William Thomas (scholar)
Encyclopedia
William Thomas probably a Welshman, was an Italian scholar and clerk of the council to Edward VI
, who was executed for treason after the death of Edward.
from Ludlow
, 27 January 1533–54, on certain extortions in Radnorshire and the Welsh marches.
suggests) for his religious opinions. He spent the next five years abroad, chiefly in Italy
, and is mentioned in 1545 as being commissioned to pay some money to Sir Anthony Browne
in Venice
. In February 1546–47, when the news of the death of Henry VIII
reached Italy, Thomas was at Bologna
, where, in the course of a discussion with some Italian gentlemen, he defended the personal character and public policy of the deceased king. He subsequently drew up a narrative of the discussion, and an Italian version was issued abroad in 1552. There is a copy in the British Library bearing the title, II Pellegrino Inglese ne'l quale si defende l' innocente & la sincera vita de'l pio & religioso re d' Inghilterra Henrico ottauo. He also wrote, but did not publish, an English version, to which he added a dedication to Pietro Aretino
, the Italian poet, and a copy of this, possibly in Thomas's own writing, is preserved among the Cottonian MSS. at the British Museum. Thomas's work is specially valuable as representing the popular view of the character of Henry VIII current in England at the time of his death. It is not free from mistakes, but, according to Froude, it 'has the accuracies and the inaccuracies' which might be naturally expected 'in any account of a series of intricate events given by memory without the assistance of documents'.
From Bologna Thomas appears to have gone to Padua
, whence on 3 February 1548–49 he forwarded to his 'verie good friende Maister [John] Tamwoorth at Venice' an Italian primer which he had undertaken at his request. This Tamworth showed to Sir Walter Mildmay
, who, approving of it, 'caused it to be put in printe', under the title of Principal Rules of the Italian Grammer, with a Dictionarie for the better understandynge of Boccace, Petrarcha, and Dante, gathered into this tongue by William Thomas. It was printed by Berthelet in 1550, subsequent editions being brought out by H. Wykes in 1560 and 1567, and by T. Powell in 1562. This was the first work of its kind in English.
During the summer of 1549 Thomas appears to have returned to England 'highly fam'd for his travels through France and Italy', and bringing home with him another work, the result of his Italian studies, which was also published by Berthelet under the title, The Historie of Italie ... (1549). This work was dedicated, under the date of 20 September 1549, to Lord Lisle
, then Earl of Warwick
. It is said to have been 'suppressed and publicly burnt', probably after Thomas's execution, but it was twice reprinted by Thomas Marshe, in 1561 and (with cuts) in 1562.
. Possibly a portion of the register of the council for the next year is in his autograph. The new clerk had 'his fortunes to make', and, though not a spiritual person, he 'greedily affected a certain good prebend of St. Paul's', which, doubtless at his instigation, the council on 23 June 1550 agreed to settle on him. Ridley
, who had intended this preferment for his chaplain Grindal, stigmatised Thomas as 'an ungodly man', and resisted the grant, but without success; for when the prebend fell vacant, it was conveyed to the king, 'for the furnishing of his stables', and its emoluments granted to Thomas. This 'unreasonable piece of covetousness' was, in John Strype
's opinion, 'the greatest blur sticking upon' Thomas's character.
Among many other grants which Thomas received was that of the tolls of Presteign, Builth, and 'Elvael' in Radnorshire on 27 December 1551, and the parsonage of Presteign with the patronage of the vicarage on 26 October 1552. These were in addition to a sum of £248 previously given him 'by waie of rewarde', 7 January 1550–51. In April 1551 he was appointed member of the embassy which, with the Marquis of Northampton at its head, proceeded in June to the French king
, to negotiate the marriage of Princess Elizabeth of France to Edward
. To cover his expenses, he was granted imprests amounting to £300; and on 26 June he was despatched to England with letters to the council asking for further instructions, with which he probably returned to France.
