Thomas Wyatt the younger
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Wyatt the younger (1521 – 11 April 1554) was a rebel leader during the reign of Queen Mary I of England
; his rising is traditionally called "Wyatt's rebellion
".
, the only son of Sir Thomas Wyatt
, the famous poet, and Elizabeth Brooke
, daughter of the 8th Baron Cobham. His father was a well-known poet, courtier and ambassador, who has, by legend but without incontrovertible evidence, been presumed to have been deeply in love with Henry VIII
's second wife, Anne Boleyn
, before Henry became attracted to her; he may later have pursued another of Henry VIII's lovers, Mary Shelton
. His mother was involved in similar scandals, and his parents separated because of her open adultery. Elizabeth was a very attractive woman, who in February 1542 attracted the attention of Henry VIII, whose fifth wife was then in the Tower awaiting execution. The Imperial ambassador, Eustace Chapuys
, reported that she could possibly end up as wife number six, despite still being married to Wyatt.
The Duke of Norfolk
was his godfather
. At the age of fifteen he became a squire at the court of King Henry VIII
, and Joint Constable of Conisbrough Castle
. In the same year, his father was imprisoned after a feud with the king's brother-in-law, Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk
, on the false charge of adultery with Queen Anne. The Queen was beheaded, but the elder Wyatt was released. He was imprisoned again in 1541 and only released after the intervention of Queen Catherine Howard
. Thomas himself married Jane Hawte, daughter and co-heiress of Sir William Hawte of Bishopsbourne
, by whom he had several children. He is also thought to have had an illegitimate son by Elizabeth Darrell
, a daughter of Sir Edward Darrell of Littlecote, who had been the long-term mistress of his father.
He accompanied his father on a mission to Spain
and his experiences - reportedly his witnessing the activities of the Spanish Inquisition
turned him into an enemy of Spain
. On his father's death in 1542, he inherited Allington Castle and Boxley Abbey
. There were rumours that after his father's death, Wyatt the younger became the lover of his father's long-term mistress, Elizabeth Darrell
. She had given birth to three children by Wyatt, but Wyatt the younger may have been the father of her third son, Edward.
He was of a wild disposition, and became a boon companion of the Earl of Surrey
(the Duke of Norfolk's son). In 1543, they were arrested for breaking windows while drunk in London with a stonebow, a form of crossbow
. They were tried before the Privy Council
. Wyatt and another companion, William Pickering, were imprisoned in the Tower of London
because they had falsely denied the charge at first.
England was then at war with France
in alliance with Emperor Charles V
. On his release, Wyatt joined the English troops fighting for Charles in Flanders
, obtaining valuable military experience. In 1543 he took part in the siege of Landrecies
, and in the following year was at the siege of Boulogne
. He was commended for his service, and was knight
ed in 1547. He remained abroad until 1550.
for 1549) until the death of Edward VI
in 1553, when he joined the Duke of Northumberland's
abortive attempt to put Lady Jane Grey on the throne in place of Mary I
.
Wyatt escaped punishment by Queen Mary
. He took no further part in politics until Mary's betrothal to Philip of Spain
. In 1554 he joined a conspiracy to prevent the marriage. A general movement was planned; but his fellow-conspirators were timid and inept. The rising was serious only in Kent
, and Wyatt became a formidable rebel mostly by accident.
Wyatt proclaimed his rebellion on 26 January in Rochester. Many of the country folk responded. The royal forces sent against him deserted or joined him, including part of the London trainband
s under the Duke of Norfolk (his godfather).
With 4,000 men Wyatt marched on London, but was turned back at London Bridge
and Ludgate
. His men deserted and he surrendered.
He was brought to trial on 15 March, and could make no defence. Execution was for a time delayed, no doubt in the hope that in order to save his life he would say enough to compromise the queen's sister Elizabeth, afterwards Queen Elizabeth
, in whose interests the rising was supposed to have been made. But he would not confess enough to render her liable to a trial for treason
. It was only through Elizabeth's dignity and composure that she managed to escape from the scandal unharmed, although she was spied upon and placed under house arrest for the rest of her sister's reign.
He was executed on 11 April, and on the scaffold expressly cleared the princess of all complicity in the rising. After he was beheaded, his body was quartered.
His estates were afterwards partly restored to his son, George. George's son, Sir Francis Wyatt
(d. 1644), was governor of Virginia
in 1621–26 and 1639–42. A fragment of the castle of Allington is still inhabited as a farm-house, near Maidstone
, on the bank of the Medway
.
