Sir Thomas Burgh ( ; – 18 March 1496) was an English gentleman.

Ancestry

He had noble ancestors on both sides: his mother, Elizabeth Percy, was one of the daughters of Sir Henry Percy, who was in turn grandson to

Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, 4th Baron Percy, titular King of Mann, KG, Lord Marshal (10 November 134120 February 1408) was the son of Henry de Percy, 3rd Baron Percy, and a descendant of Henry III of England. His mother was M ...

, and to David of Strathbogie,

Earl of Atholl The Mormaer or Earl of Atholl was the title of the holder of a medieval comital lordship straddling the highland province of Atholl (''Ath Fodhla''), now in northern Perthshire. Atholl is a special Mormaerdom, because a King of Atholl is repor ...

, descended from the ancient

Mormaers In early medieval Scotland, a mormaer was the Gaelic name for a regional or provincial ruler, theoretically second only to the King of Scots, and the senior of a '' Toísech'' (chieftain). Mormaers were equivalent to English earls or Continental ...

of Atholl. The Burgh family sprang from Hubert de Burgh, younger son of

Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent Hubert de Burgh, Earl of Kent ( , ; – before 5 May 1243) was an English nobleman who served as Justiciar, Chief Justiciar of England (1215–1232) and Chief governor of Ireland, Justiciar of Ireland (1232) during the reigns of King John, K ...

, and his wife Beatrice de Warrenne, daughter of William de Warrenne, