Sir Henry Willoughby (1451-1528) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Henry Willoughby
Knight of the Body to Henry VII, Henry VIII Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Warwickshire, Master-General of the Ordnance
Richard Bugge de Wiluby arms.
Born	1451 Wollaton, England
Died	11 May 1528(1528-05-11) (aged 76–77) Middleton, Warwickshire, England
Buried	St Leonard's Church
Spouse(s)	Margaret Markham (m. 1470) Lady Elizabeth Burgh (m. 1491) Ellen Egerton (m. 1512) Alice Walleys or Walters
Father	Robert Willoughby (d. 1474)
Mother	Margaret Griffith (d. 1491)

Sir Henry Willoughby (1451 – 11 May 1528) was an important person in England during the time of Kings Henry VII and Henry VIII. He held several key roles, including being a trusted advisor and military leader for the kings. He was also in charge of weapons and supplies for the army.

Sir Henry Willoughby's Early Life and Family

Willoughby residence at Middleton Estate

Henry Willoughby was born in 1451 in a place called Wollaton in Nottinghamshire, England. He was the oldest son of Robert Willoughby and Margaret Griffith. His family was well-known and had lived in the area for a long time.

His family's name, Willoughby, came from an even older family called Bugge. They were wealthy merchants who bought land in the 1200s. Over time, they became very important people in the region.

Henry's great-great-grandfather, Sir Richard de Willoughby, was knighted by King Edward II in 1325. This Sir Richard was a very rich lawyer. Another ancestor, also named Richard de Willoughby, was a judge for many years during the reign of King Edward III.

Henry inherited large estates in Wollaton and Middleton. It took him some time to fully own these lands because other family members had rights to live there. His family's wealth came partly from coal mines in Wollaton, which he worked hard to develop.

Sir Henry Willoughby's Important Roles

The Field of the Cloth of Gold, a painting from around 1545. Sir Henry might be the person looking over the Queen.

Sir Henry Willoughby was a trusted helper to King Richard III. Later, he became a special assistant, called a Knight of the Body, to both King Henry VII and King Henry VIII. This meant he was close to the king and served him directly.

He was knighted by King Henry VII in 1487 after the Battle of Stoke Field. A knight is a person given a special honor by the king for their bravery and service. Sir Henry also served in wars in Flanders in 1489 and Brittany in 1491. He helped defend London during the Cornish rebellion in 1497.

In 1512, he became the Master-General of the Ordnance for King Henry VIII. This was a very important job where he was in charge of all the cannons, weapons, and military supplies for the army. He even gathered over 800 men to fight in Spain. He also fought in the Battle of the Spurs in 1513.

In 1520, Sir Henry attended a famous meeting called the Field of the Cloth of Gold. This was a grand event where King Henry VIII met the King of France. Sir Henry was there with Queen Catherine of Aragon.

Because of his wealth and influence, especially from the coal mines, Sir Henry was very powerful in the central part of England. He became a Justice of the peace in Nottinghamshire in 1492 and held this role for the rest of his life. He also served as a Sheriff in three different counties: Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, and Warwickshire. A sheriff was a chief law enforcement officer in a county.

Sir Henry Willoughby was buried in St Leonard's Church in Wollaton. His tomb there has statues of him and his wives.

Sir Henry Willoughby's Family

Sir Henry Willoughby was married four times and had many children.

His first wife was Margaret Markham, whom he married around 1470. They had several children:

• Sir John (died 1549), who married Anne Grey.
• Edward (died 1541), who had a son named Henry.
  • Henry (died 1549) married Anne Grey and had children, including:
    • Thomas (died 1559)
    • Francis (1547 – 1596)
    • Margaret, who married Sir Matthew Arundell.
• Jane, who married Sir Guiscard Harbottle. They had:
  • Eleanor (died 1567), who married Sir Thomas Percy.
  • Mary (born around 1507 – died 1556)
  • George Harbottle Esq. (born around 1516 – died around 1538)
• Dorothy (died around 1507), who married Sir Anthony Fitzherbert.
• Margaret, who married Sir John Zouche. They had:
  • George Zouche (born around 1498 – died 1557)
  • Richard, William, Henry, Mary, and Elizabeth Zouche.

His second wife was Lady Elizabeth Burgh, whom he married in 1491. She died in 1507.

His third wife was Ellen Egerton, whom he married by 1512. They had:

• Sir Hugh (died 1553), who became a famous explorer known as "the Navigator." He married Jane Strelley.
• Alice, who married Richard Draycott in 1523. They had children named Henry, Edmund, George, Philip, Anne, and Mary Draycott.

His last wife was Alice Walleys or Walters.