![Sir Edward Hoby 1583](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Sir_Edward_Hoby_1583.jpg)
Sir Edward Hoby (1560 – 1 March 1617) was an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
diplomat, Member of Parliament, scholar, and soldier during the reigns of
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
El ...
and
James I James I may refer to:
People
*James I of Aragon (1208–1276)
*James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327)
*James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu
*James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347)
*James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...
. He was the son of
Thomas Hoby
Sir Thomas Hoby (1530 – 13 July 1566) was an English diplomat and translator.
Early life
Hoby was born in 1530. He was the second son of William Hoby of Leominster, Herefordshire, by his second wife, Katherine, daughter of John Forden. He was ...
and
Elizabeth Cooke, the nephew of
William Cecil, Lord Burghley
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (13 September 15204 August 1598) was an English statesman, the chief adviser of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State (1550–1553 and 1558–1572) and Lord High Treasurer from 1 ...
, and the son-in-law of Queen Elizabeth's cousin
Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon
Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon Knight of the Garter, KG Privy Council of England, PC (4 March 1526 – 23 July 1596), was an English nobleman and courtier. He was the patron of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, William Shakespeare's playing company. ...
.
A
favourite
A favourite (British English) or favorite (American English) was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In post-classical and early-modern Europe, among other times and places, the term was used of individuals delegated si ...
of King James, Hoby published several works supporting the
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
cause as well as translations from French and Spanish. His heir was his illegitimate son,
Peregrine Hoby.
Biography
Born at
Bisham Abbey
Bisham Abbey is a Grade I listed manor house at Bisham in the English county of Berkshire. The name is taken from the now lost monastery which once stood alongside. This original Bisham Abbey was previously named Bisham Priory, and was the trad ...
, Berkshire, in 1560, Edward Hoby was the eldest son of Sir Thomas Hoby and his wife Elizabeth, third daughter of Sir
Anthony Cooke or Coke of
Gidea Hall
Gidea Hall was a manor house in Gidea Park, the historic parish and Royal liberty of Havering-atte-Bower, whose former area today is part of the north-eastern extremity of Greater London.
The first record of Gidea Hall is in 1250, and by 1410 ...
, Essex. He was educated at
Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England.
Eton may also refer to:
Places
*Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England
* Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States
* Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...
, where he formed a lasting friendship with
Sir John Harington, and at
Trinity College, Oxford
(That which you wish to be secret, tell to nobody)
, named_for = The Holy Trinity
, established =
, sister_college = Churchill College, Cambridge
, president = Dame Hilary Boulding
, location = Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BH
, coordinates ...
. At Trinity
Thomas Lodge
Thomas Lodge (c. 1558September 1625) was an English writer and medical practitioner whose life spanned the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods.
Biography
Thomas Lodge was born about 1558 in West Ham, the second son of Sir Thomas Lodge, Lo ...
, who later became a dramatist, was "servitor or scholar" under him.
![Sir Edward Hoby 1578](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Sir_Edward_Hoby_1578.jpg)
Under the auspices of his uncle, Lord Burghley,
[Burghley's wife Mildred was the sister of Hoby's mother.] he rose into high favour at the
Elizabethan
The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personifi ...
court and was frequently employed on confidential missions.
Hoby's fortunes were further advanced by his marriage, on 21 May 1582, to Margaret, daughter of
Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon
Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon Knight of the Garter, KG Privy Council of England, PC (4 March 1526 – 23 July 1596), was an English nobleman and courtier. He was the patron of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, William Shakespeare's playing company. ...
, cousin of Queen Elizabeth. The day after the wedding he was
knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
by the Queen.
In August 1584 he accompanied his father-in-law Hunsdon on a special mission to
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. His affability and learning greatly impressed King James VI (later James of England), and after attending the Scottish ambassador,
Patrick, Master of Gray, as far as
Durham Durham most commonly refers to:
*Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham
*County Durham, an English county
* Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States
*Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...
, Hoby received from the Scottish king a flattering letter, dated 24 October 1584, in which James intimated his longing for his company, and how he had "commanded his ambassador to sue for it".
