William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester
Encyclopedia
Sir William Paulet was an English
Secretary of State
and statesman
who attained several peerages throughout his lifetime: Baron St John (9 March 1539), Earl of Wiltshire (19 January 1550), and Marquess of Winchester (11 October 1551).
, near Basingstoke
(1460 – 5 January 1525) who had married a cousin, Alice Paulet, who survived her husband, daughter of Sir William Paulet and Elizabeth Denebaud. He had a brother Sir George Paulet who married and had issue, and a sister Eleanor Paulet (born 1479), wife of William Gifford.
There is some disagreement over his date of birth, authorities quoting 1483 or 1485. Also a claim he was ninety-seven at his death would place his birth in 1474 or 1475. There is also uncertainty about where he was born, but it may have been at Fisherton Delamere
in Wiltshire
, one of his father's manor
s.
His father, who had held a command against the Cornish rebels in 1497, was the head of a younger branch of an ancient Somerset
family seated in the fourteenth century at Pawlett
or Paulet and Road, close to Bridgwater
, being the son of John Paulet and Elizabeth Roos. William's grandfather John Paulet acquired the Hampshire
estates by his marriage with Constance Poynings, granddaughter and coheiress of Thomas Poynings, 5th Baron St John of Basing (d. 1428/1429).
William Paulet was High Sheriff of Hampshire
in 1512, 1519, 1523, and again in 1527 (Letters and Papers). Knight
ed before the end of 1525, he was appointed Master of the King's Wards in November 1526 and he appears in the Privy Council
in the same year.
Paulet was twice married, and lived to see 103 of his own descendants. His first wife was Elizabeth (d. 25 Dec 1558), daughter of Sir William Capel
, Lord Mayor of London
in 1503, by whom he had four sons:
(1) John
; (2) Thomas; (3) Chediok, governor of Southampton under Mary and Elizabeth; (4) Giles, and four daughters: Elizabeth, who married Edward Hoby
in 1580 and died in 1581, Margaret, Margerie, and Eleanor, the last of whom married Sir Richard Pecksall, master of the buckhounds, and died on 26 September 1558.
By his second wife, Winifrid (d. 1586), daughter of Sir John Bruges (d.1530), citizen and alderman of
London, and widow of Sir Richard Sackville
, under-treasurer of the Exchequer
, he left no issue.
Paulet was still in office when he died, a very old man, at Basing House
on 10 March 1572, a house that he held to rebuild and fortify. His tomb is on the south side of the chancel of Basing church.
for Hampshire
. In 1532, he accompanied King Henry VIII
to Calais
, France
, and the following spring, he accompanied the Duke of Norfolk
to join King Francis I of France
in a proposed audience with the Pope
, to discuss Henry's divorce with Catherine of Aragon
. In 1536, he was granted the keepership of Pamber Forest, and was soon created Baron St John. He became steward of the bishopric of Winchester
, and became a close associate of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and a friend of Thomas Cromwell. He was also Comptroller of the Royal Household
, and held many other high positions.
In 1535 and 1536, he served as one of the judge
s for the trials of John Fisher
, Sir Thomas More
, and the alleged accomplices of Anne Boleyn
; in 1535, he became Lord Chamberlain
. He partially led the royal forces against the Pilgrimage of Grace
, a rebellion that broke out in the autumn of 1536, and in 1538, he became Treasurer of the Household
. In 1540, he became the master of Henry's Court of Wards and Liveries
, a Knight of the Garter
in 1543, and Governor of Portsmouth and Lord Steward of the Household
in 1545. In 1546, he became Lord President of the Council
, and in Henry's will, he was mentioned as one of the eighteen men who would serve as the council of regency
during Henry's son's minority.
He continued his political maneuvers in 1549 by supporting the Earl of Warwick
against the Duke of Somerset
—in reward, in early 1550 he was given the Earldom of Wiltshire
and Somerset's position of Lord Treasurer. When Warwick was created Duke of Northumberland
in October 1551, Paulet received the Marquessate of Winchester
. Six weeks later, he served as Lord High Steward
in the Duke of Somerset's trial.
