Christopher Heydon facts for kids

Sir Christopher Heydon (born 14 August 1561 – died 1 January 1623) was an English soldier, a member of Parliament, and a writer who studied astrology. He was known for his strong beliefs and for a disagreement with his family about their land in Norfolk.

Who Was Sir Christopher Heydon?

The Heydon family lived at Baconsthorpe Castle in Norfolk.

Christopher Heydon was born in Surrey, England. He was the oldest son of Sir William Heydon and Anne Woodhouse. His family was very important in Norfolk and owned many estates, including Baconsthorpe Castle. This was a large country house in North Norfolk.

His Education and Travels

Christopher Heydon went to Gresham's School in Holt, Norfolk. Later, he studied at Peterhouse, Cambridge University. There, he became friends with Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, who was also young at the time. After finishing his studies in 1579, Christopher traveled a lot across Europe.

Family Challenges and Land Disputes

Christopher's father, Sir William, faced many financial problems. He even had to use Baconsthorpe Castle as a guarantee for money he owed. In 1590, Sir William tried to sell a lot of his family's land. However, Christopher disagreed because the land was meant to be passed down to him.

Sir William then threatened to destroy Baconsthorpe Castle. But Christopher got an order from the Privy Council (a group of advisors to the Queen). They said his father's plan was wrong. This disagreement went on for years. When Sir William died in 1594, he left his property to his wife. Christopher then took legal action against his own mother.

His mother, Lady Heydon, asked Queen Elizabeth for help. The Queen ordered the Lord Keeper to settle the dispute. In the end, Christopher inherited a lot of debt from his father. He also had his own debts, which were very large amounts of money for that time.

Sir Christopher's Public Life

Serving in Parliament

In 1586, when he was still young, Christopher Heydon tried to become a Member of Parliament for the Norfolk county area. He lost the first election. However, the Privy Council of England ordered a new vote, and Christopher won that one. The House of Commons then questioned if the council had the right to get involved in elections. So, the second election was canceled. Christopher ran for Parliament again in 1588 and won.

Other Public Roles

From 1586, he worked as a Justice of the Peace, helping to keep law and order. In the 1590s, he also helped organize soldiers.

In 1596, he joined the Earl of Essex and took part in the capture of Cádiz in Spain. For his actions there, he was made a knight.

In 1600, Christopher Heydon wanted to have a duel with Sir John Townshend. But the Privy Council stopped them.

Later Challenges

After his father passed away, Christopher had to use Baconsthorpe Castle as a guarantee for more money. In 1601, he and his brother John were involved in a political uprising led by the Earl of Essex. Christopher led some of the rebels through Ludgate in London. This event marked the end of his public career.

Christopher went into hiding and wrote to Sir Robert Cecil, offering to pay a fine. Cecil helped him get a pardon. Christopher was held in the Fleet Prison for a time but was eventually pardoned. His financial situation became very difficult. By 1614, he had to use the rest of his family's land as a guarantee for money.

A Writer on Astrology

Sir Christopher Heydon was well-known for supporting astrology. This was the belief that the positions of stars and planets affect human events.

His Famous Book

His most famous book was A Defence of Judiciall Astrologie (published in 1603). This was the most important English book of its time that defended astrology. It was written to argue against a book by John Chamber called A Treatise Against Judiciall Astrologie (1601). Chamber's book had even asked Parliament to make astrology illegal. Heydon argued that astrology was a real science and that it fit with Christian beliefs. He used ideas from famous thinkers like Tycho Brahe.

Help from a Friend

When writing his book, Heydon got help from Reverend William Bredon. Bredon was a clergyman and also an astrologer. He was Heydon's chaplain at the time.

Other Writings

Heydon also wrote another book called An Astrological Discourse with Mathematical Demonstrations (around 1608). This book further defended astrology, using ideas from Kepler. It also included a short description of when Saturn and Jupiter appeared close together in 1603. This book was not published during Heydon's lifetime. It was later edited and published in 1650, with help from Elias Ashmole and a foreword by William Lilly.

Heydon's high social standing made his work on astrology seem more important. Few people challenged his ideas directly.

Future Predictions

Sir Christopher Heydon also made detailed predictions for the years 1608 and 1609, but these were never published.

His Predictions for Europe

Heydon's predictions about European politics showed his strong Protestant beliefs. He believed that Spain would lose its lands in the Americas. He also predicted that the Austrian Habsburg family would lose power in 1623 and Rome in 1646. He thought this would lead to the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of "Christ's kingdom" around 1682. He remained a strong supporter of Protestantism throughout his life.

An Interest in Astronomy

Sir Christopher Heydon was also very interested in astronomy. He was a close friend of the mathematician Henry Briggs and the astronomer John Bainbridge. He would lend them tools for observing the sky, send them papers about astronomy, and invite them to stay at Baconsthorpe. He wrote a paper about a comet that appeared in 1618. He also described his own observations of the sky using tools made by his friend Edward Wright.

His Family Life

Sir Christopher Heydon married twice. His first wife was Mirabel Rivet, but she died young at age twenty-two. Christopher built a large and fancy tomb for her in Saxlingham. It was covered with special symbols that he explained in a book that is now lost. The second son from this marriage was Sir John Heydon, who became an officer in the royal army.

Christopher's second wife was Anne Dodge, who was a widow. They married around 1599. She passed away in 1642.

Sources

• Carleton, George, Astrogomanych : The madnesse of astrologers! : with an examination of Sir Christopher Heydons book, intitvled A defence of judiciall astrologie [1624]
• Saunders, Richard, Apollo Anglicanus, the English Apollo: assisting all persons in the right understanding of this years revolution, as also of things past, present, and to come. With necessary tables plain and useful. A twofold kalendar, viz. Julian or English, Gregorian or foreign computations, more plain and full than any other, ... Being the third after bissextile or leap-year. To which is added short notes upon every day throughout the year, shewing (in a general way) good and bad days therein; also a modest vindication of the art of astrology, and a justification of the practise thereof, contracted into the tops of the twelve right-hand pages of the kalendar, from Sir Christopher Heydon's Defence by Richard Saunders, Student in the physical-coelestial sciences