William Petre facts for kids
Sir William Petre (born around 1505 – died 1572) was a very important government official in England. He served as Secretary of State for three different kings and queens: King Henry VIII, King Edward VI, and Queen Mary I. He also helped out the Secretary of State for Queen Elizabeth I.
William Petre studied law at the University of Oxford. He became a public servant, possibly with help from the Boleyn family. He had even tutored George Boleyn, whose sister was Queen Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII's second wife. William quickly became important in the king's service and was made a knight in 1543.
Sir William Petre was very good at handling the big religious changes happening at the time. In 1544, he became Secretary of State. He helped guide the country through the difficult end of Henry VIII's reign and ensured a smooth transfer of power in 1547. He held high positions under four rulers. Eventually, because of poor health, he retired as a very rich man. He moved to his home, Ingatestone Hall, in Essex, which he had built. His son, John Petre, 1st Baron Petre, later became a lord. Many of the later Petre family members were Roman Catholics.
A famous musician named William Byrd even wrote two pieces of music, a Pavan and a Galliard, for Sir William Petre. These were published in a music book called Parthenia.
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Early Life and Family
William Petre was born around 1505 or 1506. He was the oldest son of John Petre of Tor Newton in Torbryan, Devon. His mother was Alice Colling. The Petre family had lived in Tor Newton since at least the time of King Richard II (1377–1399). William's father, John Petre, worked as a tanner. His grandfathers were small landowners.
William had several brothers:
- John Petre (died 1571), who collected taxes at the ports of Dartmouth and Exeter. He was also a Member of Parliament for Dartmouth in 1554.
- Richard Petre, who was an Archdeacon in Buckingham.
- Robert Petre, who was an auditor for the government's money. His memorial is still in Ingatestone Church, Essex.
Education and Early Career
In 1519, William Petre started studying law at the University of Oxford. He is thought to have been a student at Exeter College, which he later helped financially. In 1523, he became a Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. He worked as a lawyer in Oxford in 1527 and 1528.
William was very skilled in both Roman (administrative) law and church law. Around 1527, he became the head of a student hall called Vine Hall. He also became a tutor to George Boleyn. George was the son of a powerful earl and the brother of Anne Boleyn, who became Queen.
It was probably through Anne Boleyn's influence that William Petre met Thomas Cromwell, a very powerful minister to King Henry VIII. Anne Boleyn sent William gifts and promised him help. This led to William being introduced at court and chosen for government work. He spent more than four years living abroad, mostly in France. When he returned, he became a clerk in the Chancery court.
In 1534, William Petre helped question Anne Husee. She was accused of calling Henry VIII's daughter Mary "Princess" when Mary was no longer officially recognized as one. Anne Husee asked for forgiveness to avoid serious trouble.
By 1535, William was highly favored by important figures like Thomas Cranmer and Thomas Cromwell. Cromwell even suggested making Petre a dean, saying "there being no man more fit for it."
A Rising Star in Government
In 1536, William Petre was appointed to help Cromwell, who was in charge of the church for the King. Petre visited many monasteries in Kent and other southern counties, helping to close them down. In the same year, he became a Master in Chancery. He was also put on a committee to review all official papers from Rome.
On June 16, 1536, Petre made a new claim to lead the church meetings. He argued that since the King was the head of the church, Cromwell was the King's deputy, and he was Cromwell's deputy, he should lead. After some discussion, his claim was accepted. In 1537, he helped question prisoners from the Lincolnshire and Yorkshire rebellions.
William was very active in closing down smaller monasteries. He was one of the most enthusiastic visitors. In 1538, he visited and helped close about twenty monasteries. In the first three months of 1539, he helped close thirteen more. He played a big part in almost completely ending the Gilbertine Order, which was the only religious order started in England. A few years later, he visited larger monasteries in Kent and the South of England.
