William Knight (royal servant)
Encyclopedia
William Knight was the Secretary of State
to Henry VIII of England
, and Bishop of Bath and Wells
.
Knight was sent to Rome
in 1527 to try to get Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon
annulled. He rebuilt Horton Court
in Gloucestershire
using ideas from Italian architecture.
Knight was Archdeacon of Richmond
from 1529 to 1541.
, where he became Fellow in 1493. He afterwards proceeded D.C.L. 12 October 1531. In 1495 Knight went to court, where Henry VII made him one of his secretaries. He was frequently employed as an ambassador in the reign of Henry VIII. On 3 June 1512 he went with Sir Edward Howard to Spain, and, after storms and sickness, reached Valladolid
18 February 1513. He had received a commission authorising him and John Stile to treat with Ferdinand of Aragon
about the defence of the church. Knight remained at Valladolid till June 1513.
On 3 April 1514 he was at Mechlin on the first of a long series of embassies to the Low Countries
. Richard Wingfield
and Spinelly were with him (18 April), and on 12 June he was at The Hague
with Sir Edward Poynings. In July he seems to have visited Switzerland
. He received, on 14 July 1514, a grant of arms; in the grant he is described as prothonotary
.
In May 1515 Knight is styled chaplain to the king; in the same year he became dean of the collegiate church of Newark, Leicestershire
. On 7 May he was appointed ambassador with Sir Edward Poynings to Prince Charles, to renew the league of 9 February 1505. They had a conference with Cuthbert Tunstall
, 23 May, at Bruges
, and an audience with Charles at Bergen-op-Zoom on 29 May. He remained in Flanders
during the rest of 1515, and found himself short of money. In February 1516 the treaty had been concluded.
He probably came to England in 1516, as he was in that year collated to the prebend of Farrendon-cum-Balderton in Lincoln Cathedral
. On 30 December 1516 he was, in company with Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester
, again appointed ambassador to the Emperor, and he had an interview with Charles, 22 January 15117. Throughout 1518 he was English representative to Margaret of Austria in the Low Countries, and sailed home from Calais
15 February 1519. As one of Henry's chaplains and clerk of the closet
he was at the Field of the Cloth of Gold
in 1520; and seems to have been made prebendary of Llanvair in Bangor Cathedral
in the same year.
On 10 June 1520 he was commissioned, with Sir Thomas More, John Hussee, and Hewester, to settle the disputes between the English merchants and the Teutonic Hanse, and went again to the Netherlands. Sir Richard Wingfield, writing from Oudenarde, 28 October 1521, reported that Knight was to take his place as ambassador to the emperor, but it seems that the emperor objected to his low birth, and expressed a preference for Sir Robert Wingfield. Knight made a journey on diplomatic business into Switzerland in 1522; went on an embassy to the empire respecting the wool staple, and was (11 November) admitted archdeacon of Chester. In 1523 he concluded with Charles III, Duke of Bourbon
a treaty against France, but was back at Brussels in August. On 11 September 1523 he was appointed archdeacon of Huntingdon. About August 1526 he became secretary to the king.
In 1527, though he complained that he was old and losing his sight, Henry decided to send him to Rome to promote his divorce; Thomas Wolsey thought Jerome de Ghinucci, bishop of Worcester
, would have been better suited to the work. On 10 September Knight saw Wolsey at Compiègne
, and at his directions went on to Venice
to watch for an opportunity to get access to the captive Pope Clement VII
. He managed to get a safe-conduct through Gambara the prothonotary, but was nearly murdered at Monterotundo (4 December 1527), and when he entered Rome all he could do was to send in his letters of credence with a note of what the king wished. On 19 December 1527 Knight, while still in Italy, was made canon of Westminster. By the end of December, Henry Jerningham
wrote that the secret of Knight's negotiation had not been well kept, and that the Emperor had written to the pope accordingly. Full instructions were then sent to Knight, with a commission to Wolsey and another, which, if signed by the pope, would have empowered them to settle the divorce. On 1 January 1528 the Pope had been set free, and Knight visited him at Orvieto
. Cardinal St. Quatuor (to whom two thousand crowns were given) had made some alterations in the commission, and the pope signed it. Knight arrived in London in February 1528 and admitted the failure of this embassy.
