Thomas Wroth (died 1573) facts for kids

Sir Thomas Wroth (around 1518 – October 9, 1573) was an important English courtier, landowner, and politician. He strongly supported the Protestant Reformation and was a well-known figure among the Marian exiles, who were Protestants who left England when Queen Mary I ruled.

Family Roots

The Wroth family of Enfield in the Tudor era began with John Wroth and Maud Durrant. Both were related to Hugh du Plessis and Muriel de Wrotham. Muriel was an heiress from the family of William de Wrotham, who was in charge of Dover Castle during the time of King John.

Maud's father, Thomas Durrant the younger, built a home called Durrants in Enfield. He also owned lands in Edmonton. John Wroth was a great-grandson of Hugh's youngest son, Richard, who settled in Enfield. The lands and family lines of John and Maud came together through their son, William.

Later, John Wroth, a great-grandson of the first John and Maud, married Elizabeth Lewknor around 1456. Their grandson, Robert Wroth, lived at Durrants in Enfield. He was a lawyer and married Jane Hawte. Robert Wroth helped investigate Thomas Wolsey's belongings in 1529. From 1531, he was a lawyer for the Duchy of Lancaster. He was also a Member of Parliament for Middlesex during the Reformation Parliament (1529–1535). Robert and Jane had four sons, including Thomas, and two daughters.

Young Life and Marriage

Robert Wroth became friends with Thomas Cromwell, a powerful advisor to King Henry VIII. For two years before he died in 1536, Robert shared the job of managing Westminster Abbey with Cromwell.

Thomas Wroth, Robert's oldest son, went to St. John's College, Cambridge. In 1536, he became a "ward of the king," meaning the king was his legal guardian. He then studied law at Gray's Inn. On October 4, 1536, King Henry VIII gave Cromwell the right to arrange Thomas's marriage. In 1539, Cromwell sold this right to Sir Richard Rich for a large sum of money. Sir Richard then arranged for Thomas to marry his third daughter, Mary.

Thomas Wroth officially took control of his family lands on April 24, 1540. In the next two years, Sir Richard Rich helped Thomas get more lands. These included the manors of Highbury and Enfield, and Beymondhall at Cheshunt. These lands had belonged to monasteries that were closed down.

In the King's Favor

On December 18, 1544, Thomas Wroth was chosen to represent Middlesex in Parliament. The next year, possibly with help from Thomas Cranmer, he became a special assistant to Prince Edward. He continued in this role when Edward became King Edward VI. Thomas was made a knight at the King's coronation on February 22, 1547. He was one of the young king's favorite people.

In September 1547, he was sent to Scotland to congratulate Lord Protector Somerset on his victory at the Battle of Pinkie. In July 1548, Thomas was one of the people who gave evidence against Bishop Stephen Gardiner. Thomas likely represented Middlesex in Parliament from 1547 to 1552. After Somerset lost power, Thomas Wroth was appointed one of the four main gentlemen of the privy chamber on October 15, 1549. He was paid double his usual salary to ensure his loyalty to the Earl of Warwick. He also shared the role of lieutenant of Waltham Forest from 1549.

Thomas Wroth received many valuable lands and titles from the King. In December 1549 and July 1550, he was given the Great and Little Parks of Great Bardfield, and the manors of Chigwell and West Hatch in Essex. He also received the manors of Northall and Downebarnes (Northolt, Middlesex) and Hampstead in April 1550. On April 14, 1551, he was made Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex along with William Paget. He received more lands in Somerset, Essex, and Berkshire in 1551 and 1552. On November 29, 1551, he was present at a religious discussion held at William Cecil's house.

In 1550, Sir Thomas asked King Edward to make him the chief forester of several royal forests in Somerset, including Exmoor and Selwood. He explained that he was a descendant of William de Wrotham, who had been a forester in the past. In October 1551, he was given special permission for his servants to hunt animals and fish with crossbows or handguns.

When Somerset lost power for the second time, Wroth received even more land. On January 22, 1552, the day Somerset was executed, Wroth was sent to Sion House to check on the Duke's family. On June 7, he was given a 21-year lease of Sion House. He later gave this up, believing the King wanted to use it for charity. He also received the manor of Basettes Fee and St Leonard's Forest in Sussex. In 1552 and 1553, he was a commissioner for the lord-lieutenancy of Middlesex. In February 1553, he was again a Member of Parliament for Middlesex in Edward's last parliament. He was not a member of the King's main council, but he was on committees that dealt with laws and royal debts.

He also invested in early trading voyages. He was an investor in the 1552 voyage to Morocco, led by Thomas Wyndham. He also invested in the first voyages of Sir Hugh Willoughby and Richard Chancellor, who were looking for a northern sea route to Asia. His name is on the list of founders of the Company of Merchant Adventurers to New Lands in 1555, even though he was living in exile at the time.

Life in Exile (1554–1558)

Thomas Wroth was very close to King Edward VI until July 1553. It is said that the King died in his arms. Edward VI gave Wroth the right to pass his lands to his wife and heirs in his will. Wroth signed the King's document that tried to make Lady Jane Grey queen. However, he did not openly take part in Northumberland's attempt to put Lady Jane Grey on the throne.

He was sent to the Tower of London on July 27, but was soon released. In January 1554, when Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk was planning another uprising, Lord John Grey met with Wroth and urged him to join. People suspected Wroth because he was related to Jane Haute, who was married to Thomas Wyatt the Younger, a leader of the rebellion. Although his arrest was suggested, Wroth managed to escape to Europe.

