Robert Knollys (courtier)
Encyclopedia
Sir Robert Knollys (died 1521) was an English
courtier
in the service and favour of Henry VII
and Henry VIII
.
In 1488 Knollys was one of Henry VII's henchmen, and late in that year was appointed to wait on ‘the king's dearest son the prince’ (Arthur
). He received £5 ‘by way of reward’ for each of the three years 1488 to 1490, and when Henry VII met Archduke Philip
in 1500, Knollys accompanied the English king as one of the ushers of the chamber. He continued in the same office under Henry VIII, and received an annuity
of £20, on 15 November 1509, and a grant of Upclatford, called Rookes Manor, in Hampshire
— part of the confiscated property of Sir Richard Empson
— on 10 February 1510/11. On 9 July 1514 the usher and his wife were jointly granted the manor of Rotherfield Greys, near Henley-on-Thames
, Oxfordshire
, in survivorship, at an annual rental of a red rose at midsummer. The grant was confirmed on 5 January 1517/18 by letters patent for their own lives and that of one successor. Other royal gifts followed.
Robert Knollys died in 1521, and was buried in the church of St Helen's Bishopsgate
. His will, dated 13 November 1520, was proved 19 June 1521. His widow, Letitia or Lettice, was daughter of Sir Thomas Penyston or Penystone, of Hawridge
and Marshall, Buckinghamshire
, and Alice Bulstrode, and granddaughter of Sir Richard Penystone and Margaret Herris, and Richard Bulstrode and Alice Knyffe. After Robert Knollys's death she became the second wife of Sir Robert Lee, of Burston, Buckinghamshire
, son of Sir Henry Lee of Quarendon
in the same county. Sir Robert Lee, by whom she had issue, died in 1537, when she became the second wife of Sir Thomas Tresham
of Rushton, Northamptonshire
, prior (under Queen Mary of England
) of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem
. Her will, dated 28 June 1557, was proved 11 June 1558.
Robert Knollys's children included Francis Knollys
, a son Henry and two daughters, Mary and Jane. The latter married Sir Richard Wingfield of Kimbolton Castle
. The son Henry (died 1583) was in some favour with Edward VI
and Queen Elizabeth
. He went abroad with his brother Francis during Queen Mary of England's reign. In 1562 he was sent on a diplomatic mission to Germany
, to observe the temper of German Protestants
, and in 1569 was temporarily employed in warding both Mary, Queen of Scots, at Tutbury
and the Duke of Norfolk
in the Tower
. He was M.P.
for Reading
in 1563, and for Christchurch
in 1572. His will, dated 27 July 1582, was proved 2 September 1583.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
courtier
Courtier
A courtier is a person who is often in attendance at the court of a king or other royal personage. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
in the service and favour of Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
and Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
.
Biography
Sir Robert was the son of Robert Knollys and Elizabeth Troutbeck, and grandson of Sir Richard Knollys and Margaret D'Oyley, and Sir John Troutbeck and Margaret Hulse.In 1488 Knollys was one of Henry VII's henchmen, and late in that year was appointed to wait on ‘the king's dearest son the prince’ (Arthur
Arthur, Prince of Wales
Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales was the first son of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and therefore, heir to the throne of England. As he predeceased his father, Arthur never became king...
). He received £5 ‘by way of reward’ for each of the three years 1488 to 1490, and when Henry VII met Archduke Philip
Philip I of Castile
Philip I , known as Philip the Handsome or the Fair, was the first Habsburg King of Castile...
in 1500, Knollys accompanied the English king as one of the ushers of the chamber. He continued in the same office under Henry VIII, and received an annuity
Life annuity
A life annuity is a financial contract in the form of an insurance product according to which a seller — typically a financial institution such as a life insurance company — makes a series of future payments to a buyer in exchange for the immediate payment of a lump sum or a series...
of £20, on 15 November 1509, and a grant of Upclatford, called Rookes Manor, in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
— part of the confiscated property of Sir Richard Empson
Richard Empson
Sir Richard Empson , minister of Henry VII, King of England, was a son of Peter Empson, an influential inhabitant of Towcester....
— on 10 February 1510/11. On 9 July 1514 the usher and his wife were jointly granted the manor of Rotherfield Greys, near Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, in survivorship, at an annual rental of a red rose at midsummer. The grant was confirmed on 5 January 1517/18 by letters patent for their own lives and that of one successor. Other royal gifts followed.
