Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset
Encyclopedia
Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, KG
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(22 June 1477 – 10 October 1530) was an English
peer
, courtier
, soldier
and landowner, the grandfather of Lady Jane Grey
, briefly Queen of England.
(c. 1456–1501), at that time England's only marquess
, and his wife, Cecily Bonville, the daughter and heiress of William Bonville, 6th Baron Harington
of Aldingham. His mother was suo jure
7th Baroness Harington of Aldingham and 2nd Baroness Bonville, and the richest heiress in England. The first marquess was the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth Woodville
, so a stepson of King Edward IV
and a half-brother of Edward, Prince of Wales, later King Edward V
.
According to some reports, the young Grey attended Magdalen College School
, Oxford
, and he is uncertainly said to have been taught (either at the school or else privately tutored) by the future Cardinal Wolsey.
Grey's father was opposed to King Richard III
, and after the older Thomas joined Buckingham
's failed rebellion of 1483 father and son fled to Brittany
, joining Henry Tudor
. Five months after Richard lost the crown to Henry at the Battle of Bosworth Field
on 22 August 1485, the new king married the first Dorset's half-sister Elizabeth of York
, but Henry VII was also suspicious of Dorset, who was imprisoned during Lambert Simnel
's rebellion of 1487. In 1492, Dorset was required to give guarantees of loyalty to the crown and to make the young Thomas Grey a ward of the king.
and Edward were welcome at court and became courtiers and later soldiers. In 1494, Grey was made a knight of the Bath
and in 1501 a knight of the Garter
. Also in 1501, his father died and the younger Thomas inherited his titles and some of his estates. However, much of the first marquess's land went to his widow and not to his son, who did not come into his full inheritance until the death of his mother in 1529, shortly before his own death.
Later in 1501, he was 'chief answerer' at the marriage of Arthur, Prince of Wales
and Catherine of Aragon
and was presented with a diamond and ruby Tudor rose
at a court tournament. But in 1508 he was sent to the Tower of London
, and later a gaol in Calais
, under suspicion of conspiracy against Henry VII. Although he was saved from execution in 1509 by the accession of King Henry VIII
, Grey was attainted
and lost his titles. However, later in 1509 he was pardoned and returned to court, and was summoned to parliament as Baron Ferrers of Groby
. In 1511, he was summoned as Marquess of Dorset.
From 1509, Dorset was again an active courtier and took part with great distinction in many court tournaments, on one occasion in March 1524 nearly killing the king.
In 1514, with Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk
, Dorset escorted Henry VII's daughter Princess Mary Rose to France for her wedding to King Louis XII
.
Dorset owned land in sixteen English counties and was a justice of the peace
for several of them. In 1516, during a rivalry in Leicestershire
with George, Baron Hastings
, and Sir Richard Sacheverell, Dorset unlawfully increased his retinue at court and was brought before the Star Chamber
and the Court of King's Bench. He was bound over for good behaviour. As part of this rivalry, he greatly enlarged his ancestral home at Bradgate
, Leicestershire.
In 1520, at the Field of Cloth of Gold, Dorset carried the sword of state
. In 1521, he met the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V
at Gravelines
on the coast of France
and escorted him on a visit to England. He helped with the entertainment of the court by maintaining a company of actors.
In 1521, Dorset sat in judgment on the Duke of Buckingham
, despite being related to him by marriage. After his father's death, Dorset's mother had married a brother of the Duke. Henry VIII rewarded Dorset with three of Buckingham's manors.
From 17 June 1523 until his death in 1530, Dorset was Justice in Eyre south of Trent
. As such, he presided at the triennial Court of justice-seat, which dealt with matters of forest law.
In 1524, Dorset's Leicestershire feud with Lord Hastings turned into a fight between hundreds of men, and Cardinal Wolsey took action. Both rivals had to put up a bond for good behaviour of one thousand pounds, and Dorset was sent to Wales as Lord Master of Princess Mary's Council.
In 1528, Dorset became constable
of Warwick Castle
, and in 1529 of Kenilworth Castle
.
In 1529, recalling his role as 'chief answerer' at the marriage of Arthur, Prince of Wales
, Dorset was a critical witness in favour of Henry VIII's divorce of Catherine of Aragon. He strongly supported the King's contention that Arthur and Catherine's marriage had been consummated.
