Thomas Wyndham (navigator)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Wyndham was an English naval officer and navigator.
The son of Sir Thomas Wyndham of Felbrigg
(d. 1522) and Elizabeth Wentworth, he was educated at Louvain University and possibly in Italy.
During the Anglo-Scottish war of the Rough Wooing, Wyndham commanded a ship at the landing at Edinburgh in 1544
. In December 1547 he sailed two ships to Dundee
to support the English garrison at Broughty Castle
commanded by Andrew Dudley
. He investigated the River Tay
towards Perth
looking to rob church roofs to make lead bullets. On Christmas Day 1547 he burnt Balmerino Abbey
and on 29 December he burnt Elcho
nunnery. On land, he constructed a battery at Haddington called 'Wyndham's bulwark.' With James Wilford
on 3 June 1548, he captured Dalkeith Palace
, and James Douglas, the future Regent Morton, and burnt the town, .
However, near the end of the war, the English commander, the Duke of Rutland
, was required to investigate Wyndham's activities capturing foreign merchant vessels in the Firth
. These disputed prizes included a coal-ship, seven Norwegian vessels laden with meal, pitch and timber, 4 French ships, a small warship he gave to Luttrell, another ship laden with soap and madder
, and others. On the day peace was declared in England, 29 March 1550, Wyndham was sent to Scotland with two post horses and five Scottish hostages to exchange for his nephew John Luttrell
who had been captured at Broughty.
Around 1550, Hans Eworth
painted Wyndham's, Wilford's, and John Luttrell's portraits. Wyndham wears a powder flask at his neck and a gun over his shoulder inscribed, "TW, aetatis XLII.MDL," indicating he was 42 in 1550. In 1590, the picture was called, "Of Mr Thomas Wyndham drowned in the Sea returninge from Ginny." This voyage to Guinea was backed by George Barnes of London
. Wyndham died in 1554 at sea off Benin
. He left John Luttrell £100 in his will.
His half-sister Margaret married Andrew Luttrell of Quantoxhead and Dunster Castle in 1514, the father of John Luttrell. Thomas's wife's name in unknown. Their son was called Henry, and the names of two surviving daughters in 1553 are unknown.
The son of Sir Thomas Wyndham of Felbrigg
Felbrigg
Felbrigg is a small village just south of Cromer in Norfolk, England. The Danish name means a 'plank bridge'.Historians believe that the original village was clustered around its Perpendicular church, in the grounds of Felbrigg Hall, a Jacobean mansion built in the early 17th century, a mile to the...
(d. 1522) and Elizabeth Wentworth, he was educated at Louvain University and possibly in Italy.
During the Anglo-Scottish war of the Rough Wooing, Wyndham commanded a ship at the landing at Edinburgh in 1544
Burning of Edinburgh (1544)
The Burning of Edinburgh in 1544 by an English sea-borne army was the first major action of the war of the Rough Wooing. A Scottish army observed the landing on 3 May 1544 but did not engage with the English force. The Provost of Edinburgh was compelled to allow the English to sack Leith and...
. In December 1547 he sailed two ships to Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
to support the English garrison at Broughty Castle
Broughty Castle
Broughty Castle is a historic castle in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, Scotland. It was completed around 1495, although the site was earlier fortified in 1454 when George Douglas, 4th Earl of Angus received permission to build on the site. His son Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus was coerced into...
commanded by Andrew Dudley
Andrew Dudley
Sir Andrew Dudley, KG was an English soldier, courtier, and diplomat. A younger brother of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, he served in Henry VIII's navy and obtained court offices under Edward VI...
. He investigated the River Tay
River Tay
The River Tay is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh-longest in the United Kingdom. The Tay originates in western Scotland on the slopes of Ben Lui , then flows easterly across the Highlands, through Loch Dochhart, Loch Lubhair and Loch Tay, then continues east through Strathtay , in...
towards Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
looking to rob church roofs to make lead bullets. On Christmas Day 1547 he burnt Balmerino Abbey
Balmerino Abbey
Balmerino Abbey, or St Edward's Abbey, in Balmerino, Fife, Scotland, was a Cistercian monastic community founded in 1227 to 1229 by monks from Melrose Abbey with the patronage of Ermengarde de Beaumont and King Alexander II of Scotland. It remained a daughter house of Melrose. It had approximately...
and on 29 December he burnt Elcho
Elcho Castle
Elcho Castle is located a short distance above the south bank of the River Tay approximately four miles south-east of Perth, Scotland. It consists of a Z-plan tower house, with fragments of a surrounding wall with corner towers. The Castle was built on the site of an older structure about 1560,...
nunnery. On land, he constructed a battery at Haddington called 'Wyndham's bulwark.' With James Wilford
James Wilford
Sir James Wilford was an English soldier, and commander of Haddington in Scotland during its occupation in the war of the Rough Wooing....
on 3 June 1548, he captured Dalkeith Palace
Dalkeith Palace
Dalkeith Palace in Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland, is the former seat of the Duke of Buccleuch.Dalkeith Castle was located to the north east of Dalkeith, and was originally in the hands of the Clan Graham in the 12th century and given to the Douglas family in the early 14th century. James Douglas...
, and James Douglas, the future Regent Morton, and burnt the town, .
However, near the end of the war, the English commander, the Duke of Rutland
Henry Manners, 2nd Earl of Rutland
Henry Manners, 2nd Earl of Rutland, 14th Baron de Ros of Helmsley, KG was the son of Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland. He also held the title of 14th Baron de Ros of Hamlake, a title to which he acceded in 1543....
, was required to investigate Wyndham's activities capturing foreign merchant vessels in the Firth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
. These disputed prizes included a coal-ship, seven Norwegian vessels laden with meal, pitch and timber, 4 French ships, a small warship he gave to Luttrell, another ship laden with soap and madder
Madder
Rubia is a genus of the madder family Rubiaceae, which contains about 60 species of perennial scrambling or climbing herbs and sub-shrubs native to the Old World, Africa, temperate Asia and America...
, and others. On the day peace was declared in England, 29 March 1550, Wyndham was sent to Scotland with two post horses and five Scottish hostages to exchange for his nephew John Luttrell
John Luttrell (soldier)
Sir John Luttrell was an English soldier, diplomat, and courtier under Henry VIII and Edward VI. He served under Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford in Scotland and France...
who had been captured at Broughty.
Around 1550, Hans Eworth
Hans Eworth
Hans Eworth was a Flemish painter active in England in the mid-16th century. Along with other exiled Flemings, he made a career in Tudor London, painting allegorical images as well as portraits of the gentry and nobility. About 40 paintings are now attributed to Eworth, among them portraits of...
painted Wyndham's, Wilford's, and John Luttrell's portraits. Wyndham wears a powder flask at his neck and a gun over his shoulder inscribed, "TW, aetatis XLII.MDL," indicating he was 42 in 1550. In 1590, the picture was called, "Of Mr Thomas Wyndham drowned in the Sea returninge from Ginny." This voyage to Guinea was backed by George Barnes of London
George Barne II
Sir George Barne II was the Sheriff of London between 1545–1546, Lord Mayor of London in 1552, Alderman of the London wards Portsoken between 1542–1546 and Coleman Street between 1546–1558, a chief proponent of trade with Russia, and son of George Barne, a citizen of London and alderman...
. Wyndham died in 1554 at sea off Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
. He left John Luttrell £100 in his will.
His half-sister Margaret married Andrew Luttrell of Quantoxhead and Dunster Castle in 1514, the father of John Luttrell. Thomas's wife's name in unknown. Their son was called Henry, and the names of two surviving daughters in 1553 are unknown.