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Sir Walter Mildmay (bef. 1523 – 31 May 1589) was a statesman who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer to Queen Elizabeth I, and founded
Emmanuel College, Cambridge Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth I. The site on which the college sits was once a priory for Dominican m ...
.


Origins

He was born at
Moulsham Moulsham is a suburb of Chelmsford, Essex, England. It is located to the south of the city centre and has two distinct areas: Old Moulsham and Moulsham Lodge. History Moulsham is located on the south side of the River Chelmer. Moulsham Street foll ...
in
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 Gr ...
, the fourth and youngest son of Thomas Mildmay, later
Auditor An auditor is a person or a firm appointed by a company to execute an audit.Practical Auditing, Kul Narsingh Shrestha, 2012, Nabin Prakashan, Nepal To act as an auditor, a person should be certified by the regulatory authority of accounting and a ...
of the
Court of Augmentations Thomas Cromwell established the Court of Augmentations, also called Augmentation Court or simply The Augmentation in 1536, during the reign of King Henry VIII of England. It operated alongside three lesser courts (those of General Surveyors (1540 ...
under Henry VIII, by his wife Agnes Read. As the Commissioner for receiving the surrender of the monasteries at the
Dissolution Dissolution may refer to: Arts and entertainment Books * ''Dissolution'' (''Forgotten Realms'' novel), a 2002 fantasy novel by Richard Lee Byers * ''Dissolution'' (Sansom novel), a 2003 historical novel by C. J. Sansom Music * Dissolution, in mu ...
, his father Thomas made a large fortune and in 1540 acquired the manor of
Moulsham Moulsham is a suburb of Chelmsford, Essex, England. It is located to the south of the city centre and has two distinct areas: Old Moulsham and Moulsham Lodge. History Moulsham is located on the south side of the River Chelmer. Moulsham Street foll ...
, near
Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. It is located north-east of London at ...
in Essex, where he built a fine mansion.


Collateral line

Walter's elder brother Sir Thomas Mildmay (d. 1566) of Moulsham, was Auditor of the Court of Augmentations, established in 1537 for allocating the property taken by the Crown from the monasteries. He was buried in Chelmsford Church, where his monument survived in 1878. Sir Thomas Mildmay was the grandfather of Sir Thomas Mildmay, 1st Baronet (d. 1626), created a baronet in 1611, and of Sir
Henry Mildmay Sir Henry Mildmay (ca. 1593–1668) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1621 and 1659. He supported the Parliamentarian cause in the English Civil War and was one of the Regicides of Charles I of ...
(d. 1654), a knight. Henry claimed, in right of his mother Frances Radcliffe, a daughter of Henry Radclyffe, 2nd Earl of Sussex, 3rd Baron FitzWalter (1507–1557), the barony of FitzWalter, and on 10 February 1670 his grandson Benjamin Mildmay, 17th Baron FitzWalter (c. 1646–1679), was summoned to the House of Lords by that title. Benjamin's two sons were Charles Mildmay, 18th Baron FitzWalter (1670–1728) and Benjamin Mildmay, 1st Earl FitzWalter, 1st Viscount Harwich, 19th Baron FitzWalter (1672–1756), the latter being further created Viscount Harwich and Earl FitzWalter in 1730. On Earl FitzWalter's death in 1756, the earldom became extinct and the barony fell into abeyance.


Career

Mildmay was educated at
Christ's College, Cambridge Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college includes the Master, the Fellows of the College, and about 450 undergraduate and 170 graduate students. The college was founded by William Byngham in 1437 as ...
, but apparently failed to take his degree. He later became a student of law at
Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and Wal ...
(1546), and there obtained some employment under his father in the Court of Augmentations. When the Court of Augmentation was reconstituted, about 1545, Mildmay was made one of its two surveyors-general. During Edward VI's reign, Mildmay extended his official connection. On 22 February 1546/47 he was
knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
, and on 14 September prepared, along with three others, an inventory of the late King's wardrobe. Sixteen days later he was appointed a Commissioner to report upon the Crown revenues. In 1548 he acted on commissions for the sale of lands (March) and for the maintenance of such grammar schools as had belonged to the dissolved
chantries A chantry is an ecclesiastical term that may have either of two related meanings: # a chantry service, a Christian liturgy of prayers for the dead, which historically was an obiit, or # a chantry chapel, a building on private land, or an area in ...
. After the Duke of Somerset's arrest he was ordered by the Privy Council on 12 November 1549, to examine the royal palace at Westminster, which had been in the Duke's custody, and, on 8 March 1550/51, to take charge of the Duke's property at
Syon House Syon House is the west London residence of the Duke of Northumberland. A Grade I listed building, it lies within the 200-acre (80 hectare) Syon Park, in the London Borough of Hounslow. The family's traditional central London residence h ...
. For his services, he received many grants of land in Gloucestershire and
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 Ber ...
, some of which he exchanged for manors in Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire; other grants of land in Cornwall,
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 Gr ...
and London soon followed. He fixed his country residence at
Apethorpe Palace Apethorpe Palace (pronounced ''Ap-thorp'', formerly known as "Apethorpe Hall", "Apethorpe House", "Apthorp Park" or "Apthorp Palace" ) in the parish of Apethorpe, Northamptonshire, England, is a Grade I listed country house dating back to the 1 ...
, Northamptonshire, which was granted to him in 1552, and was confirmed to him in 1556. When in London he lived in the parish of
St Bartholomew-the-Great The Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great, sometimes abbreviated to Great St Bart's, is a medieval church in the Church of England's Diocese of London located in Smithfield within the City of London. The building was founded as an Augusti ...
. Mildmay soon proved himself a skillful financier. In 1550 he was directed, together with the
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 c ...
and Sir William Herbert, to examine the accounts of the King's
mints A mint or breath mint is a food item often consumed as an after-meal refreshment or before business and social engagements to improve breath odor. Mints are commonly believed to soothe the stomach given their association with natural byproducts ...
, and in 1551 superintended the establishment of a new mint at York. In December 1551 he was a Commissioner to inspect the Courts which controlled the Crown lands. *On 2 January 1552 he was commissioned to levy the King's debts; *On 21 November to settle with the Crown accountants the effect of a fall in the value of money; *In December to audit the funds belonging to the king's officers; and *In that and the next year he superintended the receipt by the crown of plate, jewels, bells, and the like surrendered by dissolved monasteries or chantries. Mildmay was elected MP for
Lostwithiel Lostwithiel (; kw, Lostwydhyel) is a civil parish and small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,739, increasing to 2,899 at the 2011 ce ...
in 1545, for Lewes in 1547 and
Maldon Maldon (, locally ) is a town and civil parish on the 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 Salt which is produced ...
on 1 March 1553, and then for
Peterborough Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until 1 ...
on 5 October 1553. Although a committed
Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...
, Queen Mary's accession did not appreciably depress his fortunes, and before her death he was employed on Government business. On 9 January 1558, he was appointed treasurer of the forces sent to the relief of Calais and was chosen as knight of the shire to represent Northamptonshire in the parliament meeting in January 1557; after this he represented that constituency eight times until his death. Under Queen Elizabeth, with whom he regularly exchanged New-Year's gifts, his influence steadily grew. On her accession he was at once made treasurer of her household, and was appointed a member of a small committee of ways and means to supply the empty exchequer. He was soon employed in preparing a census of the farms of the royal revenues (22 December 1558), in examining Queen Mary's grants of land, in compounding with those who refused knighthood (28 March 1559), in directing the issue of a new coinage (29 October 1560), and in selling crown lands (May 1563). On 21 April 1566, Sir Richard Sackville, the chancellor of the exchequer, died, and Mildmay was appointed as his replacement; he was also made auditor of the
Duchy of Lancaster The Duchy of Lancaster is the private estate of the British sovereign as Duke of Lancaster. The principal purpose of the estate is to provide a source of independent income to the sovereign. The estate consists of a portfolio of lands, propertie ...
. Occupied in the duties of his offices until his death, he concerned himself little with general politics. As the brother-in-law of
Francis Walsingham Sir Francis Walsingham ( – 6 April 1590) was principal secretary to Queen Elizabeth I of England from 20 December 1573 until his death and is popularly remembered as her "spymaster". Born to a well-connected family of gentry, Wal ...
and the friend of Lord Burghley, he was, however, always heard with attention in the Privy Council, the
Star Chamber The Star Chamber (Latin: ''Camera stellata'') was an English court that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster, from the late to the mid-17th century (c. 1641), and was composed of Privy Counsellors and common-law judges, to supplement the jud ...
, and in Parliament. He used what influence he possessed to shield the Puritans from the attacks of the bishops, and often urged the Queen to intervene on behalf of the Protestants in the Low Countries. In his speeches in Parliament he argued that a liberal grant of subsidies placed the government under an obligation to redress grievances, and thus identified himself with the popular party in the commons. In 1572 he helped to prepare evidence against
Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, (Kenninghall, Norfolk, 10 March 1536 Tower Hill, London, 2 June 1572) was an English nobleman and politician. Although from a family with strong Roman Catholic leanings, he was raised a Protestant. He was ...
, who, nevertheless, after his condemnation gave him some rich jewels. The affairs of Mary, Queen of Scots, also occasionally occupied his attention. When she arrived in England in 1567 he strongly advised her detention. In October 1577 he and Cecil visited her at Chatsworth, after she had announced that she had important secrets to reveal to Elizabeth. In 1586, he went to Fotheringay Castle and informed her of her forthcoming trial, in which he took part as one of the special commissioners. In March 1587 he urged the condemnation of William Davison in the Star Chamber. Although four times nominated an ambassador to Scotland, in 1565, 1580, 1582, and 1583, he was on each occasion detained at home, but when his name was suggested for the office in 1589, James VI expressed great readiness to receive him. Mildmay's illness, however, brought the suggestion to nothing. Mildmay died at Hackney on 31 May 1589, and is buried beside his wife in the church of
St Bartholomew-the-Great The Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great, sometimes abbreviated to Great St Bart's, is a medieval church in the Church of England's Diocese of London located in Smithfield within the City of London. The building was founded as an Augusti ...
in London, where an elaborate monument exists to his memory. The decorations are heraldic, but the Latin epitaph merely records names and dates. The tomb was restored in 1865 by Henry Bingham Mildmay, Esq. Epitaphs on Mildmay and Sir John Calthrop were licensed by the Stationers' Company on 29 July 1589. They are not known to be extant.


