Nicholas Vaux, 1st Baron Vaux of Harrowden
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Nicholas Vaux, 1st Baron Vaux of Harrowden (c. 1460 – 14 May 1523) was a soldier and courtier in England and an early member of the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
. He was the son of Lancastrian loyalists Sir William
Vaux Vaux may refer to: People * Antoine-Alexis Cadet de Vaux (1743–1828), French chemist and pharmacist * Bernard Carra de Vaux (1867–1953), French orientalist who published accounts of his travels in the Middle East *Clotilde de Vaux (1815–184 ...
of Harrowden and Katherine Penyson (or Peniston as she is sometimes called in later sources), a lady of the household of Queen
Margaret of Anjou Margaret of Anjou (french: link=no, Marguerite; 23 March 1430 – 25 August 1482) was Queen of England and nominally Queen of France by marriage to King Henry VI from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471. Born in the Duchy of Lorrain ...
, wife of the Lancastrian king,
Henry VI of England Henry VI (6 December 1421 – 21 May 1471) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. The only child of Henry V, he succeeded to the English thron ...
. Katherine was a daughter of Gregorio Panizzone of Courticelle (modern
Cortiglione Cortiglione is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, about southeast of Turin and about southeast of Asti. Cortiglione borders the following municipalities: Belveglio, Incisa Scapaccino, Masio, Rocch ...
), in
Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...
, Italy which was at that time subject to King
René of Anjou René of Anjou ( it, Renato; oc, Rainièr; ca, Renat; 1409–1480) was Duke of Anjou and Count of Provence from 1434 to 1480, who also reigned as King of Naples as René I from 1435 to 1442 (then deposed as the preceding dynasty was restored to ...
, father of Queen Margaret of Anjou, as ruler of
Provence Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bor ...
. He grew up during the years of
Yorkist The House of York was a cadet branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet. Three of its members became kings of England in the late 15th century. The House of York descended in the male line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, t ...
rule and later served under the founder of the
Tudor dynasty 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 ...
, Henry VII.


Overview

Nicholas Vaux's mother, Katherine, an attendant on
Margaret of Anjou Margaret of Anjou (french: link=no, Marguerite; 23 March 1430 – 25 August 1482) was Queen of England and nominally Queen of France by marriage to King Henry VI from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471. Born in the Duchy of Lorrain ...
, remained constant to her mistress when others forsook the Lancastrian cause. Katherine's husband, Sir William Vaux, whom she had married not long before she obtained her letters of denization, was attainted in 1461 and later slain at 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 ...
. Despite her husband's misfortune, Katherine Vaux remained loyal to her mistress: she stayed by the Queen during her imprisonment 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 ...
, and on Margaret's release in 1476 went with her into exile (as she had done earlier in the 1460s), living with her until her death six years later. Katherine's two children did not share either her confinement or her travels abroad; instead, Nicholas Vaux and his sister
Joan Joan may refer to: People and fictional characters * Joan (given name), including a list of women, men and fictional characters *:Joan of Arc, a French military heroine * Joan (surname) Weather events *Tropical Storm Joan (disambiguation), multip ...
, were brought up in the household of
Lady Margaret Beaufort Lady Margaret Beaufort (usually pronounced: or ; 31 May 1441/43 – 29 June 1509) was a major figure in the Wars of the Roses of the late fifteenth century, and mother of King Henry VII of England, the first Tudor monarch. A descendant of ...
(mother of Henry VII), without charge, even though
Edward IV Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England ...
restored two manors to the family for the maintenance of him and his sister. Katherine's devotion was rewarded after the triumph of Henry VII at Bosworth, where Nicholas Vaux, as a protégé of
Lady Margaret Beaufort Lady Margaret Beaufort (usually pronounced: or ; 31 May 1441/43 – 29 June 1509) was a major figure in the Wars of the Roses of the late fifteenth century, and mother of King Henry VII of England, the first Tudor monarch. A descendant of ...
, probably fought under her husband
Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby, KG (1435 – 29 July 1504) was an English nobleman. He was the stepfather of King Henry VII of England. He was the eldest son of Thomas Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley and Joan Goushill. A landed magnate of imme ...
; the petition for the reversal of the attainder on Vaux's father and the forfeiture of his property was accepted by the King in the
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 ...
of 1485, and not long after Vaux was named to the commission of the peace for his home county.


