Sir Henry Wyatt
KB (1460–1537) was an English nobleman, knight, courtier, and politician.
Early life to 1485
A younger son of a Yorkshire family, little is known of Henry Wyatt before he adopted the cause of Henry Tudor, later to become king
Henry VII. Many myths and assumptions have been woven around his privations in prison as a supporter of the Tudor party's opposition to
Richard III
Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...
in the years 1483–85, and are still to be found recounted as facts. Some of them occur in the widely cited entry in the ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (c. 1900, available online), s.v.
Sir Thomas Wyatt (poet), although the entry has since been modified by the 2004 ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''.
The Wyatt family papers in the
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...
[British Library Add MS 62135-62138, sections 62135 (2 vols), vol 2, ff. 359-369 and 456.] contain material which provides the nearest that can be found to an authentic account of this period of his life. Recently transcribed and published in full, the relevant documents, although collated and written up in the 18th century, incorporate a self-contained narrative about Wyatt which can be dated to the mid 17th century. At this date the family was intent on reclaiming its former status after falling into disgrace with the execution and attainder of his grandson. The aim was to play up the glory days of Henry's adherence to the Tudor cause, describing him ''inter alia'' as "his Country's martyr".
[Annette Carson]
‘The Questionable Legend of Henry Wyatt’
(extended version of an article originally published in the ''Ricardian Register''), Richard III Society, Inc., 17 February 2012.
It is unknown why and in what precise capacity he came to act on behalf of the exiled Tudor, or how he came to be imprisoned. He appears to have had contacts among those close to the Scots king
James III and may have been an intermediary in attempts to secure Scottish support for Henry Tudor's invasion. Possibly he fell into the hands of "some Scottish baron with Yorkist sympathies, only to be released when Henry VII was securely on the throne, after a considerable period of cruel imprisonment, and on the promise of a huge ransom".
[Agnes Conway, ''Henry VII’s Relations with Scotland and Ireland, 1485–1498'' (Cambridge, 1932), pp. 7-8]
His possibly apocryphal exploits in the Wyatt family papers included being "imprisoned often, once in a cold and narrow Tower", where he would have starved but for the ministrations of a kindly cat who befriended him and brought him food. During his incarceration he suffered tortures involving the use of horse-barnacles and being force-fed mustard and vinegar. On one occasion "the Tyrant himself examined him", trying unsuccessfully to persuade Wyatt to change sides.
Eventually, in 1485, he was released from imprisonment in Scotland and received the thanks of the newly crowned Henry VII. His first recorded grant was on 11 October 1485 when he was appointed keeper of Norwich castle and gaol.
A grant of
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 ...
on 22 August 1515 confirms that Wyatt still needed money to pay off his remaining Scottish ransom.
In a surviving letter written a few months after Wyatt's death, his son Thomas wrote that God had preserved his father "in prison from the handes of the tirant that could find in his hart to see him rakkid, from two yeres and more prisonment in Scotland in Irons and Stoks", and from other tribulations.
The myth that he was 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 ...
finds its first appearance in 1702 on a stone tablet in Boxley church erected by Edwin Wyatt, Henry's great-great-great-grandson. The claim is unlikely and finds no support in any records including those of the Tower of London authorities. Two reasons may account for the error. First, the association with Henry's son and grandson, each of whom was thrown into the Tower under the Tudors. The second lies in the letter's oblique reference to being racked, which may however be figurative rather than literal. Certainly the Wyatt family papers never mention the rack, as one would have expected them to, when describing the privations he suffered.
The 2004 ''Oxford DNB'' states that his support for Henry Tudor began before 1483, and that he probably participated in
Buckingham's Rebellion
Buckingham's rebellion was a failed but significant uprising, or collection of uprisings, of October 1483 in England and parts of Wales against Richard III of England.
To the extent that these local risings had a central coordination, the plo ...
. No evidentiary support is available for either statement. The entry continues, "Family legend has it that he was imprisoned and interrogated by Richard III himself." However, Richard III is never named by the Wyatt family. The assumption is derived from two instances of the word "tyrant" applied to Wyatt's captor, a term which in the 16th century could refer to "Anyone who acts in a cruel, violent, or wicked manner". More likely it referred to the Scottish baron postulated by Conway (above). Records show that Richard III never set foot in Scotland during his reign.
Life under the Tudors
Under Henry VII he was appointed
Clerk of the King's Jewels and Captain of
Carlisle Castle. His close connections with Scotland came to the fore in his later career as Henry VII's agent in that country, for which there is ample evidence of his employment on secret and sensitive missions.
He assumed high places at court,
being admitted to the privy council, and remained high in the royal favour. He was one of Henry VII's executors, and one of Henry VIII's guardians. He was admitted to the privy council of the new king in April 1509, and was invested a
Knight of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as on ...
on 23 July of the same year. In 1511 he was made, jointly with
Sir Thomas Boleyn
Thomas Bolina, Earl of Wiltshire, 1st Earl of Ormond, 1st Viscount Rochford KG KB (c. 1477 – 12 March 1539), of Hever Castle in Kent, was an English diplomat and politician who was the father of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry ...
