Thomas Fiennes, 8th Baron Dacre facts for kids

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Baron Dacre
Coat of arms
Predecessor	Joan de Dacre, 7th Baroness Dacre
Successor	Thomas Fiennes, 9th Baron Dacre
Born	Thomas Fiennes 1472 Herstmonceux Castle, Sussex, England
Died	9 September 1534 (aged 61–62)
Buried	All Saints Church, Herstmonceux
Noble family	Fiennes
Spouse(s)	Anne Bourchier
Issue	Sir Thomas Fiennes John Fiennes Thomas Fiennes Mary Fiennes
Father	Sir John Fiennes
Mother	Alice FitzHugh

Thomas Fiennes, 8th Baron Dacre (born 1472 – died 9 September 1534) was an important English noble and a soldier. He was the son of Sir John Fiennes.

Early Life and Family

Thomas Fiennes was born in 1472 at Herstmonceux Castle in Sussex, England. His father was Sir John Fiennes, and his mother was Alice FitzHugh. Through his mother, Thomas was a cousin to Catherine Parr, who later became a queen of England. He also had a sister named Anne.

In 1486, when he was about 14 years old, Thomas became the 8th Baron Dacre. He inherited this important title after his grandmother, Joan Dacre, passed away. She was the Baroness Dacre in her own right, meaning she held the title herself, not through her husband.

Thomas Fiennes was also known as the Baron Dacre of the South. This was because his family's main home, Herstmonceux Castle, was located in the southern county of Sussex.

A Life of Service

Thomas Fiennes had an active career serving England. In 1493, he was given the important job of Constable of Calais. Calais was a French port city that was controlled by England at the time. The Constable was in charge of the castle and the English forces there.

In 1494, he was honored as a Knight of the Bath. This was a special award given to important people by the king. Three years later, in 1497, he fought in the Battle of Blackheath. In this battle, he helped the English army defeat a group of rebels from Cornwall.

Marriage and Children

Around 1492, Thomas Fiennes married Anne Bourchier. She was the daughter of Sir Humphrey Bourchier and Elizabeth Tilney. Thomas and Anne had four children together:

• Sir Thomas Fiennes (died 1528)
• John Fiennes (born 1497)
• Thomas Fiennes
• Mary Fiennes (1495–1531)

Sir Thomas Fiennes, their eldest son, married Jane Sutton in 1514. They had a son named Thomas Fiennes, 9th Baron Dacre, who would later inherit the title. Mary Fiennes, their daughter, married Henry Norris and had children with him.

Later Years and Legacy

Thomas Fiennes, the 8th Baron Dacre, passed away on 9 September 1534, at the age of 62. Since his sons had passed away before him, his eldest grandson, Thomas Fiennes, became the 9th Baron Dacre.

Thomas Fiennes and his son, Sir Thomas Fiennes, have a tomb at All Saints Church, Herstmonceux. This tomb is known as the Dacre Tomb. It is believed that parts of this monument, like the statues, might have originally been made for an older noble family, the Hoo family, and were later reused for the Dacres.

Gallery

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  Herstmonceux Castle, the family home of the Barons Dacre of the South

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  All Saints Church, Herstmonceux

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  Tomb of Thomas Fiennes, 8th Lord Dacre (1472–1534) and his son, Sir Thomas Fiennes (d. 1528)

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  Tomb of Lord Dacre and his son, All Saints, Herstmonceux

Sources