Thomas Wentworth, 1st Baron Wentworth
Encyclopedia
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Baron Wentworth and de jure 6th Baron le Despencer, PC
(1501 – 3 March 1551) was an English peer
and courtier
during the Tudor dynasty
.
The Wentworths were originally from Yorkshire
but had settled in Nettlestead, Suffolk
in the mid-fifteenth century, where Wentworth was born. He was the eldest son of Sir Richard Wentworth, de jure 5th Baron le Despencer
of the 1387 creation, and was a nephew of Margery Wentworth, the mother of Jane Seymour
. His mother was Anne, the daughter of Sir James Tyrrell
, the supposed murderer of the Princes in the Tower
.
Circa 1520. Wentworth married Margaret Fortescue, the eldest daughter of Sir Adrian Fortescue. They had a large family of eight sons and nine daughters, including Thomas, later 2nd Baron Wentworth and Mary, who married Sir William Drury
. Another daughter, Dorothy, married the explorer Martin Frobisher
.
In 1523, Wentworth took part in Suffolk's
failed invasion of France
and was knighted by him. In 1529, he was also created Baron Wentworth in the Peerage of England
. In 1536, he was present at the trials of Anne Boleyn
and her brother, Lord Rochford
and at those of Lord Montagu
and the Marquess of Exeter
in 1538.
In 1550, Lord Wentworth was appointed Lord Chamberlain
to Edward VI
and died the following year. His funeral was held at Westminster Abbey
and he was buried in the abbey's Chapel of St John the Baptist
. His title passed to his eldest son, Thomas.
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...
(1501 – 3 March 1551) was an English peer
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
and courtier
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...
during the 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...
.
The Wentworths were originally from Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
but had settled in Nettlestead, Suffolk
Nettlestead, Suffolk
Nettlestead is a village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located to the north-west of Ipswich, in 2005 its population was 90....
in the mid-fifteenth century, where Wentworth was born. He was the eldest son of Sir Richard Wentworth, de jure 5th Baron le Despencer
Baron le Despencer
The title Baron le Despencer has been created several times by writ in the Peerage of England.-Creation:The first creation was in 1295, when Hugh the elder Despenser was summoned to the Model Parliament. He was the eldest son of the sometime Justiciar Hugh le Despenser , who was summoned in 1264 to...
of the 1387 creation, and was a nephew of Margery Wentworth, the mother 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...
. His mother was Anne, the daughter of Sir James Tyrrell
James Tyrrell
Sir James Tyrell was an English knight, a trusted servant of King Richard III of England. He is known for 'confessing' to the murders of the Princes in the Tower under Richard's orders. However, his statement may have been taken under torture, so the confession might not be genuine...
, the supposed murderer of the Princes in the Tower
Princes in the Tower
The Princes in the Tower is a term which refers to Edward V of England and Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York. The two brothers were the only sons of Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville alive at the time of their father's death...
.
Circa 1520. Wentworth married Margaret Fortescue, the eldest daughter of Sir Adrian Fortescue. They had a large family of eight sons and nine daughters, including Thomas, later 2nd Baron Wentworth and Mary, who married Sir William Drury
William Drury
Sir William Drury, Knt., was an English statesman and soldier,He was a son of Sir Robert Drury of Hedgerley in Buckinghamshire, and grandson of another Sir Robert Drury , who was speaker of the House of Commons in 1495. He was a brother of Dru Drury.He was born at Hawstead in Suffolk, and was...
. Another daughter, Dorothy, married the explorer Martin Frobisher
Martin Frobisher
Sir Martin Frobisher was an English seaman who made three voyages to the New World to look for the Northwest Passage...
.
In 1523, Wentworth took part in Suffolk's
Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk
Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, 1st Viscount Lisle, KG was the son of Sir William Brandon and Elizabeth Bruyn. Through his third wife Mary Tudor he was brother-in-law to Henry VIII. His father was the standard-bearer of Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond and was slain by Richard III in person at...
failed invasion of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and was knighted by him. In 1529, he was also created Baron Wentworth in the Peerage of England
Peerage of England
The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain....
. In 1536, he was present at the trials of 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...
and her brother, Lord Rochford
George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford
George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford was an English courtier and nobleman, and the brother of queen consort Anne Boleyn...
and at those of Lord 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 the Marquess of Exeter
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...
in 1538.
In 1550, Lord Wentworth was appointed 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....
to 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...
and died the following year. His funeral was held at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
and he was buried in the abbey's Chapel of St John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
. His title passed to his eldest son, Thomas.
Source
- Carter, P. R. N., - Wentworth, Thomas, first Baron Wentworth (1501–1551), nobleman - Oxford Dictionary of National Biography