Edward Wotton, 1st Baron Wotton facts for kids
Edward Wotton, 1st Baron Wotton (1548–1626) was an important English diplomat and government official. He held several key positions during his career. From 1612 to 1613, he was a Lord of the Treasury, helping manage the country's money. He also served as Treasurer of the Household from 1616 to 1618, overseeing the royal household's finances. Additionally, he was the Lord Lieutenant of Kent from 1604 until 1620, responsible for local administration and defense in the county.
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Edward Wotton's Early Life and Education
Edward Wotton was born in 1548. He was the oldest son of Thomas Wotton and his first wife, Elizabeth. Elizabeth's father, Sir John Rudston, had been the Lord Mayor of London in 1528.
Edward did not attend an English university. Instead, he studied for many years in other European countries. In 1579, Bernardino de Mendoza, the Spanish ambassador, noted that Wotton had spent several years in Naples, Italy. Mendoza described him as "a man of great learning and knowledge of languages." Edward was very good at French, Italian, and Spanish.
A Scottish diplomat named James Melville of Halhill shared an interesting story about Edward's early career. Edward's great-uncle, Dr. Nicholas Wotton, was an ambassador for Mary I of England in France. During peace talks, Dr. Wotton faced accusations that English soldiers were helping the Spanish army.
To learn more, Dr. Nicholas Wotton sent for young Edward from England. Edward was about 19 years old at the time. He traveled to the French court secretly, pretending to be a simple countryman. He wanted to learn French and Italian. According to Melville, Edward met with a French official and talked about political problems in England. He even spoke of a plan to give Calais to France.
The French official was suspicious of Edward. Melville later told the official that Edward was Dr. Nicholas Wotton's great-nephew. It turned out Dr. Nicholas had sent Edward to gather information. Edward stayed in France for a while, now openly known as the ambassador's relative.
Edward Wotton's Diplomatic Career
Edward Wotton began his diplomatic work early, often assigned tasks by Francis Walsingham, a powerful government official. From 1574 to 1576, he worked as a secretary at the English embassy in Vienna. Later, in May 1579, Wotton was sent to congratulate Henry, the new king of Portugal. On his way back, he met with Philip II of Spain.
In 1584, Wotton became a Member of Parliament for Kent.
Missions to Scotland
In May 1585, Edward Wotton traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland. His goal was to weaken the influence of James Stewart, Earl of Arran, who was very powerful at the time. There was a plague in Edinburgh, so Wotton joined King James VI at Falkland Palace in the countryside. Wotton offered King James a regular payment of 20,000 crowns from England.
In May 1586, Queen Elizabeth was worried about political changes in France and the Netherlands. She chose Wotton to go to Scotland again. His mission was to convince James VI to form an alliance with England. He also suggested that James marry either Anne of Denmark or Arabella Stewart.
Wotton arrived in Edinburgh on May 30th and was welcomed by King James VI. Edward was skilled in many activities that King James enjoyed. He quickly gained a strong influence over the young king.
At first, Wotton's mission seemed very successful. King James agreed to the alliance. In June, the Scottish Parliament also approved the plan. However, things became complicated. Some Scottish exiles, supported by English forces, raided Scotland. Even though Queen Elizabeth ordered their arrest, King James suspected England was involved.
Also, James Stewart, Earl of Arran still had great power over the king. Arran was strongly supported by the French. Another problem arose with the death of Lord Russell. Arran was suspected of being involved. Wotton demanded Arran's arrest and trial in England. But King James only held Arran briefly in St Andrews Castle, and Arran soon regained his power.
Wotton's position became difficult. In August, Arran's ally, Sir William Stewart of Houston, openly insulted Wotton in front of the king. Queen Elizabeth hesitated to fully support her ambassador, fearing a complete break with King James. French influence in Scotland also grew stronger. Wotton realized his mission was failing. He asked to be recalled, and his request was granted on October 11th. Before the official letters arrived, Wotton crossed the border back to England.
Later Career and Roles
After returning from Scotland, Wotton focused on local government in Kent. In 1586, he went to France to explain to Henry III of France the plots against Queen Elizabeth. He showed transcripts of letters related to the Babington Plot.
In 1591, Edward Wotton was knighted. From 1594 to 1595, he served as High Sheriff of Kent. He tried to get other important government jobs, but without success for a while.
In 1599, when there was a fear of a Spanish invasion, he was put in charge of finances for a military camp. In May 1601, he was offered the job of ambassador to France but declined. On December 23, 1602, he became Comptroller of the Household and joined the Privy Council. People noted that he brought new energy to the court.
When King James I came to the throne, he kept Wotton in his position. On March 13, King James made him Baron Wotton of Marley, Kent. In November, he was one of the lords who oversaw the trial of Sir Walter Raleigh.
Wotton served as Lord-Lieutenant of Kent during the early years of James I's reign. In August 1610, he was sent as a special ambassador to France to congratulate Louis XIII of France on becoming king. He brought Isaac Casaubon, a famous scholar, back to England with him.
In June 1612, Wotton was named a commissioner of the treasury. In November 1616, he became Treasurer of the Household. He retired from this role in December 1617, receiving a payment of five thousand pounds. He hoped for a higher noble title as well, but it did not happen. When King Charles I became king, Wotton was removed from the council.
Edward Wotton retired to his home at Boughton Malherbe. He passed away in early 1626. His wife, Lady Margaret Wotton, had an inscription placed on his tomb. It mentioned that both he and she were Catholic. This open statement of their religion was unusual at the time. Lady Wotton was later fined and told to remove the word "Catholic" from the tomb.
Edward Wotton's Role in Literary History
Edward Wotton's half-brother, Sir Henry Wotton, was a well-known poet. But Edward also supported the arts and literature. He was mentioned in the very first line of his friend Sir Philip Sidney's famous work, "The Defense of Poesie" (1595). Sidney wrote about learning horsemanship with Edward Wotton at the Emperor's court.
Edward Wotton also encouraged John Florio to create the first English translation of Michel de Montaigne's "Essais". This important translation was published in 1603. In his introduction, Florio called Edward Wotton his "not-to-be-denied Benefactor," showing his gratitude.
George Chapman, a poet and translator, dedicated a sonnet to Edward Wotton in his 1608 translation of the Illiad. He praised Wotton as "the accomplished Lord Wotton."
Edward Wotton's Family
Edward Wotton had three younger brothers:
- James, who was knighted in 1596.
- John, who died as a young adult.
- A half-brother, Sir Henry Wotton, from his father's second marriage.
Edward Wotton married Hester Puckering on September 1, 1575. She passed away on May 8, 1592. His second wife was Margaret, daughter of Philip Wharton, 3rd Baron Wharton. She lived until 1652.
Edward had children only with his first wife, Hester. They had a son named Thomas and a daughter named Philippa. Philippa married Sir Edmund Bacon.
Thomas became the second Baron Wotton after his father. He was not very healthy and was also Catholic, so he did not take a big part in politics. On June 6, 1608, he married Mary Throckmorton. They had four daughters:
- Katherine, who inherited the family home at Boughton Malherbe. She married three times and was the mother of Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield.
- Hester, who was the third wife of Baptist Noel, third viscount Campden.
- Margaret, who married Sir John Tufton.
- Anne, who married Sir Edward Hales.
Thomas Wotton died at the age of 43 on April 2, 1630. His widow was later fined for moving the church font to make space for his tomb. She was also fined for writing on his tomb that he died a Roman Catholic.