In 1530, in the final months of his life, he assisted the King in the condemnation of Cardinal Wolsey.
, which England had lost during the Hundred Years' War
. Unhappily, Ferdinand of Aragon
gave none of the support he had promised. While Ferdinand delayed and tried to persuade Dorset to help him to attack Navarre
instead of Aquitaine, the English army's food, beer, and pay ran out, many took to wine and became ill, and the army mutinied. Back in England, Dorset had to face a trial.
In 1513, he fought at the siege of Tournai
and the Battle of Guinegate
(also known as the Battle of the Spurs), and fought again in 1523 in the Scottish borders. These all gave him chances to make amends for the debacle of Aquitaine. To help Dorset in dealing with the Scots, he was appointed Lord Warden of the Marches
, restored to the Privy Council, and became a gentleman of the chamber.
(c. 1456–1501), and his wife, Cecily Bonville, daughter and heiress of William Bonville, 6th Baron Harington
of Aldingham and of Lady Katherine Neville
(1442-1503) and granddaughter of Alice Neville, 5th Countess of Salisbury
(1407-1462). Cecily Bonville's maternal uncles included Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
(called 'Warwick the Kingmaker'), John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu
and George Neville, Archbishop of York
and Chancellor of England, while her aunts had married Henry de Beauchamp, 1st Duke of Warwick
, William FitzAlan, 16th Earl of Arundel
, Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby
, and John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford
. Cecily Bonville succeeded her father as Baroness Harington in 1460, and two months later succeeded her great- grandfather William Bonville as Baron Bonville
. After the death of her first husband, Cecily Bonville married her late husband's first cousin Henry Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire
, the younger son of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
and of Catherine Woodville, Dorset's aunt.
The younger Thomas Grey's paternal grandparents were Queen Elizabeth Woodville
(c. 1437–1492) and her first husband Sir John Grey of Groby
(c. 1432-1461), son and heir of Elizabeth Ferrers, Lady Ferrers of Groby
, so his father the first marquess was a stepson of King Edward IV
and a half-brother of King Edward V
. His grandfather Sir John Grey was killed at the Second Battle of St Albans
(1461), fighting on the Lancastrian
side. His grandmother Elizabeth Woodville
was the eldest daughter of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers
, and Jacquetta of Luxembourg
, widow of John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford
. Following his grandmother's marriage to Edward IV, members of her family gained advantages and made prosperous marriages. Elizabeth's brother John Woodville, at the age of twenty, married Catherine Neville, dowager Duchess of Norfolk
, then in her late sixties.
Through Jacquetta of Luxembourg, Dorset was descended from Eleanor of England (1215-1275), the daughter of King John
and Isabella of Angoulême
, and from several other European royal families.
and her second husband Sir Thomas St Leger. Remarkably, Anne St Leger had been declared the heiress to the Exeter estates, but the marriage did not take place.
In the event, the young Thomas Grey's first marriage was to Eleanor St John, a daughter of Oliver St John of Lydiard Tregoze
, Wiltshire
and of his wife Elizabeth Scrope, daughter of Henry le Scrope, 4th Lord Scrope of Bolton
(1418–1459). Grey's father-in-law Oliver St John (also known as Oliver of Ewell) was the son of Margaret Beauchamp
(c. 1411-1482), the great-great-granddaughter of Roger Beauchamp, 1st Lord Beauchamp of Bletso
, Keeper of Devizes Castle, and heiress to the Beauchamp estates. After the death of her first husband, another Oliver St John (died 1437), she married John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset
(1404–1444).
In 1509, Thomas Grey (now known as Lord Ferrers of Groby) married secondly Margaret Wotton, daughter of Sir Robert Wotton (c.1463–1524) of Boughton Malherbe
, Kent
, and the widow of William Medley. She had two notable brothers, Sir Edward Wotton (1489-1551), Treasurer of Calais
, and Nicholas Wotton
(c. 1497–1567), a diplomat who in 1539 arranged the marriage between Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves
. With Margaret, the younger Thomas Grey had four sons and four daughters, including Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk
(1517–1554). His second wife survived him and died in or after 1535.
His younger brother Leonard Grey, 1st Viscount Grane
(c. 1479 - 1541) served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
from 1536 to 1540.
