William Pelham (lord justice)
Encyclopedia
Sir William Pelham was an English soldier and lord justice of Ireland.
near Basingstoke
in Hampshire
. His father died in 1538, and Pelham was probably thirty when he was appointed captain of the pioneers at the siege of Leith
in 1560. He was commended on that occasion; but, according to Humfrey Barwick, his bad engineering was responsible for the wound inflicted during the assault on Arthur Grey, 14th Lord Grey de Wilton. He commanded the pioneers at Le Havre
in November 1562 under Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick
; and, despatched to the assistance of Admiral Coligny in February 1563, was present at the capture of Caen
. Returning to Le Havre in March, he was wounded during a skirmish with the forces of the Rhinegrave in June. He assisted at the negotiations for the surrender of Le Havre, and was a hostage for the fulfilment of the conditions of surrender. Subsequently, on his return to England, he was employed with Portinari and Jacopo Aconcio in inspecting and improving the fortifications of Berwick
. Confidence was reposed in his judgment, and, appointed lieutenant-general of the ordnance
, he was chiefly occupied for several years in strengthening the defences of the kingdom. He accompanied Henry, lord Cobham, and Secretary Francis Walsingham
on a diplomatic mission to the Netherlands in the summer of 1578, and in the following summer he was sent to Ireland to organise the defence of the Pale
against possible inroads by the O'Neills. He was knighted by Sir William Drury, and, on the latter's death shortly afterwards, was chosen by the council lord justice ad interim.
The situation of affairs in Munster
, recently convulsed by the rebellion of James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald
, and the menacing attitude of Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond
and his brother Sir John of Desmond, obliged him to go there. His efforts at conciliation proving ineffectual, he caused the earl to be proclaimed a traitor; but, finding himself not sufficiently strong to attack Askeaton
, he returned to Dublin by way of Galway
, leaving the management of the war in Munster to the Earl of Ormonde. His proceeding gave considerable offence to Queen Elizabeth
, reluctant to involve herself in a new and costly campaign; and Pelham, though pleading in justification Drury's intentions and the necessity of the proclamation, asked to be relieved of his office. Yielding to pressure from England, Pelham in January 1580 prepared to go to Munster himself. At Waterford
, where he was detained till about the middle of February for want of victuals, he determined, in consequence of rumours of a Spanish invasion, to entrust the government of the counties of Cork and Waterford to Sir William Morgan, and in conjunction with the Earl of Ormonde to direct his march through Connello and Kerry
to Dingle
. He carried out his intention ruthlessly, killing indiscriminately according to the Annals of Four Masters. Returning along the sea-coast, he sat down before Carrigafoyle Castle on 25 March. Two days later he carried the place by assault, and put the garrison to the sword, sparing no one. Terrified by the fate of Carrigafoyle, the garrison at Askeaton surrendered without a blow, and Desmond's last stronghold of Ballyloughan fell at the same time into Pelham's hands.
With his headquarters at Limerick
, the lord justice garrisoned the Desmond district, his object being to confine the struggle to Kerry, and, with the assistance of the fleet, under Admiral Winter, to starve the rebels into submission. He also summoned a meeting of the noblemen and chief gentry of the province; but the attendance was meagre. He and Ormonde then entered Kerry together. From Castleisland
, where they narrowly missed capturing the Earl of Desmond and Nicholas Sanders
, they advanced along the valley of the River Maine, scouring the country as they went, to Dingle. At Dingle they found Admiral Winter, and, with his assistance, Pelham ransacked the coast between Dingle and Cork, while Ormonde harried the interior of the country. The western chiefs one by one submitted to Ormonde. At Cork there was a great meeting of all the lords and chiefs, and all were received to mercy except Lord Barrymore; but Pelham, acting on the advice of Sir Warham St. Leger, took them along with him to Limerick. Desmond was still at large, but his power had been crippled.
Pelham, who insisted on an unconditional surrender, was preparing for a fresh inroad into Kerry, when he received information that the new viceroy, Arthur, lord Grey de Wilton, had arrived at Dublin. It was originally intended to send Wallop with the sword of state to Dublin; but Pelham was offended at the lack of courtesy shown to him by the deputy's secretary, Edmund Spenser
, and determined to go himself to Dublin. He was detained for some time about Athlone by bad weather, and it was not till 7 September that he formally resigned the sword of state to the deputy in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
. There was some talk of making him President of Munster, and he accompanied Grey to Drogheda
to inspect the fortifications; but being taken dangerously ill, he returned to Dublin in a wagon. He obtained permission to return to England, and left Ireland early in October.