He went (13 December 1528) on another mission with William Benet to Anne de Montmorency
, to confer about Italian affairs, and was instructed to proceed on again to Rome. On 31 January 1529, however, Stephen Gardiner
joined Knight and Benet at Lyon
and brought new instructions; Knight went back to Paris and acted through March and April with Sir John Taylor as ambassador; in June Suffolk and Fitzwilliam were with him. On 30 June 1529, Knight, with Tunstall, More, and Hacket, arranged the Treaty of Cambray. He was at the convocation of Canterbury of 1529, and was admitted archdeacon of Richmond on 7 December.
In February 1532 Hacket and Knight were appointed to treat with the emperor's commissioners about commerce; the embassy did not bear much fruit. Knight held at this time the rectory of Romald Kirk, Yorkshire
. On 30 January 1535 Knight was a commissioner for collecting the ecclesiastical tenths, and on 15 October 1537 was present at the christening of Edward VI.
On 29 May 1541 he was consecrated bishop of Bath and Wells, in succession to John Clerk
, and he resigned all his other preferments. At Wells Thomas Fuller
relates that he built a market cross with the assistance of Dean Woolman. He died in 1547 at Wiveliscombe
, Somerset
, and was buried in Wells Cathedral
next to Sugar's Chapel, where a pulpit which he had erected and which bears his arms served as a monument. He was a patron of Henry Cole
. When in London Knight lived in a house in Cannon Row, Westminster, afterwards (1536) assigned, in accordance with an act of 27 Henry VIII, to the bishops of Norwich. By his will he left money to Winchester and New Colleges.
Secretary of State (England)
In the Kingdom of England, the title of Secretary of State came into being near the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I , the usual title before that having been King's Clerk, King's Secretary, or Principal Secretary....
to Henry VIII of England
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...
, and Bishop of Bath and Wells
Bishop of Bath and Wells
The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England.The present diocese covers the vast majority of the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in...
.
Knight was sent to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 1527 to try to get Henry's marriage to 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...
annulled. He rebuilt Horton Court
Horton Court
Horton Court is a stone-built manor house situated in Horton, near Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire, England. The building has been a National Trust property since 1949....
in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
using ideas from Italian architecture.
Knight was Archdeacon of Richmond
Archdeacon of Richmond
The Archdeacon of Richmond is an archdiaconal post in the Church of England. It is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Chester.-History:It was created around the year 1088, and was endowed by Thomas, Archbishop of York. It had the valuable impropriations of Easingwold, Bolton, Clapham, and...
from 1529 to 1541.
Life
Born in London, he entered Winchester School as a scholar in 1487, and proceeded in 1491 to New College, OxfordNew College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, where he became Fellow in 1493. He afterwards proceeded D.C.L. 12 October 1531. In 1495 Knight went to court, where Henry VII made him one of his secretaries. He was frequently employed as an ambassador in the reign of Henry VIII. On 3 June 1512 he went with Sir Edward Howard to Spain, and, after storms and sickness, reached Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
18 February 1513. He had received a commission authorising him and John Stile to treat with 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...
about the defence of the church. Knight remained at Valladolid till June 1513.
