Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess Of Dorset
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Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset, 1st Earl of Huntingdon, 7th Baron Ferrers of Groby, (145520 September 1501) was an English nobleman, courtier and the eldest son of
Elizabeth Woodville Elizabeth Woodville (also spelt Wydville, Wydeville, or Widvile;Although spelling of the family name is usually modernised to "Woodville", it was spelt "Wydeville" in contemporary publications by Caxton, but her tomb at St. George's Chapel, Wind ...
and her first husband Sir
John Grey of Groby Sir John Grey, of Groby, Leicestershire (c. 1432Douglas Richardson. ''Plantagenet Ancestry: A Study In Colonial And Medieval Families,'' 2nd Edition, 2011. pg 161-164. – 17 February 1461) was a Lancastrian knight, the first husband of Elizab ...
. Her second marriage to King Edward IV made her Queen of England, thus elevating Grey's status at court and in the realm as the stepson of the King. Through his mother's assiduous endeavours, he made two materially advantageous marriages to wealthy heiresses, the King's niece Anne Holland and
Cecily Bonville, 7th Baroness Harington Cecily Bonville, 7th Baroness Harington, 2nd Baroness Bonville (30 June 1460 – 12 May 1529) was an English peer, who was also Marchioness of Dorset by her first marriage to Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset, and Countess of Wiltshire by her s ...
. By the latter, he had 14 children.


Family

Thomas Grey was born in 1455 close to the
Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...
, near the
City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...
. He was the elder son of John Grey (c.1432-1461) of
Groby Groby (pronounced "GREW-bee") is a large English village in the county of Leicestershire, to the north west of the city of Leicester. The population at the time of the 2011 census was 6,796. Description The village has expanded vastly since ...
in Leicestershire, by his wife
Elizabeth Woodville Elizabeth Woodville (also spelt Wydville, Wydeville, or Widvile;Although spelling of the family name is usually modernised to "Woodville", it was spelt "Wydeville" in contemporary publications by Caxton, but her tomb at St. George's Chapel, Wind ...
, who later became queen consort to King Edward IV.


Career

His mother endeavoured to improve his estates by the conventional methods of their class and time, through his marriages and purchase of wardships. He also found favour with Edward, fighting in the
Battle of Tewkesbury The Battle of Tewkesbury, which took place on 4 May 1471, was one of the decisive battles of the Wars of the Roses in England. King Edward IV and his forces loyal to the House of York completely defeated those of the rival House of Lancaster. ...
in 1471. Grey became Lord Harington and Bonville by right of his second wife Cecily Bonville. In 1475 he was created
marquess of Dorset The title Marquess of Dorset has been created three times in the Peerage of England. It was first created in 1397 for John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, but he lost the title two years later. It was then created in 1442 for Edmund Beaufort, 1st ...
, and he was also a
knight 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 ...
and a privy councillor. On the death of his stepfather, Edward IV, Grey proved unable to maintain his family's position. It was not possible to arrange a Woodville regency. Internal fighting, particularly the long-established battle for ascendancy in
Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...
between the Grey and Hastings families, was now on the national stage. Richard III came to the throne when the sons of Edward IV's bastardy were declared; the Grey family was aligned with Edward. On 25 June 1483, an assembly of Parliament declared Richard III to be the legitimate king, and Thomas's uncle,
Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers (c. 144025 June 1483), was an English nobleman, courtier, bibliophile and writer. He was the brother of Queen Elizabeth Woodville who married King Edward IV. He was one of the leading members of the Woodvi ...
, and brother,
Richard Grey Sir Richard Grey (1457 – 25 June 1483) was an English knight and the half-brother of King Edward V of England. Early life Richard Grey was the younger son of Sir John Grey of Groby and Elizabeth Woodville. Richard was a 3-year-old child whe ...
, were executed. Later in the summer, learning of the apparent murder of both his young half-brothers, Grey joined the
Duke of 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 ...
against Richard III. When the rebellion failed he fled to Brittany to join Henry Tudor, who pledged to marry Grey's half-sister
Elizabeth of York Elizabeth of York (11 February 1466 – 11 February 1503) was Queen of England from her marriage to King Henry VII on 18 January 1486 until her death in 1503. Elizabeth married Henry after his victory at the Battle of Bosworth Field, which ma ...
and heal the division between the Yorkists and the Lancastrians. However, just before Henry and the Lancastrian army left to launch their ultimately successful invasion of England in August 1485, Grey heard rumours from England that his mother had come to terms with Richard III, and he was persuaded to desert Henry Tudor. He was intercepted at
Compiègne Compiègne (; pcd, Compiène) is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. It is located on the river Oise. Its inhabitants are called ''Compiégnois''. Administration Compiègne is the seat of two cantons: * Compiègne-1 (with 19 ...
on his way to England, and played no part in the invasion or subsequent overthrow of Richard III. Grey was instead confined to Paris, as security for the repayment of a loan made to Henry Tudor by the French government, unable to return home until Henry VII was safely installed as king of England. Thereafter Henry VII took good care to keep his half-brother-in-law under control and Grey was not permitted to recover his former influence, although his attainder was reversed. Thomas Grey was confined in the Tower in 1487 during
Lambert Simnel Lambert Simnel (c. 1477 – after 1534) was a pretender to the throne of England. In 1487, his claim to be Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, threatened the newly established reign of Henry VII (1485–1509). Simnel became the ...
's rising and not released until after the
House of Tudor The House of Tudor was a royal house of largely Welsh and English origin that held the English throne from 1485 to 1603. They descended from the Tudors of Penmynydd and Catherine of France. Tudor monarchs ruled the Kingdom of England and it ...
victory in the
Battle of Stoke Field The Battle of Stoke Field on 16 June 1487 may be considered the last battle of the Wars of the Roses, since it was the last major engagement between contenders for the throne whose claims derived from descent from the houses of Lancaster and Yo ...
. Though he accompanied the King on his expedition to France in 1492, he was obliged to commit himself in writing to ensure he did not commit treason. He was permitted to assist in the suppression of the Cornish rising in 1497. Thomas Grey, Marquess of Dorset, died in London on 20 September 1501, aged about 46, and was buried in the collegiate church of
Astley, Warwickshire Astley is a village and civil parish within the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England.OS Explorer Map 232 : Nuneaton & Tamworth: (1:25 000) : In the 2001 census it had a population of 219, reducing slightly to 218 at the 2011 cen ...
. His widow married Grey's cousin, Henry Stafford, later Earl of Wiltshire.


