Thomas Underhill facts for kids

Thomas Underhill (1545–1591) was an important person in the household of Queen Elizabeth I. He worked as the Keeper of the Wardrobe at Kenilworth Castle. This meant he was in charge of all the valuable items and clothes inside the castle. He took on this role after Queen Elizabeth I gave the castle to her close friend, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, in 1563.

Thomas Underhill was born in 1545 in Greenwich, England. His father was Sir Hugh Underhill. Thomas followed in his family's footsteps. His father-in-law, Thomas Maynman, also worked as a Keeper of the Wardrobe at the Palace of Placentia. Thomas Underhill took over this job from Maynman in 1563.

Life at Kenilworth Castle

Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, chose Thomas Underhill for the job at Kenilworth Castle. Queen Elizabeth I had given this castle to Dudley. The fact that Thomas Underhill, whose father was well-known in the Queen's household, was sent to Kenilworth shows how much the Queen trusted both Dudley and Underhill.

During his time at Kenilworth, Thomas Underhill saw many changes to the castle. The north entrance was made into the main entrance to suit Queen Elizabeth's visits. A large new building called the Leicester building was also added. This building had apartments and homes overlooking the lake.

Queen Elizabeth visited Dudley at Kenilworth Castle several times. She came in 1566, 1568, and 1575. The visit in 1575 was very famous. Queen Elizabeth brought hundreds of people with her. They were entertained for 19 days! It is said that this visit cost Dudley a huge amount of money, almost making him go broke.

Thomas Underhill married Magdalen Amyas in 1570. They had one son, John Edward Underhill, who was born in 1574 at Kenilworth.

Notable Family Members

Thomas Underhill's family had many interesting descendants.

John Edward Underhill

John Edward Underhill (1574–1608) was Thomas Underhill's son. Even though he was born in England, he became part of a group of Puritans who moved to The Netherlands. He died and was buried there.

Captain John Underhill

Captain John Underhill was a great-grandson of Hugh Underhill. He moved from England to The Netherlands with his family. Later, he moved again to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America. He became a very important leader in early Colonial America.

Myron Charles Taylor

Myron Charles Taylor was a leading businessman in America. He was also a key diplomat who helped with many important world events before, during, and after World War II. He was an eighth-generation descendant of Captain John Underhill.

Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart was a famous American pilot and writer. She is well-known for her mysterious disappearance while flying.

Sources

• Bulletin of the Underhill Society of America Education and Publishing Fund, 1967
• Boyer, Carl, Ancestral Lines: 144 Families in England, Germany, New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, 1975