Nicholas Wadham (1531–1609)
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Nicholas Wadham ( ; 1531–1609) of Merryfield in the parish of
Ilton Ilton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated south-east of Taunton, and north of Ilminster. The village has a population of 854. The parish includes the Hamlet (place), hamlets of Ilford and Cad Green with its 16th-cent ...
, Somerset, and
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in the parish of Branscombe, Devon, was a posthumous co-founder of
Wadham College, Oxford Wadham College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located in the centre of Oxford, at the intersection of Broad Street, Oxford, Broad Street and Parks Road ...
, with his wife
Dorothy Wadham Dorothy Wadham ( ; ; 1534/1535 – 16 May 1618) was an English landowner and the founder of Wadham College, Oxford, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford. Wadham was the first woman who was not a member of the British ro ...
who, outliving him, saw the project through to completion in her late old age. He was Sheriff of Somerset in 1585.


Origins

Nicholas Wadham was probably born at Merryfield, a moated and
fortified manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a Manorialism, manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were usually held the lord's manorial courts, ...
, built around 1400 by his ancestor Sir John Wadham of
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, a
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in the reign of King
Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Joan, Countess of Kent. R ...
. He was the only surviving son of John Wadham (d. 1578) of Merryfield and Edge, Sheriff of Somerset and Dorset in 1556, by his wife Joan Tregarthin (d. 1583), daughter and co-heiress of John Tregarthin of Cornwall, and widow of John Kelloway of Cullompton, Devon. Wadham's grandfather, Sir Nicholas Wadham (1472–1542), was a member of parliament in the
English Reformation Parliament The English Reformation Parliament, which sat from 3 November 1529 to 14 April 1536, established the legal basis for the English Reformation, passing major pieces of legislation leading to the break with Rome and increasing the authority of the ...
of 1529, Sheriff of Devon, Sheriff of Somerset and Dorset,
Sheriff of Wiltshire This is a list of the sheriffs and (after 1 April 1974) high sheriffs of Wiltshire. Until the 14th century, the shrievalty was held ''ex officio'' by the castellans of Old Sarum Castle. On 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Gove ...
, Captain of the Isle of Wight at Carisbrooke Castle,
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to
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and, with his uncle, Sir Edward Wadham ( Sheriff of Gloucestershire), accompanied 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 known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
to the
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in 1520.


Career

A biography written before 1637 states that Wadham attended
Corpus Christi College, Oxford Corpus Christi College (formally, Corpus Christi College in the University of Oxford; informally abbreviated as Corpus or CCC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1517 by Richard Fo ...
as a commoner, but did not take a degree. He may have lodged with John Kennall, the civil lawyer, later canon of
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford Christ Church Cathedral is a cathedral of the Church of England in Oxford, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Oxford and the principal church of the diocese of Oxford. It is also the chapel of Christ Church, Oxford, Christ Church, a colle ...
. Wadham was briefly at court, as the text relates: ''vitam aulicam aliquantisper ingressus est'' ("he entered the courtly life for a moderately long time"). A certain "Nicholas Wadham of Brimpton, Somerset", was admitted to the
Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...
on 9 March 1553 on the pledge of Richard Baker, who was married to Catherine Tyrell, a stepdaughter of Sir
William Petre Sir William Petre (c. 1505 – 1572) (pronounced ''Peter'') was Secretary of State to three successive Tudor monarchs, namely Kings Henry VIII, Edward VI and Queen Mary I. He also deputised for the Secretary of State to Elizabeth I. Educated ...
(Wadham's father-in-law), Principal Secretary to 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 known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
. Due to the Petre connection, it is likely that the record refers to the Nicholas Wadham who is the subject of this article. Wadham was appointed to the commission of the peace and other minor commissions in Somerset, appearing as executor and overseer in the wills of other Somerset gentlemen. Two personal letters of his exist, one from Sir Amias Paulet (1532–1588), Ambassador to Paris, advising that Wadham was unlikely 'to be envious of our French news' and thanking him for his efforts in the leasing of Paulet's park. The other letter was to Sir John Talbot of Grafton (1545–1611), who had married Dorothy's sister Katherine Petre, regarding Wadham's work in negotiating a lease. Wadham was known for his hospitality and he maintained a fine household at Merifield, described by
Thomas Fuller Thomas Fuller (baptised 19 June 1608 – 16 August 1661) was an English churchman and historian. He is now remembered for his writings, particularly his ''Worthies of England'', published in 1662, after his death. He was a prolific author, and ...
(1608–1661) as "an inn at all times, a court at Christmas". Wadham and his wife were suspected of
recusancy Recusancy (from ) was the state of those who remained loyal to the Catholic Church and refused to attend Church of England services after the English Reformation. The 1558 Recusancy Acts passed in the reign of Elizabeth I, and temporarily repea ...
. In 1608 the privy council ordered a
stay of proceedings A stay of proceedings is a ruling by the court in civil and criminal procedure that halts further legal process in a trial or other legal proceeding. The court can subsequently lift the stay and resume proceedings based on events taking place ...
against both Wadham and his wife on a charge of recusancy. John Carpenter, Rector of Branscombe, dedicated to him his literary work "Contemplations", ''for the Institution of Children in the Christian Religion'' (1601), noting his "gentle affability with all persons" and his generosity.