On 16 January 1581 he was joined in commission with George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury
and Sir Henry Neville to convey Mary, Queen of Scots, from Sheffield
to Ashby, Leicestershire. He still retained the office of lieutenant-general of the ordnance, but was deep in debts, and the queen refused either to remit or stall them. She made the payment of his arrears a requirement to permitting him to serve under Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
in the Netherlands
. Leicester and Lord Burghley induced her to accept a mortgage on his property, and in July 1586 he joined Leicester in the Netherlands.
Leicester, who thought highly of his military abilities, created him marshal of the army, so giving great offence to Sir John Norris and his brother Sir Edward Norris. As for Pelham, he shared Leicester's prejudices against the Norrises, and at a drinking bout on 6 August at Count Hohenlohe's quarters at Gertruydenberg, he was the cause of a brawl which nearly cost Sir Edward Norris his life. A few days later, while inspecting the trenches before Doesburg
in company with Leicester, he was wounded by a shot in the stomach; the wound did not prove immediately fatal. He was able to take part in the fight at Zutphen, and, according to Fulke Greville, it was the desire to emulate him that made Sir Philip Sidney lay aside his cuisses
and so to receive the wound that caused his death. He was entrusted with the task of bringing the recalcitrant citizens of Deventer
to heel. He returned to England with the Earl of Leicester in April 1587, and took the waters at Bath. He was sent back with reinforcements to Holland in the autumn, but died shortly after landing at Flushing
, on 24 November 1587.
. By her he had one son, Sir William Pelham, who succeeded him, and married Ann, eldest daughter of Charles Willoughby, 2nd Baron Willoughby of Parham
. His second wife was Dorothy, daughter of Anthony Catesby of Whiston
, Northamptonshire
, and widow of Sir William Dormer, by whom he had a son, Peregrine, and a daughter, Ann.
Life
He was third son of Sir William Pelham of Laughton, Sussex, by his second wife, Mary, daughter of William Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys of the VyneWilliam Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys of the Vyne
William Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys of the Vyne was an English Tudor diplomat, Lord Chamberlain and favourite of King Henry VIII....
near Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. His father died in 1538, and Pelham was probably thirty when he was appointed captain of the pioneers at the siege of Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
in 1560. He was commended on that occasion; but, according to Humfrey Barwick, his bad engineering was responsible for the wound inflicted during the assault on Arthur Grey, 14th Lord Grey de Wilton. He commanded the pioneers at Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
in November 1562 under Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick
Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick
Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick, KG was an English nobleman and general, and an elder brother of Queen Elizabeth I's favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester...
; and, despatched to the assistance of Admiral Coligny in February 1563, was present at the capture of Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
. Returning to Le Havre in March, he was wounded during a skirmish with the forces of the Rhinegrave in June. He assisted at the negotiations for the surrender of Le Havre, and was a hostage for the fulfilment of the conditions of surrender. Subsequently, on his return to England, he was employed with Portinari and Jacopo Aconcio in inspecting and improving the fortifications of Berwick
Berwick
Berwick-upon-Tweed is a border town in the north of England.Berwick may also refer to:- England :*Berwick Street Market, London*Berwick, Sussex**Berwick railway station*Berwick St John, Wiltshire...
. Confidence was reposed in his judgment, and, appointed lieutenant-general of the ordnance
Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance
The Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance was a member of the British Board of Ordnance and the deputy of the Master-General of the Ordnance. The office was established in 1544, and the holder was appointed by the crown under letters patent...
, he was chiefly occupied for several years in strengthening the defences of the kingdom. He accompanied Henry, lord Cobham, and Secretary Francis Walsingham
Francis Walsingham
Sir Francis Walsingham was Principal Secretary to Elizabeth I of England from 1573 until 1590, and is popularly remembered as her "spymaster". Walsingham is frequently cited as one of the earliest practitioners of modern intelligence methods both for espionage and for domestic security...
on a diplomatic mission to the Netherlands in the summer of 1578, and in the following summer he was sent to Ireland to organise the defence of the Pale
The Pale
The Pale or the English Pale , was the part of Ireland that was directly under the control of the English government in the late Middle Ages. It had reduced by the late 15th century to an area along the east coast stretching from Dalkey, south of Dublin, to the garrison town of Dundalk...
against possible inroads by the O'Neills. He was knighted by Sir William Drury, and, on the latter's death shortly afterwards, was chosen by the council lord justice ad interim.