Secretary to King Henry VIII
In 1539, Petre was chosen to help create a law called 'The Six Articles'. The next year, he was on the committee that said King Henry's marriage to Anne of Cleves was not valid. In early 1543, he was made a knight and became Secretary of State. He was also part of committees looking into accusations of heresy.
In 1544, Henry VIII made William a Privy Councillor. On July 9, 1544, he was one of two main secretaries chosen to help Queen Catherine run the country. This happened while Henry was away on an expedition to Boulogne. In 1545, he was sent as an ambassador to the powerful Emperor Charles V. But by the end of the year, he was called back to the Privy Council.
Even though he was very busy with government work, William Petre was smart and found ways to become very rich. As one of the officials who visited monasteries, he knew which properties were valuable to buy. He paid the king about £850 (which would be around £330,000 today) for a property called "Ginge Abbes" at Ingatestone. This property had belonged to Barking Abbey. Ingatestone was a good choice because it was fertile, well-farmed, and close to London. The Abbess's steward's house there, with its fish-ponds and park, could easily be turned into a nice country home for a busy statesman. Sir William Petre made Ingatestone Hall his main home, and many of his letters were written from there.
At that time, it was common for public officials to charge for favors, and their salaries were often low. Records show that by 1540, William was getting about £180 per year from religious houses he had visited. This money was likely given to him to either delay the closing of the monasteries or to help abbots get pensions when they retired. William received money from about twenty monasteries.
Secretary to King Edward VI
When King Henry VIII died in 1547, William Petre was named an assistant executor of his will. This gave him a lot of influence over the young Protestant king, Edward VI. William's power and importance grew quickly. In August 1547, he was given the Great Seal to use for all church matters.
In 1547, he was first elected as a knight of the shire (Member of Parliament) for Essex. He was elected for Essex eight more times between 1553 and 1563.
In 1549, he served on committees to investigate heresies at the University of Oxford. He also helped examine charges against Lord Seymour of Sudeley. He was initially a supporter of Somerset, who was the young king's protector. However, when he saw that the council was stronger, he left Somerset's side just before Somerset fell from power. He then signed the council's letter against Somerset.
By the 1550s, William Petre was very wealthy. Besides being Secretary of State, he had many other well-paying jobs. He also received benefits like free food and lodging at court. In February 1550, he went to Boulogne to negotiate peace terms with France. In May, he exchanged the final agreements in Amiens. William Petre was known for being smooth and helpful, but also quiet and determined. In the same year, he was in charge of church taxes. He was also sent to New Hall, Essex, to ask Princess Mary to come to court.
William Petre also wrote friendly letters to William Cecil in 1551 from Ingatestone. He expressed regret that Cecil was ill and thanked him for a book. He also wrote later to congratulate Cecil on getting better.
In 1551, Sir William, along with Lord Rich, warned Princess Mary not to have Catholic Mass celebrated at her homes in Essex. In September 1551, he was sick at Ingatestone Hall and could not travel to court. He still handled many matters, including a small complaint from the Countess of Southampton. In October, he was appointed to talk with German ambassadors about a possible Protestant alliance. In December, he was on a committee to collect the king's debts.
Secretary to Queen Mary I
As the young King Edward VI became sicker, it was important to decide what would happen after his death. In May 1553, a document was created and signed by Sir William Petre. It was written under the King's direction and the Privy Council. This document aimed to limit the succession to Protestants, favoring Lady Jane Grey. Two months later, Edward VI died, and Mary had strong support. On July 20, William Petre, like most of the council, declared his support for Mary. The document he had written was put aside. He stayed in London for a few days, handling secretarial work, but his wife joined Mary and entered London with her.
At first, William Petre's position was uncertain because he had been involved in actions against Mary. However, he started attending council meetings again on August 12. In September, there were rumors he was out of office. But on September 26, he was made Chancellor of the Order of the Garter. The Queen told him to remove the new rules that had been made during the previous reign. He gained Mary's favor by eagerly tracking down those involved in Wyatt's rebellion and by supporting her marriage to a Spanish prince.