James Stewart, Earl of Arran
Captain James Stewart, Earl of Arran (died 1595) was created Earl of Arran by the young King James VI, who wrested the title from James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran. He rose to become Lord Chancellor of Scotland and was eventually murdered in ...
also wrote to the same effect, and enclosed a "small token", which he begged Hoby to wear in "testimony of their brotherhood". These amenities proved displeasing to Elizabeth, and Hoby found it convenient for a time to plead the ague as an excuse for not attending the court.
Another effigy of early 15th-century date was dug up in the churchyard in 1833 and this lies against the north wall of
Minster Abbey. Some sources suggest this is General Geronimo who appears in the Register as being buried in December 1591. He was captured in a Spanish galleon by Sir Edward Hoby in 1588 and held hostage in Queenborough Castle. The ransom was never paid and he died in captivity. He clasps a small egg-shaped image in his hands which is said to represent his soul.
On 24 September 1586 he was returned as one of the two members of parliament for
Queenborough
Queenborough is a town on the Isle of Sheppey in the Swale borough of Kent in South East England.
Queenborough is south of Sheerness. It grew as a port near the Thames Estuary at the westward entrance to the Swale where it joins the R ...
, Kent, and gained distinction as a speaker in
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
. That October he complained that he had been "not only bitten but overpassed by the hard hand of"
Francis Walsingham
Sir Francis Walsingham ( – 6 April 1590) was principal secretary to Queen Elizabeth I of England from 20 December 1573 until his death and is popularly remembered as her "spymaster".
Born to a well-connected family of gentry, Wals ...
, and appealed to Secretary
William Davison to use his influence with the queen on his behalf. Restored to favour, in July 1588 Hoby was chosen to report to the queen on the progress of the preparations against the
Spanish Armada
The Spanish Armada (a.k.a. the Enterprise of England, es, Grande y Felicísima Armada, links=no, lit=Great and Most Fortunate Navy) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aris ...
. That October he was elected a
knight of the shire
Knight of the shire ( la, milites comitatus) was the formal title for a member of parliament (MP) representing a county constituency in the British House of Commons, from its origins in the medieval Parliament of England until the Redistributio ...
for
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
. He was made
justice of the peace
A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...
for
Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...
by a special renewal of the commission on 17 December 1591. In 1592 he was chosen as a knight of the shire for
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
, and in 1594 was granted letters patent for buying and providing
wool
Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool.
As ...
for sale in England for ten years, and the grant was ratified in the succeeding reign.
Hoby accompanied the
Earl of Essex
Earl of Essex is a title in the Peerage of England which was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title has been recreated eight times from its original inception, beginning with a new first Earl upon each new cre ...
on his expedition to
Cádiz
Cádiz (, , ) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia.
Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, ...
in 1596, and was made constable of
Queenborough Castle
Queenborough Castle, also known as Sheppey Castle, is a 14th-century castle, the remnants of which are in the town of Queenborough on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent in England. The castle and the associated planned town were built on the orders of Kin ...
,
Isle of Sheppey
The Isle of Sheppey is an island off the northern coast of Kent, England, neighbouring the Thames Estuary, centred from central London. It has an area of . The island forms part of the local government district of Swale. ''Sheppey'' is derived ...
, Kent, on 9 July 1597. On the following 28 October Hoby received a commission to search out and prosecute all offences against the statute prohibiting the exportation of iron from England, his reward being half the forfeitures arising therefrom. He represented
Rochester
Rochester may refer to:
Places Australia
* Rochester, Victoria
Canada
* Rochester, Alberta
United Kingdom
*Rochester, Kent
** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area
** History of Rochester, Kent
** HM Prison ...
in the parliaments of 1597, 1601, February 1604, and 1614. James I made him a
Gentleman of the Privy Chamber
A privy chamber was the private apartment of a royal residence in England.
The Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber were noble-born servants to the Crown who would wait and attend on the King in private, as well as during various court activities, f ...
, forgave his arrears of rent of the Royal Manor of
Shirland
Shirland is a former pit village in Derbyshire, England. Together with the neighbouring villages of Higham, Stretton and Stonebroom, it forms part of the civil parish of Shirland and Higham, which had a population of 4,802 at the 2011 Census ...
in Derbyshire (amounting to over £500), and on 21 August 1607 granted him an exclusive licence to buy wool in
Warwickshire
Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon an ...
and
Staffordshire
Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...
. He frequently entertained the king at Bisham.
