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
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 ...
who served as Chamberlain of the
Exchequer
In the civil service of the United Kingdom, His Majesty’s Exchequer, or just the Exchequer, is the accounting process of central government and the government's ''current account'' (i.e., money held from taxation and other government reven ...
and
Lord Great Chamberlain
The Lord Great Chamberlain of England is the sixth of the Great Officers of State (United Kingdom), Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Privy Seal, Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal and above the Lord High Constable of England, Lord Hi ...
.
Family
Robert Radcliffe, born about 1483, was the only son of John Radcliffe (1452-1496), 9th
Baron FitzWalter
Baron FitzWalter is an ancient title in the Peerage of England. It was created on 24 June 1295 for Robert FitzWalter. The title was created by writ, which means that it can descend through both male and female lines. His great-grandson, the fo ...
, and Margaret Whetehill, widow of Thomas Walden, gentleman, and daughter of Robert Whetehill, esquire, by his wife, Joan. Radcliffe had five sisters, Mary, the wife of
Sir Edward Darrell; Bridget; Ursula; Jane, a nun; and Anne, wife of Sir Walter Hobart.
Career
In October 1495 Robert Radcliffe's father was attainted of high treason for confederacy with the pretender,
Perkin Warbeck
Perkin Warbeck ( 1474 – 23 November 1499) was a pretender to the English throne claiming to be Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, who was the second son of Edward IV and one of the so-called "Princes in the Tower". Richard, were he alive, ...
, by which all his honours were forfeited. His life was spared, and he was imprisoned at
Guisnes. After he unsuccessfully attempted to escape, he was beheaded at
Calais
Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...
about 24 November 1496. Radcliffe's mother was living on 6 July 1518. The date of her death is unknown.
In his youth Radcliffe was in the service of
King Henry VII
Henry VII (28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor.
Henry's mother, Margaret Beaufo ...
and his then elder son and heir,
Arthur, Prince of Wales
Arthur, Prince of Wales (19/20 September 1486 – 2 April 1502), was the eldest son of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York. He was Duke of Cornwall from birth, and he was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester in 1489. As ...
, and was present at Arthur's marriage to
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until their annulment on 23 May 1533. She was previously ...
on 14 November 1501.
Radcliffe's father's attainder was reversed by letters patent dated 3 November 1505, and later by Act of Parliament in 1509, by which Radcliffe became
Baron FitzWalter
Baron FitzWalter is an ancient title in the Peerage of England. It was created on 24 June 1295 for Robert FitzWalter. The title was created by writ, which means that it can descend through both male and female lines. His great-grandson, the fo ...
. On 23 June 1509 he was made 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 one ...
, and on the following day officiated as Lord Sewer at the coronation of
King 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 disag ...
. In 1515 he was at
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...
when
Wolsey
Thomas Wolsey ( – 29 November 1530) was an English statesman and Catholic bishop. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king's almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered and by 1514 he had become the controlling figure ...
received his cardinal's hat.
![Field of the cloth of gold](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Field_of_the_cloth_of_gold.jpg)
Radcliffe served in the
vanguard
The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force.
History
The vanguard derives fr ...
under
George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury
George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury, 4th Earl of Waterford, 10th Baron Talbot, KG, KB, PC (c. 1468 – 26 July 1538) was the son of John Talbot, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury, and Lady Catherine Stafford, daughter of the 1st Duke of Buckingham. He ...
, in the invasion of France in 1513, and was at the sieges of
Therouanne and
Tournai
Tournai or Tournay ( ; ; nl, Doornik ; pcd, Tornai; wa, Tornè ; la, Tornacum) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies southwest of Brussels on the river Scheldt. Tournai is part of Euromet ...
. In June 1520 he attended Henry VIII 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 ...
and at his meetings with the
Emperor Charles V
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 ( Castile and Aragon) ...
in July 1520 and May 1522. In 1521 he served at sea as admiral of a squadron, and was chief captain of the vanguard under the
Earl of Surrey
Earl of Surrey is a title in the Peerage of England that has been created five times. It was first created for William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey, William de Warenne, a close Companions of William the Conqueror, companion of William the Con ...
when the English forces landed at
Morlaix
Morlaix (; br, Montroulez) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.
Leisure and tourism
The old quarter of the town has winding streets of cobbled stones and overhan ...
on 1 July and campaigned in
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 ...
from 30 August to 14 October.
On 7 May 1524 he was installed as a Knight of the
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George C ...