Founder of Emmanuel College, Cambridge

Mildmay displayed his interest in education with much effect. On 23 November 1583 he purchased for £550 the site at
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge becam ...
of the dissolved house of the Dominicans or
Black Friars The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and Mysticism, mystic Saint ...
, which was situated in what was then called Preachers Street, but is now known as St Andrew's Street. On 11 January 1584, he obtained the Queen's licence to set up Emmanuel College there. The architect was Ralph Symons, and in 1588 the new building was opened with a dedication festival, which Mildmay attended. He installed in the college a master,
Laurence Chaderton Laurence Chaderton (''c''. September 1536 – 13 November 1640) was an English Puritan divine, the first Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge and one of the translators of the King James Version of the Bible. Life Chaderton was born in Lees, ...
, three fellows, and four scholars; but subsequent benefactions soon increased the fellowships to fourteen and the scholarships to fifty. According to Fuller, Mildmay, on coming to court, after the college was opened was addressed by the Queen with the words: "Sir Walter, I hear you have erected a puritan foundation", to which Mildmay replied: "No, madam; far be it from me to countenance anything contrary to your established laws; but I have set an acorn, which when it becomes an oak, God alone knows what will be the fruit thereof". His statutes for the government of Emmanuel College are dated 1 October 1585 and are attested by his sons, Anthony and Humphrey, John Hammond, LL.D., William Lewyn, LL.D., Thomas Byng, LL.D.,
Timothy Bright Timothie Bright, M.D. (1551?–1615) was an Early Modern English physician and clergyman, the inventor of modern shorthand. Early life Bright was born in or about 1551, probably in the neighbourhood of Sheffield. He matriculated as a sizar at Tr ...
, M.D., and Edward Downing. Mildmay deprecated perpetual fellowships, and warned the fellows against regarding the college as "a perpetual abode" — they were to look forward to spreading outside the knowledge they acquired within its walls., cites: cf. University and College Documents, iii. 483-526; Willis and Clark's Architectural Hist. of Cambridge, ii. 687 sq. Mildmay otherwise showed his interest in education by acting as an original governor of Chelmsford Chantry School, now King Edward VI Grammar School, founded in 1550–1; by giving an annuity of 52s. to
Christ's Hospital Christ's Hospital is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent boarding school for pupils aged 11–18) with a royal charter located to the south of Horsham in West Sussex. The scho ...
(10 April 1556); and by bestowing £20 a year on Christ's College, Cambridge (10 March 1568 – 1569), to be expended on a Greek lectureship, six scholarships and a preachership to be filled by a fellow of the college. He also contributed stone for completing the tower of Great St Mary's Church, Cambridge, and he helped to found the free-school at
Middleton, Lancashire Middleton is a village and civil parish in the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England, between Heysham and Overton. It had a population of 705 in 2011. Middleton was the location of Middleton Tower Holiday Camp, which opened in 1939. The c ...
. There are three portraits of Mildmay at Emmanuel College; one with his wife. A fourth painting was at Moulsham Hall demolished in 1809, near Chelmsford, and a fifth at Knole Park, Sevenoaks. There are also engravings by J. Faber and E. Harding, and an unsigned plate is known.


Character and publications

Sidney Lee wrote that Mildmay was a man of cultivation and of great piety, with some popular reputation as a believer in second sight. Henry Caesar, dean of Ely, was directed by the Star Chamber to retract a report that he had circulated to the effect that Mildmay had endeavoured to see by conjuration the person of
Cardinal Pole Reginald Pole (12 March 1500 – 17 November 1558) was an English cardinal of the Catholic Church and the last Catholic archbishop of Canterbury, holding the office from 1556 to 1558, during the Counter-Reformation. Early life Pole was born a ...
after his death. Henry Roberts, in his ''Fames Trumpet Soundinge,'' 1589, mentions a book by Mildmay, and describes it as "in print now extant". It was entitled ''A Note to know a Good Man.'' Sir John Harington, in his ''Orlando Furioso,'' bk. xxii, p. 175, gives a stanza in Latin with an English translation; the former he says he derived from Mildmay's Latin poems, which are not otherwise known. A "memorial" by Mildmay, written for his son Anthony in 1570, consisting of sensible moral precepts, was printed from a manuscript at Apethorpe by the Rev. Arundell St John Mildmay in 1893. Many of his official letters and papers are at Hatfield or in the state paper office.


Marriage and issue

Mildmay married Mary Walsingham (died 16 March 1576), a daughter of William Walsingham by his wife Joyce (or Joice), a daughter of
Edmund Denny Sir Edmund Denny, of Cheshunt (c. 1457/1461 - died 22 December 1520) was a Tudor courtier and politician. He was a Baron of the Exchequer during the reign of Henry VIII of England. His son, Sir Anthony Denny, rose to become the most powerful mem ...
, a
Baron of the Exchequer The Barons of the Exchequer, or ''barones scaccarii'', were the judges of the English court known as the Exchequer of Pleas. The Barons consisted of a Chief Baron of the Exchequer and several puisne (''inferior'') barons. When Robert Shute was ...
, and a sister of Sir
Francis Walsingham Sir Francis Walsingham ( – 6 April 1590) was principal secretary to Queen Elizabeth I of England from 20 December 1573 until his death and is popularly remembered as her "spymaster". Born to a well-connected family of gentry, Wal ...
. By his wife he had issue including: *Sir
Anthony Mildmay Sir Anthony Mildmay (died 1617) of Apethorpe Palace, Northamptonshire, served as a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire from 1584 to 1586 and as English ambassador in Paris in 1597. Origins Mildmay was the eldest son of Sir Walter Mildmay ( ...
(d.1617), of
Apethorpe Apethorpe (pronounced "Ap-thorp") is a village, civil parish,
, eldest son and heir, an ambassador to France, who married Grace Sharington by whom he had one daughter
Mary Mildmay Mary Fane, Countess of Westmorland ( Mildmay; c. 1582 – 9 April 1640) continued her mother Grace Mildmay's interest in physic and was a significant author of spiritual guidance and writer of letters. Family background Mary was the daughter a ...
. *Humphrey Mildmay of Danbury Place, Essex, father of Sir Henry Mildmay; *Winifred Mildmay, wife of Sir William Fitzwilliam of Gains Park, Essex; *Martha Mildmay, wife of Sir William Brouncker; *Christiana Mildmay, wife successively of Charles Barrett of
Aveley Aveley is a town and former civil parish in the unitary authority of Thurrock in Essex, England, and forms one of the traditional Church of England parishes. Aveley is 16 miles (26.2 km) east of Charing Cross. In the 2021 United Kingdom ...
in Essex, and Sir
John Leveson Sir John Leveson (21 March 1555 – 14 November 1615) was an English politician. He was instrumental in putting down the Essex rebellion of 8 February 1601. Family John Leveson, born 21 March 1555 at Whornes Place, Cuxton, Kent, was the eldest ...
of Kent, Knight.


Notes


References


History of Parliament MILDMAY, Walter (by 1523-89) of Apethorpe , Northants
* Cites: **''Visitation of Essex'' (Harl. Soc.), 1612, pt. i. pp. 251, 452; **
Charles Henry Cooper Charles Henry Cooper (20 March 1808 – 21 March 1866) was an English antiquarian. Life Born at Marlow, Buckinghamshire, he was descended from a family formerly of Bray in Berkshire. He was privately educated in Reading. In 1826 he settled in ...
, ''Athenæ Cantabrigienses''. ii. 51–5; ** John Bridges, ''Northamptonshire'', ii. 425; **
John Strype John Strype (1 November 1643 – 11 December 1737) was an English clergyman, historian and biographer from London. He became a merchant when settling in Petticoat Lane. In his twenties, he became perpetual curate of Theydon Bois, Essex and l ...
, ''Annals''; **
James Froude James Anthony Froude ( ; 23 April 1818 – 20 October 1894) was an English historian, novelist, biographer, and editor of ''Fraser's Magazine''. From his upbringing amidst the Anglo-Catholic Oxford Movement, Froude intended to become a clergym ...
, ''Hist.''; **James Bass Mullinger, ''History of Cambridge University'', ii. 310 sq.; **''Calendar of Hatfield MSS,'' vols. i-iv.; **Hist. MSS. Comm. 10th Rep. pt. iv. (Westmorland MSS.); **Hist. MSS. Comm. 5th Rep. p. 507; **Wright's ''Elizabeth''. ;Attribution *


Further reading

*'Lady Mildmay's Journal: A Study in Autobiography and Meditation in Reformation England', by Retha M. Warnicke in the ''Sixteenth Century Journal'', Vol. 20, No. 1 (Spring, 1989), pp. 55–68. {{DEFAULTSORT:Mildmay, Walter Walter 1500s births 1589 deaths People of the Elizabethan era Chancellors of the Exchequer of England Members of the Privy Council of England Treasurers of Calais Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge English MPs 1545–1547 English MPs 1547–1552 English MPs 1553 (Edward VI) English MPs 1553 (Mary I) English MPs 1558 English MPs 1559 English MPs 1563–1567 English MPs 1571 English MPs 1572–1583 English MPs 1584–1585 English MPs 1586–1587 English MPs 1589 Members of Parliament for Maldon Knights Bachelor Court of Edward VI of England