Marriages and issue

His mother sought to make provision for him by marriage to wealthy heiresses. He married firstly, at Greenwich in October 1466, Lady Anne Holland (1461c. 1474), the only daughter of
Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter, 3rd Earl of Huntington (27 June 1430 – September 1475) was a Lancastrian leader during the English Wars of the Roses. He was the only son of John Holland, 2nd Duke of Exeter, and his first wife, Anne Staff ...
, and Anne of York. His mother-in-law was the second child and eldest surviving daughter of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and
Cecily Neville Cecily Neville (3 May 1415 – 31 May 1495) was an English noblewoman, the wife of Richard, Duke of York (1411–1460), and the mother of two kings of England— Edward IV and Richard III. Cecily Neville was known as "the Rose of Raby", beca ...
, thus sister to his mother's second husband King Edward IV. After Anne Holland died young without issue, Thomas married secondly, by
papal dispensation In the jurisprudence of the canon law of the Catholic Church, a dispensation is the exemption from the immediate obligation of law in certain cases.The Law of Christ Vol. I, pg. 284 Its object is to modify the hardship often arising from the ...
5 September 1474, Cecily Bonville, 7th Baroness Harington of Aldingham and 2nd Baroness Bonville, the wealthiest heiress in England. Cecily Bonville, born in 1461, was the daughter and heiress of
William Bonville, 6th Baron Harington William Bonville, 6th Baron Harington (1442 – 30 December 1460) was an English nobleman who was a loyal adherent of the House of York during the dynastic conflict in England in the 15th century now known as the Wars of the Roses. He was slain ...
, by his wife Katherine Neville, daughter of Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury. Katherine was sister to the late
Earl of Warwick Earl of Warwick is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the United Kingdom. The title has been created four times in English history, and the name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick. Overview The first creation ...
and thus aunt to his daughters. By his second wife Grey had seven sons and seven daughters: *Lord Edward Grey, eldest son and heir, who predeceased his father, and was buried in the church of St Clement Danes,
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. He married Anne (née Jerningham), daughter of Sir Edward Jerningham (died 6 January 1515) of
Somerleyton Somerleyton is a village and former civil parish in the north of the English county of Suffolk. It is north-west of Lowestoft and south-west of Great Yarmouth in the East Suffolk district. The village is closely associated with Somerleyto ...
,
Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
, by Margaret Bedingfield (died 24 March 1504), by whom he had no issue. After his death she remarried four times, firstly to a husband surnamed Berkeley; secondly to Henry Barley (died 12 November 1529) of
Albury, Hertfordshire Albury is a village and civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire, England, about five miles west of Bishop's Stortford. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 537, increasing in the 2011 Census to 595. Albur ...
; thirdly to Sir Robert Drury; and fourthly to Sir Edmund Walsingham. *Anthony Grey, who predeceased his father. *
Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset (22 June 1477 – 10 October 1530) was an English peer, courtier, soldier and landowner of the House of Grey. Early life Grey was the third son and heir of Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset (1455–1501), ...
(22 June 147722 June 1530), who married firstly Eleanor St John, by whom he had no issue, and secondly Margaret Wotton, widow of William Medley, esquire, and daughter of Sir Robert Wotton by Anne Belknap, daughter of Henry Belknap esquire, by whom he had four sons, including
Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk, 3rd Marquess of Dorset (17 January 151723 February 1554), was an English courtier and nobleman of the Tudor period. He was the father of Lady Jane Grey, known as "the Nine Days' Queen". Origins He was born on ...
, father of
Lady Jane Grey Lady Jane Grey ( 1537 – 12 February 1554), later known as Lady Jane Dudley (after her marriage) and as the "Nine Days' Queen", was an English noblewoman who claimed the throne of England and Ireland from 10 July until 19 July 1553. Jane was ...
, and four daughters. *Sir Richard Grey, who married Florence Pudsey. He is mentioned in the will of his brother, Sir John Grey. *Sir John Grey, who married firstly Elizabeth Catesby, widow of Roger Wake (died 16 May 1504) of
Blisworth Blisworth is a village and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire, England. The West Coast Main Line, from London Euston to Manchester and Scotland, runs alongside the village partly hidden and partly on an embankment. The Grand Union Canal ...