While clerk of the council Thomas became a sort of political instructor to the young king, who appears to have narrowly watched the proceedings of his council, and, without the knowledge of its members, sought Thomas's opinion on their policy and on the principles of government generally. The nature of this teaching may be gathered from a series of eighty-five questions drawn by Thomas for the king, and still preserved, along with a prefatory letter, in his own writing at the British Museum; they were printed in Strype's Ecclesiastical Memorials. Another autograph manuscript in the same collection contains six political discourses confidentially written for the king. These were published in their entirety, while that treating of foreign affairs was summarised by Burnet, and printed by Froude. Some further commonplaces of state drawn up by Thomas for the king's use are also printed in Strype. Froude suggests that Thomas's teaching, if not his hand, is also perceptible in the king's journal. He also dedicated to the king as 'a poore newe yeres gift', probably in January 1550–51, an English translation from the Italian of Josaphat Barbaro's account of his voyages to the east, which had been first published in Venice in 1543. With an introduction by Lord Stanley of Alderley, Thomas's translation was published by the Hakluyt Society
in a volume of Travels to Tana and Persia (London, 1873). Thomas's manuscript is still preserved at the British Library.
, Thomas lost all his preferments, including his employment at court, because 'he had (it is said) imbibed the principles of Christopher Goodman
against the regimen of women, and too freely vented them'. He attached himself to the ultra-Protestant party, and according to Bale designed the murder of Bishop Gardiner
, but of this there is no evidence. He took an active part in Sir Thomas Wyatt's
conspiracy. On 27 December 1553 he left London for Ottery Mohun in Devon
shire, the residence of Sir Peter Carew
, who was the leader of the disaffected in the west; but when Carew failed to raise the west, Thomas on 2 February 1553–54 fled, going 'from county to county, in disguise, not knowing where to conceal himself; and yet he did not desist from sending seditious bills and letters to his friends declaring his treasonable intentions, in order that he might induce them to join him in his treasons'. Probably his intention was to escape to Wales
, but he went no further than Gloucestershire
, with which county he had some previous connection. He was arrested, and on 20 February he was committed to the Tower
along with Sir Nicholas Throckmorton
. Conscious 'that he should suffer a shameful death', he attempted on the 26th to commit suicide 'by thrusting a knife into his body under his paps, but the wound did not prove mortal'. He was put on the rack with the view of extracting some statement implicating the Princess Elizabeth
, and it was probably to prevent this that he attempted suicide. The chief evidence against him, apart from his sojourn at Sir Peter Carew's house, was the confession of a fellow conspirator, Sir Nicholas Arnold
, who alleged that on the announcement of the proposed marriage between Mary and Philip II of Spain
, Thomas 'put various arguments against such marriage in writing', and finally on 22 December suggested that the difficulty might be solved by asking one John Fitzwilliams to kill the queen. This 'devyse' was communicated to Sir Thomas Wyatt, who, when suing for pardon during his own trial, said that he had indignantly repudiated it. Throckmorton, however, when his own trial came on, traversed the allegations of Arnold, who (he said) sought 'to discharge himself if he could so transfer the devise to William Thomas'. In support of his statement he asked that the court should examine Fitzwilliams, who was prepared to give evidence, but was denied audience, at the request of the attorney-general. When, however, Thomas's own trial came on at the Guildhall
on 8 May, he was found guilty of treason
; and, on the 18th, was drawn upon a sled to Tyburn
, where he was hanged, beheaded, and quartered
, making 'a right godly end', saying at his death that 'he died for his country'. On the following day his head was set on London Bridge
'and iii. quarters set over Crepullgate ', whereabouts he had perhaps previously lived.
In a private act of parliament, passed on the accession of Elizabeth, Thomas's name was included among those whose heirs and children were restored in blood after their attainder, but it is not known whether he was married or had a family.
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...
, who was executed for treason after the death of Edward.
