Humphrey Radcliffe (died 1566) was an English landowner and

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 ...

He was a son of

Robert Radcliffe, 1st Earl of Sussex Robert Radcliffe, 10th Baron Fitzwalter, 1st Earl of Sussex, KG, KB, PC (c. 148327 November 1542), also spelt Radclyffe, Ratcliffe, Ratcliff, etc., was a prominent courtier and soldier during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII who served ...

and

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...

, a daughter of

Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, KG (4 September 1455 – 2 November 1483) was an English nobleman known as the namesake of Buckingham's rebellion, a failed but significant collection of uprisings in England and parts of Wales agains ...

. Radcliffe was a Member of Parliament for

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...

and for

Maldon Maldon (, locally ) is a town and civil parish on the River Blackwater, Essex, Blackwater estuary in Essex, England. It is the seat of the Maldon District and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation. It is known for Maldon Sea ...

in 1558 jointly with Roger Appleton. Radcliffe, as Lieutenant of the

Gentlemen Pensioners His Majesty's Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms is a bodyguard to the British Monarch. Until 17 March 1834, they were known as The Honourable Band of Gentlemen Pensioners. Formation The corps was formed as the Troop of G ...

, is said to have spoken in favour of the Protestant writer Edward Underhill shortly before the

wedding of Mary I of England and Philip II of Spain Mary I of England (1516-1558) and Philip II of Spain (1527-1598) married at Winchester Cathedral on Wednesday 25 July 1554. Surrey and Hampshire The English Parliament made provision for the marriage by the Act for the Marriage of Queen Mary ...

, and so Underhill was allowed to serve at the feast at

Wolvesey Castle Wolvesey Castle, also known as the "Old Bishop's Palace", is a ruined building in Winchester, Hampshire, England that was a bishop's palace, and was briefly fortified during the later years of Henry of Blois, the Bishop of Winchester. Histor ...

. Radcliffe obtained the manor of

Elstow Elstow is a village and civil parish in the English county of Bedfordshire. John Bunyan was born here at Bunyan's End, which lay approximately halfway between the hamlet of Harrowden and Elstow's High Street. History Countess Judith, niece of ...

, a former

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

, from his wife's family, it had been granted to her father at the dissolution of the monasteries. He died on 30 August 1566. There is a monument at Elstow, set over the altar.

Marriage and children

Humphrey Radcliffe married Isabel or Elizabeth Harvey (died 1594), daughter and heir of Edmund Harvey of Elstow. There is a somewhat fictionalised 19th-century account of their meeting at a tournament. Their children included: * Thomas Radcliffe (died 1586) * Edward Radcliffe (died 1643), who became

Earl of Sussex Earl of Sussex is a title that has been created several times in the Peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. The early Earls of Arundel (up to 1243) were often also called Earls of Sussex. The fifth creation came in the Peera ...

in 1629. * Mary Radcliffe (died 1617), a lady of the Privy Chamber of Elizabeth I and keeper of her jewels. Humphrey Radcliffe "presented" her to Elizabeth on 1 January 1561 as if she were a New Year's Day gift. * Elizabeth Radcliffe, who married Henry Owen of Wotton,

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. ...

, a descendent of

Owen Tudor Sir Owen Tudor (, 2 February 1461) was a Welsh courtier and the second husband of Queen Catherine of Valois (1401–1437), widow of King Henry V of England. He was the grandfather of Henry VII, founder of the Tudor dynasty. Background Owe ...

.Edward Wedlake Brayley, John Britton, Edward William Brayley, ''Topographical History of Surrey'', vol. 5 (London, 1850), p. 20. * Martha Radcliffe, who married William Gostwick of Willington. * Frances Radcliffe, who married

Henry Cheke Henry Cheke (c. 1548–1586), of Elstow, Bedfordshire; later of the Manor, York, was an English politician. He was the eldest son of Sir John Cheke (tutor to King Edward VI) and his wife Mary, daughter of Richard Hill (and stepdaughter of Sir J ...

(died 1586), Secretary to the

Council of the North The Council of the North was an administrative body first set up in 1484 by King Richard III of England, to improve access to conciliar justice in Northern England. This built upon steps by King Edward IV of England in delegating authority in the ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Radcliffe, Humphrey 1566 deaths English MPs 1554