Wroth traveled with Sir John Cheke and arrived in Padua, Italy, in July 1554. Many other English exiles were there, including Sir Henry Neville and Sir Anthony Cooke. In October 1554, Wroth, Cheke, and Cooke traveled to Mantua and Ferrara, returning to Padua in November. The next August, Wroth and Cheke joined the Hoby party in Caldero to avoid the plague. They traveled north through Rovereto, Innsbruck, and Munich to Augsburg, arriving on August 28, 1555. After this, the Hobys went to Frankfurt, but Wroth and Cheke went to Strasbourg and stayed there. In May 1556, John Cheke and Sir Peter Carew were captured in Flanders and sent to the Tower of London.

In spring 1556, Wroth's brother-in-law, Edward Lewknor, became involved in a plot against Queen Mary. On June 6, Lewknor was arrested and sent to the Tower. The next day, Queen Mary ordered William Paget to summon nine leading exiles, including Sir Thomas Wroth, back to England immediately. They were to appear before the King and Queen and their council by the end of October. John Brett was sent with this order. However, Wroth, who was in Strasbourg, avoided the message and stayed there. Lewknor died in the Tower in September 1556.

Wroth's brother Oliver had been with some of the plotters in England. When they were arrested, Oliver fled to France. In Paris in November 1556, he gave information to Queen Mary's ambassador, Dr. Nicholas Wotton, about French plans to use Henry Dudley to turn English soldiers against England. Oliver wanted a royal pardon and permission to return home. Wotton sent him to Sir William Petre in England, explaining that Dudley's men were trying to kill Oliver.

Thomas Wroth sent greetings to John Calvin in November 1556. He renewed his residency in Strasbourg on September 1, 1557, stating he could not return to England for religious reasons. He was said to be very helpful to other English Protestants living there, especially Bartholomew Traheron, a former Dean of Chichester. Traheron dedicated a book of his lectures to Sir Thomas and Lady Wroth, calling them "exiles for Christ's cause." Other exiles in Strasbourg included John Bale. Lawrence Humphrey, an English theologian, dedicated his book On Translation to Wroth. François Hotman, who was involved in the Amboise conspiracy, dedicated a book to Wroth as well. Both books were published in 1559.

Return to England

After Lewknor's death, Queen Mary herself returned some lands to his widow. As soon as Elizabeth became Queen, Wroth and Cooke returned to England. Wroth left one of his sons in Hotman's care. On December 29, 1558, he was elected a Member of Parliament for Middlesex again. He also sought to confirm his lifetime position in Waltham Forest, which had been given to someone else during his exile. Lewknor's heir, Edward Lewknor, and his siblings had their rights restored in March 1559.

On August 21, 1559, Wroth was appointed a commissioner to visit the dioceses of Ely and Norwich. In June 1562, he was named a special commissioner to advise the Lord Deputy of Ireland, Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex, on governing Ireland. He was also asked to help resolve a dispute between Sussex and his colleague John Parker. He seems to have gone to Dublin in February 1564 and was recalled in August at his own request. Bishop Brady praised Wroth's hard work. In 1569, he was a commissioner for military preparations in Middlesex and for the lord-lieutenancy of London. He helped investigate the Papal Bull Regnans in Excelsis against Queen Elizabeth in 1570. He was also involved in the cases of John Felton and John Story. On September 1, 1571, he was sent to make a list of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk's belongings.

In May 1573, Wroth personally claimed unpaid money from an annuity of £20. This was for his appointment by King Henry VIII as a special assistant to Prince Edward. He had never received any of this money. It was decided that he should be paid for all the years he had served, as he had not failed in his duties. The court ruled in his favor.

Wroth wrote his long will on October 5, 1573, and added a small change on October 9. He died on October 9, 1573. His wife, Mary, lived longer than him. His executors had to work to get the unpaid money from his annuity.

John Ludham, a vicar, dedicated his book The Course of Christianity (1579) to Lady Mary Wroth, Sir Thomas's widow.

Family Life

Thomas Wroth and Mary Rich, daughter of Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich, had several children:

• Sir Robert Wroth (around 1540–1606) married Susan Stonard. They had at least four sons. Their eldest son, Robert Wroth, married Mary Sidney. Their second son, John, inherited the Durrants estate in Enfield.
• Richard Wroth (alive in 1573).
• Thomas Wroth, who studied law in November 1564. He lived at Blendon Hall, Bexley, Kent, and died there in 1610. He married Joan Bulman. They had children, including Sir Thomas Wroth (1584–1672) and Sir Peter Wroth.
• Edward Wroth (alive in 1573).
• John Wroth (alive in 1573).
• Gerson Wroth, born in Germany, became an English citizen in 1559 (alive in 1573).
• Peter Wroth (alive in 1573).

And daughters:

• Mabell Wroth (1542–1579) married Edward Aucher in 1560. After he died in 1568, she married Richard Hardres. Mabell's tomb shows she died in August 1579.
• Judith Wroth married Robert Burgoyne.
• Wynefred Wroth married Thomas Goddard.
• Elizabeth Wroth (died 1613) married George Mynne. After he died, she married Nicholas Boteler.
• Anne Wroth (died around 1623) married Thomas Shurley or Shirley.
• Marie Wroth (died around 1647) married John Hussey. They had many children.
• Frances Wroth married Castell Carleton.

Some records also mention daughters named Joan, Faith, and Margery. Margery married Izack Hill and later Thomas Wyatt.

Family Symbol

The Wroth family symbol, or heraldry, is described as 'Argent, on a bend sable three lions' heads erased of the field crowned or'. This symbol can be seen on Mabell Hardres's tomb.