Chandos
Grey Brydges, 5th Baron Chandos
Grey Brydges, 5th Baron Chandos was an English nobleman and courtier.-Early life:He was the only son of William Brydges, 4th Baron Chandos, who died on 18 November 1602, and Mary Hopton, who was daughter of Sir Owen Hopton. He was M.P. for Cricklade, in 1597.Brydges and his family were friendly...
. The confiscated estates of Whaddon
Whaddon
Whaddon is the name of more than one place.*Whaddon, Buckinghamshire*Whaddon, Cambridgeshire*Whaddon, Cheltenham*Brookthorpe-with-Whaddon, Gloucestershire*Whaddon, Wiltshire...
were granted to George Villiers
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG was the favourite, claimed by some to be the lover, of King James I of England. Despite a very patchy political and military record, he remained at the height of royal favour for the first two years of the reign of Charles I, until he was assassinated...
, the king's favourite. Many of Grey's papers passed, through a sister, to Philip Wharton, 4th Baron Wharton
Philip Wharton, 4th Baron Wharton
Philip Wharton, 4th Baron Wharton was an English peer.A Parliamentarian during the English Civil War, he served in various offices including soldier, politician and diplomat. He was appointed as the Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire by Parliament in July 1642...
, and thence to Thomas Carte
Thomas Carte
Thomas Carte was an English historian.-Life:Carte was born near Clifton upon Dunsmore...
the historian; they went with the Carte MSS. to the Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
.