On 3 April 1514 he was at Mechlin on the first of a long series of embassies to the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
. Richard Wingfield
Richard Wingfield
Sir Richard Wingfield, of Kimbolton Castle was an influential courtier and diplomat in the early years of the Tudor dynasty of England.-Life:...
and Spinelly were with him (18 April), and on 12 June he was at The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
with Sir Edward Poynings. In July he seems to have visited Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. He received, on 14 July 1514, a grant of arms; in the grant he is described as prothonotary
Prothonotary
The word prothonotary is recorded in English since 1447, as "principal clerk of a court," from L.L. prothonotarius , from Greek protonotarios "first scribe," originally the chief of the college of recorders of the court of the Byzantine Empire, from Greek protos "first" + Latin notarius ; the -h-...
.
In May 1515 Knight is styled chaplain to the king; in the same year he became dean of the collegiate church of Newark, 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...
. On 7 May he was appointed ambassador with Sir Edward Poynings to Prince Charles, to renew the league of 9 February 1505. They had a conference with Cuthbert Tunstall
Cuthbert Tunstall
Cuthbert Tunstall was an English Scholastic, church leader, diplomat, administrator and royal adviser...
, 23 May, at Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
, and an audience with Charles at Bergen-op-Zoom on 29 May. He remained in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
during the rest of 1515, and found himself short of money. In February 1516 the treaty had been concluded.
He probably came to England in 1516, as he was in that year collated to the prebend of Farrendon-cum-Balderton in Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral is a historic Anglican cathedral in Lincoln in England and seat of the Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for 249 years . The central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt...
. On 30 December 1516 he was, in company with Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester
Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester
Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester was the legitimised son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset and Joan Hill.-Biography:He was born around 1460 to Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset and Joan Hill...
, again appointed ambassador to the Emperor, and he had an interview with Charles, 22 January 15117. Throughout 1518 he was English representative to Margaret of Austria in the Low Countries, and sailed home from 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....
15 February 1519. As one of Henry's chaplains and clerk of the closet
Clerk of the Closet
The College of Chaplains of the Ecclesiastical Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom is under the Clerk of the Closet, an office dating from 1437. It is normally held by a diocesan bishop, who may however remain in office after leaving his see...
he was at the Field of the Cloth of Gold
Field of the Cloth of Gold
The Field of Cloth of Gold is the name given to a place in Balinghem, between Guînes and Ardres, in France, near Calais. It was the site of a meeting that took place from 7 June to 24 June 1520, between King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France. The meeting was arranged to increase...
in 1520; and seems to have been made prebendary of Llanvair in Bangor Cathedral
Bangor Cathedral
Bangor Cathedral is an ancient place of Christian worship situated in Bangor, Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It is dedicated to its founder, Saint Deiniol....
in the same year.
On 10 June 1520 he was commissioned, with Sir Thomas More, John Hussee, and Hewester, to settle the disputes between the English merchants and the Teutonic Hanse, and went again to the Netherlands. Sir Richard Wingfield, writing from Oudenarde, 28 October 1521, reported that Knight was to take his place as ambassador to the emperor, but it seems that the emperor objected to his low birth, and expressed a preference for Sir Robert Wingfield. Knight made a journey on diplomatic business into Switzerland in 1522; went on an embassy to the empire respecting the wool staple, and was (11 November) admitted archdeacon of Chester. In 1523 he concluded with Charles III, Duke of Bourbon
Charles III, Duke of Bourbon
Charles III, Duke of Bourbon was a French military leader, the Count of Montpensier and Dauphin of Auvergne. He commanded the Imperial troops of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in what became known as the Sack of Rome in 1527, where he was killed.-Biography:Charles was born at Montpensier...
a treaty against France, but was back at Brussels in August. On 11 September 1523 he was appointed archdeacon of Huntingdon. About August 1526 he became secretary to the king.
In 1527, though he complained that he was old and losing his sight, Henry decided to send him to Rome to promote his divorce; Thomas Wolsey thought Jerome de Ghinucci, bishop of Worcester
Bishop of Worcester
The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury...
, would have been better suited to the work. On 10 September Knight saw Wolsey at Compiègne
Compiègne
Compiègne is a city in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.The city is located along the Oise River...
