![Sir Henry Tichborne 1670](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Sir_Henry_Tichborne_1670.jpg)
Sir Henry Tichborne, 3rd Baronet (c1624 – April 1689) was a Hampshire landowner and
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 ...
baronet of the later Stuart period.
Early life
He was the son of
Sir Richard Tichborne, the second baronet (1578–1657), and Helen, his first wife and the daughter and co-heir of Robert White of
Aldershot
Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...
in
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
. He was baptized on 24 May 1624 at
Winchester Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1095509)". ''National Heritage List for England''. Retrieved 8 September 2014. Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winches ...
. In 1654 in London Henry Tichborne married Mary Arundel (1622–1698), the daughter of Charles Arundell and
Mary Browne
Mary Kendall Browne (June 3, 1891 – August 19, 1971) was an American professional tennis player and an amateur golfer. She was born in Ventura County, California.
Biography
According to A. Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Ma ...
. His bride was a granddaughter of
Thomas, Lord Arundell of Wardour, a Catholic family.
The couple had four sons and five daughters, four of whom died in infancy.
[Walter, John]
Tichborne, Sir Henry, third baronet (bap. 1624, d. 1689)
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...
'' (ODNB) online These included:
Henry Joseph Tichborne, the 4th baronet; John and Charles Tichborne, who both died young; Winifred, who died as an infant;
John Hermengil Tichborne, the 5th Baronet; Lettice, who married Henry Whettenhall; Mary, who became a nun; and Frances, who in 1694 married John Paston.
Civil War and after
By the time of the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
Tichborne was old enough to fight, which he did on the
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...
side, and Tichborne family tradition identifies a hollow oak tree in which he hid after the
Battle of Cheriton
The Battle of Cheriton of 29 March 1644 was an important Parliamentarian victory during the First English Civil War. Sir William Waller's "Army of the Southern Association" defeated a Royalist force jointly commanded by the Earl of Forth and ...
in 1644. He is believed to have been captured at sea in 1645 after fighting in Ireland and, after being imprisoned in the
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...
, he was released in an exchange of prisoners. He succeeded to the baronetcy on his father's death in 1657 and inherited his father's considerable debts - said by his father in 1650 to have been £15,000. Henry Tichborne set about restoring the family's fortunes, and by the time of
the Restoration
Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to:
* Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage
** Audio restoration
** Film restoration
** Image restoration
** Textile restoration
* Restoration ecology
...
in 1660, when he was included in a list of possible recipients of a proposed order of
Knights of the Royal Oak
The Knights of the Royal Oak was an intended order of chivalry in England. It was proposed in 1660 at the time of the Stuart Restoration, restoration of Charles II of England to be a reward for those Englishmen who had faithfully and actively su ...
, he had restored his income to about £1,000 a year.
[
]
The Popish Plot
However, as prominent Catholics, he and his family came under suspicion as a result of the fictitious Popish Plot
The Popish Plot was a fictitious conspiracy invented by Titus Oates that between 1678 and 1681 gripped the Kingdoms of England and Scotland in anti-Catholic hysteria. Oates alleged that there was an extensive Catholic conspiracy to assassinate C ...
in 1678, and that year his house was besieged by a mob. Various allegations were made of strange behaviour in the Tichborne family chapel resulting in the Privy Council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...
ordering that the chapel be searched for concealed weapons. Further, he was named by Titus Oates
Titus Oates (15 September 1649 – 12/13 July 1705) was an English priest who fabricated the " Popish Plot", a supposed Catholic conspiracy to kill King Charles II.
Early life
Titus Oates was born at Oakham in Rutland. His father Samuel (1610â ...
as having received a commission in a Catholic army supposedly being assembled by Pope Innocent XI
Pope Innocent XI ( la, Innocentius XI; it, Innocenzo XI; 16 May 1611 – 12 August 1689), born Benedetto Odescalchi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 21 September 1676 to his death on August 12, 1689.
Poli ...
. He was arrested and held in Winchester Castle
Winchester Castle is a medieval building in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded in 1067. Only the Great Hall still stands; it houses a museum of the history of Winchester.
History
Early history
Around AD 70 the Romans constructed a ...
together with the family priest before being imprisoned again in the Tower. Having recently visited Rome his friends were concerned that this might not look good and they burned his papers, including the history of the Tichborne family he had been writing. However, the situation calmed and he was released on bail in 1680.[
]
Later years
Charles II made him Lieutenant-General of the New Forest
The New Forest is one of the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in Southern England, covering southwest Hampshire and southeast Wiltshire. It was proclaimed a royal forest by William the Conqueror, featu ...