Marriage

On 3 September 1555 at St Botolph's, Aldersgate in the
City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...
, Nicholas Wadham married Dorothy Petre (1534/5–1618), the eldest daughter of Sir
William Petre Sir William Petre (c. 1505 – 1572) (pronounced ''Peter'') was Secretary of State to three successive Tudor monarchs, namely Kings Henry VIII, Edward VI and Queen Mary I. He also deputised for the Secretary of State to Elizabeth I. Educated ...
, Principal Secretary to King Henry VIII. The couple had no children. Wadham and his wife lived with his parents until his father's death in 1578, when his mother moved into her
dower house A dower house is usually a moderately large house available for use by the widow of the previous owner of an English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish estate (house), estate. The widow, often known as the "dowager", usually moves into the dower house fr ...
at
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. Her monumental tomb survives in the Church of St Winifred, Branscombe, Devon.


Death and burial

On 20 October 1609, aged seventy-seven, Wadham died at Merrifield. In his will he left the huge sum of £500 for his funeral expenses and directed his body be buried ''"in myne ile at Ilminster where myne auncestors lye interred"''. He was duly buried in the Wadham chapel in the Church of St Mary, Ilminster on 21 November 1609; his monument survives in the north-east corner of the Chapel (north transept) of St Mary's. It consists of a 1689
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
monument erected by his subsequent heirs Sir Edward Wyndham, 2nd Baronet and Thomas Strangways on which was re-placed the Purbeck marble slab inset with late-Gothic-style post-
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
monumental brasses from the original monument which had collapsed. The monument was again restored in 1899 by the architect
Thomas Graham Jackson Sir Thomas Graham Jackson, 1st Baronet (21 December 1835 – 7 November 1924) was one of the most distinguished British architects of his generation. He is best remembered for his work at Oxford, including the Oxford Military College at Co ...
(1835–1924). There is, according to A. K. Wickham, "no finer post-Reformation brass in England". Following his father's example, his will ordered a full heraldic funeral, with alms to be distributed throughout the county. Statues survive of Nicholas Wadham and his wife Dorothy Petre at their foundation, Wadham College, Oxford, high on the external wall of one of the buildings.
Thomas Moore Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852), was an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist who was widely regarded as Ireland's "National poet, national bard" during the late Georgian era. The acclaim rested primarily on the popularity of his ''I ...
(1779–1852) described him as "an ancient schismatic", referring to his attendance at
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...
services, and described Wadham as "dying a Catholic".


