Thomas Shirley facts for kids
Sir Thomas Shirley (1564 – c. 1634) was an English soldier, adventurer, and politician. He served in the English Parliament at different times between 1584 and 1622. He faced money problems, which led him to become a privateer. This exciting but risky path ended with him being captured by the Turks and later put in the Tower of London.
Contents
Family Life
Thomas Shirley was the oldest son of Sir Thomas Shirley of Wiston House, Sussex. His mother was Anne Kempe. He had two younger brothers, Sir Anthony Shirley and Sir Robert Shirley. Both of his brothers also became famous adventurers.
His Career and Adventures
Early Life and Parliament
Thomas Shirley went to Hart Hall, Oxford in 1579, but he left before finishing his degree. In 1584, he was chosen to be a Member of Parliament (MP) for Steyning. He joined his father and brother in military service in the Low Countries in 1585. Later, he also served in Ireland. He was made a knight in Ireland in 1589.
Shirley later came to the royal court. In 1591, he secretly married one of Queen Elizabeth's maids of honor. When the Queen found out, she sent him to Marshalsea Prison. He stayed there until 1592. In 1593, he was elected MP for Steyning again. That same year, he served as a captain in the Low Countries once more.
Becoming a Privateer
Shirley started to have serious money problems because of his father's growing debts. To earn a living, he decided to become a privateer. A privateer was like a legal pirate, allowed by the government to attack enemy ships.
In 1598, he sailed into the English Channel and captured four ships from Lübeck. These ships were thought to be carrying Spanish goods. He might have even used the Queen's ship Foresight for some of his attacks in 1599. The costs of these trips were high, but the rewards could be huge. For example, one ship he captured was carrying sugar worth £4,700!
However, privateering also brought trouble. In 1600, he was taken to court for seizing a ship from Hamburg. This ship had cargo belonging to Dutch merchants. He also faced problems from people he owed money to. In 1601, he was elected MP for both Bramber and Hastings, choosing to represent Hastings. In 1602, he continued his privateering adventures, even raiding small villages in Portugal.
Captured by the Turks
At the end of 1602, Shirley prepared two ships for a bigger adventure. He planned to travel to the Levant (the eastern Mediterranean region) to strike against the Ottoman Empire. The Duke of Tuscany in Florence supported his plan.
However, he made a risky move on the island of Kea on January 15, 1603, and was captured by the Turks. He was moved to Negropont and then, on July 25, 1603, he was taken as a prisoner to Constantinople.
When news of his capture reached England, King James I asked the Sultan's government to release him. The English ambassador worked hard to help him. Finally, Shirley was released on December 6, 1605, after a large sum of money was paid to his captors. He then went to Naples and returned to England at the end of 1606.
Later Challenges
In September 1607, Shirley was put in the Tower of London. He was accused of illegally interfering with the trade of the Levant Company. People said he tried to move trade from Constantinople to Venice and Florence. In 1611, he was imprisoned again, this time for being unable to pay his debts.
His father's death the next year and his second marriage made his money problems even worse. Wiston House, his family home, was in ruins and had to be sold. Despite these difficulties, he was elected MP for Steyning again in 1614 and 1621.
It is believed that Shirley later moved to the Isle of Wight and died there around 1630.
Family and Children
Shirley married twice. His first wife was Frances Vavasour. They had three sons and four daughters. One of his sons, Henry Shirley, became a writer. His only other surviving son from this marriage, Thomas Shirley, became a knight in 1645.
Shirley's second wife was Judith Taylor, a widow. They married in 1617 and had five sons and six daughters.
See also