It was said that Northumberland and Winchester "ruled the court" of the minor King Edward VI
. Mary I
affirmed him in all of his positions. After her death, he remained Lord Treasurer and many of his other positions, and even at an advanced age (in 1559, he was over seventy years old), he showed no signs of declining—he was Speaker of the House of Lords in 1559 and 1566. He remained in good standing with the English monarchs—Queen Elizabeth
once joked, "for, by my troth, if my lord treasurer were but a young man, I could find it in my heart to have him for a husband before any man in England." Late in life, he opposed any military support of Continental Protestantism
, as he feared it would cause a breach with strongly Catholic
Spain
.
Paulet enjoyed a remarkably long career during the English Reformation
. Starting out as a Catholic, he was quickly persuaded to see things Henry's way once the breach with Rome had been decided on. He was rewarded with former Church properties following the dissolution of the monasteries
. Under Edward VI he became an evangelical Protestant and persecuted Roman Catholics and Henrician Conservatives alike. On the accession of the Catholic Mary he announced his reconversion and commenced persecuting his former Protestant co-religionists, even denouncing Bishop Bonner for "laxity in prosecuting the heretics." On Elizabeth's succession, he once again shifted his sails and became an advocate of middle road Anglicanism. All in all, he professed five changes in religious course. Once, when asked how he managed to survive so many storms, not only unhurt, but rising all the while, Paulet answered: "By being a willow, not an oak."
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Secretary of State
Secretary of State (England)
In the Kingdom of England, the title of Secretary of State came into being near the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I , the usual title before that having been King's Clerk, King's Secretary, or Principal Secretary....
and statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
who attained several peerages throughout his lifetime: Baron St John (9 March 1539), Earl of Wiltshire (19 January 1550), and Marquess of Winchester (11 October 1551).
Family origins and early career in Hampshire
William Paulet was eldest son of Sir John Paulet of BasingOld Basing
Old Basing is a village in the north-east of the English county of Hampshire. It is situated just to the east of Basingstoke, and in the 2001 census had a population of 7,232...
, near Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
(1460 – 5 January 1525) who had married a cousin, Alice Paulet, who survived her husband, daughter of Sir William Paulet and Elizabeth Denebaud. He had a brother Sir George Paulet who married and had issue, and a sister Eleanor Paulet (born 1479), wife of William Gifford.
There is some disagreement over his date of birth, authorities quoting 1483 or 1485. Also a claim he was ninety-seven at his death would place his birth in 1474 or 1475. There is also uncertainty about where he was born, but it may have been at Fisherton Delamere
Fisherton Delamere
Fisherton Delamere, also spelt Fisherton de la Mere and Fisherton Delamare, is a small village and former civil parish on the River Wylye, Wiltshire, England....
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, one of his father's manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
s.
His father, who had held a command against the Cornish rebels in 1497, was the head of a younger branch of an ancient Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
family seated in the fourteenth century at Pawlett
Pawlett, Somerset
Pawlett is a small village north of Bridgwater, in the Sedgemoor district of the English county of Somerset.The village has Roman or Saxon origins...
or Paulet and Road, close to Bridgwater
Bridgwater
Bridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England...
, being the son of John Paulet and Elizabeth Roos. William's grandfather John Paulet acquired the Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
estates by his marriage with Constance Poynings, granddaughter and coheiress of Thomas Poynings, 5th Baron St John of Basing (d. 1428/1429).
William Paulet was High Sheriff of Hampshire
High Sheriff of Hampshire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Hampshire, the title was often given as High Sheriff of the County of Southampton until 1959.-List of High Sheriffs:*1070–1096: Hugh de Port *1105: Henry de Port *1129: William de Pont de l'Arche...
in 1512, 1519, 1523, and again in 1527 (Letters and Papers). 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 before the end of 1525, he was appointed Master of the King's Wards in November 1526 and he appears in the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
in the same year.
