Thomas Fisher (MP) facts for kids

Thomas Fisher, also known as Hawkins, was an important English politician who lived a long time ago. He died in 1577. He was known for gaining a lot of land and for his work with powerful people in England.

Thomas Fisher's Early Life

Thomas Fisher came from humble beginnings. His father was a fishmonger in Warwick, which is why Thomas was often called Fisher. He was very talented, and this caught the attention of a powerful man named John Dudley.

Dudley hired Fisher to manage his lands. On May 4, 1542, Fisher became the chief manager and officer for Dudley's estate in Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicestershire. For this job, he received a yearly payment for life, which was even confirmed later by Queen Mary I. Fisher also became one of the two representatives for Warwick in the English Parliament.

Gaining Land and Building Homes

During a time when many monasteries were being closed down, Thomas Fisher managed to acquire a lot of land that used to belong to churches and monasteries.

In 1546, he bought the land where St Sepulchre's Priory, Warwick once stood in Warwick. He then tore down the old monastery and built a large house there. This house was called Hawkyns-nest, or Hawks-nest, and also "the Priory." Today, this area is known as Priory Park.

In 1547, he also acquired land in Bishop's Itchington, Warwickshire, from the church. He removed the old village of Nether Itchington and tore down its church. He then built a large manor house on that spot. He even changed the name of the village to Fisher's Itchington.

Working for the Duke of Somerset

Thomas Fisher became a very important person in Warwick. He worked as a secretary for the Duke of Somerset, who was the Protector of England at the time. This meant Somerset was in charge of the country while the young King Edward VI was growing up.

There's a story that Fisher was a leader in the English army during the battle of Pinkie in Scotland on September 10, 1547.

In June 1548, the Duke of Somerset sent Fisher on an important mission to Scotland. He was to deliver instructions to military leaders like Francis Talbot, 5th Earl of Shrewsbury and William Grey, 13th Baron Grey de Wilton. These instructions were about defending Haddington and planning other army movements in Scotland.

Fisher also had to meet with Sir John Luttrell and Patrick Gray, 4th Lord Gray to figure out how to communicate with Archibald Campbell, 4th Earl of Argyll for peace talks. He was also told to trust certain Scottish allies and reward Lord Gray with gifts. Fisher sent a report back to Somerset and William Cecil on July 30, telling them what he had achieved.

In March 1549, Fisher was appointed with John Luttrell to talk with Scottish nobles. Their goal was to arrange for Mary, Queen of Scots to return from France and to help with a plan for her marriage. On September 17, 1549, Fisher wrote a letter to William Cecil from Innerwick. He complained about the English army leaving Haddington and mentioned that his eyes and legs were swollen from an illness.

In 1552, Fisher was given the job of managing the town of Banbury, Oxfordshire. He also became the person who collected the king's money in that area and was put in charge of Banbury Castle.

Life Under Queen Mary I

There was a rumor that the Duke of Northumberland, before he was executed, gave a large sum of money to Fisher to hide. This money was supposedly hidden in a pool in Bishop's Itchington. After the Duke was executed in 1553, Queen Mary I ordered Fisher to be questioned about the money. He refused to give it up.

Fisher continued to serve in Parliament. He represented Warwick in the second Parliament of Queen Mary in 1554. He also served in the first (1554), second (1555), and third (1557-58) Parliaments during the joint reign of Queen Mary and King Philip.

Life Under Queen Elizabeth I

In 1571, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, held a special ceremony at the collegiate church of Warwick. The town's officials and citizens were invited to join the Earl at the Priory, where he was staying as Fisher's guest for about a week. From there, they all went in a grand parade to the church. After the ceremony, William Parr, marquis of Northampton suddenly passed away at the Priory.

The next year, Queen Elizabeth I made a surprise visit to the Priory. This happened on Saturday night, August 17, as she was returning to Warwick from Kenilworth. She had eaten dinner with Fisher's son, Edward, at his house in Itchington the Monday before. After having supper with Mrs. Fisher and her guests, the Queen went to visit Thomas Fisher, who was suffering from gout. He promised her that he would be well enough to ride on horseback when she traveled again. He then joined the Queen on her return to Kenilworth and rode with Lord Burghley.

Thomas Fisher's Death

Thomas Fisher passed away on January 12, 1577. He was buried in St Mary's Church in Warwick. His tomb had statues of himself and his first wife, Winifred. Sadly, this tomb was likely destroyed in a big fire in 1694.

Sometimes, Thomas Fisher is confused with another person named John Fisher, who wrote a book called the 'Black Book of Warwick.' The writer was probably John Fisher, who was an officer in Warwick in 1565.

Thomas Fisher's Family

Thomas Fisher married Katherine, who was the daughter of Sir Richard Longe. They had several children: Thomas, John, Dorothy, and Katherine.

His oldest son and heir, Edward Fisher, was thirty years old when his father died. Edward inherited a large amount of money and land, but he quickly spent it all. He also got into financial trouble when he sold the Priory and its lands to a lawyer named John Puckering in 1581. Edward was deeply in debt and ended up being sent to the Fleet Prison, where he spent the rest of his life.