Early years
Thomas was by birth or extraction a Welshman, being probably a native of Radnorshire. He was presumably educated at Oxford, where a person of both his names was admitted bachelor of the canon law on 2 December 1529. He may also have been the William Thomas who, along with two other commissioners, inquired into and reported to CromwellOliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
from Ludlow
Ludlow
Ludlow is a market town in Shropshire, England close to the Welsh border and in the Welsh Marches. It lies within a bend of the River Teme, on its eastern bank, forming an area of and centred on a small hill. Atop this hill is the site of Ludlow Castle and the market place...
, 27 January 1533–54, on certain extortions in Radnorshire and the Welsh marches.
Early work
In 1544 he was, according to his own account, 'constrained by misfortune to abandon the place of his nativity', perhaps (as FroudeJames 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,...
suggests) for his religious opinions. He spent the next five years abroad, chiefly in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and is mentioned in 1545 as being commissioned to pay some money to Sir Anthony Browne
Sir Anthony Browne (d.1548)
Sir Anthony Browne was an English courtier and Knight of the Shire.He was the son of Sir Anthony Browne, Standard Bearer of England and Governor of Queenborough Castle, by his wife Lucy Nevill, daughter of John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu and widow of Sir Thomas Fitzwilliam...
in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. In February 1546–47, when the news of the death of 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...
reached Italy, Thomas was at Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, where, in the course of a discussion with some Italian gentlemen, he defended the personal character and public policy of the deceased king. He subsequently drew up a narrative of the discussion, and an Italian version was issued abroad in 1552. There is a copy in the British Library bearing the title, II Pellegrino Inglese ne'l quale si defende l' innocente & la sincera vita de'l pio & religioso re d' Inghilterra Henrico ottauo. He also wrote, but did not publish, an English version, to which he added a dedication to Pietro Aretino
Pietro Aretino
Pietro Aretino was an Italian author, playwright, poet and satirist who wielded immense influence on contemporary art and politics and invented modern literate pornography.- Life :...
, the Italian poet, and a copy of this, possibly in Thomas's own writing, is preserved among the Cottonian MSS. at the British Museum. Thomas's work is specially valuable as representing the popular view of the character of Henry VIII current in England at the time of his death. It is not free from mistakes, but, according to Froude, it 'has the accuracies and the inaccuracies' which might be naturally expected 'in any account of a series of intricate events given by memory without the assistance of documents'.
From Bologna Thomas appears to have gone to Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
, whence on 3 February 1548–49 he forwarded to his 'verie good friende Maister [John] Tamwoorth at Venice' an Italian primer which he had undertaken at his request. This Tamworth showed to Sir Walter Mildmay
Walter Mildmay
Sir Walter Mildmay was an English statesman who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer of England under Queen Elizabeth I, and was founder of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.-Early life:...
, who, approving of it, 'caused it to be put in printe', under the title of Principal Rules of the Italian Grammer, with a Dictionarie for the better understandynge of Boccace, Petrarcha, and Dante, gathered into this tongue by William Thomas. It was printed by Berthelet in 1550, subsequent editions being brought out by H. Wykes in 1560 and 1567, and by T. Powell in 1562. This was the first work of its kind in English.
During the summer of 1549 Thomas appears to have returned to England 'highly fam'd for his travels through France and Italy', and bringing home with him another work, the result of his Italian studies, which was also published by Berthelet under the title, The Historie of Italie ... (1549). This work was dedicated, under the date of 20 September 1549, to Lord Lisle
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...
, then Earl of Warwick
Earl of Warwick
Earl of Warwick is a title that has been created four times in British history and is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the British Isles.-1088 creation:...
. It is said to have been 'suppressed and publicly burnt', probably after Thomas's execution, but it was twice reprinted by Thomas Marshe, in 1561 and (with cuts) in 1562.
