Sir Henry Long (ca. 1489–1556) was born in
Wiltshire
Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...
, the eldest surviving son and heir of
Sir Thomas Long of Draycot Sir Thomas Long of Draycot (c. 1451–1508) was an English landowner and knight. He is known to have served as one of the Members of Parliament for the borough of Westbury in 1491 and was twice High Sheriff of Wiltshire.
Life
Born in Wiltshire, ...
, landowner, of
Draycot Cerne
Draycot Cerne (Draycott) is a small village and former civil parish in Wiltshire, England, about north of Chippenham.
History
The parish was referred to as ''Draicote'' (Medieval Latin) in the ancient Domesday hundred of Startley when Geoff ...
in Wiltshire.
Political career
Long was appointed
High Sheriff of Wiltshire
This is a list of the Sheriffs and (after 1 April 1974) High Sheriffs of Wiltshire.
Until the 14th century, the shrievalty was held ''ex officio'' by the castellans of Old Sarum Castle.
On 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Gov ...
in 1512, 1526, 1536 and 1542, and
High Sheriff of Somerset
The office of High Sheriff of Somerset is an ancient shrievalty which has been in existence since the 11th century. Originally known as the "Sheriff of Somerset", the role was retitled on 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Government A ...
and
Dorset
Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...
in 1538. He replaced Sir Edward Darrell when the latter died as
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for
Wiltshire
Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...
in 1532, and was re-elected in 1552.
[ ] He was also Hereditary Bailiff of Charlton Wood and Keeper of
Braden Forest, east of
Malmesbury
Malmesbury () is a town and civil parish in north Wiltshire, England, which lies approximately west of Swindon, northeast of Bristol, and north of Chippenham. The older part of the town is on a hilltop which is almost surrounded by the up ...
.
Together with his brother
Richard
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Frankish language, Old Frankish and is a Compound (linguistics), compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' an ...
, he was present at the baptism of
Prince Edward.
He inherited the manor of
Stock
In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especially AmE'' one of the shares into which ownership of a company ...
&
Stockley from his father and later purchased the manor of
South Wraxall
South Wraxall is a village and a civil parish in Wiltshire, England, north of Bradford on Avon. The village is to the east of the B3109 road from Bradford on Avon to Corsham.
The parish includes the village of Lower Wraxall, to the south of Sou ...
.
In 1513 he was on campaign in France and 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 ...
for making a gallant charge at Therouenne,
Picardy
Picardy (; Picard and french: Picardie, , ) is a historical territory and a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region of Hauts-de-France. It is located in the northern part of France.
Hi ...
in the sight of the King, for which he was granted a new crest, consisting of a lions head with a man's hand in its mouth. In 1520 he accompanied
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
with other knights to the meeting with
Francis I of France
Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once ...
at the
Field of the Cloth of Gold
The Field of the Cloth of Gold (french: Camp du Drap d'Or, ) was a summit meeting between King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France from 7 to 24 June 1520. Held at Balinghem, between Ardres in France and Guînes in the English P ...
.
In 1544 Long was at the
Siege of Boulogne, having the command of 200 men, whom he raised for that expedition. His Captain was severely wounded in an unsuccessful attack on the castle on 1 September 1544.
Long's close relationship with Henry VIII paid dividends at the
Dissolution of the Monasteries, with grants of land in Wiltshire;
Lyneham and Littlecote in
Hilmarton
Hilmarton is a village and civil parish in North Wiltshire, in the west of England. The village lies on the A3102 between the towns of Calne and Wootton Bassett, and south of Lyneham. The parish includes the village of Goatacre and the hamlets ...
, together with the rectory, great tithes and advowson of the vicarage of Lyneham, all formerly belonging to
Bradenstoke Priory
Bradenstoke Priory was a medieval priory of Augustinian canons regular in the village of Bradenstoke, Wiltshire, England. Its site, in the north of the county about west of Lyneham, is on a ridge above the south side of Dauntsey Vale. In the ...
. He leased the manor of
Vastern (or Fasterne) from
Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr (sometimes alternatively spelled Katherine, Katheryn, Kateryn, or Katharine; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen of England and Ireland as the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 12 July 1543 until ...
who, after the death of her husband Henry VIII, had remarried Sir Thomas Seymour, brother of
Protector Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (150022 January 1552) (also 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp), also known as Edward Semel, was the eldest surviving brother of Queen Jane Seymour (d. 1537), the third wife of King Henry VI ...
. The Protector coveted Vastern, and negotiated with Sir Henry Long to resign his lease. When she heard of this, Catherine was highly indignant. She was not on good terms with the Protector because he had declined to give her some valuable jewels which, as she maintained, King Henry had given her for her own. She vowed she would stop the Protector getting his hands on the Vastern lease, and would go herself "tomorrow, Saturday, at three o’clock" to the young King Edward, and give full utterance to her feelings against the Protector, his uncle. But the formidable uncle-Protector of the realm was not to be meddled with. Whether she kept her promise, and how far she succeeded in getting the diamonds, is not clear, but Somerset succeeded in acquiring Vastern; Sir Henry Long somewhat unwillingly parted with it for a sum of money and the office of Ranger of Braden Forest for his lifetime.
Personal life
Long married firstly, Jane (or Frydeswyde), daughter of Sir John Hungerford and Margaret Blount. He married secondly, Eleanor, daughter of Sir Richard Wrottesley and Dorothy Sutton. He had several children with both his wives, including
Sir Robert Long. Sir Henry Long died 8 October 1556 and is buried at
Draycot in Wiltshire. His second wife died about 1543.
References and further reading
Sources
*Gage, John, ''The History and Antiquities of Hengrave in Suffolk'' (1822)
*''
Gentleman's Magazine
''The Gentleman's Magazine'' was a monthly magazine founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1922. It was the first to use the term ''magazine'' (from the French ''magazine'' ...
''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Long, Henry
1480s births
1556 deaths
People from Wiltshire
English knights
High Sheriffs of Somerset
High Sheriffs of Dorset
High Sheriffs of Wiltshire
Henry Long
English MPs 1529–1536
English MPs 1553 (Mary I)
Knights Bachelor