Arthur Champernowne
Encyclopedia
Sir Arthur Champernowne (1524 – 29 March 1578) was a Vice-Admiral of the West
who lived at Dartington Hall
in Devon
, England
.
, Devon, whose family had lived in Devon since arriving from Cambernon
in Normandy
in the eleventh century as part of the Norman Conquest. Sir Humphrey Gilbert
and Sir Walter Ralegh, the sons of his sister Katherine, were his nephews. His aunt Katherine Champernowne
was governess to Elizabeth I.
He was knighted by Edward VI
in 1548, after serving in France and fighting in skirmishes over Boulogne-sur-Mer
. In 1549 he helped subdue the rebellion against the English-language Bible
. The rebellion had started amongst the Cornish, who, since English was a foreign language, sought to have the Latin Bible restored. He was briefly imprisoned during the unrest, which accompanied Queen Mary’s marriage to the future Philip II of Spain
. He was installed as Member of Parliament
for Barnstaple
in 1552 (replacing the elected MP, Sir James Wilford, who had died), and the elected in turn for Plympton Erle
in 1555, Plymouth
in 1559 and Totnes
in 1563.
In 1546 Sir Arthur married Mary Norreys, widow of Sir George Carew, whose father Sir Henry Norris had been implicated in the fall of Anne Boleyn
and was beheaded. In 1554 he exchanged with Thomas Aylworth, Lord of Dartington, the mansion house at Polsoe, Exeter for the Dartington Estate, which contained the medieval Dartington Hall
. By 1560 the construction of a new Elizabethan front on the foundation of the older buildings was underway and this continued for several years. His descendants continued to live in Dartington Hall until it became partly derelict and was sold in 1925.
Official Posts:
In 1568 he organised the interception of the Spanish treasure fleet which was taking money to the Duke of Alva, Regent of the Netherlands. Champernowne personally delivered 64 boxes of treasure weighing some 8 tonnes safely to the tower of London, worth some 2 million Royale
s. Over half of the money was used by Queen Elizabeth to fund her navy, the remainder she sent on to Amsterdam
.
He was a staunch friend of the Huguenots, and his son, Gwayne, married the daughter of Gabriel, Count of Montgomery, a staunch Huguenot
supporter in 1572. The Count, whose immediate forebears were Scots, was Captain of the Scots Guards
. Champernowne was at Dwercy, France for the marriage and reported back to Lord Burghley on the conditions ln France. Following the massacre of St Bartholomew’s Eve
, the Count escaped France and was given refuge at Dartington Hall
. Champernowne wrote to Queen Elizabeth
proposing the raising of an army to provide relief for the Protestants in France.
Many other members of the Champernowne family were also called Arthur and some of them were knighted, however their activities were largely restricted to Devon and Cornwall, none was so close to events of national importance.
Vice-Admiral of the West
The historical title Vice-Admiral of the West is sometimes applied to holders of the crown appointment Vice-Admiral of the Coast of counties in the South West of England....
who lived at Dartington Hall
Dartington Hall
The Dartington Hall Trust, near Totnes, Devon, United Kingdom is a charity specialising in the arts, social justice and sustainability.The Trust currently runs 16 charitable programmes, including The Dartington International Summer School and Schumacher Environmental College...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Biography
Champernowne was the second son of Sir Philip Champernowne of ModburyModbury
Modbury is a town and parish in the South Hams region of the English county of Devon. It is situated on the A379 road, which links it to Plymouth and Kingsbridge...
, Devon, whose family had lived in Devon since arriving from Cambernon
Cambernon
Cambernon is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France....
in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
in the eleventh century as part of the Norman Conquest. Sir Humphrey Gilbert
Humphrey Gilbert
Sir Humphrey Gilbert of Devon in England was a half-brother of Sir Walter Raleigh. Adventurer, explorer, member of parliament, and soldier, he served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth and was a pioneer of English colonization in North America and the Plantations of Ireland.-Early life:Gilbert...
and Sir Walter Ralegh, the sons of his sister Katherine, were his nephews. His aunt Katherine Champernowne
Katherine Champernowne
Katherine Ashley née Champernowne was governess to Elizabeth I and was a close friend in later life, known to the Queen as 'Kat'. She should not be confused with her niece Catherine Champernowne, mother of Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Humphrey Gilbert.-Early life:Katherine Champernowne’s parentage...
was governess to Elizabeth I.