See James Anthony Froude
, History of England.
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...
; his rising is traditionally called "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...
".
Birth and career
He was born at Allington CastleAllington Castle
Allington Castle is a stone-built moated castle in Allington, just north of Maidstone, Kent in England.-History:Allington Castle is a Grade I listed building. Much of the stonework was laid in an intricate herringbone pattern which is still visible today...
, the only son of 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...
, the famous poet, and 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...
, daughter of the 8th Baron Cobham. His father was a well-known poet, courtier and ambassador, who has, by legend but without incontrovertible evidence, been presumed to have been deeply in love with 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...
's second wife, 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...
, before Henry became attracted to her; he may later have pursued another of Henry VIII's lovers, Mary Shelton
Mary Shelton
Margaret Shelton and Mary Shelton were two sisters in Tudor England, one of whom may have been a mistress of King Henry VIII....
. His mother was involved in similar scandals, and his parents separated because of her open adultery. Elizabeth was a very attractive woman, who in February 1542 attracted the attention of Henry VIII, whose fifth wife was then in the Tower awaiting execution. The Imperial ambassador, Eustace Chapuys
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:...
, reported that she could possibly end up as wife number six, despite still being married to Wyatt.
The Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal was a prominent Tudor politician. He was uncle to Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, two of the wives of King Henry VIII, and played a major role in the machinations behind these marriages...
was his godfather
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
. At the age of fifteen he became a squire at the court of King 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...
, and Joint Constable of Conisbrough Castle
Conisbrough Castle
Conisbrough Castle is a 12th-century castle in Conisbrough, South Yorkshire, England, whose remains are dominated by the 97-foot high circular keep, which is supported by six buttresses. In the mid-1990s, the keep was restored, with a wooden roof and two floors being rebuilt...
. In the same year, his father was imprisoned after a feud with the king's brother-in-law, Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk
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...
, on the false charge of adultery with Queen Anne. The Queen was beheaded, but the elder Wyatt was released. He was imprisoned again in 1541 and only released after the intervention of Queen Catherine Howard
Catherine Howard
Catherine Howard , also spelled Katherine, Katheryn or Kathryn, was the fifth wife of Henry VIII of England, and sometimes known by his reference to her as his "rose without a thorn"....
. Thomas himself married Jane Hawte, daughter and co-heiress of Sir William Hawte of Bishopsbourne
Bishopsbourne
Bishopsbourne is a small village in Kent, England. It lies in the Nailbourne valley some from Canterbury and about from Dover. It has a public house, The Mermaid, built in 1861, and a church, St Mary's, with 14th-century wall paintings. Author Joseph Conrad lived here and his house, "Oswalds",...
, by whom he had several children. He is also thought to have had an illegitimate son by Elizabeth Darrell
Elizabeth Darrell (maid-of-honour)
Elizabeth Darrell was the long-term mistress and muse of Sir Thomas Wyatt. They had at least one child, Francis. Wyatt was married to Elizabeth Brooke, Lady Wyatt who had committed adultery, resulting in their separation...
, a daughter of Sir Edward Darrell of Littlecote, who had been the long-term mistress of his father.
He accompanied his father on a mission to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and his experiences - reportedly his witnessing the activities of the Spanish Inquisition
Spanish Inquisition
The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition , commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition , was a tribunal established in 1480 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. It was intended to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms, and to replace the Medieval...
turned him into an enemy of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. On his father's death in 1542, he inherited Allington Castle and Boxley Abbey
Boxley Abbey
Boxley Abbey in Boxley, Kent, England was a Cistercian monastery founded in 1143-46 by William Ypres, Earl of Kent, and colonised by monks from Clairvaux Abbey in France. Some of its ruins survive, some four miles north-east of Maidstone.- Notable events :...
. There were rumours that after his father's death, Wyatt the younger became the lover of his father's long-term mistress, Elizabeth Darrell
Elizabeth Darrell (maid-of-honour)
Elizabeth Darrell was the long-term mistress and muse of Sir Thomas Wyatt. They had at least one child, Francis. Wyatt was married to Elizabeth Brooke, Lady Wyatt who had committed adultery, resulting in their separation...
. She had given birth to three children by Wyatt, but Wyatt the younger may have been the father of her third son, Edward.