Petre now focused completely on his official duties. He rarely missed council meetings and often met with foreign ambassadors. He agreed to bring back the old Catholic religion. He played a big part in welcoming Cardinal Pole and in the ceremonies that declared England free from heresy.
Just as Petre had accepted the Reformation under Henry VIII, he now accepted the return of the Pope's authority and the Catholic form of worship. He was one of the most important people at Cardinal Pole's reception. Since Sir William owned a lot of former Church property, he needed to be on good terms with the new religious leaders. Cardinal Pole had been told not to be too strict about returning abbey lands. Mary approved the plan William had created. With great skill, William managed to get a special document from the Pope, called a 'Bull of Confirmation'. This document confirmed that he could keep the lands he had gained from the closing of the monasteries. Pope Paul IV granted this on November 27, 1555. This is believed to be a unique document. Sir William was also forgiven for the excommunication placed on Henry VIII. He was allowed to keep his lands. However, he was asked to set up a charity and provide money for the poor people of Ingatestone. These people had lost the help they used to get from the monasteries that William Petre had helped close. This document was very long and listed all the Church lands Sir William Petre had acquired and how much he had paid for them.
It was at Ingatestone Hall that Queen Mary stopped on her way to London after becoming queen. There, Petre was sworn in as her Secretary. It was also there that William Cecil offered his loyalty but lost his job as Secretary, which he had shared with Petre. Petre was one of the councillors chosen to question Princess Elizabeth in the Tower of London about Wyatt's rebellion. During this rebellion, Petre even raised a small group of soldiers for the Queen. He also helped negotiate Mary's marriage.
This was a smart move for a man who owned so much former Church property. His cleverness quickly made him as important to Mary as he had been to her father and brother. He strongly supported Mary's marriage to Philip of Spain. Bishop Gardiner often asked for his advice on state matters. He actively helped find the people involved in Sir Thomas Wyatt's uprising in early 1554. This uprising aimed to stop Mary's marriage and put Elizabeth on the throne. After Wyatt was captured, Sir John Bourne wrote to Secretary Petre. He said he was trying to make Sir Thomas Wyatt confess that Lady Elizabeth was involved. But Sir Thomas Wyatt confessed nothing. Elizabeth, though imprisoned for a time, was spared. In July 1554, Philip arrived in England and married Mary. The next year, Petre attended court. In July, he wrote to the Earl of Devonshire that the Queen was expected to give birth soon.
By 1556, his income was very high, and his personal expenses were modest. He wrote to Nicholas Wotton, asking him to take over as Secretary of State because he was so unwell.
In 1557, Mary, on Petre's advice, stopped the Pope's messenger from landing. This messenger was sent to give church power to William Peto instead of Cardinal Pole. Petre was also responsible for welcoming the first Russian ambassador to England. However, by the end of the year, due to his failing health, he stopped being Secretary.
William Petre, along with Sir William Garrard and Simon Lowe, was an executor of the will of Maurice Griffith, the Bishop of Rochester. These three also attended his funeral. Because of this, they played a part as the first trustees in starting Friars School, Bangor.
Under Queen Elizabeth I
In the first ten years after the 'Act of Settlement' in 1559, Catholics were generally tolerated. They kept their positions, but their numbers slowly decreased.
Once again, to keep his job, Sir William had to change his religion, like many others. But he was getting old. He had all the property he wanted, his health was failing, and politics no longer interested him as much as when he was younger. When Elizabeth became queen, Petre was one of those in charge of handling all government business before her coronation. He was still involved in various state matters, but he attended council meetings less often. In March 1559, he wrote to William Cecil that he would come to court if needed. However, he wished to be excused because of a leg problem. He did, however, still fill in for Secretary Cecil during the summer of 1560 when Cecil was in Scotland.
