Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Earl of Southampton
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Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton, miniature by Hans Holbein the Younger
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| Born | 21 December 1505 London |
| Died | 30 July 1550 (aged 44) Lincoln Place, London |
| Noble family | Wriothesley |
| Spouse(s) | Jane Cheney |
| Issue | William Wriothesley Anthony Wriothesley Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton Elizabeth Wriothesley Mary Wriothesley Katherine Wriothesley Anne Wriothesley Mabel Wriothesley |
| Father | William Wriothesley, otherwise Wrythe |
| Mother | Agnes Drayton |
Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton (born December 21, 1505 – died July 30, 1550) was an important English politician. He held many high positions, including Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor. He was known for being very smart and adaptable.
Wriothesley was a loyal helper to King Henry VIII. He helped the King separate the Church of England from the Catholic Church. Because of his service, he was given a lot of land and wealth. This came from the King taking over monasteries, which were religious buildings.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Thomas Wriothesley was born in London on December 21, 1505. His father, William Wriothesley, worked as a herald, which was someone who managed coats of arms and ceremonies. His mother was Agnes Drayton. Thomas had two sisters, Elizabeth and Anne, and a brother, Edward.
He went to St Paul's School, London for his early education. In 1522, when he was 16, he started studying law at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. One of his teachers was Stephen Gardiner, who became a lifelong friend. Even though Thomas didn't finish his degree, he began working at the royal court in 1524. There, he caught the attention of Thomas Cromwell, another powerful figure.
In 1530, Thomas Wriothesley became a joint Clerk of the Signet. This was an important job that involved preparing official documents for the King. He held this role for ten years while also working for Thomas Cromwell.
Working for the King
As a member of the King's staff, Wriothesley helped King Henry VIII with important tasks. One of these was trying to get the King's marriage to Katherine of Aragon ended. He helped gather support from important nobles for this decision.
Wriothesley was at the royal court when a series of protests, called the Pilgrimage of Grace, happened. These protests were against the religious changes the King was making. Wriothesley learned a lot about how the King handled difficult situations during this time.
The King rewarded Wriothesley greatly for his service. He received large areas of land that used to belong to monasteries. These lands were located between Southampton and Winchester. He even turned one of these, Titchfield Abbey, into a grand family home.
In 1539, Wriothesley served as the King's ambassador in Brussels. Later that year, he led the naval escort for Anne of Cleves, who was coming to England to marry the King.
Becoming a Principal Secretary
In 1540, Sir Thomas Wriothesley became one of the King's principal secretaries. This was a very important job, and he shared it with Sir Ralph Sadler. Wriothesley's role focused more on political matters. He was knighted in the same year.
Wriothesley was known for changing his loyalties to gain power. For example, he had worked closely with Thomas Cromwell. However, in 1540, he told the King things that led to Cromwell's downfall. This allowed Wriothesley to take a more prominent place at court.
By 1542, it was said that Wriothesley had a lot of influence in England. He worked to create an alliance between England and Spain. He also supported efforts to stop the spread of certain Protestant ideas, especially those of the Calvinist group.
Becoming Lord Chancellor
In 1544, Wriothesley was appointed Lord Chancellor. This was one of the highest legal positions in England. He was also given the title Baron Wriothesley of Titchfield.
As Lord Chancellor, Wriothesley was involved in the King's efforts to control religious beliefs. He was known for being very strict with people who held different religious views.
Towards the end of King Henry VIII's reign, there was a struggle for power among the King's advisors. Wriothesley was part of a group that wanted to keep more traditional religious practices. However, another group, led by the Earl of Hertford, gained more influence. Wriothesley and Hertford were rivals.
When King Henry VIII died, Wriothesley was one of the people chosen to carry out the King's will.
Under King Edward VI
After King Henry VIII died, his young son, Edward VI, became King. Since Edward was a child, a group called the Regency Council was formed to rule the country. Thomas Wriothesley was a member of this council.
In line with King Henry's wishes, Wriothesley was made Earl of Southampton in February 1547. However, he disagreed with the growing power of the King's uncle, Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, who became Lord Protector. Wriothesley felt that Somerset was taking too much power for himself.
Because of this disagreement and other accusations, Wriothesley was removed from his position as Lord Chancellor in March 1547. He also lost his place on the Privy Council.
Later, he was allowed back onto the Council. He played a role in the eventual fall of the Duke of Somerset. However, Thomas Wriothesley never fully regained his previous power before he died on July 30, 1550. His son, Henry, became the next Earl of Southampton.
Family Life
Thomas Wriothesley married Jane Cheney in 1533. Together, they had three sons and five daughters:
- William Wriothesley (died young)
- Anthony Wriothesley (died young)
- Elizabeth Wriothesley (died 1555), who married Thomas Radcliffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex.
- Mary Wriothesley (died 1561), who married Richard Lyster and then William Shelley.
- Katherine Wriothesley, who married Sir Thomas Cornwallis.
- Anne Wriothesley, who was supposed to marry Sir Henry Wallop but died before.
- Mabel Wriothesley, who married Sir Walter Sandys.
- Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton (1545–1581), who married Mary Browne.
In Books and TV Shows
Thomas Wriothesley has appeared as a character in many historical stories and TV series:
- He was played by Patrick Godfrey in the BBC TV series The Six Wives of Henry VIII.
- He is a character in Hilary Mantel's famous novels about Thomas Cromwell: Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies, and The Mirror & The Light. He is also in the TV show Wolf Hall, where he is played by Joel MacCormack.
- He appears in Margaret George's novel The Autobiography of Henry VIII and C.J. Sansom's novel Lamentation.
- In The Tudors mini-series, he is played by Frank McCusker.
- He is a main character in Anne Stevens' "Tudor Crimes" series of novels.
- He is also an important character in Paul Doherty's The Last of Days.