He was of a wild disposition, and became a boon companion of the Earl of Surrey
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
Henry Howard, KG, , known as The Earl of Surrey although he never was a peer, was an English aristocrat, and one of the founders of English Renaissance poetry.-Life:...
(the Duke of Norfolk's son). In 1543, they were arrested for breaking windows while drunk in London with a stonebow, a form of crossbow
Crossbow
A crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts or quarrels. The medieval crossbow was called by many names, most of which derived from the word ballista, a torsion engine resembling a crossbow in appearance.Historically, crossbows played a...
. They were tried before 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...
. Wyatt and another companion, William Pickering, were 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...
because they had falsely denied the charge at first.
England was then at war with 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...
in alliance with Emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
. On his release, Wyatt joined the English troops fighting for Charles 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...
, obtaining valuable military experience. In 1543 he took part in the siege of Landrecies
Landrecies
Landrecies is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is the site of a skirmish between the British I Corps under Douglas Haig and the German Fifth Army on 25 August 1914.-Heraldry:-People:...
, and in the following year was at the siege of Boulogne
Siege of Boulogne
There were two sieges of Boulogne, in the Pas-de-Calais, during the Italian War of 1542–1546. Boulogne was fortified and defended as an English possession on the French mainland between 14 September 1544 and March 1550.- First siege :...
. He was commended for his service, and was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed in 1547. He remained abroad until 1550.
Wyatt's Rebellion
Returning to Allington, he lived quietly (serving as High Sheriff of KentHigh Sheriff of Kent
The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions...
for 1549) until the death 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...
in 1553, when he joined the Duke of Northumberland'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...
abortive attempt to put Lady Jane Grey on the throne in place 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...
.
Wyatt escaped punishment by Queen 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...
. He took no further part in politics until Mary's betrothal 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....
. In 1554 he joined a conspiracy to prevent the marriage. A general movement was planned; but his fellow-conspirators were timid and inept. The rising was serious only 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...
, and Wyatt became a formidable rebel mostly by accident.
Wyatt proclaimed his rebellion on 26 January in Rochester. Many of the country folk responded. The royal forces sent against him deserted or joined him, including part of the London trainband
Trainband
Trainbands were companies of militia in England or the Americas, first organized in the 16th century and dissolved in the 18th. The term was used after this time to describe the London militia. In the early American colonies the trainband was the most basic tactical unit. However, no standard...
s under the Duke of Norfolk (his godfather).
With 4,000 men Wyatt marched on London, but was turned back at London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
and Ludgate
Ludgate
Ludgate was the westernmost gate in London Wall. The name survives in Ludgate Hill, an eastward continuation of Fleet Street, and Ludgate Circus.-Etymology:...
. His men deserted and he surrendered.
He was brought to trial on 15 March, and could make no defence. Execution was for a time delayed, no doubt in the hope that in order to save his life he would say enough to compromise the queen's sister Elizabeth, afterwards Queen 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 whose interests the rising was supposed to have been made. But he would not confess enough to render her liable to a trial for treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
. It was only through Elizabeth's dignity and composure that she managed to escape from the scandal unharmed, although she was spied upon and placed under house arrest for the rest of her sister's reign.
He was executed on 11 April, and on the scaffold expressly cleared the princess of all complicity in the rising. After he was beheaded, his body was quartered.
His estates were afterwards partly restored to his son, George. George's son, Sir Francis Wyatt
Francis Wyatt
Sir Francis Wyatt was the first English royal governor of Virginia. He sailed for America on August 1, 1621 on board the George. He became governor shortly after his arrival in October, taking with him the first written constitution for an English colony...
(d. 1644), was governor of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
in 1621–26 and 1639–42. A fragment of the castle of Allington is still inhabited as a farm-house, near Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, on the bank of the Medway
Medway
Medway is a conurbation and unitary authority in South East England. The Unitary Authority was formed in 1998 when the City of Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with Gillingham Borough Council and part of Kent County Council to form Medway Council, a unitary authority independent of Kent County...
.
See James Anthony Froude
James Anthony Froude
James Anthony Froude , 23 April 1818–20 October 1894, was an English historian, novelist, biographer, and editor of Fraser's Magazine. From his upbringing amidst the Anglo-Catholic Oxford Movement, Froude intended to become a clergyman, but doubts about the doctrines of the Anglican church,...
, History of England.