The situation of affairs in Munster
Munster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...
, recently convulsed by the rebellion of James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald
James FitzMaurice FitzGerald
James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald was a member of the 16th century ruling Geraldine dynasty in the province of Munster in Ireland. He rebelled against the crown authority of Queen Elizabeth I of England in response to the onset of the Tudor conquest of Ireland and was deemed an archtraitor...
, and the menacing attitude of Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond
Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond
Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond was an Irish nobleman and leader of the Desmond Rebellions of 1579.-Life:...
and his brother Sir John of Desmond, obliged him to go there. His efforts at conciliation proving ineffectual, he caused the earl to be proclaimed a traitor; but, finding himself not sufficiently strong to attack Askeaton
Askeaton
Askeaton is a town in County Limerick, Ireland. Located on the N69, the town is built on the banks of the River Deel some 3 km upstream from the estuary of the River Shannon. There is also a secondary school in Askeaton...
, he returned to Dublin by way of Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
, leaving the management of the war in Munster to the Earl of Ormonde. His proceeding gave considerable offence to Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, reluctant to involve herself in a new and costly campaign; and Pelham, though pleading in justification Drury's intentions and the necessity of the proclamation, asked to be relieved of his office. Yielding to pressure from England, Pelham in January 1580 prepared to go to Munster himself. At Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
, where he was detained till about the middle of February for want of victuals, he determined, in consequence of rumours of a Spanish invasion, to entrust the government of the counties of Cork and Waterford to Sir William Morgan, and in conjunction with the Earl of Ormonde to direct his march through Connello and Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
to Dingle
Dingle
Dingle is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, about 49 kilometres southwest of Tralee and 71 kilometres northwest of Killarney....
. He carried out his intention ruthlessly, killing indiscriminately according to the Annals of Four Masters. Returning along the sea-coast, he sat down before Carrigafoyle Castle on 25 March. Two days later he carried the place by assault, and put the garrison to the sword, sparing no one. Terrified by the fate of Carrigafoyle, the garrison at Askeaton surrendered without a blow, and Desmond's last stronghold of Ballyloughan fell at the same time into Pelham's hands.
With his headquarters at Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, the lord justice garrisoned the Desmond district, his object being to confine the struggle to Kerry, and, with the assistance of the fleet, under Admiral Winter, to starve the rebels into submission. He also summoned a meeting of the noblemen and chief gentry of the province; but the attendance was meagre. He and Ormonde then entered Kerry together. From Castleisland
Castleisland
Castleisland is a town and commercial centre in County Kerry in south west Ireland. The town is renowned for the width of its main street. Castleisland has a population of 2,170....
, where they narrowly missed capturing the Earl of Desmond and Nicholas Sanders
Nicholas Sanders
Nicholas Sanders was an English Roman Catholic priest and polemicist.-Early life:Sanders was born at Chariwood , Surrey, the son of William Sanders, once sheriff of Surrey, who was descended from the Sanders of Sanderstead...
, they advanced along the valley of the River Maine, scouring the country as they went, to Dingle. At Dingle they found Admiral Winter, and, with his assistance, Pelham ransacked the coast between Dingle and Cork, while Ormonde harried the interior of the country. The western chiefs one by one submitted to Ormonde. At Cork there was a great meeting of all the lords and chiefs, and all were received to mercy except Lord Barrymore; but Pelham, acting on the advice of Sir Warham St. Leger, took them along with him to Limerick. Desmond was still at large, but his power had been crippled.
Pelham, who insisted on an unconditional surrender, was preparing for a fresh inroad into Kerry, when he received information that the new viceroy, Arthur, lord Grey de Wilton, had arrived at Dublin. It was originally intended to send Wallop with the sword of state to Dublin; but Pelham was offended at the lack of courtesy shown to him by the deputy's secretary, Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English...
, and determined to go himself to Dublin. He was detained for some time about Athlone by bad weather, and it was not till 7 September that he formally resigned the sword of state to the deputy in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
Saint Patrick's Cathedral , or more formally, the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Patrick is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Dublin, Ireland which was founded in 1191. The Church has designated it as The National Cathedral of Ireland...
. There was some talk of making him President of Munster, and he accompanied Grey to Drogheda
Drogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
to inspect the fortifications; but being taken dangerously ill, he returned to Dublin in a wagon. He obtained permission to return to England, and left Ireland early in October.