, and at his directions went on to Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
to watch for an opportunity to get access to the captive Pope Clement VII
Pope Clement VII
Clement VII , born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was a cardinal from 1513 to 1523 and was Pope from 1523 to 1534.-Early life:...
. He managed to get a safe-conduct through Gambara the prothonotary, but was nearly murdered at Monterotundo (4 December 1527), and when he entered Rome all he could do was to send in his letters of credence with a note of what the king wished. On 19 December 1527 Knight, while still in Italy, was made canon of Westminster. By the end of December, Henry Jerningham
Henry Jerningham
Henry Jerningham KB was an English courtier during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. He served as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household and Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard.-Biography:...
wrote that the secret of Knight's negotiation had not been well kept, and that the Emperor had written to the pope accordingly. Full instructions were then sent to Knight, with a commission to Wolsey and another, which, if signed by the pope, would have empowered them to settle the divorce. On 1 January 1528 the Pope had been set free, and Knight visited him at Orvieto
Orvieto
Orvieto is a city and comune in Province of Terni, southwestern Umbria, Italy situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff...
. Cardinal St. Quatuor (to whom two thousand crowns were given) had made some alterations in the commission, and the pope signed it. Knight arrived in London in February 1528 and admitted the failure of this embassy.
He went (13 December 1528) on another mission with William Benet to Anne de Montmorency
Anne de Montmorency
Anne de Montmorency, duc de Montmorency, Honorary Knight of the Garter was a French soldier, statesman and diplomat. He became Marshal of France and Constable of France.-Early life:...
, to confer about Italian affairs, and was instructed to proceed on again to Rome. On 31 January 1529, however, Stephen Gardiner
Stephen Gardiner
Stephen Gardiner was an English Roman Catholic bishop and politician during the English Reformation period who served as Lord Chancellor during the reign of Queen Mary I of England.-Early life:...
joined Knight and Benet at Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
and brought new instructions; Knight went back to Paris and acted through March and April with Sir John Taylor as ambassador; in June Suffolk and Fitzwilliam were with him. On 30 June 1529, Knight, with Tunstall, More, and Hacket, arranged the Treaty of Cambray. He was at the convocation of Canterbury of 1529, and was admitted archdeacon of Richmond on 7 December.
In February 1532 Hacket and Knight were appointed to treat with the emperor's commissioners about commerce; the embassy did not bear much fruit. Knight held at this time the rectory of Romald Kirk, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. On 30 January 1535 Knight was a commissioner for collecting the ecclesiastical tenths, and on 15 October 1537 was present at the christening of Edward VI.
On 29 May 1541 he was consecrated bishop of Bath and Wells, in succession to John Clerk
John Clerk (bishop)
John Clerk was an English bishop. He was educated at Cambridge University, and went on to serve under Cardinal Wolsey in a variety of capacities. He was also useful in a diplomatic capacity to both Wolsey and Henry VIII of England....
, and he resigned all his other preferments. At Wells Thomas Fuller
Thomas Fuller
Thomas Fuller was an English churchman and historian. He is now remembered for his writings, particularly his Worthies of England, published after his death...
relates that he built a market cross with the assistance of Dean Woolman. He died in 1547 at Wiveliscombe
Wiveliscombe
Wiveliscombe is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated west of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district. The town has a population of 2,670. The parish includes the nearby hamlet of Maundown.-History:...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, and was buried in Wells Cathedral
Wells Cathedral
Wells Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, who lives at the adjacent Bishop's Palace....
next to Sugar's Chapel, where a pulpit which he had erected and which bears his arms served as a monument. He was a patron of Henry Cole
Henry Cole (priest)
Henry Cole was an English Roman Catholic churchman and academic.-Life:...
. When in London Knight lived in a house in Cannon Row, Westminster, afterwards (1536) assigned, in accordance with an act of 27 Henry VIII, to the bishops of Norwich. By his will he left money to Winchester and New Colleges.