Paulet was twice married, and lived to see 103 of his own descendants. His first wife was Elizabeth (d. 25 Dec 1558), daughter of Sir William Capel
William Capel
William Capel was Lord Mayor of London and an MP.He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers, served as Sheriff of the City of London for 1496 and was elected was elected Lord Mayor in 1503. He was elected a member of Parliament for the City of London from 1511 to 1515.His mansion stood...
, Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
in 1503, by whom he had four sons:
(1) John
John Paulet, 2nd Marquess of Winchester
John Paulet, 2nd Marquess of Winchester was the son of William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester and Elizabeth Capell....
; (2) Thomas; (3) Chediok, governor of Southampton under Mary and Elizabeth; (4) Giles, and four daughters: Elizabeth, who married Edward Hoby
Edward Hoby
Sir Edward Hoby was a diplomat, Member of Parliament, scholar, and soldier in England during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I...
in 1580 and died in 1581, Margaret, Margerie, and Eleanor, the last of whom married Sir Richard Pecksall, master of the buckhounds, and died on 26 September 1558.
By his second wife, Winifrid (d. 1586), daughter of Sir John Bruges (d.1530), citizen and alderman of
London, and widow of Sir Richard Sackville
Richard Sackville (escheator)
Sir Richard Sackville of Ashburnham and Buckhurst in Sussex and Westenhanger in Kent; was an English administrator and Member of Parliament.-Career:...
, under-treasurer of the Exchequer
Exchequer
The Exchequer is a government department of the United Kingdom responsible for the management and collection of taxation and other government revenues. The historical Exchequer developed judicial roles...
, he left no issue.
Paulet was still in office when he died, a very old man, at Basing House
Basing House
Basing House was a major Tudor palace and castle in the village of Old Basing in the English county of Hampshire. It once rivaled Hampton Court Palace in its size and opulence. Today only its foundations and earthworks remain...
on 10 March 1572, a house that he held to rebuild and fortify. His tomb is on the south side of the chancel of Basing church.
Career as a national statesman
Paulet's political career began in 1529, when he became MPMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. In 1532, he accompanied 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...
to Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
, 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 the following spring, he accompanied 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...
to join King Francis I of France
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
in a proposed audience with the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
, to discuss Henry's divorce with Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
. In 1536, he was granted the keepership of Pamber Forest, and was soon created Baron St John. He became steward of the bishopric of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
, and became a close associate of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and a friend of Thomas Cromwell. He was also Comptroller of the Royal Household
Comptroller of the Household
The Comptroller of the Household is an ancient position in the English royal household, currently the second-ranking member of the Lord Steward's department, and often a cabinet member. He was an ex officio member of the Board of Green Cloth, until that body was abolished in the reform of the local...
, and held many other high positions.
In 1535 and 1536, he served as one of the judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
s for the trials of John Fisher
John Fisher
Saint John Fisher was an English Roman Catholic scholastic, bishop, cardinal and martyr. He shares his feast day with Saint Thomas More on 22 June in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints and 6 July on the Church of England calendar of saints...
, Sir Thomas More
Thomas More
Sir Thomas More , also known by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist. He was an important councillor to Henry VIII of England and, for three years toward the end of his life, Lord Chancellor...
, and the alleged accomplices 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...
; in 1535, he became 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....
. He partially led the royal forces against the Pilgrimage of Grace
Pilgrimage of Grace
The Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular rising in York, Yorkshire during 1536, in protest against Henry VIII's break with the Roman Catholic Church and the Dissolution of the Monasteries, as well as other specific political, social and economic grievances. It was done in action against Thomas Cromwell...
