Thomas Parry (Comptroller of the Household)
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Parry was a Comptroller of the Household
to the English
Queen Elizabeth I
.
He was knight
ed by Elizabeth at her accession in 1558, and held the offices of royal steward, Cofferer
, Privy Counselor
, Comptroller of the Household (appointed November 1558), Master of the Court of Wards and Liveries (appointed 26 April 1559), Member of Parliament
for Wallingford
(elected 1547, 1552, 1555), Hertfordshire
(elected 5 January 1558–9), and Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire
(appointed 1559).
, whose father, Sir Thomas Vaughan, had been knighted and later beheaded by King Richard III.
He was a friend and kinsman of William Cecil
, Lord Burghley, which may have afforded him his introduction to the court of King Edward VI. Parry was known by his fathers Christian name ap Harry of which was later modified to Parry.
He is first noticed attending Thomas Cromwell in 1536, having been employed with various tasks and responsibilities attached to the dissolution of monastic properties.
Further on he was one of the Protestants that were allowed to attended Princess Elizabeth when Mary
confined her to Hatfield House
. Elizabeth was quick to acknowledge his service and loyalty and conferred a knighthood to him upon her accession in 1558 and he was also made a privy counselor. The following year, he acquired lands in Berkshire
, centred on Hamstead Marshall
. Although Elizabeth was fond of his services, he was not particularly popular at court and is noted to have "died on 15 December 1560, of 'mere ill-humour' according to popular report (ib. vii. 313; Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1598–1601, p. 204), and was buried in Westminster Abbey
(Registers, ed. Chester, p. 113)."
in Buckinghamshire
, and widow, first, of Sir Giles Greville, and, secondly, of Sir Adrian Fortescue, by whom he had two sons and two daughters; one of whom married Thomas Knyvett, 4th Baron Berners
(c. 1539-1618) and had issue, one daughter of which married Edmund, the heir of Sir Robert Bell
.
Parry's eldest son, was Sir Thomas Parry
, Knighted 1601, ambassador to Paris, Sheriff
and MP
for Berkshire 1586-1614 & MP for St Albans
1610.
Lady Parry, who was one of the ladies of the privy chamber
, was granted, about 1566, an annuity of £50 for thirty-three years (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1566–1579, p. 25). She retired to Welford Park
and is buried beneath a fine monument
in the adjoining church.
Comptroller of the Household
The Comptroller of the Household is an ancient position in the English royal household, currently the second-ranking member of the Lord Steward's department, and often a cabinet member. He was an ex officio member of the Board of Green Cloth, until that body was abolished in the reform of the local...
to the 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...
Queen 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...
.
He was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed by Elizabeth at her accession in 1558, and held the offices of royal steward, Cofferer
Cofferer of the Household
The Cofferer of the Household was formerly an office in the English and British Royal Household.The holder had special charge over other officers of the household and was an officer of state and a member of the Privy Council and the Board of Green Cloth....
, Privy Counselor
Privy Council of England
The Privy Council of England, also known as His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, was a body of advisers to the sovereign of the Kingdom of England...
, Comptroller of the Household (appointed November 1558), Master of the Court of Wards and Liveries (appointed 26 April 1559), 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 Wallingford
Wallingford (UK Parliament constituency)
Wallingford was a constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.It was a parliamentary borough created in 1295, centred on the market town Wallingford in Berkshire . It used to return two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons; this was cut to one in 1832, and...
(elected 1547, 1552, 1555), Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
(elected 5 January 1558–9), and Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire
Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire. Since 1689, all Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Berkshire.-Lord Lieutenants of Berkshire:*Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset 1551 – 22 January 1552...
(appointed 1559).
Career
Parry's father was Henry Vaughan of Tretower CourtTretower Court
Tretower Court is a medieval fortified manor house situated in the village of Tretower, near Crickhowell in modern day Powys, previously within the historical county of Breconshire or Brecknockshire.- Local & national importance :...
, whose father, Sir Thomas Vaughan, had been knighted and later beheaded by King Richard III.
He was a friend and kinsman of William Cecil
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley , KG was an English statesman, the chief advisor of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State and Lord High Treasurer from 1572...