Dorset's son Henry succeeded him as Marquess of Dorset, married Lady Frances Brandon
, a granddaughter of King Henry VII, and in 1551 (on the death of his brother-in-law Charles Brandon, 3rd Duke of Suffolk
) become Duke of Suffolk
, by way of a new creation.
Dorset's granddaughter Lady Jane Grey
was the designated successor of King Edward VI
by his will, and for nine days in July 1553 reigned briefly as England's first Queen regnant
until ousted by Henry VIII's daughter Mary I
, who was the heir by Act of Parliament.
In 1554, together with Dorset's other surviving sons, Lord John Grey and Lord Thomas Grey, Suffolk took part in Wyatt's rebellion
against Mary I's marriage to Philip of Spain
and in support of Lady Jane Grey. When this rebellion failed, all three were arrested, and Suffolk and his brother Thomas were executed, as were Lady Jane herself and her husband Lord Guilford Dudley. Lord John Grey survived, and in July 1603 his youngest son, Henry Grey, was restored to the House of Lords
by King James I
as Baron Grey of Groby.
in Warwickshire
. When he died he held estates in London and in sixteen counties, amounting to over one hundred manor
s, and was one of the richest men in England. His grave was opened in the early seventeenth century and measurement of his skeleton suggested a height of 5 feet 8 inches.
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
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Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(22 June 1477 – 10 October 1530) was an English
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...
peer
Peerage of England
The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain....
, 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...
, soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
and landowner, the grandfather of Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey , also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed...
, briefly Queen of England.
Early life
Grey was the third son and eventual heir of Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of DorsetThomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset
Thomas Grey, 7th Baron Ferrers of Groby, 1st Earl of Huntingdon and 1st Marquess of Dorset, KG , was an English nobleman, courtier and a man of mediocre abilities pushed into prominence by his mother Elizabeth Woodville's second marriage to the king, Edward IV.-Family:Thomas was born about 1455,...
(c. 1456–1501), at that time England's only marquess
Marquess
A marquess or marquis is a nobleman of hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The term is also used to translate equivalent oriental styles, as in imperial China, Japan, and Vietnam...
, and his wife, Cecily Bonville, the daughter and heiress of William Bonville, 6th Baron Harington
William Bonville, 6th Baron Harington
William Bonville, 6th Baron Harington was an English nobleman who was a loyal adherent of the House of York during the dynastic conflict in England in the 15th century known as the Wars of the Roses...
of Aldingham. His mother was suo jure
Suo jure
Suo jure is a Latin phrase meaning "in her [or his] own right".It is commonly encountered in the context of titles of nobility, especially in cases where a wife may hold a title in her own right rather than through her marriage....
7th Baroness Harington of Aldingham and 2nd Baroness Bonville, and the richest heiress in England. The first marquess was the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Edward IV from 1464 until his death in 1483. Elizabeth was a key figure in the series of dynastic civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses. Her first husband, Sir John Grey of Groby was killed at the Second Battle of St Albans...
, so a stepson of King Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
and a half-brother of Edward, Prince of Wales, later King Edward V
Edward V of England
Edward V was King of England from 9 April 1483 until his deposition two months later. His reign was dominated by the influence of his uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who succeeded him as Richard III...
.
According to some reports, the young Grey attended Magdalen College School
Magdalen College School, Oxford
Magdalen College School is an independent school for boys aged 7 to 18 and girls in the sixth form, located on The Plain in Oxford, England. It was founded as part of Magdalen College, Oxford by William Waynflete in 1480....
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, and he is uncertainly said to have been taught (either at the school or else privately tutored) by the future Cardinal Wolsey.
Grey's father was opposed to King Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
, and after the older Thomas joined Buckingham
Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, KG played a major role in Richard III of England's rise and fall. He is also one of the primary suspects in the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower...
's failed rebellion of 1483 father and son fled to Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, joining Henry Tudor
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....
. Five months after Richard lost the crown to Henry at the Battle of Bosworth Field
Battle of Bosworth Field
The Battle of Bosworth Field was the penultimate battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the House of Lancaster and the House of York that raged across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 August 1485, the battle was won by the Lancastrians...
on 22 August 1485, the new king married the first Dorset's half-sister Elizabeth of York
Elizabeth of York
Elizabeth of York was Queen consort of England as spouse of King Henry VII from 1486 until 1503, and mother of King Henry VIII of England....