Succession

At his death he owned almost 30 manors and other lands and tenements in the counties of Devon, Dorset and Somerset, including: *Manor of Wadham, Knowstone, Devon: original seat of the family, from which they took their name * Manor of Silverton, Devon: purchased in 1386 by Sir John Wadham *
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in Branscombe, Devon: estate purchased c. 1370 by Sir John Wadham * Merryfield in
Ilton Ilton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated south-east of Taunton, and north of Ilminster. The village has a population of 854. The parish includes the Hamlet (place), hamlets of Ilford and Cad Green with its 16th-cent ...
near
Yeovil Yeovil () is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Somerset, England. It is close to Somerset's southern border with Dorset, west of London, south of Bristol, west of Sherborne and east of Taunton. The population of the bui ...
, Somerset which became the main seat of the family: built on land purchased around 1400 by Sir John Wadham from Cecily de Beauchamp a sister and co-heiress of John Beauchamp, 3rd Baron Beauchamp of Somerset of the feudal barony of Hatch Beauchamp, with nearby land at Braydon inherited by a later generation of the Wadham family from Sir Stephen Popham. *Broad life ic*Pole Anthony (from the Rede (or Read) family to Popham to Wadham) *Manor of Penselwood, Somerset: part of the inheritance of Margaret Chiseldon of the Manor of Holcombe Rogus, Devon, who married Sir
William Wadham (died 1452) Sir William Wadham (c.1386–1452) of Merryfield, Ilton, Merryfield in the parish of Ilton, Somerset and Edge, Branscombe, Edge in the parish of Branscombe, Devon came from a West Country gentry family with a leaning towards the law, who origina ...
. * Chiselborough, Somerset *Manor of Haydon, Somerset *Norcot *Widicomb *Sydmouth *Wirgland *Manor of Lustleigh, Devon purchased 1403 by Sir John Wadham. The medieval hall and solar still exist: "Uphill and Great Hall, Mapstone Hill: A major medieval house preserving two fine roofs, the property of the Wadham family of Ilminster in the C15 ..The date may be c.1400." *Eton *Tidcock *Oldbury *Cullioford *Guttesham (not Gittesham, Devon, never held by Wadham) He died childless, and all his estates and other wealth had been expected to pass to the children of his three sisters: *Joan Wadham (d. 1603), widow of Sir
Giles Strangways Giles Strangways (3 June 1615 – 20 July 1675) of Melbury House in Somerset, was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England, House of Commons variously between 1640 and 1675. He fought on the Cavaliers, Royalist side ...
, MP, ancestors of the
Earls of Ilchester Earl of Ilchester is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1756 for Stephen Fox-Strangways, 1st Earl of Ilchester, Stephen Fox, 1st Baron Ilchester, who had previously represented Shaftesbury (UK Parliament constituency), S ...
, and then Sir John Young, MP. She bore the former 4 sons and 2 daughters, and the latter 2 daughters and a son. In 1592, she was a party in the landmark Case of the Swans. *Margaret Wadham, wife of Sir Nicholas Martyn (1529–1595) of Athelhampton, Dorset. The couple's monumental brass, showing them kneeling beneath an escutcheon with the ancient arms of
FitzMartin FitzMartin or Fitz Martin was the surname of a Normans, Norman family based in England and Wales between 1085 and 1342. Earliest Generations The earliest well-documented progenitor of this family was Robert fitz Martin, Robert Lords of Cemais, ...
(''Argent, two bars gules'') impaling Wadham, survives in St Mary's Church,
Puddletown Puddletown is a village in the civil parish of Athelhampton and Puddletown, in Dorset, England. It is situated by the River Piddle, from which it derives its name, about northeast of the county town Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester. Its earlier ...
, Dorset. Nicholas Martyn, in full armour, kneels bare-headed before an altar on which is an open book. His three sons, who all predeceased him, kneel behind him. To the right is his wife Margaret Wadham, behind whom kneel their seven daughters, of whom four survived as co-heiresses. Athelhampton descended by marriage of their daughter Elizabeth Martin to Henry Brune to Mary Brune, who married Sir Ralph Bankes of Kingston Lacy and Corfe Castle, their great-great-granddaughter. * Florence Wadham (d. 1596), wife of Sir John Wyndham (d. 1572) of Orchard Wyndham, Watchet, in Somerset, and mother of Sir John Wyndham (1558–1645), ancestor of the Wyndham Earls of Egremont of
Petworth House Petworth House is a late 17th-century Grade I listed English country house, country house in the parish of Petworth, West Sussex, England. It was built in 1688 by Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset, and altered in the 1870s to the desi ...
in Sussex. Instead he determined to use much of his wealth to perpetuate his name and in 1606 he founded an
almshouse An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) is charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the Middle Ages. They were often built for the poor of a locality, for those who had held ce ...
for eight poor people at Ilton. Wadham had also been saving money to found a college at
Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
, yet his intentions had not been written down and his instructions on his death-bed were contradictory. Despite this, his wife Dorothy, adding much of her own paternal inheritance,Part of the Petre inheritance received by Dorothy came from grants made by Queen Mary to her father Sir William Petre, of lands formerly held by Lady Jane Gray and forfeited to the crown, which had come in part from the great heiress Cecily Bonville, of
Shute, Devon Shute is a village, parish and former manor located west of Axminster in East Devon, off the A35 road. It is surrounded by farmland and woodland beneath Shute Hill. St Michael's Church dates from the 13th Century and contains many monuments t ...
(Bridie, M.F., The Story of Shute, Axminster, 1955, pp. 76–8)
attended to his wishes and, in her old age, oversaw the construction Wadham College, Oxford to its completion. The descendants of his sisters nevertheless still received large inheritances from Nicholas Wadham, including the manor of
Ilton Ilton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated south-east of Taunton, and north of Ilminster. The village has a population of 854. The parish includes the Hamlet (place), hamlets of Ilford and Cad Green with its 16th-cent ...
(to Wyndham); the manor of Wadham, Knowstone, (to Wyndham and Strangways); Lustleigh (to Wyndham and Strangways);
Edge, Branscombe Edge, (originally, ''Egge''), is an ancient and historic house in the parish of Branscombe, Devon, England and is today known as Edge Barton Manor. The surviving house is Listed building, grade II* listed and sits on the steep, south-facing side ...
(to Wyndham and Strangways), Silverton in Devon (to Wyndham); Chiselborough (to Strangways) etc. Today, in 2017, the Wadham family's Merryfield estate is still owned by the Wyndham family of Orchard Wyndham.