, Lord Burghley, which may have afforded him his introduction to the court of King Edward VI. Parry was known by his fathers Christian name ap Harry of which was later modified to Parry.
He is first noticed attending Thomas Cromwell in 1536, having been employed with various tasks and responsibilities attached to the dissolution of monastic properties.
Further on he was one of the Protestants that were allowed to attended Princess Elizabeth when Mary
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...
confined her to Hatfield House
Hatfield House
Hatfield House is a country house set in a large park, the Great Park, on the eastern side of the town of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. The present Jacobean house was built in 1611 by Robert Cecil, First Earl of Salisbury and Chief Minister to King James I and has been the home of the Cecil...
. Elizabeth was quick to acknowledge his service and loyalty and conferred a knighthood to him upon her accession in 1558 and he was also made a privy counselor. The following year, he acquired lands in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, centred on Hamstead Marshall
Hamstead Marshall
Hamstead Marshall is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. Although the village name is spelt Hamstead Marshall, the alternative Hampstead Marshall was quite commonly used in the past, and remains the official name of the civil parish...
. Although Elizabeth was fond of his services, he was not particularly popular at court and is noted to have "died on 15 December 1560, of 'mere ill-humour' according to popular report (ib. vii. 313; Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1598–1601, p. 204), and was buried in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
(Registers, ed. Chester, p. 113)."
Family
He married Anne, daughter of Sir William Reade of BoarstallBoarstall
Boarstall is a village and civil parish in the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire, about west of Aylesbury. The parish is on the county boundary with Oxfordshire and the village is about southeast of the Oxfordshire market town of Bicester.-History:...
in 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 widow, first, of Sir Giles Greville, and, secondly, of Sir Adrian Fortescue, by whom he had two sons and two daughters; one of whom married Thomas Knyvett, 4th Baron Berners
Thomas Knyvett, 4th Baron Berners
Thomas Knyvett, 4th Baron Berners was the High Sheriff of Norfolk in 1579.Thomas was the first son of John Knyvett and Agnes the daughter of Sir John Harcourt of Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire. Knyvett was a native of Ashwellthorpe in Norfolk, and married Muriel Parry, the daughter of Sir Thomas...
(c. 1539-1618) and had issue, one daughter of which married Edmund, the heir of Sir Robert Bell
Sir Robert Bell (Knight)
Sir Robert Bell SL of Beaupre Hall, Norfolk, was a Speaker of the House of Commons , who served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I....
.
Parry's eldest son, was Sir Thomas Parry
Thomas Parry (ambassador)
Sir Thomas Parry was an English politician and diplomat during the Tudor period.Thomas Parry was the son of Sir Thomas Parry Senior of Welford Park in Berkshire, the Controller of the Royal Household, by his wife, Anne, the daughter of Sir William Reade of Boarstall in Buckinghamshire.He first...
, Knighted 1601, ambassador to Paris, Sheriff
High Sheriff of Berkshire
The High Sheriff of Berkshire, in common with other counties, was originally the King's representative on taxation upholding the law in Saxon times. The word Sheriff evolved from 'shire-reeve'....
and MP
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 Berkshire 1586-1614 & MP for St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
1610.
Lady Parry, who was one of the ladies of the privy chamber
Privy chamber
A Privy chamber was the private apartment of a royal residence in England. The gentlemen of the Privy chamber were servants to the Crown who would wait and attend on the King and Queen at court during their various activities, functions and entertainments....
, was granted, about 1566, an annuity of £50 for thirty-three years (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1566–1579, p. 25). She retired to Welford Park
Welford Park
Welford Park is a country house and estate in the village of Welford, near the town of Newbury in the English county of Berkshire. Whilst of some historical significance, the estate is perhaps best known for its displays of Snowdrops in early Spring....
and is buried beneath a fine monument
Church monument
A church monument is an architectural or sculptural memorial to a dead person or persons, located within a Christian church. It can take various forms, from a simple wall tablet to a large and elaborate structure which may include an effigy of the deceased person and other figures of familial or...
in the adjoining church.