He was knighted by Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
in 1548, after serving in France and fighting in skirmishes over Boulogne-sur-Mer
Boulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
. In 1549 he helped subdue the rebellion against the English-language Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. The rebellion had started amongst the Cornish, who, since English was a foreign language, sought to have the Latin Bible restored. He was briefly imprisoned during the unrest, which accompanied Queen Mary’s marriage to the future Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
. He was installed as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Barnstaple
Barnstaple (UK Parliament constituency)
Barnstaple was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Barnstaple in Devon, in the South West of England. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1885, when its representation was reduced to one member.The constituency...
in 1552 (replacing the elected MP, Sir James Wilford, who had died), and the elected in turn for Plympton Erle
Plympton Erle (UK Parliament constituency)
Plympton Erle, also spelt Plympton Earle, was a parliamentary borough in Devon. It elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-1295-1640:-1640-1832:...
in 1555, Plymouth
Plymouth (UK Parliament constituency)
Plymouth was a parliamentary borough in Devon, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in 1298 and again from 1442 until 1918, when the borough was merged with the neighbouring Devonport and the combined area divided into three single-member constituencies.-In the...
in 1559 and Totnes
Totnes (UK Parliament constituency)
Totnes is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament , using the first-past-the-post voting system....
in 1563.
In 1546 Sir Arthur married Mary Norreys, widow of Sir George Carew, whose father Sir Henry Norris had been implicated in the fall of Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
and was beheaded. In 1554 he exchanged with Thomas Aylworth, Lord of Dartington, the mansion house at Polsoe, Exeter for the Dartington Estate, which contained the medieval Dartington Hall
Dartington Hall
The Dartington Hall Trust, near Totnes, Devon, United Kingdom is a charity specialising in the arts, social justice and sustainability.The Trust currently runs 16 charitable programmes, including The Dartington International Summer School and Schumacher Environmental College...
. By 1560 the construction of a new Elizabethan front on the foundation of the older buildings was underway and this continued for several years. His descendants continued to live in Dartington Hall until it became partly derelict and was sold in 1925.
Official Posts:
- 1552 - MP for Barnstaple
- 1555 – MP for Plympton
- 1559 - MP for Plymouth
- 1559 – Sheriff of Devon
- 1562 – Vice-Admiral of the Devon Coasts, a post he held for life.
- 1563 – MP for Totnes
In 1568 he organised the interception of the Spanish treasure fleet which was taking money to the Duke of Alva, Regent of the Netherlands. Champernowne personally delivered 64 boxes of treasure weighing some 8 tonnes safely to the tower of London, worth some 2 million Royale
Royale
- Transportation :* Bugatti Royale, a luxury automobile* Ford Royale, an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company* MS Royale, a cruise ship operated by several companies* Daewoo Royale, an automobile manufactured by Daewoo Motors...
s. Over half of the money was used by Queen Elizabeth to fund her navy, the remainder she sent on to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
.
He was a staunch friend of the Huguenots, and his son, Gwayne, married the daughter of Gabriel, Count of Montgomery, a staunch Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
supporter in 1572. The Count, whose immediate forebears were Scots, was Captain of the Scots Guards
Garde Écossaise
The Garde Écossaise was an elite Scottish military unit founded in 1418 by the Valois Charles VII of France, to be personal bodyguards to the French monarchy. They were assimilated into the Maison du Roi and later formed the first Company of the Garde du Corps du Roi...
. Champernowne was at Dwercy, France for the marriage and reported back to Lord Burghley on the conditions ln France. Following the massacre of St Bartholomew’s Eve
St. Bartholomew's Day massacre
The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in 1572 was a targeted group of assassinations, followed by a wave of Roman Catholic mob violence, both directed against the Huguenots , during the French Wars of Religion...
, the Count escaped France and was given refuge at Dartington Hall
Dartington Hall
The Dartington Hall Trust, near Totnes, Devon, United Kingdom is a charity specialising in the arts, social justice and sustainability.The Trust currently runs 16 charitable programmes, including The Dartington International Summer School and Schumacher Environmental College...
. Champernowne wrote to Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
proposing the raising of an army to provide relief for the Protestants in France.
Many other members of the Champernowne family were also called Arthur and some of them were knighted, however their activities were largely restricted to Devon and Cornwall, none was so close to events of national importance.