John Husee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Husee
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Arms of Husee (or Hussey): Barry of six ermine and gules
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| Died | November 1548 Calais |
| Father | John Husee |
| Mother | Elizabeth Holt |
John Husee (died November 1548) was a busy merchant from London. He worked as the main business helper in England for Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle. Lord Lisle was away serving as the Governor of Calais, a city in France that was controlled by England at the time.
John Husee wrote many letters to Lord and Lady Lisle between 1533 and 1540. These letters are very important because they tell us a lot about life in Tudor times. When Lord Lisle was arrested in 1540, his letters were taken by the government. Today, 515 of Husee's letters are kept safe at the National Archives. These letters were later published in a large collection called "The Lisle Letters".
Who Was John Husee?
John Husee was the son of another John Husee, who was also a merchant from Southampton. His mother was Elizabeth Holt. Not much else is known about his family, except that he had a brother who lived in London.
John Husee Senior's Life
John Husee's father mainly traded in wine. In 1500, he and other merchants in Southampton faced accusations about how they handled customs. But this didn't stop his career for long. He became the Sheriff of Southampton in 1511–12.
Soon after, he moved to London. In 1516, he joined the Worshipful Company of Vintners, which was a group for wine merchants. He quickly became a junior leader in the company. By 1525, he was elected as one of the Chamberlains of the City of London, which was an important financial role. In 1528, he became the Master of the Vintners. He was still alive in 1539, but we don't know what happened to him after that.
The Husee Hearse-Cloth
The Vintners Company still owns a beautiful embroidered cloth called a hearse-cloth. John Husee senior gave it to them in 1539. A hearse-cloth is a special cover used for coffins of important members during funerals. This one was used until 1931.
The cloth is made of gold and purple fabric. It shows scenes from the Bible, along with vines and the family symbols (called arms) of Husee and the Vintners Company. It also features St. Martin, who is the patron saint of vintners. He is shown sharing his cloak with a beggar and giving help to a disabled person. Along the sides, there are images of Death as a skeleton holding a coffin. The Husee family symbols on the cloth are Barry of six ermine and gules. These are the same symbols used by an old Husee family from Sussex that lived there in the 1100s.
John Husee's Career
John Husee started his career in 1520 as an apprentice to his father. An apprentice learns a trade from a skilled person. In 1527, he became a full member of the Vintners Company. That same year, he received special permission from the King to join the group of Governor of Calais, Sir Robert Wingfield.
In 1533, Husee began working for Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle. Lord Lisle was the new Lord Deputy of Calais. He was an illegitimate son of King Edward IV and a close friend of Henry VIII. John Husee quickly became Lord Lisle's most important helper. He was very skilled and loyal.
Husee would carry letters between Calais and England. He also kept Lord Lisle updated on what was happening with the King and government. He spent a lot of time in England, especially in the 1530s, helping Lord Lisle with his legal matters. Husee was very good at dealing with important people. He even gave Lord Lisle advice on how to talk to King Henry VIII, who seemed to like Husee.
John Husee also did everyday tasks for Lord Lisle and his family. He looked after Lady Lisle's children when they were in England. He found good servants and bought things for the family in London.
For his hard work, Husee received a job in the Calais army. By 1535, this job paid him 8 pence a day. In 1536, the King gave him a special job for life: 'searcher of the lordships of Marke and Oye'. These places were within the Pale of Calais, which was the area around Calais controlled by England. This new job gave him an extra 8 pence a day.
Being the Lord Deputy was very expensive for Lord Lisle. He wanted to give up the job and return to England. Husee often spoke to Thomas Cromwell, a powerful minister, to get money for Lord Lisle's expenses. He also tried to get permission for the Lisle family to go home. However, Cromwell only agreed after Lord Lisle gave him his manor (a large estate) of Painswick in Gloucestershire. Lord Lisle gave the manor to Cromwell in 1539.
John Husee's work for the Lisles ended when Lord Lisle was arrested on May 19, 1540. Lord Lisle was accused of serious disloyalty. He spent the next two years in the Tower of London. Even after Lord Lisle's difficult situation, Husee kept his job in the Calais army. In 1544, he took part in the English attack on Boulogne.
We don't know much about John Husee's personal life. There is no information that he ever married. He passed away in Calais in November 1548.
The many letters written by John Husee and others to the Lisles are now kept at the National Archives. They were published as "The Lisle Letters" in 1981. Husee is described as the most detailed writer in this collection. His letters are a joy to read. He was completely loyal to the Lisles, acting as a friend and a very wise helper in the challenging world of the Tudor court.