, constable of
Norwich Castle
Norwich Castle is a medieval royal fortification in the city of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk. William the Conqueror (1066–1087) ordered its construction in the aftermath of the Norman conquest of England. The castle was used as a ...
and on 29 July of the same year granted the estate of Maidencote, in
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 ...
.
With a contingent of some 100 men he took part in the king's campaign in France in 1513, and was made knight banneret after the
Battle of the Spurs
The Battle of the Spurs or (Second) Battle of Guinegate (, "Day of the Spurs"; ''deuxième bataille de Guinegatte'') took place on 16 August 1513. It formed a part of the War of the League of Cambrai, during the Italian Wars. Henry VIII and ...
, where he had served in the vanguard. In 1520 he accompanied the king to his 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 ...
, where he was responsible for the transportation of the gold and silver plate needed for the banquets. He was also present at the subsequent reception for
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (Crown of Castile, Castil ...
at Canterbury in 1522.
He was
Treasurer of the King's Chamber from 1524 to 1528.
Allington Castle
He purchased in 1492
Allington Castle
Allington Castle is a stone castle in Allington, Kent, just north of Maidstone, in England. The first castle on the site was an unauthorised fortification, built during "The Anarchy" (1135–1153) and torn down later in the century when royal con ...
and its estate, near
Maidstone
Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the c ...
in
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 made the place his principal residence. Henry VIII visited him there in 1527 to meet Wolsey on his return from the continent. Wyatt remained on good terms with Sir Thomas Boleyn, who resided at
Hever Castle
Hever Castle ( ) is located in the village of Hever, Kent, near Edenbridge, south-east of London, England. It began as a country house, built in the 13th century. From 1462 to 1539, it was the seat of the Boleyn (originally 'Bullen') family. ...
.
[ The proximity (about 20 miles) accounts for the meeting in a family setting of Sir Henry's poet son Thomas, and Sir Thomas's daughter ]Anne
Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie.
Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...
, the future queen, and the poetry in the courtly love
Courtly love ( oc, fin'amor ; french: amour courtois ) was a medieval European literary conception of love that emphasized nobility and chivalry. Medieval literature is filled with examples of knights setting out on adventures and performing vari ...
tradition that resulted.
Marriage and issue
About 1502 Wyatt married Anne Skinner, the daughter of John Skinner of Reigate
Reigate ( ) is a town status in the United Kingdom, town in Surrey, England, around south of central London. The settlement is recorded in Domesday Book in 1086 as ''Cherchefelle'' and first appears with its modern name in the 1190s. The earlie ...
, Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
, by whom he had two sons and a daughter:
*Sir Thomas Wyatt
Sir Thomas Wyatt (150311 October 1542) was a 16th-century English politician, ambassador, and lyric poet credited with introducing the sonnet to English literature. He was born at Allington Castle near Maidstone in Kent, though the family was ...
, who married Elizabeth Brooke Elizabeth Brooke may refer to:
* Elizabeth Brooke (1503–1560), alleged mistress of Henry VIII and estranged wife of the poet Thomas Wyatt
* Elizabeth Brooke (writer)
Elizabeth Brooke (January 1601 – 22 July 1683), also known as Lady Brooke ...
, the daughter of Thomas Brooke, 8th Baron Cobham, by Dorothy Heydon, daughter of Sir Henry Heydon and Elizabeth or Anne Boleyn, daughter of Sir Geoffrey Boleyn
*Henry Wyatt, assumed to have died an infant.
* Margaret Wyatt, who married Sir Anthony Lee (d.1549), by whom she was the mother of Queen Elizabeth's champion, Sir Henry Lee
Sir Henry Lee KG (March 1533 – 12 February 1611), of Ditchley, was Queen's Champion and Master of the Armouries under Queen Elizabeth I of England.
Family
Henry Lee, born in Kent in March 1533, was the grandson of Sir Robert Lee (d.1539 ...
[; ]
Death
Wyatt died on 10 November 1537, and, in accordance with the directions in his will, was buried at Milton, near Gravesend.[
]
Footnotes
References
*
*
*
Attribution
*
Additional reading
* Taylor, James D. ''Sir Thomas Wyatt the Younger and Wyatt's Rebellion.'' Algora Publishing, New York, 2013. Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wyatt, Henry
1460 births
1537 deaths
15th-century English people
Knights of the Bath
Prisoners in the Tower of London
Henry
Henry may refer to:
People
*Henry (given name)
* Henry (surname)
* Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry
Royalty
* Portuguese royalty
** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal
** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...
Members of the Privy Council of England
People from Allington, Kent
People of the Wars of the Roses
English courtiers
Masters of the Jewel Office
Court of Henry VIII