, while James II repaid Tichborne's loyalty by appointing him 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 1545, and the holder was appointed by the crown under letters patent. It ...
(1687–1689). He was on the Commission of Peace for Hampshire in 1688 as part of James II's plan to appoint magistrate
The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...
s who would be tolerant of Catholics. However, Tichborne was probably already ill by this time and died in 1689 after, according to a letter of 1690: "a great while lingering, and doubtless made a happy end … knowing now so long that he was to dye".[ He was buried in St Peter's church in ]Tichborne
Tichborne is a village and civil parish east of Winchester in Hampshire, England.
History
In archaeology in the south of the parish within the South Downs National Park is a bell barrow, bowl barrow and regular aggregate field system immediat ...
in Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
.
He was succeeded as 4th Baronet by his son Henry Joseph Tichborne.[
]
The Tichborne Dole
In recent years Sir Henry Tichborne has come to more prominent notice owing to his commission of and inclusion in the painting ' The Tichborne Dole' (1670) (right) by the Flemish artist Gillis van Tilborch
Gillis van Tilborgh or Gillis van Tilborch (''c''. 1625 – ''c''. 1678) was a Flemish painter who worked in various genres including portraits, 'low-life' and elegant genre paintings and paintings of picture galleries. He became the keeper of ...
after it was displayed in the 'Treasure Houses of Britain' exhibition in 1985. The 'Tichborne Dole' is a traditional English festival of charity which is held in the village of Tichborne
Tichborne is a village and civil parish east of Winchester in Hampshire, England.
History
In archaeology in the south of the parish within the South Downs National Park is a bell barrow, bowl barrow and regular aggregate field system immediat ...
, Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
, during the Feast of the Annunciation
The Feast of the Annunciation, in Greek, Ο Ευαγγελισμός της Θεοτόκου, contemporarily the Solemnity of the Annunciation, and also called Lady Day, the Feast of the Incarnation ('), or Conceptio Christi ('), commemorates the ...
. The festival is centred on the handing out of donations of flour, which have been blessed by the local parish priest, from the front of Tichborne House.
The festival dates back to circa 1150 and was started by Lady Mabella Tichborne who, on her death bed, instructed that a donation of farm produce be made to the poor each year. Presently, the terms of the Dole stipulate that adults from the parishes of Tichborne
Tichborne is a village and civil parish east of Winchester in Hampshire, England.
History
In archaeology in the south of the parish within the South Downs National Park is a bell barrow, bowl barrow and regular aggregate field system immediat ...
and Cheriton are entitled to claim 1 gallon of flour, and children half a gallon each.[The Tichborne Dole]
Historic UK (2007-07-28)[Legacies - UK history local to you - Southampton]
The Tichborne Dole
BBC (2007-07-28)
Strange Briton (207-07-28)
(2003-03-26), Independent Catholic News (2007-07-28)[Hendricks, George D (1996) "Curse of Tichbornes Finally Comes to Pass", Western Folklore, V28#2. pp. 146-147]
The painting 'The Tichborne Dole' depicts Sir Henry and his family together with his servants and family priest during the annual distribution of bread to the poor of Tichborne
Tichborne is a village and civil parish east of Winchester in Hampshire, England.
History
In archaeology in the south of the parish within the South Downs National Park is a bell barrow, bowl barrow and regular aggregate field system immediat ...
in Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
, probably in 1670/71. The portrait features Sir Henry and his family standing centre left in front of Tichborne House and it was perhaps intended to proclaim Sir Henry's successful rebuilding of the family fortunes after being left heavily in debt by his father, Sir Richard Tichborne, the 2nd Baronet as well as displaying the deeply religious family's attitude towards charity. The painting has been described as '...a document of social history hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
has no peer'. However, considering the trouble Sir Henry suffered as a result of his Catholic faith
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a p ...
perhaps instead the painting should be viewed less in the context of a 'document of stark realism'[Harris, p. 40] than as a reminder of the social hierarchy of the time, and in particular of that of the place of the Catholic landed gentry in society.[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tichborne, Henry, 3rd Baronet
1624 births
1689 deaths
Baronets in the Baronetage of England
English Roman Catholics
People from the City of Winchester
People associated with the Popish Plot
Tichborne baronets