Politics

He fought for Henry VII at Stoke and
Blackheath Blackheath may refer to: Places England *Blackheath, London, England ** Blackheath railway station **Hundred of Blackheath, Kent, an ancient hundred in the north west of the county of Kent, England *Blackheath, Surrey, England ** Hundred of Blackh ...
, being knighted on the field for his service in both battles. Not only was he active and diligent in local government but he was also frequently at court attending all the great state occasions at home and abroad until his death; in 1511 he entertained
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 ...
at Harrowden. It was as a soldier and diplomat, however, that he made his mark. Given the important command at Guisnes, he distinguished himself during the
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 ...
campaign in 1513 and then in the missions (he had had some earlier experiences in negotiating, chiefly with Burgundy) to the French King about the English withdrawal and the several royal marriage treaties. Later, he was one of the devisers of 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 ...
. His sister,
Joan Joan may refer to: People and fictional characters * Joan (given name), including a list of women, men and fictional characters *:Joan of Arc, a French military heroine * Joan (surname) Weather events *Tropical Storm Joan (disambiguation), multip ...
, had also benefited from the change of dynasty: she entered the royal household, became governess to Henry VII's daughters and married successively Sir
Richard Guildford Sir Richard Guildford (alias ''Guilford, Guldeford'', etc.), KG (c. 1450 – 1506) was an explorer, naval commander, and English courtier who held important positions at the court of Henry VII, including the office of Master of the Ordnance. L ...
and the father of Sir Nicholas Poyntz, Sir Anthony Poyntz. Vaux was a natural candidate for election to Parliament, although in the absence of so many returns for the early Tudor period he is known to have been a Member only in 1515 when he and Sir John Hussey took a memorandum on certain Acts from the Commons up to the Lords. Presumably, he sat for his own shire on this occasion as he was afterwards appointed to the Northamptonshire commission for the subsidy which he had helped to grant.


Missions to France

On 4 September 1514, Vaux with his second wife Anne Green were part of the delegation tasked with delivering Princess Mary, the king's sister, to
Abbeville Abbeville (, vls, Abbekerke, pcd, Advile) is a commune in the Somme department and in Hauts-de-France region in northern France. It is the chef-lieu of one of the arrondissements of Somme. Located on the river Somme, it was the capital of ...
in France to be married to King
Louis XII of France Louis XII (27 June 14621 January 1515), was King of France from 1498 to 1515 and King of Naples from 1501 to 1504. The son of Charles, Duke of Orléans, and Maria of Cleves, he succeeded his 2nd cousin once removed and brother in law at the tim ...
. He also was present with his second wife Anne Green 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 ...
in 1520 where he attended upon the
King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
and Queen
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 ...
. He was joined by
Sir Thomas Parr Sir Thomas Parr (c. 1483 – 11 November 1517) of Kendal in Westmorland (now Cumbria), England, was a courtier and is best known as the father of Queen Catherine Parr, the Wives of Henry VIII, sixth and final wife of King Henry VIII of England, ...
, his wife
Maud Green Maud Green, Lady Parr (6 April 1492 – 1 December 1531) was an English courtier. She was the mother of Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII of England. She was a close friend and lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon. She was also ...
, and his brother Sir William Parr of Horton.