, a rebellion that broke out in the autumn of 1536, and in 1538, he became Treasurer of the Household
Treasurer of the Household
The position of Treasurer of the Household is theoretically held by a household official of the British monarch, under control of the Lord Steward's Department, but is, in fact, a political office held by one of the government's Deputy Chief Whips in the House of Commons...
. In 1540, he became the master of Henry's Court of Wards and Liveries
Court of Wards and Liveries
The Court of Wards and Liveries was a court established during the reign of Henry VIII in England. Its purpose was to administer a system of feudal dues; but as well as the revenue collection, the court was also responsible for wardship and livery issues....
, a Knight of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
in 1543, and Governor of Portsmouth and Lord Steward of the Household
Lord Steward
The Lord Steward or Lord Steward of the Household, in England, is an important official of the Royal Household. He is always a peer. Until 1924, he was always a member of the Government...
in 1545. In 1546, he became Lord President of the Council
Lord President of the Council
The Lord President of the Council is the fourth of the Great Officers of State of the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord High Treasurer and above the Lord Privy Seal. The Lord President usually attends each meeting of the Privy Council, presenting business for the monarch's approval...
, and in Henry's will, he was mentioned as one of the eighteen men who would serve as the council of regency
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
during Henry's son's minority.
He continued his political maneuvers in 1549 by supporting the Earl of Warwick
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...
against the Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp of Hache, KG, Earl Marshal was Lord Protector of England in the period between the death of Henry VIII in 1547 and his own indictment in 1549....
—in reward, in early 1550 he was given the Earldom of Wiltshire
Earl of Wiltshire
The title Earl of Wiltshire is one of the oldest in the Peerage of England, going back to the 12th century. It is currently held by the Marquess of Winchester, and is used as a courtesy title for the eldest son of the marquess....
and Somerset's position of Lord Treasurer. When Warwick was created Duke of Northumberland
Duke of Northumberland
The Duke of Northumberland is a title in the peerage of Great Britain that has been created several times. Since the third creation in 1766, the title has belonged to the House of Percy , which held the title of Earl of Northumberland from 1377....
in October 1551, Paulet received the Marquessate of Winchester
Marquess of Winchester
Marquess of Winchester is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1551 for the prominent statesman William Paulet, 1st Earl of Wiltshire. He had already been created Baron St John in 1539 and Earl of Wiltshire in 1550, also in the Peerage of England...
. Six weeks later, he served as Lord High Steward
Lord High Steward
The position of Lord High Steward of England is the first of the Great Officers of State. The office has generally remained vacant since 1421, except at coronations and during the trials of peers in the House of Lords, when the Lord High Steward presides. In general, but not invariably, the Lord...
in the Duke of Somerset's trial.
It was said that Northumberland and Winchester "ruled the court" of the minor King 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...
. 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...
affirmed him in all of his positions. After her death, he remained Lord Treasurer and many of his other positions, and even at an advanced age (in 1559, he was over seventy years old), he showed no signs of declining—he was Speaker of the House of Lords in 1559 and 1566. He remained in good standing with the English monarchs—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...
once joked, "for, by my troth, if my lord treasurer were but a young man, I could find it in my heart to have him for a husband before any man in England." Late in life, he opposed any military support of Continental Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
, as he feared it would cause a breach with strongly Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
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...
.
Paulet enjoyed a remarkably long career during the English Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
. Starting out as a Catholic, he was quickly persuaded to see things Henry's way once the breach with Rome had been decided on. He was rewarded with former Church properties following the dissolution of the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
. Under Edward VI he became an evangelical Protestant and persecuted Roman Catholics and Henrician Conservatives alike. On the accession of the Catholic Mary he announced his reconversion and commenced persecuting his former Protestant co-religionists, even denouncing Bishop Bonner for "laxity in prosecuting the heretics." On Elizabeth's succession, he once again shifted his sails and became an advocate of middle road Anglicanism. All in all, he professed five changes in religious course. Once, when asked how he managed to survive so many storms, not only unhurt, but rising all the while, Paulet answered: "By being a willow, not an oak."