Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton
Tomb effigy at Titchfield of Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton, with that of his mother above
Born	24 April 1545
Died	4 October 1581(1581-10-04) (aged 36) Itchell, Hampshire
Noble family	Wriothesley
Spouse(s)	Mary Browne
Issue	Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton Mary Wriothesley
Father	Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton
Mother	Jane Cheney

Arms of the Wriothesley family

Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton (born 24 April 1545 – died 4 October 1581), was an English nobleman. He lived during the time of Queen Elizabeth I and faced challenges because of his Catholic faith in a country that was becoming more Protestant.

Family Life

Henry Wriothesley was born on 24 April 1545. He was the only son of Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton and Jane Cheney. At his christening, he had very important godparents: King Henry VIII, the King's brother-in-law Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, and the King's daughter, Princess Mary. This showed how important his family was.

Henry had two brothers who died when they were young, and five sisters:

• Elizabeth, who married Thomas Radcliffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex.
• Mary, who married Richard Lyster and then William Shelley.
• Katherine, who married Sir Thomas Cornwallis.
• Anne, who died before she could marry Sir Henry Wallop.
• Mabel, who married Sir Walter Sandys.

Life as an Earl

Becoming an Earl

When Henry was born, his father was already an Earl. From 1547 until his father's death in 1550, Henry was known as Lord Wriothesley. When his father died on 30 July 1550, Henry was only five years old. He inherited the title of Earl and became a "royal ward." This meant the King or Queen would look after him and his lands until he was old enough.

Henry's mother, Jane, was a strong Catholic. She raised Henry in the Catholic faith, and he remained Catholic throughout his life. This was a difficult time for Catholics in England, as the country was moving towards Protestantism under Queen Elizabeth I.

Marriage and Home

Mary Browne (1552–1607), Henry's wife

On 19 February 1566, when Henry was twenty, he married thirteen-year-old Mary Browne. She was the daughter of Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montagu.

When Henry turned 21 in 1566, he officially took control of his lands. He owned six large homes and had a lot of money, earning between £2000 and £3000 each year in the 1560s. He lived a very grand life and had many servants.

Political Challenges

Henry's Catholic faith often caused problems with Queen Elizabeth's government. In 1569, he was involved in some political troubles, along with his father-in-law. They even tried to leave England but were stopped by bad weather.

Things became more difficult in May 1570 when the Pope had a serious disagreement with Queen Elizabeth. English Catholics had to choose between their religion and their loyalty to the Queen. Henry met secretly with a religious leader, the Bishop of Ross, in Lambeth. They were caught by the watch. Because of this, Henry was arrested on 18 June 1570 and held in London. He was later moved to Loseley Park, where he was encouraged to follow the Queen's Protestant religion. He was released in November 1570.

A year later, in September 1571, the Bishop of Ross revealed more about their secret meeting. Henry was arrested again in October and held in the Tower of London for 18 months. He was finally released on 1 May 1573.

Family Life and Later Years

On 6 October 1573, Henry was very happy to announce the birth of his son, Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton. For the next six years, Henry's life was more stable. The Queen even gave him some small jobs and showed him favor. He also gained more money when his mother died in 1574. He started building a new large house at Dogmersfield.

However, his relationship with his wife, Mary, became difficult. By 1577, they were not getting along well. In 1580, he made her live separately at one of his estates under close watch.

In August 1581, authorities learned that Henry had been in contact with certain religious figures again.

Henry died on 4 October 1581 at his home in Itchell, near Dogmersfield, Hampshire. He was buried at Titchfield on 30 November. He left behind a large estate.

Marriage and Children

Henry Wriothesley and Mary Browne had one son and two daughters:

• Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton (his only son)
• Jane (who died young)
• Mary (born around 1567 – died 1607), who married Thomas Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour.

After Henry's death, his wife Mary married two more times. She married Sir Thomas Heneage in 1595, and then Sir William Hervey. When Mary died in November 1607, she asked to be buried at Titchfield, "as near as may be unto the body of my honorable and dearlie beloved Lord and husband Henrie late Earle of Southampton."

Images for kids

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  Tomb effigy of Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton

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  Arms of the Wriothesley family

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  Mary Browne, Henry's wife