, but Henry VII was also suspicious of Dorset, who was imprisoned during Lambert Simnel
Lambert Simnel
Lambert Simnel was a pretender to the throne of England. His claim to be the Earl of Warwick in 1487 threatened the newly established reign of King Henry VII .-Early life:...
's rebellion of 1487. In 1492, Dorset was required to give guarantees of loyalty to the crown and to make the young Thomas Grey a ward of the king.
Courtier
Among the Queen of England's closest relations, Grey and his younger brothers LeonardLeonard Grey, 1st Viscount Grane
Leonard Grey, 1st Viscount Grane , known as Lord Leonard Grey prior to 1536, served as Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1536 to 1540....
and Edward were welcome at court and became courtiers and later soldiers. In 1494, Grey was made a knight of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
and in 1501 a knight of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
. Also in 1501, his father died and the younger Thomas inherited his titles and some of his estates. However, much of the first marquess's land went to his widow and not to his son, who did not come into his full inheritance until the death of his mother in 1529, shortly before his own death.
Later in 1501, he was 'chief answerer' at the marriage of Arthur, Prince of Wales
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...
and Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
and was presented with a diamond and ruby Tudor rose
Tudor rose
The Tudor Rose is the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England and takes its name and origins from the Tudor dynasty.-Origins:...
at a court tournament. But in 1508 he was sent to the Tower of London
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...
, and later a gaol in Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
, under suspicion of conspiracy against Henry VII. Although he was saved from execution in 1509 by the accession of King 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...
, Grey was attainted
Attainder
In English criminal law, attainder or attinctura is the metaphorical 'stain' or 'corruption of blood' which arises from being condemned for a serious capital crime . It entails losing not only one's property and hereditary titles, but typically also the right to pass them on to one's heirs...
and lost his titles. However, later in 1509 he was pardoned and returned to court, and was summoned to parliament as Baron Ferrers of Groby
Baron Ferrers of Groby
The peerage title Baron Ferrers of Groby was created in the Peerage of England in 1300 when William Ferrers, 1st Baron Ferrers of Groby was summoned to parliament. He was a grandson of William de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby. In 1475 the eighth baron was created the Marquess of Dorset, with which...
. In 1511, he was summoned as Marquess of Dorset.
From 1509, Dorset was again an active courtier and took part with great distinction in many court tournaments, on one occasion in March 1524 nearly killing the king.
In 1514, with Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk
Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk
Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, 1st Viscount Lisle, KG was the son of Sir William Brandon and Elizabeth Bruyn. Through his third wife Mary Tudor he was brother-in-law to Henry VIII. His father was the standard-bearer of Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond and was slain by Richard III in person at...
, Dorset escorted Henry VII's daughter Princess Mary Rose to France for her wedding to King Louis XII
Louis XII of France
Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes...
.
Dorset owned land in sixteen English counties and was a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for several of them. In 1516, during a rivalry in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
with George, Baron Hastings
Baron Hastings
Baron Hastings is a title that has been created three times. The first creation was in the Peerage of England in 1295, and is still extant. The second creation was in the Peerage of England in 1299, and became extinct on the death of the first holder in c. 1314...
, and Sir Richard Sacheverell, Dorset unlawfully increased his retinue at court and was brought before the Star Chamber
Star Chamber
The Star Chamber was an English court of law that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster until 1641. It was made up of Privy Counsellors, as well as common-law judges and supplemented the activities of the common-law and equity courts in both civil and criminal matters...
and the Court of King's Bench. He was bound over for good behaviour. As part of this rivalry, he greatly enlarged his ancestral home at Bradgate
Bradgate Park
Bradgate Park is a public park in Charnwood Forest, in Leicestershire, England, just northwest of Leicester. It covers 850 acres . The park lies between the villages of Newtown Linford, Anstey, Cropston, Woodhouse Eaves and Swithland. The River Lin runs through the park, flowing into Cropston...
, Leicestershire.
In 1520, at the Field of Cloth of Gold, Dorset carried the sword of state
Sword of State
A sword of state is a sword, used as part of the regalia, symbolizing the power of a monarch to use the might of the state against its enemies, and their duty to preserve thus right and peace.It is known to be used in following monarchies:...
. In 1521, he met the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
at Gravelines
Gravelines
Gravelines is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies at the mouth of the river Aa 15 miles southwest of Dunkirk. There is a market in the town square on Saturdays. The "Arsenal" approached from the town square is home to an extensive and carefully displayed art collection....
on the coast of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and escorted him on a visit to England. He helped with the entertainment of the court by maintaining a company of actors.