Hoby's wife died in 1605, and he later married Cicely Unton (d. 1618), the daughter of Sir Edward Unton and Lady Anne Seymour, and widow of
John Wentworth of
Gosfield Hall
Gosfield Hall is a country house in Gosfield, near Braintree in Essex, England. It is a Grade I listed building.
The house was built in 1545 by Sir John Wentworth, a member of Cardinal Wolsey’s household, and hosted royal visits by Queen Eliz ...
, Essex.
Hoby died in
Queenborough
Queenborough is a town on the Isle of Sheppey in the Swale borough of Kent in South East England.
Queenborough is south of Sheerness. It grew as a port near the Thames Estuary at the westward entrance to the Swale where it joins the R ...
Castle on 1 March 1617. He and his wives had no children, but he brought up his illegitimate son by Katherine Pinkney, Peregrine Hoby, and made the boy his heir.
Works
An excellent scholar himself, Hoby cultivated the friendship of learned men, especially that of
William Camden
William Camden (2 May 1551 – 9 November 1623) was an English antiquarian, historian, topographer, and herald, best known as author of ''Britannia'', the first chorographical survey of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, and the ''Annal ...
, who eulogises his bounty and accomplishments in his ''Britannia''. Camden also dedicated his ''Hibernia'' (1587) to him.
In 1612 Hoby presented a copy of
Sir Henry Savile
Sir Henry Savile (30 November 154919 February 1622) was an English scholar and mathematician, Warden of Merton College, Oxford, and Provost of Eton. He endowed the Savilian chairs of Astronomy and of Geometry at Oxford University, and was one ...
's sumptuous edition of ''St Chrysostom'' to the library of Trinity College, Oxford. Hoby was also a keen
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
theologian, sparring in print with the
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
convert
Theophilus Higgons and the
Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
John Fludd or Floyd.
Hoby's theological writings include:
* ''A Letter to Mr. T
eophilusH
ggons late Minister: now Fugitive ... in answere of his first Motive,'' (1609), which was answered by Higgons during the same year.
* ''A Counter-snarle for Ishmael Rabshakeh a Cycropedian Lycaonite'' (1613), being a reply to ''The Overthrow of the Protestants Pulpet Babels,'' by "J. R." (John Fludd or Floyd). Floyd forthwith replied with his ''Purgatories triumph over Hell, maugre the barking of Cerberus in Syr Edward Hobyes "Counter-snarle"'' (1613).
*''A Curry-combe for a сохе-combe . . . In answer to a lewd Libel lately foricated by Jabal Rachil against Sir Edward Hobies "Counter-Snarle," entitled "Purgatories triumph over Hell,"'' (1615), written under the ponderous pseudonym of "Nick-Groome of the Hobie-Stable Reginoburgi," in the form of a dialogue.
Hoby also translated
Matthieu Coignet Matthieu Coignet (c. 1514–1586) was a French lawyer, ambassador, landowner, and author. Thanks to an early English translation, some English-language sources give his name as Martyn Cognet.
Life
By 1549 Coignet was an advocate in the '' Parlement ...
's ''Politique discourses on trueth and lying'' from French (1586), and
Bernardino de Mendoza
Bernardino de Mendoza (c. 1540 – 3 August 1604) was a Spanish military commander, diplomat and writer on military history and politics.
Biography
Bernardino de Mendoza was born in Guadalajara, Spain around 1540, as the son of Don Alonso Su ...
's ''Theorique and Practise of Warre'' from Spanish (1597).
Notes
References
*
Cooper, Tarnya, ''A Guide to Tudor & Jacobean Portraits'', London, National Portrait Gallery, 2008,
External links
Hoby family tree
;Attribution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoby, Sir Edward
1560 births
1617 deaths
Members of the Parliament of England for Berkshire
16th-century English diplomats
French–English translators
People from the Isle of Sheppey
People from Bisham
English Protestants
Spanish–English translators
16th-century Protestants
17th-century English writers
17th-century English male writers
17th-century Protestants
People educated at Eton College
Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford
English MPs 1572–1583
English MPs 1584–1585
English MPs 1586–1587
English MPs 1589
English MPs 1593
English MPs 1597–1598
English MPs 1601
English MPs 1604–1611
English MPs 1614
Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber
British and English royal favourites
Knights Bachelor