Appointments to Edward VI
On 19 April 1550, partly owing to his knowledge of modern languages, but chiefly perhaps for his defence of the late king, Thomas was appointed one of the clerks of the privy council, and was sworn in on the same day at GreenwichGreenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
. Possibly a portion of the register of the council for the next year is in his autograph. The new clerk had 'his fortunes to make', and, though not a spiritual person, he 'greedily affected a certain good prebend of St. Paul's', which, doubtless at his instigation, the council on 23 June 1550 agreed to settle on him. Ridley
Nicholas Ridley (martyr)
Nicholas Ridley was an English Bishop of London. Ridley was burned at the stake, as one of the Oxford Martyrs, during the Marian Persecutions, for his teachings and his support of Lady Jane Grey...
, who had intended this preferment for his chaplain Grindal, stigmatised Thomas as 'an ungodly man', and resisted the grant, but without success; for when the prebend fell vacant, it was conveyed to the king, 'for the furnishing of his stables', and its emoluments granted to Thomas. This 'unreasonable piece of covetousness' was, in John Strype
John Strype
John Strype was an English historian and biographer. He was a cousin of Robert Knox, a famous sailor.Born in Houndsditch, London, he was the son of John Strype, or van Stryp, a member of a Huguenot family whom, in order to escape religious persecution within Brabant, had settled in East London...
's opinion, 'the greatest blur sticking upon' Thomas's character.
Among many other grants which Thomas received was that of the tolls of Presteign, Builth, and 'Elvael' in Radnorshire on 27 December 1551, and the parsonage of Presteign with the patronage of the vicarage on 26 October 1552. These were in addition to a sum of £248 previously given him 'by waie of rewarde', 7 January 1550–51. In April 1551 he was appointed member of the embassy which, with the Marquis of Northampton at its head, proceeded in June to the French king
Henry II of France
Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,...
, to negotiate the marriage of Princess Elizabeth of France to Edward
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...
. To cover his expenses, he was granted imprests amounting to £300; and on 26 June he was despatched to England with letters to the council asking for further instructions, with which he probably returned to France.
While clerk of the council Thomas became a sort of political instructor to the young king, who appears to have narrowly watched the proceedings of his council, and, without the knowledge of its members, sought Thomas's opinion on their policy and on the principles of government generally. The nature of this teaching may be gathered from a series of eighty-five questions drawn by Thomas for the king, and still preserved, along with a prefatory letter, in his own writing at the British Museum; they were printed in Strype's Ecclesiastical Memorials. Another autograph manuscript in the same collection contains six political discourses confidentially written for the king. These were published in their entirety, while that treating of foreign affairs was summarised by Burnet, and printed by Froude. Some further commonplaces of state drawn up by Thomas for the king's use are also printed in Strype. Froude suggests that Thomas's teaching, if not his hand, is also perceptible in the king's journal. He also dedicated to the king as 'a poore newe yeres gift', probably in January 1550–51, an English translation from the Italian of Josaphat Barbaro's account of his voyages to the east, which had been first published in Venice in 1543. With an introduction by Lord Stanley of Alderley, Thomas's translation was published by the Hakluyt Society
Hakluyt Society
Founded in 1846, the Hakluyt Society is a registered charity based in London, England, which seeks to advance knowledge and education by the publication of scholarly editions of primary records of voyages, travels and other geographical material...
in a volume of Travels to Tana and Persia (London, 1873). Thomas's manuscript is still preserved at the British Library.
Charges of treason
Influential as was Thomas's position at court, it was not free from danger, and, realising this, he vainly asked to be sent on government business to Venice. On the accession of MaryMary 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...
, Thomas lost all his preferments, including his employment at court, because 'he had (it is said) imbibed the principles of Christopher Goodman
Christopher Goodman
Christopher Goodman BD was an English reforming clergyman and writer. He was a Marian exile, who left England to escape persecution during the counter-reformation in the reign of Queen Mary I of England. He was the author of a work on limits to obedience to rulers, and a contributor to the Geneva...
against the regimen of women, and too freely vented them'. He attached himself to the ultra-Protestant party, and according to Bale designed the murder of Bishop Gardiner
Stephen Gardiner
Stephen Gardiner was an English Roman Catholic bishop and politician during the English Reformation period who served as Lord Chancellor during the reign of Queen Mary I of England.-Early life:...