In 1521, Dorset sat in judgment on the Duke of Buckingham
Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham
Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, KG was an English nobleman. He was the son of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and the former Lady Catherine Woodville, daughter of the 1st Earl Rivers and sister-in-law of King Edward IV.-Early life:Stafford was born at Brecknock Castle in Wales...
, despite being related to him by marriage. After his father's death, Dorset's mother had married a brother of the Duke. Henry VIII rewarded Dorset with three of Buckingham's manors.
From 17 June 1523 until his death in 1530, Dorset was Justice in Eyre south of Trent
Justice in Eyre
In English law, the Justices in Eyre were the highest magistrates in forest law, and presided over the court of justice-seat, a triennial court held to punish offenders against the forest law and enquire into the state of the forest and its officers...
. As such, he presided at the triennial Court of justice-seat, which dealt with matters of forest law.
In 1524, Dorset's Leicestershire feud with Lord Hastings turned into a fight between hundreds of men, and Cardinal Wolsey took action. Both rivals had to put up a bond for good behaviour of one thousand pounds, and Dorset was sent to Wales as Lord Master of Princess Mary's Council.
In 1528, Dorset became constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
of Warwick Castle
Warwick Castle
Warwick Castle is a medieval castle in Warwick, the county town of Warwickshire, England. It sits on a bend on the River Avon. The castle was built by William the Conqueror in 1068 within or adjacent to the Anglo-Saxon burh of Warwick. It was used as a fortification until the early 17th century,...
, and in 1529 of Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle is located in the town of the same name in Warwickshire, England. Constructed from Norman through to Tudor times, the castle has been described by architectural historian Anthony Emery as "the finest surviving example of a semi-royal palace of the later middle ages, significant...
.
In 1529, recalling his role as 'chief answerer' at the marriage of Arthur, Prince of Wales
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...
, Dorset was a critical witness in favour of Henry VIII's divorce of Catherine of Aragon. He strongly supported the King's contention that Arthur and Catherine's marriage had been consummated.
In 1530, in the final months of his life, he assisted the King in the condemnation of Cardinal Wolsey.
Soldier
In 1512, Dorset led an unsuccessful English military expedition to France to reconquer AquitaineAquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
, which England had lost during the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
. Unhappily, Ferdinand of Aragon
Ferdinand of Aragon
Ferdinand of Aragon may refer to:* Ferdinand I of Aragon, also known as Ferdinand of Antequera * Ferdinand II of Aragon, who married Isabella of Castile to become king of Spain, * Ferdinand of Aragón, Duke of Calabria...
gave none of the support he had promised. While Ferdinand delayed and tried to persuade Dorset to help him to attack Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
instead of Aquitaine, the English army's food, beer, and pay ran out, many took to wine and became ill, and the army mutinied. Back in England, Dorset had to face a trial.
In 1513, he fought at the siege of Tournai
Tournai
Tournai is a Walloon city and municipality of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut....
and the Battle of Guinegate
Battle of Guinegate (1513)
The Battle of Guinegate or Battle of the Spurs took place on August 16, 1513. As part of the Holy League under the on-going Italian Wars, English and Imperial troops under Henry VIII and Maximilian I surprised and routed a body of French cavalry under Jacques de La Palice.The English army was...
(also known as the Battle of the Spurs), and fought again in 1523 in the Scottish borders. These all gave him chances to make amends for the debacle of Aquitaine. To help Dorset in dealing with the Scots, he was appointed Lord Warden of the Marches
Lord Warden of the Marches
The Lord Warden of the Marches was an office in the governments of Scotland and England. The holders were responsible for the security of the border between the two nations, and often took part in military action....
, restored to the Privy Council, and became a gentleman of the chamber.
Family
Grey was the son and heir of Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of DorsetThomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset
Thomas Grey, 7th Baron Ferrers of Groby, 1st Earl of Huntingdon and 1st Marquess of Dorset, KG , was an English nobleman, courtier and a man of mediocre abilities pushed into prominence by his mother Elizabeth Woodville's second marriage to the king, Edward IV.-Family:Thomas was born about 1455,...
