Robert Constable facts for kids

Sir Robert Constable was an important person in England during the time of the Tudors (around 1478 – 1537). He was part of the gentry, which meant he came from a wealthy family that owned land.

In 1497, he helped King Henry VII win a battle against rebels from Cornwall. This battle was called the Battle of Blackheath.

Later, in 1536, a big protest called the Pilgrimage of Grace started in northern England. Sir Robert Constable became one of the leaders of this protest. However, he later gave up and was forgiven by the King.

In 1537, another smaller protest started, but Constable did not join it. Even so, he refused to go to London when King Henry VIII asked him to. Because of this, he was arrested, found guilty of going against the King, and was hanged in Hull in June 1537.

Sir Robert's Family Background

Robert Constable was born in Flamborough, a place in Yorkshire, England. He was the oldest son of Sir Marmaduke Constable and his second wife, Joyce Stafford.

His grandparents on his father's side were Sir Robert Constable and Agnes Wentworth. His mother's uncle, Sir Humphrey Stafford, was executed for being part of a protest against King Henry VII.

Early Life and Important Events

When he was young, Robert Constable tried to arrange a marriage for someone who was under the care of the court.

He was very helpful to King Henry VII during the Cornish Rebellion in 1497. In this rebellion, a leader named Lord Audley marched towards London. King Henry VII's army defeated the rebels at the battle of Blackheath. After this victory, on June 17, 1497, Constable was made a knight by the King. He also fought in the Battle of Flodden later on.

Around 1526, Robert Constable visited Yedingham Priory, a type of religious house. He later helped one of the nuns there, Elizabeth Lutton, leave the priory and marry Thomas Scaseby in 1531. Constable got involved because Elizabeth was a potential heiress, and her marriage helped him with his own land disagreements.

The Pilgrimage of Grace

In 1536, a large protest began in Yorkshire. It was known as the Pilgrimage of Grace. This protest started because King Henry VIII began to close down monasteries, which were religious buildings.

Sir Robert Constable became a main leader of this protest, along with Robert Aske and Lord Darcy. Eventually, Constable and the other leaders gave up and were pardoned by the King.

However, in January 1537, another protest, called Sir Francis Bigod's rebellion, started. Constable tried to keep the area calm and did not join this new protest. After this last uprising ended, King Henry VIII asked Constable and the other leaders to come to London.

Constable refused to go to London. He also moved thirty miles away from his home for safety. Because of this, a powerful minister named Thomas Cromwell ordered the Duke of Norfolk to arrest him.

On March 8, Constable was sent to the Tower of London with Aske and Darcy. They were held there until their trial. The King wanted people in the north to believe they were imprisoned for new acts against the King, not for their past actions.

Constable was found guilty and was sent back to Yorkshire for his execution. He was hanged in chains over Beverley Gate at Hull on July 6, 1537. Because of this, his family lost their lands, including Flamborough and 35 other estates.

Sir Robert's Children

Sir Robert Constable married Jane Ingleby in 1492 in Yorkshire, England. Jane's parents were Sir William Ingleby and Catherine Stillington.

Sir Robert and Jane had several children:

• Sir Marmaduke Constable (born around 1498–1502 – died 1560). He married Elizabeth Darcy, the daughter of Lord Darcy. They had children.
• Catherine Constable (born around 1498 – died 1585). She married Sir Roger Cholmeley. They had children.
• Thomas Constable (born around 1504 – after 1558). He was a Member of Parliament. He married twice and had children with both wives.
• Joyce Constable (born around 1500). She married Rowland Pudsey. They did not have children.
• Anne Constable (born around 1504). She married George Hussey and had three sons and one daughter.
• Jane Constable. She married Thomas Rokeby and had children, including Christopher Rokeby and the judge Ralph Rokeby.

In Stories

Sir Robert Constable is an important character in the book The Man on a Donkey by H. F. M. Prescott.