,
Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...
, and daughter of Sir William Catesby, and secondly Anne Barley or Barlee (died 1557 or 1558), widow of
Sir Robert Sheffield Sir Robert Sheffield (before 1462 – 10 August 1518) was an English lawyer and Member of Parliament. He was Speaker of the House of Commons between 1512–1513. Family Robert Sheffield was the son of Sir Robert Sheffield of South Cave, Yorksh ...
of Butterwick,
Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...
,
Speaker of the House of Commons Speaker of the House of Commons is a political leadership position found in countries that have a House of Commons, where the membership of the body elects a speaker to lead its proceedings. Systems that have such a position include: * Speaker of ...
. Grey apparently had no issue by either of his wives, as his will dated 3 March 1523 makes no mention of children. After Grey's death his widow, Anne, married Sir Richard Clement (d.1538) of
Ightham Mote Ightham Mote (), Ightham, Kent is a medieval moated manor house. The architectural writer John Newman describes it as "the most complete small medieval manor house in the county". Ightham Mote and its gardens are owned by the National Trust a ...
,
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 ...
. *
Leonard Grey, 1st Viscount Grane Leonard Grey, Lord Deputy of Ireland (1479/149228 July 1541), known as Lord Leonard Grey prior to 1536, served as Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1536 to 1540. Family Leonard Grey was a younger son of Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset and Cecily B ...
(c. 149028 June 1541), According to Richardson, Grey married firstly Elizabeth Arundel, widow of Sir Giles Daubeney, and secondly Eleanor Sutton, daughter of
Edward Sutton, 2nd Baron Dudley Edward Sutton, 2nd Baron Dudley, (c. 1460 – 31 January 1531) was an English nobleman elected as Knight of the Garter (KG) in the beginning of King Henry VIII's reign. He was chamberlain to Princess Mary (later Queen Mary I) from 1525 to 1528 ...
by Cecily Willoughby, daughter and coheiress of Sir William Willoughby; however according to Lyons it is unclear whether Grey ever married. He is mentioned in the will of his brother, Sir John Grey. He served as
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the Kingdo ...
. *George Grey, in holy orders. He is mentioned in the will of his brother, Sir John Grey. *Cecily Grey (died 28 April 1554), who married
John Sutton, 3rd Baron Dudley John Sutton, 3rd Baron Dudley ( –1553), commonly known as Lord Quondam, was an English nobleman. Early life John Sutton was born in 1494, at Dudley Castle, Worcestershire, the eldest son and heir of Sir Edward Sutton, 2nd Baron Dudley and his w ...
. *Bridget Grey, believed to have died young. *Dorothy Grey (1480–1552), who married firstly
Robert Willoughby, 2nd Baron Willoughby de Broke Robert Willoughby, 2nd Baron Willoughby de Broke and ''de jure'' 10th Baron Latimer, (1472 – 10 November 1521) was an English nobleman and soldier. Robert Willoughby was born about 1470–1472 (aged 30 in 1502, 36 in 1506), the son of Sir ...
, by whom she had issue, and secondly
William Blount, 4th Baron Mountjoy William Blount, 4th Baron Mountjoy (8 November 1534), KG, of Barton Blount, Derbyshire, was an extremely influential English courtier, a respected humanistic scholar and patron of learning. He was one of the most influential and perhaps the we ...
. * Elizabeth Grey, who married
Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare Gerard FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare (1487 – 12 December 1534; Irish: ''Gearóid Óg Mac Gearailt'', meaning "Young Gerald FitzGerald"), was a leading figure in 16th-century Irish History. In 1513 he inherited the title of Earl of Kildare an ...
. *Margaret Grey, who married Richard Wake, esquire, She is mentioned, as 'Margaret Grey', in the will of her brother, Sir John Grey. *
Eleanor Grey Lady Eleanor Arundell (died before December 1503), was an English noblewoman, and the first wife of Sir John Arundell of Lanherne in Cornwall, "the most important man in the county", being Receiver-General of the Duchy of Cornwall. Their monumen ...
(or "Elizabeth") Grey (died by December 1503) who married, as his first wife, Sir John Arundell (1474–1545) of Lanherne, Cornwall, Receiver General of the
Duchy of Cornwall The Duchy of Cornwall ( kw, Duketh Kernow) is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch obtains possession of the duchy and the title of 'Duke of Cornwall' at ...
and "the most important man in the county". *Mary Grey (149322 February 1538), who married
Walter Devereux, 1st Viscount Hereford Walter Devereux, 10th Baron Ferrers of Chartley, created 1st Viscount Hereford, KG (1488 – 17 September 1558) was an English courtier and parliamentarian. Baron Ferrers Walter was the son and heir of John Devereux, 9th Baron Ferrers a ...
.