Marriages & issue

Vaux married twice: *Firstly to
Elizabeth FitzHugh Elizabeth FitzHugh (1455/65 – before 10 July 1507) was an English noblewoman. She is best known for being the grandmother of Katherine Parr, sixth queen consort to Henry VIII, and her siblings Anne Herbert, Countess of Pembroke, and William Par ...
(d.29 January 1508), widow of Sir William Parr of Kendal, and daughter of
Henry FitzHugh, 5th Baron FitzHugh Baron FitzHugh, of Ravensworth in North Yorkshire, is an abeyant title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1321 for Sir Henry FitzHugh. The title passed through the male line until the death in 1513 of George FitzHugh, 7th Baron FitzH ...
of Ravensworth, by his wife
Alice Neville Alice Neville, Baroness FitzHugh (c. 1430 – after 22 November 1503) was the wife of Henry FitzHugh, 5th Baron FitzHugh. She is best known for being the great-grandmother of queen consort Catherine Parr and her siblings, Anne and William, as we ...
,The Peerage of England
A genealogical survey of the peerage of Britain as well as the royal families of Europe.
Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, 2 volumes (Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999), volume 1, page 17. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition. a niece of
Cecily Neville, Duchess of York 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", because ...
. The wedding took place most likely after the 1485
Battle of Bosworth The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field was the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the houses of Lancaster and York that extended across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 Augu ...
when Henry Tudor (later King Henry VII) defeated Richard III, and was most likely planned to secure the allegiance of the FitzHugh family to the new Tudor dynasty, Henry VII's wife
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 ...
being a granddaughter of
Cecily Neville, Duchess of York 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", because ...
. By his first wife he had three daughters: **Katherine Vaux (c.1490-1571), who married Sir
George Throckmorton Sir George Throckmorton (c. 1480 – 6 August 1552) of Coughton Court in Warwickshire, England, was a Member of Parliament during the reign of King Henry VIII. Origins Born before 1489 in Worcestershire, he was the eldest son and heir of Sir R ...
of
Coughton Court Coughton Court () is an English Tudor country house, situated on the main road between Studley and Alcester in Warwickshire. It is a Grade I listed building. The house has a long crenellated façade directly facing the main road, at the cent ...
in Warwickshire, and had issue;Douglas Richardson, Kimball G. Everingham. ''Magna Carta ancestry: a study in colonial and medieval families'' pg 639. **Alice Vaux (d.1543), who, in about 1501, married Sir Richard Sapcote, without issue;Douglas Richardson. ''Plantagenet Ancestry: A Study In Colonial And Medieval Families'', 2nd Edition, 2011. p. 657. **Anne Vaux, who married Sir Thomas Le Strange (1493–1545) and had issue.S.T. Bindoff. ''The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558: LESTRANGE (STRANGE), Sir Nicholas (1511/13-80), of Hunstanton, Norf.'', Boydell and Brewer. 1982
History of Parliament Online
/ref> *Secondly, shortly after the death of his first wife, he married Anne Green (who predeceased him), a daughter and co-heiress of Sir Thomas Green of Boughton and Green's Norton, Northamptonshire, by his wife Jane Fogge. Anne Green was the aunt of Queen
Catherine Parr Catherine Parr (sometimes alternatively spelled Katherine, Katheryn, Kateryn, or Katharine; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen of England and Ireland as the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 12 July 1543 until ...
(whose mother was
Maud Green Maud Green, Lady Parr (6 April 1492 – 1 December 1531) was an English courtier. She was the mother of Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII of England. She was a close friend and lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon. She was also ...
), the sixth wife of King Henry VIII. By his second wife he had two sons and three daughters: **
Thomas Vaux, 2nd Baron Vaux of Harrowden Thomas Vaux, 2nd Baron Vaux of Harrowden KB (25 April 1509 – October 1556), English poet, was the eldest son of Nicholas Vaux, 1st Baron Vaux and his second wife, Anne Green, daughter of Sir Thomas Green, Lord of Nortons Green, and Joan Fogg ...
(1510 – Oct 1556), eldest son and heir, who, in about 1523, married Elizabeth Cheney (1505-1556), a grand-daughter of his father's first wife (Elizabeth Cheney was a daughter of Sir Thomas Cheney of Irtlingburgh by his wife Anne Parr, a daughter of
William Parr, 1st Baron Parr of Kendal Sir William Parr, KG (1434–1483)Linda Porter. ''Katherine, the Queen'', MacMillan, 2010. . was an English courtier and soldier. He was the eldest son of Sir Thomas Parr (1405–1461) and his wife Alice, daughter of Sir Thomas Tunstall of T ...
by his second wife
Elizabeth FitzHugh Elizabeth FitzHugh (1455/65 – before 10 July 1507) was an English noblewoman. She is best known for being the grandmother of Katherine Parr, sixth queen consort to Henry VIII, and her siblings Anne Herbert, Countess of Pembroke, and William Par ...
). **William Vaux (d. May 1523), who died unmarried. **Margaret Vaux, who married Sir Francis Pulteney (1502 – c. 17 May 1548) of Misterton, by whom she had issue including: ***Sir Gabriel Pulteney (d. 31 August 1599) of Knowle Hall, who married Dorothy Spencer, a daughter of Sir William Spencer of
Althorp Althorp (popularly pronounced ) is a Grade I listed stately home and estate in the civil parish of Althorp, in West Northamptonshire, England of about . By road it is about northwest of the county town of Northampton and about northwest of c ...
in Northamptonshire.
Chapter: Duke of Marlborough pg. 383.
**Bridget Vaux, who in about 1538 married Maurice Welsh; **Maud Vaux (d. 14 April 1569), who married Sir John Fermor of
Easton Neston Easton Neston is situated in south Northamptonshire, England. Though the village of Easton Neston which was inhabited until around 1500 is now gone, the parish retains the name. At the 2011 Census the population of the civil parish remained le ...
in Northamptonshire, by whom she had issue including: ***Katherine Fermor, who married Sir Henry Darcy, a son of Sir Arthur Darcy (a descendant of the Barons Darcy of Knaith) by his wife, Mary Carew.


In popular culture

Sir Nicholas Vaux is a character in
William 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 ''
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 ...
''.


Ancestry


Notes


References

* * * * ''Throckmorton family history: being the records of the Throckmortons in the United States of America with cognate branches, emigrant ancestors located at Salem, Massachusetts, 1630, and in Gloucester county, Virginia, 1660'' * ''Ancestral roots of certain American colonists who came to America'' by Frederick Lewis Weis, Walter Lee Sheppard, David Faris. * ''Catholic gentry in English society: the Throckmortons of Coughton'' by Peter Marshall * ''Women and politics in early modern England, 1450–1700'' By James Daybell * ''The Magna Charta sureties, 1215: the barons named in the Magna Charta, 1215'' by Frederick Lewis Weis * ''The Family Forest Descendants of Lady Joan Beaufort'' by Bruce Harrison * ''The House of Commons: 1509 – 1558 ; 1, Appendices, constituencies, members A – C, Volume 4'' * * ''Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII'' by
David Starkey David Robert Starkey (born 3 January 1945) is an English historian and radio and television presenter, with views that he describes as conservative. The only child of Quaker parents, he attended Kendal Grammar School before studying at Cambr ...
* ''Katherine, the Queen'' by Linda Porter * ''Kateryn Parr: the making of a queen'' by Susan E. James , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Vaux of Harrowden, Nicholas Vaux, 1st Baron 1460 births Vaux of Harrowden, Nicholas Vaux, 1st Baron 15th-century English soldiers 16th-century English soldiers 16th-century English nobility Barons Vaux of Harrowden English knights English soldiers
Nicholas Nicholas is a male given name and a surname. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglicanism, Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the n ...
English people of Italian descent