Walter Calverley
Encyclopedia
Walter Calverley was an English squire and murderer. His story became the basis of more than one literary work of the early 17th century.
. The Calverleys were lords of the manors of Calverley
and Pudsey
, Yorkshire
. His father died when he was a boy. He inherited land at Burley-in-Wharfdale, Bagley
, Tarsley, Eccleshall
, Bolton
, and Seacroft
; a relative of William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham
, became his guardian.
He studied at Clare Hall, Cambridge
from 5 May 1579, matriculating on 1 October, but he was there only a short time and took no degree. He became engaged to the daughter of a neighbour in Yorkshire.
, his guardian insisted on his breaking this engagement and on his marrying Philippa, a granddaughter of Lord Cobham. Calverley went back to Calverley Hall with his wife, whom he disliked, and adopted a lifestyle revolving around drinking and gambling. He soon ran through all his money.
On 23 April 1605 news was brought him that a relative, a student at Cambridge, had been arrested for a debt for which he himself was responsible. In a drunken frenzy, he rushed at his two eldest children, William and Walter, the former four years old and the latter 18 months (baptised
at Calverley on 4 October 1603) and killed them both; at the same time he stabbed his wife, but not fatally. He then rode off to a neighbouring village where a third infant son, Henry, was out at nurse, intending to kill him as well, but he was stopped on the road and taken before Sir John Savile, a magistrate, who committed him to prison at Wakefield
. After some delay he was brought to trial at York
in August following; he declined to plead, and was therefore pressed to death in York Castle
(5 August).
.
His estates escaped forfeiture and descended to his surviving son Henry, later a royalist
and fined under the Commonwealth. He was the last of the family to reside regularly at Calverley Hall. He married, first, Elizabeth, daughter of John Moore of Grantham
; secondly, Joyce, daughter of Sir Walter Pye. He died on 1 January 1661, and was succeeded by a son Walter, who was knighted by Charles II
in consideration of his father's loyalty.
Calverley's position gave his crime wide notoriety. On 12 June Nathaniel Butter published a popular tract on the subject, which was followed on 24 August by an account of Calverley's death. A ballad was also issued by another publisher, Thomas Pavier
, at the same time. Calverley's story was twice dramatised — first by George Wilkins
in Miseries of Enforced Marriage (1607), and, secondly, in A Yorkshire Tragedy
which was first published by Pavier in 1608, under the title A Yorkshire Tragedy - not so new as lamentable and true: written by W. Shakspeare. The latter was included in the third and fourth folios
of William Shakespeare
's works (1664 and 1685), but is no longer considered to be his work.
Early life
He was son and heir of William Calverley, by his wife Katherine, daughter of John Thorneholme of Haysthorpe, YorkshireYorkshire
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...
. The Calverleys were lords of the manors of Calverley
Calverley
Calverley is a village in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England, on the A657 road, midway between Leeds city centre and Bradford...
and Pudsey
Pudsey
Pudsey is a market town in West Yorkshire, England. Once an independent town, it was incorporated into the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds in 1974, and is located midway between Bradford and Leeds city centres. It has a population of 32,391....
, 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...
. His father died when he was a boy. He inherited land at Burley-in-Wharfdale, Bagley
Bagley
-People:* Ben Bagley , American musical theatre and record producer* David W. Bagley , admiral in the United States Navy during World War II* Desmond Bagley , novelist and UK journalist* Edwin Eugene Bagley, composer...
, Tarsley, Eccleshall
Eccleshall
Eccleshall is a town in Staffordshire, England. It is located seven miles north west of Stafford, and six miles west of Stone. Eccleshall is twinned with Sancerre in France.-History:...
, Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
, and Seacroft
Seacroft
Seacroft is an outer-city suburb consisting mainly of council estate housing covering an extensive area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is east of Leeds city centre and lies in the LS14 Leeds postcode area....