References

*Davies, C. S. L. 'Wadham, Nicholas (1531/2–1609)', ''
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...
'',
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, 2004.


Further reading

*Prince, John, (1643–1723) The Worthies of Devon, 1810 edition, biography of Wadham, Sir John, Knight, (died 1412), pp. 748–752
Stevens, Hariet Weeks Wadhams, Wadhams ''(sic)'' Genealogy, Preceded by a Sketch of the Wadham Family of England, New York, 1913Rogers, William Henry Hamilton, Memorials of the West, Historical and Descriptive, Collected on the Borderland of Somerset, Dorset and Devon, Exeter, 1888, pp.147–173, The Founder and Foundress of Wadham
*
Thomas Graham Jackson Sir Thomas Graham Jackson, 1st Baronet (21 December 1835 – 7 November 1924) was one of the most distinguished British architects of his generation. He is best remembered for his work at Oxford, including the Oxford Military College at Co ...

''Wadham College, Oxford, its Foundation, Architecture and History, with an Account of the Family of Wadham and their Seats in Somerset and Devon'', Oxford, 1893
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wadham, Nicholas Alumni of Corpus Christi College, Oxford 1530s births 1609 deaths 16th-century English people 17th-century English people People from Somerset
Nicholas Nicholas is a male name, the Anglophone version of an ancient Greek name in use since antiquity, and cognate with the modern Greek , . It originally derived from a combination of two Ancient Greek, Greek words meaning 'victory' and 'people'. In ...
Founders of colleges of the University of Oxford