Robert Knollys died in 1521, and was buried in the church of St Helen's Bishopsgate
St Helen's Bishopsgate
St Helen's Bishopsgate is a large conservative evangelical Anglican church, in Lime Street ward, in the City of London, close to the Lloyd's building and the 'Gherkin'.-History:...
. His will, dated 13 November 1520, was proved 19 June 1521. His widow, Letitia or Lettice, was daughter of Sir Thomas Penyston or Penystone, of Hawridge
Hawridge
Hawridge, is a small village in the Chilterns in the county of Buckinghamshire, England and bordering the county boundary with Hertfordshire. It is from Chesham, from both Tring and Berkhamsted....
and Marshall, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, and Alice Bulstrode, and granddaughter of Sir Richard Penystone and Margaret Herris, and Richard Bulstrode and Alice Knyffe. After Robert Knollys's death she became the second wife of Sir Robert Lee, of Burston, Buckinghamshire
Burston, Buckinghamshire
Burston is a small hamlet near Rowsham in Buckinghamshire about three miles north of Aylesbury.Originally an Iron Age settlement, it was overlooked by a defensive position on high ground...
, son of Sir Henry Lee of Quarendon
Lee Baronets
- Lee Baronets, of Quarendon, Buckinghamshire :This branch of the family owned Ditchley House, current home of the Ditchley Foundation. The last male heir of the Lees of Quarendon, was the 4th Earl of Lichfield Robert Lee, a grandson of Charles II...
in the same county. Sir Robert Lee, by whom she had issue, died in 1537, when she became the second wife of Sir Thomas Tresham
Thomas Tresham I
Sir Thomas Tresham was a leading Catholic politician during the middle of the Tudor dynasty in England.The eldest son of John Tresham of Rushton, Northamptonshire, and Elizabeth, daughter of Sir James Harrington, of Hornby, Lancashire, he married Mary Parr, youngest daughter and co-heir of William...
of Rushton, Northamptonshire
Rushton, Northamptonshire
Rushton is a small village and civil parish in Northamptonshire. It is north-east of Rothwell. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 452 people. The village has a primary school and a pub opposite the village cricket pitch. The village is home to Rushton Triangular Lodge.-...
, prior (under Queen Mary of England
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
) of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
. Her will, dated 28 June 1557, was proved 11 June 1558.
Robert Knollys's children included Francis Knollys
Francis Knollys (the elder)
Sir Francis Knollys , of Greys Court, in Oxfordshire, KG was an English courtier in the service and favour of Henry VIII, Edward VI and Elizabeth I of England, and was a Member of Parliament for a number of constituencies....
, a son Henry and two daughters, Mary and Jane. The latter married Sir Richard Wingfield of Kimbolton Castle
Kimbolton Castle
Kimbolton Castle in Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire, is best known as the final home of King Henry VIII's first queen, Catherine of Aragon. Originally a medieval castle but converted into a stately palace, it was the family seat of the Dukes of Manchester from 1615 until 1950...
. The son Henry (died 1583) was in some favour with 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...
and 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...
. He went abroad with his brother Francis during Queen Mary of England's reign. In 1562 he was sent on a diplomatic mission to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, to observe the temper of German Protestants
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
, and in 1569 was temporarily employed in warding both Mary, Queen of Scots, at Tutbury
Tutbury
Tutbury is a large village and civil parish of about 3,000 residents in the English county of Staffordshire.It is surrounded by the agricultural countryside of both Staffordshire and Derbyshire. The site has been inhabited for over 3000 years, with Iron Age defensive ditches encircling the main...
and the Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal was an English nobleman.Norfolk was the son of the poet Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. He was taught as a child by John Foxe, the Protestant martyrologist, who remained a lifelong recipient of Norfolk's patronage...
in the Tower
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
. He was M.P.
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 Reading
Reading (UK Parliament constituency)
Reading was a parliamentary borough, and later a borough constituency, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It comprised the town of Reading in the county of Berkshire....
in 1563, and for Christchurch
Christchurch (UK Parliament constituency)
Christchurch is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Centred on the town of Christchurch in Dorset, it elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
in 1572. His will, dated 27 July 1582, was proved 2 September 1583.