, and on 18 July 1525, at the creation of Henry VIII's illegitimate son,
Henry FitzRoy, as
Duke of Richmond
Duke of Richmond is a title in the Peerage of England that has been created four times in British history. It has been held by members of the royal Tudor dynasty, Tudor and House of Stuart, Stuart families.
The current dukedom of Richmond was ...
, Radcliffe was created
Viscount Fitzwalter. Further honours and appointments followed. Radcliffe was a member of 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 ...
before 2 February 1526, was created
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 ...
on 8 December 1529, appointed Lieutenant of the
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George C ...
on 7 May 1531, and appointed as a
Chamberlain of the Exchequer
Chamberlain may refer to:
Profession
*Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure
People
*Chamberlain (surname)
**Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...
for life on 3 June 1532.
Archbold states that Sussex was for a long period "in very confidential relations" with Henry VIII, and is of the view that it was with the King's knowledge that Sussex proposed to the Privy Council on 6 June 1536 that the King should advance his illegitimate son,
Henry FitzRoy, to the crown ahead of
Princess Mary, the King's daughter by
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until their annulment on 23 May 1533. She was previously ...
. Sussex also took the King's part on the divorce issue. He served as Lord Sewer at the coronation of
Queen Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and of her execution by beheading for treason and other charges made her a key f ...
on 1 June 1533, and on 2 December 1533 was among the commissioners who took Henry VIII's demands concerning the divorce to
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until their annulment on 23 May 1533. She was previously ...
.
After the
Pilgrimage of Grace
The Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular revolt beginning in Yorkshire in October 1536, before spreading to other parts of Northern England including Cumberland, Northumberland, and north Lancashire, under the leadership of Robert Aske. The "most ...
, Sussex was commissioned, together with
Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby
Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby KG (c. 10 May 1509 – 24 October 1572) was an English nobleman and politician. He reigned over the Isle of Mann until his death, and then was succeeded by his son.
Early life
At the age of thirteen, Edwa ...
, to restore order in
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
, and as a reward for his services was granted the manor of Cleeve in
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
, locator_map =
, coordinates =
, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
, established_by =
, preceded_by =
, origin =
, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
. On 23 June 1537 he was granted the
reversion of the office of
Lord Steward of the Royal Household, although when the current holder,
George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury
George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury, 4th Earl of Waterford, 10th Baron Talbot, KG, KB, PC (c. 1468 – 26 July 1538) was the son of John Talbot, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury, and Lady Catherine Stafford, daughter of the 1st Duke of Buckingham. He ...
, died in the following year he was succeeded, not by Sussex, but by the King's brother-in-law,
Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk
Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, 1st Viscount Lisle, (22 August 1545) was an English military leader and courtier. Through his third wife, Mary Tudor, he was brother-in-law to King Henry VIII.
Biography
Charles Brandon was the second ...
. In 1539 Sussex was one of the commissioners appointed to defend the
Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
and the coast of
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
.
On 3 January 1540, he attended Henry VIII at the reception of
Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves (german: Anna von Kleve; 1515 – 16 July 1557) was Queen of England from 6 January to 12 July 1540 as the fourth wife of King Henry VIII. Not much is known about Anne before 1527, when she became betrothed to Francis, Duke of ...
at Blackheath. On 9 March of the same year he was appointed to inquire into the situation in
Calais
Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...
, and after the disgrace and recall to England of
Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle
Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle, KG (died 3 March 1542) was an illegitimate son of the English king Edward IV, half-brother-in-law of Henry VII, and an uncle of Henry VIII, at whose court he was a prominent figure and by whom he was app ...
, had charge of Calais from 17 April until July. On 3 August 1540 he was granted a lifetime appointment as
Lord Great Chamberlain
The Lord Great Chamberlain of England is the sixth of the Great Officers of State (United Kingdom), Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Privy Seal, Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal and above the Lord High Constable of England, Lord Hi ...
.
![Coat of arms of Sir Robert Radcliffe, 1st Earl of Sussex, KG](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Coat_of_arms_of_Sir_Robert_Radcliffe%2C_1st_Earl_of_Sussex%2C_KG.png)
Robert Radcliffe died on 27 November 1542.
Marriages and issue
Sussex married three times. Firstly shortly after 23 July 1505, to a first cousin of Henry VIII's mother, Elizabeth of York,
Elizabeth Stafford
Elizabeth Stafford, also known as Dame Elizabeth Drury and – in the years prior to her death in 1599 – Dame (Lady) Elizabeth Scott, was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth I. She and her first husband, Sir William Drury, entertained ...