(c. 1456–1501), and his wife, Cecily Bonville, daughter and heiress of William Bonville, 6th Baron Harington
William Bonville, 6th Baron Harington
William Bonville, 6th Baron Harington was an English nobleman who was a loyal adherent of the House of York during the dynastic conflict in England in the 15th century known as the Wars of the Roses...
of Aldingham and of Lady Katherine Neville
Katherine Neville, Baroness Hastings
Katherine Neville, Baroness Hastings , was a noblewoman and a member of the powerful Neville family of northern England...
(1442-1503) and granddaughter of Alice Neville, 5th Countess of Salisbury
Alice Neville, 5th Countess of Salisbury
Alice Montacute was an English noblewoman and the suo jure 5th Countess of Salisbury, 6th Baroness Monthermer, and 7th and 4th Baroness Montacute having succeeded to the titles in 1428...
(1407-1462). Cecily Bonville's maternal uncles included Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
Richard Neville KG, jure uxoris 16th Earl of Warwick and suo jure 6th Earl of Salisbury and 8th and 5th Baron Montacute , known as Warwick the Kingmaker, was an English nobleman, administrator, and military commander...
(called 'Warwick the Kingmaker'), John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu
John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu
John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu KG was a Yorkist leader in the Wars of the Roses, best-known for eliminating Lancastrian resistance in the north of England during the early part of the reign of Edward IV of England....
and George Neville, Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
and Chancellor of England, while her aunts had married Henry de Beauchamp, 1st Duke of Warwick
Henry de Beauchamp, 1st Duke of Warwick
Henry de Beauchamp, 1st Duke of Warwick was an English nobleman.He was the son of Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick and Isabel le Despenser...
, William FitzAlan, 16th Earl of Arundel
William FitzAlan, 16th Earl of Arundel
William FitzAlan, 16th Earl of Arundel, 6th Baron Maltravers .He was a son of John FitzAlan, 13th Earl of Arundel and Eleanor Berkeley...
, Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby
Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby
Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby, KG was titular King of Mann, an English nobleman and stepfather to King Henry VII of England...
, and John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford
John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford
John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford , the second son of John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford, and Elizabeth Howard, was one of the principal Lancastrian commanders during the English Wars of the Roses...
. Cecily Bonville succeeded her father as Baroness Harington in 1460, and two months later succeeded her great- grandfather William Bonville as Baron Bonville
Baron Bonville
The title of Baron Bonville was created once in the Peerage of England. On 23 September 1449, William Bonville was summoned to Parliament. On his death in 1461, the barony was inherited by his great-granddaughter Cecily Bonville, who two months before succeeded as Baroness Harington, with which...
. After the death of her first husband, Cecily Bonville married her late husband's first cousin Henry Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire
Henry Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire
Henry Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire was an English nobleman.Henry, born in Brecknock Castle, Wales, was the younger son of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and of Catherine Woodville, Duchess of Buckingham and Bedford, and thus a nephew of King Edward IV of England...
, the younger son of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, KG played a major role in Richard III of England's rise and fall. He is also one of the primary suspects in the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower...
and of Catherine Woodville, Dorset's aunt.
The younger Thomas Grey's paternal grandparents were Queen Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Edward IV from 1464 until his death in 1483. Elizabeth was a key figure in the series of dynastic civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses. Her first husband, Sir John Grey of Groby was killed at the Second Battle of St Albans...
(c. 1437–1492) and her first husband Sir John Grey of Groby
John Grey of Groby
Sir John Grey, of Groby, Leicestershire was a Lancastrian knight, the great-great-grandfather of Lady Jane Grey.-Titles:...
(c. 1432-1461), son and heir of Elizabeth Ferrers, Lady Ferrers of Groby
Baron Ferrers of Groby
The peerage title Baron Ferrers of Groby was created in the Peerage of England in 1300 when William Ferrers, 1st Baron Ferrers of Groby was summoned to parliament. He was a grandson of William de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby. In 1475 the eighth baron was created the Marquess of Dorset, with which...
, so his father the first marquess was a stepson of King Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
and a half-brother of King Edward V
Edward V of England
Edward V was King of England from 9 April 1483 until his deposition two months later. His reign was dominated by the influence of his uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who succeeded him as Richard III...
