Armagil Waad facts for kids

Armagil Waad (also known as Armigill Wade) was an important English government official, born around 1511. He worked as a chief clerk for the Privy Council, which was a group of advisors to the King or Queen. He was also a member of Parliament, helping to make laws for England.

Early Life and Education

Armagil Waad was likely born in a place called Kilnsey in Yorkshire, England. His mother's family name was Comyn. When many monasteries (religious communities) were closed down, Kilnsey was given to a powerful man named Sir Richard Gresham. It's thought that Gresham might have helped Waad get his start in the royal court.

Waad went to Magdalen College, Oxford, a famous university, and earned his first degree in 1532. After that, he probably studied law at one of the Inns of Court, like Middle Temple or Gray's Inn, which were places where lawyers were trained. He even built a special room at Gray's Inn that his family members used for many years.

Armagil Waad's Career

Exploring New Lands

In 1536, Armagil Waad joined an exciting journey to North America with a man named Richard Hore. They sailed on a ship called the Minion from Gravesend in England. After about two months, they reached places like Cape Breton Island and Newfoundland. They even saw Funk Island, which was then called Penguin Island.

On their way back home, they sailed north and saw huge icebergs, even though it was summer! They arrived back in England in St Ives, Cornwall around October. It's believed that Waad wrote about this trip, but his account has never been found. Some people later called him "the English Columbus" because of this voyage, suggesting he was the first English explorer of America. However, this isn't quite right, as many other English sailors had been to America before him, including those with Sebastian Cabot.

Working for the Government

After his journey, Waad started working for King Henry VIII, possibly as a messenger. In 1540, he became a clerk for the King's council in Calais, a town in France that was then controlled by England.

By 1547, he became the third clerk of the Privy Council in London. This was a very important job, as he helped the King's closest advisors. He didn't always get a regular salary at first, but he was paid for special tasks, like catching a Frenchman who tried to escape. He was also elected as a member of Parliament for Chipping Wycombe.

Waad quickly moved up the ranks. By 1551, he was the chief clerk of the Privy Council. In this role, he handled communications with ambassadors from France and Spain. He also had other important duties, like making a list of goods for a bishop named Cuthbert Tunstall and investigating accusations against important people.

However, when Queen Mary became queen in 1553, Waad lost his job and his seat in Parliament. He also complained that he lost a job in customs (collecting taxes on goods) without being paid for it. But in 1554, he was given land in Milton Grange, Bedfordshire. He also bought land in Kentish Town and Lydd, and later rented Belsize Park in Hampstead, which became his home.

When Queen Elizabeth I came to power, Waad didn't get his old job back right away. But in 1559, he was sent as an ambassador (a representative of his country) to the Duke of Holstein (a region in Germany). His job was to help English merchants trade more easily, find out about the Duke's relationships with nearby cities, and offer England's help to the Duke. He also discussed supporting the Augsburg Confession, a religious agreement.

In 1562, he helped gather 600 men for military service in Havre, France, and collected information about French groups and whether the Huguenots (French Protestants) wanted English help. Later, in 1566, he was involved in questioning an alchemist (someone who tried to turn metals into gold) who had failed to make gold for the queen.

Family and Later Life

Armagil Waad passed away at his home in Belsize on June 20, 1568. He was buried in Hampstead church. His son, Sir William Waad, put up a special monument with a long message to remember him. Sadly, the church was rebuilt later, so the monument is no longer there.

Waad was married twice. His first wife was Alice Patten, who was the sister of William Patten, a historian. His second wife was Anne Marbury. According to the message on his monument, Armagil Waad had 20 children with his two wives, but 14 of them died before him. All of his children who survived were from his first marriage. His oldest surviving son was Sir William Waad, who also became an important figure.

Armagil Waad was also good at speaking Spanish.

Armagil Waad's Writings

Besides the notes about his travels that are believed to be his, Armagil Waad also wrote:

• The Distresses of the Commonwealth, with the Means to remedy them: This was a detailed paper about problems in England and how to fix them. It is kept in the national archives.
• Decastichon de receptione ducis Somerset a Londinensibus: A short poem printed in 1548.
• Carmen in obitum Suffolciensium fratrum: A poem printed in a collection of verses about the deaths of the Dukes of Suffolk in 1551.