Titles

* Lord Astley, from 1461, inherited on the death of his father *
Earl of Huntingdon Earl of Huntingdon is a title which has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The medieval title (1065 creation) was associated with the ruling house of Scotland (David I of Scotland, David of Scotland). The seventh and most rec ...
, 1471–1475, created for him. Surrendered and given to
William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (5 March 145116 July 1491) was an English nobleman and politician. Early life He was the son of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Anne Devereux. His paternal grandparents were William ap Thomas a ...
, who himself was forced to surrender his own title so that the king could give it to his son, Edward. * Lord Harington and Bonville in right of his (second) wife, from 1474, his wife being unable to sit in
Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
*
Marquess of Dorset The title Marquess of Dorset has been created three times in the Peerage of England. It was first created in 1397 for John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, but he lost the title two years later. It was then created in 1442 for Edmund Beaufort, 1st ...
, from 1475, created for Thomas Grey on 14 May 1475 (Whitsunday) in place of the re-possessed earldom of Huntingdon * Lord Ferrers of Groby, from 1483, inherited on the death of his grandmother Elizabeth Ferrers. * Attainted 1484 following the bid to oust
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 ...
*After reversal of his attainder by Henry VII, styled himself marquess of Dorset, lord Ferrers of Groby, Bonville, and Harington


Arms

The arms of the head of the Grey family are
blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vis ...
ed ''Barry of six argent and azure in chief three torteaux gules''.


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * * *A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire by Sir Bernard Burke, 1866


External links

*


Depictions in fiction

Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset, is depicted in: *
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's''
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 ...
'' * The novel
The Sunne in Splendour ''The Sunne in Splendour'' is a historical novel written by Sharon Kay Penman. Penman became interested in the subject of Richard III while a student and wrote a manuscript that was stolen from her car. She rewrote the manuscript, which was pub ...
by
Sharon Kay Penman Sharon Kay Penman (August 13, 1945 – January 22, 2021) was an American historical novelist, published in the UK as Sharon Penman. She was best known for the Welsh Princes trilogy and the Plantagenet series. In addition, she wrote four medieval ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorset, Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess Of 1455 births 1501 deaths
Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset, 1st Earl of Huntingdon, 7th Baron Ferrers of Groby, (145520 September 1501) was an English nobleman, courtier and the eldest son of Elizabeth Woodville and her first husband Sir John Grey of Groby. Her secon ...
Knights of the Garter Marquesses of Dorset
Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...
15th-century English nobility 16th-century English nobility Earls of Huntingdon People from Groby