. His grandfather Sir John Grey was killed at the Second Battle of St Albans
Second Battle of St Albans
The Second Battle of St Albans was a battle of the English Wars of the Roses fought on 17 February, 1461, at St Albans. The army of the Yorkist faction under the Earl of Warwick attempted to bar the road to London north of the town. The rival Lancastrian army used a wide outflanking manoeuvre to...
(1461), fighting on the Lancastrian
House of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
side. His grandmother Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Edward IV from 1464 until his death in 1483. Elizabeth was a key figure in the series of dynastic civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses. Her first husband, Sir John Grey of Groby was killed at the Second Battle of St Albans...
was the eldest daughter of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers
Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers
Richard Woodville , 1st Earl Rivers, KG was an English nobleman, best remembered as the father of Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Edward IV....
, and Jacquetta of Luxembourg
Jacquetta of Luxembourg
Jacquetta of Luxembourg was the elder daughter of Peter I, Count of St Pol, Conversano and Brienne and his wife Margaret de Baux...
, widow of John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford
John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford
John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford, KG , also known as John Plantagenet, was the third surviving son of King Henry IV of England by Mary de Bohun, and acted as Regent of France for his nephew, King Henry VI....
. Following his grandmother's marriage to Edward IV, members of her family gained advantages and made prosperous marriages. Elizabeth's brother John Woodville, at the age of twenty, married Catherine Neville, dowager Duchess of Norfolk
Lady Katherine Neville
Katherine Neville or Catherine de Neville was the eldest daughter of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland and Joan Beaufort , daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster by his mistress Catherine de Roet.Katherine was married firstly to John Mowbray, 2nd Duke of Norfolk...
, then in her late sixties.
Through Jacquetta of Luxembourg, Dorset was descended from Eleanor of England (1215-1275), the daughter of King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
and Isabella of Angoulême
Isabella of Angoulême
Isabella of Angoulême was queen consort of England as the second wife of King John from 1200 until John's death in 1216. They had five children by the king including his heir, later Henry III...
, and from several other European royal families.
Marriages and descendants
Thomas Grey was contracted in 1483 to marry Anne St Leger (1476-1526), the daughter of Anne of York, Duchess of ExeterAnne of York, Duchess of Exeter
-External links:* A Medieval Re-enactment Society based in London, featuring members of the Neville/Plantagenet family....
and her second husband Sir Thomas St Leger. Remarkably, Anne St Leger had been declared the heiress to the Exeter estates, but the marriage did not take place.
In the event, the young Thomas Grey's first marriage was to Eleanor St John, a daughter of Oliver St John of Lydiard Tregoze
Lydiard Tregoze
Lydiard Tregoze is a small village and civil parish on the western edge of Swindon in the County of Wiltshire, in the south west of England. It has in the past been spelt as Liddiard Tregooze and in other ways.-History:...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
and of his wife Elizabeth Scrope, daughter of Henry le Scrope, 4th Lord Scrope of Bolton
Baron Scrope of Bolton
The title Baron Scrope of Bolton was created in the Peerage of England for Sir Richard le Scrope as a barony by writ on January 8, 1371. It became dormant on the death of the 11th Baron in 1630 without male issue....
(1418–1459). Grey's father-in-law Oliver St John (also known as Oliver of Ewell) was the son of Margaret Beauchamp
Margaret Beauchamp of Bletso
Margaret Beauchamp, of Bletso, Bedfordshire, Spelsbury, Oxfordshire and Lydiard Tregoze, Wiltshire was the daughter of John Beauchamp, of Bletso and Edith Stourton...
(c. 1411-1482), the great-great-granddaughter of Roger Beauchamp, 1st Lord Beauchamp of Bletso
Baron Beauchamp of Bletso
Baron Beauchamp of Bletso was a title in the Peerage of England, created by writ when Roger de Beauchamp , son of Giles de Beauchamp and Catherine de Bures, was summoned to Parliament as the 1st Baron Beauchamp of Bletso from 1363 to 1379.His son by his first marriage to Sybil de Patshull, another...
, Keeper of Devizes Castle, and heiress to the Beauchamp estates. After the death of her first husband, another Oliver St John (died 1437), she married John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset
John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset
John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, KG was an English noble and military commander.-Family:Baptised on 25 March 1404, he was the second son of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset and Margaret Holland, and succeeded his elder brother Henry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of Somerset to become the 3rd Earl of...
(1404–1444).