, the elder 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 ...
, and
Katherine Woodville, by whom he had three sons:
*
Henry Radcliffe, 2nd Earl of Sussex
Henry Radclyffe, 2nd Earl of Sussex, KG (also spelt "Radcliffe") (1507 – 17 February 1557) was a son of Robert Radclyffe, 1st Earl of Sussex and his wife Elizabeth Stafford, Countess of Sussex.
Marriages and children
He was first married to E ...
(1507–17 February 1557), father of
Thomas Radcliffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex, a leading figure at the court of
Queen 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 ...
.
*Sir
Humphrey Radcliffe (c. 1508/9–13 August 1566) 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 o ...
,
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 ...
, who married Isabel Harvey, daughter and heir of Edmund Harvey of Elstow and Margaret Wentworth, by whom he had two sons,
Thomas Radcliffe, and
Edward Radcliffe, 6th Earl of Sussex, and four daughters,
Mary Radcliffe, who was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I, Frances Radcliffe, Elizabeth Radcliffe, and Martha Radcliffe.
*George Radcliffe, who married Katherine Marney, the daughter of John Marney,
2nd Baron Marney. After Radcliffe's death, his widow married
Thomas Poynings, 1st Baron Poynings
Thomas Poynings, 1st Baron Poynings (c.1512 – 17 August 1545) was an English soldier and courtier.
Family
Thomas Poynings was one of seven illegitimate children of Sir Edward Poynings of Westenhanger, Kent. His mother may have been his fat ...
.
Secondly, by 1 September 1532, Sussex married Margaret Stanley, the only daughter of
Thomas Stanley, 2nd Earl of Derby
Thomas Stanley, 2nd Earl of Derby (before 1485 – 23 May 1521) was an English nobleman, politician, and peer.
Family
Thomas Stanley was the eldest son of George Stanley, 9th Baron Strange and Joan Strange, daughter and heiress of John Strange, L ...
, and Anne Hastings, the daughter of
Edward Hastings, 2nd Baron Hastings
Edward Hastings, 2nd Baron Hastings, KB PC (26 November 1466 – 8 November 1506) was an English peer.
Origins
Edward Hastings was born in Kirby Muxloe Castle, Leicestershire to Sir William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings and Katherine Neville, ...
, by whom he had two daughters:
*
Jane Radcliffe, who married
Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montague
Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montagu, KB, PC (29 November 1528 – 19 October 1592) was an English peer during the Tudor period.
Biography
Anthony Browne was the eldest of the six sons of Sir Anthony Browne by his first wife, Alice Gage (d. ...
.
*Anne Radcliffe, who married
Thomas Wharton, 2nd Baron Wharton
Thomas Wharton, 2nd Baron Wharton (1520–1572), of Wharton and Nateby, Westmoreland, Beaulieu alias New Hall, Essex and Westminster, Middlesex, was an English peer.
Family
Wharton was the eldest son of Thomas Wharton, 1st Baron Wharton, by hi ...
.
Thirdly on 14 January 1537 Sussex married
Mary Arundell (died 20 October 1557), a daughter of Sir
John Arundell (c. 14741545) of Lanherne
St. Mawgan-in-Pyder, Cornwall, by his second wife, Katherine Grenvile. After Sussex's death on 27 November 1542, his widow Mary married, on 19 December 1545, as his second wife,
Henry FitzAlan, Earl of Arundel (died 24 February 1580). There were no issue of the marriage.
[; ; ; ; ; ; .] Sussex had by Mary Arundell two sons:
*a son baptized 22 March 1538 who died in infancy,
*
Sir John Radcliffe (bap. 31 December 15399 November 1568) of
Cleeve, Somerset
Cleeve is a village and civil parish in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is situated within the unitary authority of North Somerset, south west of Bristol and has a population of 902 (2011 census).
Etymology
The name ''Cleeve'' ...
, younger son.
Notes
References
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External links
Radcliffe, Sir Humphrey (1508/9-66), of Elstow, Bedfordshire, and Beddington, SurreyRadcliffe, John (1539-1568), of Old Cleeve, Somerset*
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sussex, Robert Radcliffe, 1st Earl Of
1483 births
1542 deaths
Earls of Sussex (1529 creation)
Knights of the Garter
Lord-Lieutenants of Lancashire
15th-century English nobility
16th-century English nobility
Barons FitzWalter