On 16 January 1581 he was joined in commission with George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury
George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury
George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, 6th Earl of Waterford, 12th Baron Talbot, KG, Earl Marshal was a 16th century English statesman.-Life:...
and Sir Henry Neville to convey Mary, Queen of Scots, from Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
to Ashby, Leicestershire. He still retained the office of lieutenant-general of the ordnance, but was deep in debts, and the queen refused either to remit or stall them. She made the payment of his arrears a requirement to permitting him to serve under Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, KG was an English nobleman and the favourite and close friend of Elizabeth I from her first year on the throne until his death...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Leicester and Lord Burghley induced her to accept a mortgage on his property, and in July 1586 he joined Leicester in the Netherlands.
Leicester, who thought highly of his military abilities, created him marshal of the army, so giving great offence to Sir John Norris and his brother Sir Edward Norris. As for Pelham, he shared Leicester's prejudices against the Norrises, and at a drinking bout on 6 August at Count Hohenlohe's quarters at Gertruydenberg, he was the cause of a brawl which nearly cost Sir Edward Norris his life. A few days later, while inspecting the trenches before Doesburg
Doesburg
Doesburg Doesburg Doesburg (Dutch is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands in the province of Gelderland. Doesburg received city rights in 1237 and currently has 11,602 inhabitants (1 January 2007, source: CBS). The city is situated on the right bank of river IJssel, at the...
in company with Leicester, he was wounded by a shot in the stomach; the wound did not prove immediately fatal. He was able to take part in the fight at Zutphen, and, according to Fulke Greville, it was the desire to emulate him that made Sir Philip Sidney lay aside his cuisses
Cuisses
Cuisses are a form of medieval armor worn to protect the thigh. The word is the plural of the French word cuisse meaning 'thigh'. While the skirt of a maille shirt or tassets of a cuirass could protect the upper legs from above, a thrust from below could avoid these defenses. Thus, cuisses were...
and so to receive the wound that caused his death. He was entrusted with the task of bringing the recalcitrant citizens of Deventer
Deventer
Deventer is a municipality and city in the Salland region of the Dutch province of Overijssel. Deventer is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, but also has a small part of its territory on the west bank. In 2005 the municipality of Bathmen Deventer is a municipality and city in...
to heel. He returned to England with the Earl of Leicester in April 1587, and took the waters at Bath. He was sent back with reinforcements to Holland in the autumn, but died shortly after landing at Flushing
Flushing, Netherlands
Vlissingen is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren. With its strategic location between the Scheldt river and the North Sea, Vlissingen has been an important harbour for centuries. It was granted city rights in 1315. In the 17th century...
, on 24 November 1587.
Works
Pelham's Letter Book, comprising his diary and official correspondence when lord justice of Ireland, is preserved among the Carew Manuscrips at Lambeth. It was compiled by Morgan Colman, and consists of 455 leaves. The title-page is elaborately ornamented. Pelham wrote commendatory verses prefixed to Sir George Peckham's A true Reporte of the late Discoveries … of the Newfound Landes: By … Sir Humphrey Gilbert, London, 1583. There is a tract by him, with the title, A form or maner howe to have the Exersyse of the Harquebuse thorowe England for the better Defence of the same, in ‘State Papers,’ Dom. Eliz. xliv. 60.Family
Pelham married, first, Eleanor (died 1574), daughter of Henry Neville, 5th Earl of WestmorlandHenry Neville, 5th Earl of Westmorland
Henry Neville, 5th Earl of Westmorland was an English peer, member of the House of Lords and Knight of the Garter.He inherited the earldom from Ralph Neville, 4th Earl of Westmorland and was succeeded by his son Charles Neville, 6th Earl of Westmorland...
. By her he had one son, Sir William Pelham, who succeeded him, and married Ann, eldest daughter of Charles Willoughby, 2nd Baron Willoughby of Parham
Charles Willoughby, 2nd Baron Willoughby of Parham
Charles Willoughby, 2nd Baron Willoughby of Parham was the only son of William Willoughby, 1st Baron Willoughby of Parham and Elizabeth Heneage.Charles Willoughby was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford being under 14 years old in 1551...
. His second wife was Dorothy, daughter of Anthony Catesby of Whiston
Whiston, Northamptonshire
Whiston is a village in the English county of Northamptonshire four miles due east of the county town of Northampton. It is in the civil parish of Cogenhoe and Whiston.-External links:*...
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, and widow of Sir William Dormer, by whom he had a son, Peregrine, and a daughter, Ann.