In 1509, Thomas Grey (now known as Lord Ferrers of Groby) married secondly Margaret Wotton, daughter of Sir Robert Wotton (c.1463–1524) of Boughton Malherbe
Boughton Malherbe
For other "Boughtons" in Kent see Boughton under Blean; Boughton Malherbe; and Boughton MonchelseaBoughton Malherbe is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone district of Kent, England, situated between Maidstone and Ashford...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, and the widow of William Medley. She had two notable brothers, Sir Edward Wotton (1489-1551), Treasurer of Calais
Treasurer of Calais
Calais was in English hands from 1347 to 1558. The task of the Treasurer, in conjunction with the Captain of Calais was keeping the defences in order, supplying victuals and paying the garrison...
, and Nicholas Wotton
Nicholas Wotton
Nicholas Wotton was an English diplomat-Life:He was a son of Sir Robert Wotton of Boughton Malherbe, Kent, and a descendant of Nicholas Wotton, lord mayor of London in 1415 and 1430, and member of parliament for the city from 1406 to 1429.He early became vicar of Boughton Malherbe and of Sutton...
(c. 1497–1567), a diplomat who in 1539 arranged the marriage between Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves was a German noblewoman and the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England and as such she was Queen of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540. The marriage was never consummated, and she was not crowned queen consort...
. With Margaret, the younger Thomas Grey had four sons and four daughters, including Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk
Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk
Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk, 3rd Marquess of Dorset, KG was an English nobleman of the Tudor period and the father of Lady Jane Grey.-Henry VIII's reign:...
(1517–1554). His second wife survived him and died in or after 1535.
His younger brother Leonard Grey, 1st Viscount Grane
Leonard Grey, 1st Viscount Grane
Leonard Grey, 1st Viscount Grane , known as Lord Leonard Grey prior to 1536, served as Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1536 to 1540....
(c. 1479 - 1541) served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
from 1536 to 1540.
Dorset's son Henry succeeded him as Marquess of Dorset, married Lady Frances Brandon
Lady Frances Brandon
Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk , born Lady Frances Brandon, was the second child and eldest daughter of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk and Mary Tudor, Dowager Queen of France...
, a granddaughter of King Henry VII, and in 1551 (on the death of his brother-in-law Charles Brandon, 3rd Duke of Suffolk
Charles Brandon, 3rd Duke of Suffolk
Charles Brandon, 3rd Duke of Suffolk , known as Lord Charles Brandon until shortly before his death, was the son of the 1st Duke of Suffolk and the suo jure 12th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby....
) become Duke of Suffolk
Duke of Suffolk
Duke of Suffolk is a title that has been created three times in British history, all three times in the Peerage of England.The third creation of the dukedom of Suffolk was for Henry Grey, 3rd Marquess of Dorset, in 1551. The duke also held the title Baron Ferrers of Groby...
, by way of a new creation.
Dorset's granddaughter Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey , also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed...
was the designated successor of King 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...
by his will, and for nine days in July 1553 reigned briefly as England's first Queen regnant
Queen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
until ousted by Henry VIII's daughter 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...
, who was the heir by Act of Parliament.
In 1554, together with Dorset's other surviving sons, Lord John Grey and Lord Thomas Grey, Suffolk took part in Wyatt's rebellion
Wyatt's rebellion
Wyatt's Rebellion was a popular uprising in England in 1554, named after Thomas Wyatt the younger, one of its leaders. The rebellion arose out of concern over Queen Mary I's determination to marry Philip II of Spain, which was an unpopular policy with the English...
against Mary I's marriage to Philip 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....
and in support of Lady Jane Grey. When this rebellion failed, all three were arrested, and Suffolk and his brother Thomas were executed, as were Lady Jane herself and her husband Lord Guilford Dudley. Lord John Grey survived, and in July 1603 his youngest son, Henry Grey, was restored to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
by King James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
as Baron Grey of Groby.
Death
Dorset died on 10 October 1530, and was buried in the collegiate church at AstleyAstley, Warwickshire
Astley is a village and parish within the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England. In the 2001 census it had a population of 219.Astley is Knebly in George Eliot's Mr Gilfil's Love Story. Eliot's parents were married in the church....
in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
. When he died he held estates in London and in sixteen counties, amounting to over one hundred manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
s, and was one of the richest men in England. His grave was opened in the early seventeenth century and measurement of his skeleton suggested a height of 5 feet 8 inches.