; a relative of William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham
William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham
William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham was Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, and a Member of Parliament for Hythe. Although he was viewed by some as a religious radical during the Somerset protectorate, he entertained Elizabeth at Cobham Hall in 1559, signalling his acceptance of the moderate regime.His...
, became his guardian.
He studied at Clare Hall, Cambridge
Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...
from 5 May 1579, matriculating on 1 October, but he was there only a short time and took no degree. He became engaged to the daughter of a neighbour in Yorkshire.
Marriage, crime and death
When Calverley visited LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, his guardian insisted on his breaking this engagement and on his marrying Philippa, a granddaughter of Lord Cobham. Calverley went back to Calverley Hall with his wife, whom he disliked, and adopted a lifestyle revolving around drinking and gambling. He soon ran through all his money.
On 23 April 1605 news was brought him that a relative, a student at Cambridge, had been arrested for a debt for which he himself was responsible. In a drunken frenzy, he rushed at his two eldest children, William and Walter, the former four years old and the latter 18 months (baptised
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
at Calverley on 4 October 1603) and killed them both; at the same time he stabbed his wife, but not fatally. He then rode off to a neighbouring village where a third infant son, Henry, was out at nurse, intending to kill him as well, but he was stopped on the road and taken before Sir John Savile, a magistrate, who committed him to prison at Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
. After some delay he was brought to trial at York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
in August following; he declined to plead, and was therefore pressed to death in York Castle
York Castle
York Castle in the city of York, England, is a fortified complex comprising, over the last nine centuries, a sequence of castles, prisons, law courts and other buildings on the south side of the River Foss. The now-ruinous keep of the medieval Norman castle is sometimes referred to as Clifford's...
(5 August).
Aftermath
Calverley's widow remarried Sir Thomas Burton of Stokerston, LeicestershireLeicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
.
His estates escaped forfeiture and descended to his surviving son Henry, later a royalist
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of government, but not necessarily a particular monarch...
and fined under the Commonwealth. He was the last of the family to reside regularly at Calverley Hall. He married, first, Elizabeth, daughter of John Moore of Grantham
Grantham
Grantham is a market town within the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It bestrides the East Coast Main Line railway , the historic A1 main north-south road, and the River Witham. Grantham is located approximately south of the city of Lincoln, and approximately east of Nottingham...
; secondly, Joyce, daughter of Sir Walter Pye. He died on 1 January 1661, and was succeeded by a son Walter, who was knighted by Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
in consideration of his father's loyalty.
In literature
Thomas Pavier
Thomas Pavier was a London publisher and bookseller of the early seventeenth century. His complex involvement in the publication of early editions of some of Shakespeare's plays, as well as plays of the Shakespeare Apocrypha, has left him with a "dubious reputation."-Life and work:Pavier came to...
, at the same time. Calverley's story was twice dramatised — first by George Wilkins
George Wilkins
George Wilkins was an English dramatist and pamphleteer best known for his probable collaboration with Shakespeare on the play Pericles, Prince of Tyre. By profession he was an inn-keeper, but he was also apparently involved in criminal activities.-Life:Wilkins was an inn-keeper in Cow-Cross,...
in Miseries of Enforced Marriage (1607), and, secondly, in A Yorkshire Tragedy
A Yorkshire Tragedy
A Yorkshire Tragedy is an early Jacobean era stage play, a domestic tragedy printed in 1608. The play was originally assigned to William Shakespeare, though the modern critical consensus rejects this attribution, favouring Thomas Middleton....
which was first published by Pavier in 1608, under the title A Yorkshire Tragedy - not so new as lamentable and true: written by W. Shakspeare. The latter was included in the third and fourth folios
Folios and Quartos (Shakespeare)
The earliest texts of William Shakespeare's works were published during the 16th and 17th centuries in quarto or folio format. Folios are large, tall volumes; quartos are smaller, roughly half the size...
of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's works (1664 and 1685), but is no longer considered to be his work.