Thomas Gawdy
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Gawdy SL
(died 5 November 1588) was a British
justice and Member of Parliament.
He was the second of three sons of Thomas Gawdy, all by different wives and all baptised Thomas The mother of this Thomas was Anne Bennett. His elder half-brother was created a Serjeant-at-law
in 1552 before dying in 1556, whilst his younger brother, Francis, served as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
from August 1605 until December of that year.
A member of the Inner Temple
, Thomas was called to the bar in 1550, appointed a reader of his Inn in 1560 and treasurer in 1562. He was issued a writ to be called as a Serjeant-at-law
in October 1558, but it lapsed on the death of Mary I
. He was excluded from the list of Elizabeth I
, possibly on his own request, but was renominated in 1567. In 1574 he was made a justice of the Court of King's Bench
and in 1578 he was knighted.
As a lawyer Gawdy made much of his connections in East Anglia
; at a young age he had come under the patronage of the Earl of Arundel
, representing him in Parliament as the member for Arundel
in 1553. However, the main focus of his activities was the city of Norwich
, for which he sat in Parliament, as the member for Norwich
, in 1557 and served as Recorder between 1558 and 1574.
In 1548 he married Audrey Knightley, and her dowry and property was used to expand his own land. A year after she died in 1566 he married Frances Richers, and used the money from that marriage to buy more land and property, including Gawdy Hall, the family seat, and land at Redenhall and Harleston. He died at Gawdy Hall on 5 November 1588, and was buried at Redenhall Church.
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
(died 5 November 1588) was a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
justice and Member of Parliament.
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
in 1552 before dying in 1556, whilst his younger brother, Francis, served as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
The Court of Common Pleas, also known as the Common Bench or Common Place, was the second highest common law court in the English legal system until 1880, when it was dissolved. As such, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas was one of the highest judicial officials in England, behind only the Lord...
from August 1605 until December of that year.
A member of the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
, Thomas was called to the bar in 1550, appointed a reader of his Inn in 1560 and treasurer in 1562. He was issued a writ to be called as a Serjeant-at-law
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
in October 1558, but it lapsed on the death of Mary I
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...
. He was excluded from the list of Elizabeth I
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...
, possibly on his own request, but was renominated in 1567. In 1574 he was made a justice of the Court of King's Bench
Court of King's Bench (England)
The Court of King's Bench , formally known as The Court of the King Before the King Himself, was an English court of common law in the English legal system...
and in 1578 he was knighted.
As a lawyer Gawdy made much of his connections in East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
; at a young age he had come under the patronage of the Earl of Arundel
Henry FitzAlan, 19th Earl of Arundel
Henry FitzAlan, 19th Earl of Arundel was an English nobleman, who over his long life assumed a prominent place at the court of all the later Tudor sovereigns, probably the only person to do so.-Court career:...
, representing him in Parliament as the member for Arundel
Arundel (UK Parliament constituency)
Arundel was twice a parliamentary constituency in the Kingdom of England, the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. The first incarnation strictly comprised the town centre of Arundel and was a borough constituency first enfranchised in 1332 and disfranchised in 1868 under the Reform...
in 1553. However, the main focus of his activities was the city of Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
, for which he sat in Parliament, as the member for Norwich
Norwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Norwich was a borough constituency which was represented in the House of Commons of England from 1298 to 1707, in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 until it was abolished for the 1950 general election...
, in 1557 and served as Recorder between 1558 and 1574.
In 1548 he married Audrey Knightley, and her dowry and property was used to expand his own land. A year after she died in 1566 he married Frances Richers, and used the money from that marriage to buy more land and property, including Gawdy Hall, the family seat, and land at Redenhall and Harleston. He died at Gawdy Hall on 5 November 1588, and was buried at Redenhall Church.