Thomas Wyatt the Younger facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Thomas Wyatt
Portrait of Thomas Wyatt the Younger circa 1540–42
Born	Thomas Wyatt the younger 1521 Chatham, Kent, England
Died	11 April 1554 (aged 32–33) Tower Hill, London, England
Burial place	St Mary the Virgin and All Saints Churchyard, Boxley, Kent
Occupation	Politician and rebel leader
Spouse(s)	Jane Haute
Children	Francis George Richard Charles Arthur Henry Joyce Ursula Anne Jane
Parent(s)	Sir Thomas Wyatt Elizabeth Brooke

Sir Thomas Wyatt the Younger (born 1521, died 11 April 1554) was an important English politician. He led a famous uprising against Queen Mary I, which is known as "Wyatt's rebellion". Thomas was the son of Sir Thomas Wyatt, a well-known English poet and ambassador.

Wyatt's Family Background

Thomas Wyatt the Younger came from an important family. His father, Sir Thomas Wyatt, was a famous poet. He was the first person to bring the sonnet style of poetry to England.

Thomas's mother was Elizabeth Brooke. Her father was Thomas Brooke, 8th Baron Cobham. The family owned Cobham Hall and Cooling Castle in Kent. Thomas's grandparents were Sir Henry Wyatt and Anne Skinner.

Thomas Wyatt's Early Life

Thomas Wyatt the Younger was the oldest of four boys. He grew up following the Roman Catholic faith. A powerful nobleman, Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, was his godfather. He had a big influence on Thomas's early life.

When Thomas was a teenager, he traveled with his father to Spain. There, he saw the Spanish Inquisition happening. This experience made him dislike the Spanish government. At just sixteen years old, Thomas married Jane Haute.

When his father died in 1542, Thomas inherited Allington Castle and Boxley Abbey in Kent. However, both properties had many debts. His father had also left some property to another child, Francis Wyatt. This reduced Thomas's inheritance. Despite this, Thomas and his half-brother Francis were good friends. Thomas even gave Francis some land.

People described Thomas as a bit wild and quick to act when he was young. In 1543, he got into trouble in London. He was with other young noblemen, including Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. They caused a big public disturbance.

Later that year, Wyatt joined a group of volunteers for the Siege of Landrecies. He became a respected military figure. A soldier named Thomas Churchyard praised his skills. Wyatt also took part in the Siege of Boulogne. He had an important command during this battle.

In 1547, he was chosen to be a Member of Parliament for Kent. In 1550, he was given the job of marking the English border in France. But he became ill and could not do the work. Later, Wyatt said he helped Queen Mary I against the Duke of Northumberland. The Duke had tried to make his daughter-in-law, Lady Jane Grey, queen instead of Mary.

Wyatt's Rebellion Against the Queen

Thomas Wyatt's dislike for the Spanish government grew stronger. This was because of his experiences during the Spanish Inquisition. So, when he heard that Queen Mary planned to marry Philip of Spain, he was very upset. Thomas believed this marriage would harm England.

Wyatt said he did not plan to protest the Queen's marriage at first. But then Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon, approached him. Courtenay also wanted to stop the Queen's plan.

When the Queen's marriage was officially announced on January 15, 1554, Wyatt and his friends met. They gathered at Allington Castle to plan how to resist. After some people involved were arrested, Wyatt became the leader of the rebellion. He then announced his plan in Maidstone. He claimed that "many of the best people in the shire" supported him. He told people to protect "liberty and commonwealth." He said these were threatened by the Queen's decision to marry a foreigner.

Wyatt showed he was a good leader. The French ambassador, Antoine de Noailles, even praised him. Soon, Wyatt was in charge of 1,500 men. He set up his main camp in Rochester on January 26.

Queen Mary soon learned about Wyatt's plan. The Queen offered a pardon to Wyatt's followers. They could go home peacefully within 24 hours. But Thomas Wyatt encouraged his men to stay. He falsely announced that France would soon send help. He also claimed that other uprisings were winning.

Wyatt gained a surprising advantage when the government sent the Duke of Norfolk to face him. The Duke's forces were smaller than Wyatt's. When the Duke met Wyatt, many of the Duke's own men joined the rebellion. This made the Duke flee to Gravesend.

After these events, Wyatt and his 4,000 men marched through Gravesend and Dartford. They reached Blackheath in January 1554. The government took this threat very seriously. To gain time, they offered to hear Wyatt's demands. But this was just a trick. By this point, the monarchy saw Wyatt as a disloyal enemy.

On February 2, 1554, over 20,000 men volunteered to help the Queen. They wanted to defend against Wyatt and his troops. The court and the Tower of London were heavily guarded. A large reward was also offered for Wyatt's capture. Anyone who captured him would receive valuable land.

During the talks, Wyatt demanded that the Tower of London be given to him. He also wanted the Queen to be placed in his care. At first, reformers in London supported him. But these demands made them turn against him.

When Wyatt and his men entered Southwark, they found strong security. London Bridge was heavily guarded. Many of his followers left him because of this. He had to leave Southwark. He then headed towards Kingston-on-Thames. His new plan was to surprise Ludgate and capture the Queen's refuge at St James's Palace.

The government soon found out his new plan. They allowed him to enter the city. But then they trapped him from all sides. After several small fights, Wyatt's followers kept leaving him. He finally gave up. He was arrested and taken to the Tower of London.

On March 15, he was found guilty of high treason. This trial was mostly a formality. His execution was delayed. The government hoped he would blame Mary's half-sister Elizabeth. But he did not say enough to put Elizabeth in danger.

Thomas Wyatt's Execution

On April 11, 1554, the day he was to be executed, Wyatt asked to speak to Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon. This meeting lasted for half an hour. Wyatt knelt before Courtenay. He begged him to "confess the truth," believing Courtenay started the rebellion.

However, when Wyatt was on the scaffold, he confessed his own guilt. He made sure to say that Princess Elizabeth and Courtenay were innocent. After Wyatt was beheaded, his body was further punished as was common for treason. His head was hung from a gallows. It was stolen on April 17. His arms and legs were sent to different towns and also hung up.

He was executed in Kingston upon Thames. About one hundred of his followers were also executed.

Wyatt's Family and Legacy

In 1537, Thomas Wyatt married Jane Haute. She was the daughter of Sir William Haute of Bishopsbourne, Kent. They had six sons: George, Francis, Richard, Charles, Arthur, and Henry. They also had four daughters: Joyce, Ursula, Anne, and Jane.

Three of their children married and had their own families. Anne married Roger Twysden. His grandson, Sir Roger Twysden, later inherited a special manuscript. It was written by Wyatt the Younger's son, George Wyatt. The manuscript was about the life of Anne Boleyn.

Thomas Wyatt's estates were later partly given back to his son, George. George's son, Sir Francis Wyatt (died 1644), became governor of Virginia. He served there from 1621 to 1626 and again from 1639 to 1642.

A part of Allington Castle is still standing today. It is a Grade 1 listed building near Maidstone, by the Medway. A notable great-grandson of Thomas Wyatt was Captain Henry Fleete. He was an explorer and interpreter in Maryland and Virginia.

In Literature

Sir Thomas Wyatt the Younger is a main character in a history play. It is called Sir Thomas Wyatt. The play was published in 1607. It was written by John Webster and Thomas Dekker.