William Petre, 2nd Baron Petre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Petre, 2nd Baron Petre
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William Petre by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger (1599) mislabelled as his father, Sir John Petre
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| Born | 24 June 1575 |
| Died | 5 May 1637 (aged 61) |
| Buried | St Edmund and St Mary's Church, Ingatestone |
| Noble family | Baron Petre |
| Spouse(s) | Katherine Somerset |
| Issue | Robert Petre, Elizabeth Petre |
| Father | John Petre, 1st Baron Petre |
| Mother | Mary Waldegrave |
William Petre, 2nd Baron Petre (born June 24, 1575 – died May 5, 1637) was an important English nobleman and a member of Parliament. He lived during a time when England was mostly Protestant, but his family remained Catholic.
William was the son of Sir John Petre, 1st Baron Petre. He studied at Exeter College, Oxford and also trained to be a lawyer at the Middle Temple. Because William and his family were Catholic after the English Reformation, they were known as recusants. This meant they refused to attend Church of England services.
In 1597, William was elected as a Member of Parliament for Essex. He was knighted in 1603. When his father died in 1613, William inherited his father's title, becoming the 2nd Baron Petre, and also took over the family estate at Ingatestone. In 1623, he became a justice of the peace for Essex. However, because of his strong Catholic faith, he was removed from this role and all other public jobs in 1625.
Ingatestone Hall: A Secret Meeting Place
Ingatestone Hall, the Petre family home, was located on a main road to Harwich and was close to London. This made it a frequent meeting spot and a safe place for people who were not happy with the Protestant religion or the ruling king.
For example, in 1627, William's son was stopped while trying to travel to Flanders with letters and money. It was said that many important Catholics had been meeting at Ingatestone Hall just before this happened.
It's very likely that secret guests often used a hiding place found at the Hall in 1855. This secret room was probably used to keep visitors safe, especially when it wasn't safe to hide them openly in the main house. Some local inns might have had similar hiding spots too.
William's Family Life
William, the 2nd Baron, did not seem to get into serious trouble for the Catholics who visited Ingatestone. This was partly because King Charles I supported him.
William Petre married Katherine Somerset (1575–1624). She was the second daughter of Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester. They had a double wedding ceremony with Katherine's sister Elizabeth, who married Sir Henry Guilford. The famous poet Edmund Spenser wrote about this special event in his poem, Prothalamion.
William and Katherine had seven sons and three daughters who lived to adulthood. Katherine Petre was also a dancer in a court show called Tethys' Festival on June 5, 1610. She played the part of the "Nymph of Olwy," which was a river.
Their daughter, Elizabeth Petre (1597–1656), married William Sheldon of Beoley, in Worcestershire.
William, the 2nd Baron, passed away in May 1637. He was buried in the same family tomb as his parents at the Parish Church of Ingatestone. He had built a tomb for his parents, and it also includes statues of himself, his wife, and their children.
Family Portraits
There are two paintings from 1590, thought to be by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, that were once believed to be portraits of William's parents, John Petre and Mary. These paintings were fixed after a fire at Thorndon Hall in 1876 and then moved to Ingatestone Hall. They have names painted on them that identify the people in the portraits.
However, an art expert named Roy Strong believes these paintings are actually of William and his wife Katherine. The portraits are very colorful and show the fashionable clothes of the time. Lord Petre is shown wearing a white ruff (a pleated collar) over a lace collar, an embroidered jacket, and full breeches. He has short hair, a mustache, and a small beard. His wife is also dressed in the latest fashion, with a wide skirt, full sleeves, and a different style of ruff that opens in the front to show her neck. She also wears a delicate silver tiara and a beautiful necklace made of 1,466 pearls.