, but of this there is no evidence. He took an active part in Sir Thomas Wyatt's
Thomas Wyatt the younger
Sir Thomas Wyatt the younger was a rebel leader during the reign of Queen Mary I of England; his rising is traditionally called "Wyatt's rebellion".-Birth and career:...
conspiracy. On 27 December 1553 he left London for Ottery Mohun in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
shire, the residence of Sir Peter Carew
Peter Carew
Sir Peter Carew was an English adventurer, who served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth of England and took part in the Tudor conquest of Ireland.He is to be distinguished from another Sir Peter Carew Sir Peter Carew (1514? – 27 November 1575) was an English adventurer, who served during the...
, who was the leader of the disaffected in the west; but when Carew failed to raise the west, Thomas on 2 February 1553–54 fled, going 'from county to county, in disguise, not knowing where to conceal himself; and yet he did not desist from sending seditious bills and letters to his friends declaring his treasonable intentions, in order that he might induce them to join him in his treasons'. Probably his intention was to escape to Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, but he went no further than Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, with which county he had some previous connection. He was arrested, and on 20 February he was committed to the Tower
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...
along with Sir Nicholas Throckmorton
Nicholas Throckmorton
Sir Nicholas Throckmorton was an English diplomat and politician, who was an ambassador to France and played a key role in the relationship between Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots.-Early years:...
. Conscious 'that he should suffer a shameful death', he attempted on the 26th to commit suicide 'by thrusting a knife into his body under his paps, but the wound did not prove mortal'. He was put on the rack with the view of extracting some statement implicating the Princess 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...
, and it was probably to prevent this that he attempted suicide. The chief evidence against him, apart from his sojourn at Sir Peter Carew's house, was the confession of a fellow conspirator, Sir Nicholas Arnold
Nicholas Arnold
-Life:He was the son of John Arnold, Lord of the manor of Highnam and Over, and his wife Isabel Hawkins.In 1530 he entered the service of Thomas Cromwell and assisted him in the Dissolution of the Monasteries...
, who alleged that on the announcement of the proposed marriage between Mary and Philip II 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....
, Thomas 'put various arguments against such marriage in writing', and finally on 22 December suggested that the difficulty might be solved by asking one John Fitzwilliams to kill the queen. This 'devyse' was communicated to Sir Thomas Wyatt, who, when suing for pardon during his own trial, said that he had indignantly repudiated it. Throckmorton, however, when his own trial came on, traversed the allegations of Arnold, who (he said) sought 'to discharge himself if he could so transfer the devise to William Thomas'. In support of his statement he asked that the court should examine Fitzwilliams, who was prepared to give evidence, but was denied audience, at the request of the attorney-general. When, however, Thomas's own trial came on at the Guildhall
Guildhall, London
The Guildhall is a building in the City of London, off Gresham and Basinghall streets, in the wards of Bassishaw and Cheap. It has been used as a town hall for several hundred years, and is still the ceremonial and administrative centre of the City of London and its Corporation...
on 8 May, he was found guilty of 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...
; and, on the 18th, was drawn upon a sled to Tyburn
Tyburn, London
Tyburn was a village in the county of Middlesex close to the current location of Marble Arch in present-day London. It took its name from the Tyburn or Teo Bourne 'boundary stream', a tributary of the River Thames which is now completely covered over between its source and its outfall into the...
, where he was hanged, beheaded, and quartered
Hanged, drawn and quartered
To be hanged, drawn and quartered was from 1351 a penalty in England for men convicted of high treason, although the ritual was first recorded during the reigns of King Henry III and his successor, Edward I...
, making 'a right godly end', saying at his death that 'he died for his country'. On the following day his head was set on 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 iii. quarters set over Crepullgate ', whereabouts he had perhaps previously lived.
In a private act of parliament, passed on the accession of Elizabeth, Thomas's name was included among those whose heirs and children were restored in blood after their attainder, but it is not known whether he was married or had a family.