He still had many years of official life ahead of him. He spent a lot of time at Ingatestone Hall in his later years. In 1561, he wrote from there about Portugal's rules on English merchants in the Indies.
One of Petre's last public duties was to take care of Lady Catherine Grey at Ingatestone Hall from 1564 to 1566. Katherine, a younger sister of the unlucky Lady Jane, had married the Earl of Hertford without Queen Elizabeth's permission. Elizabeth was very angry. Taking care of Katherine seems to have been William Petre's last public task. From 1566, he mostly retired and focused on his charity work. He wrote to Cecil again, saying he was too ill to travel, even though his fever was gone. He wished to retire "to my poore house at Ingatestone," where he thought the fresh air would do him good.
Retirement and Legacy
Thomas Larke, in a survey of the estate in 1566, described how Ingatestone was acquired:
When Sir William Petre first bought the manor, he went there and found, in the middle of the land, an old house barely fit for a farmer to live in. It had other buildings around it, built as well as the main house. When he looked it over and found the land to be very good, he immediately had all those old houses torn down. Instead, he built new houses, very beautiful, large, and grand, made of brick and with battlements, at his own great cost. He also enclosed all the land around his house with a nice, large fence, like a park.
Unlike some other wealthy families, the Petres easily adjusted their spending after Sir William retired from court. The Petres were safely away from the temptations and expenses of court. Their estates were perfectly suited for them to continue to be successful during this time. The family's personality was also well-suited to taking full advantage of the opportunities they had.
In his later years, Sir William was said to be a Roman Catholic. However, he was not involved in the many plots against Elizabeth. This is a belief that his descendants have continued to follow. His faith was not so strict that it stopped him from advancing in his career. The hall at Ingatestone, which he built, still stands almost perfectly preserved. He is buried with his second wife in a chapel next to the main part of St Edmund and St Mary's Church, Ingatestone.
His Gifts and Charities
William Petre spent a lot of his wealth on good causes. He founded almshouses (homes for the poor) in Ingatestone. He also provided money for scholarships at All Souls' College, Oxford. He was one of the first governors of King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford.
His most important gifts were to Exeter College, Oxford. He is considered its second founder. He rewrote its rules so that more students could attend. He clearly loved the college that had given him his early education. In 1566, he created seven scholarships or fellowships, called the Petrean Fellowships. The next year, he founded another one. These scholarships were for students from specific counties where he owned land. To support these, he gave four church properties in Oxfordshire, which were worth £91 a year. In his will, he gave another £40 for the same purpose. His widow, Lady Petre, and his son and heir John each added another £40. He collected many books and gave a lot of them to Exeter College library. He also helped the college get new rules from the Bishop of Exeter and a charter from the Queen. This made the college an official organization. A portrait of him in Exeter College Hall has an inscription that says, "He added eight fellows with lands in AD 1566 and contributed many books to the Library." His generosity to Exeter College probably inspired his daughter Dorothy and her husband, Nicholas Wadham, to found the new Wadham College at Oxford.
Family Life
William Petre was married twice.
First Marriage
Around 1533, he married Gertrude Tyrrell (who died in 1541). They had two daughters:
- Dorothy Petre (1534–1618), who married Nicholas Wadham. They founded Wadham College, Oxford.
- Elizabeth Petre, who married John Gostwick of Willington, Bedfordshire.
Second Marriage
By March 1542, Petre married Anne Browne (born around 1509 – died 1582). She was the widow of John Tyrrell. They had three sons and two daughters:
- John Petre, 1st Baron Petre (1549–1613), who married Mary Waldegrave in 1570.
- Two sons who died young.
- Katherine Petre, who married John Talbot of Grafton, Worcestershire.
- Thomasine Petre, who married Lodovick Greville.
Famous Descendants
One notable descendant was Mildred Mary Petre, also known as Mrs Victor Bruce (1895–1990). She was a record-breaking racing motorist, speedboat racer, and aviator in the 1920s and 1930s.
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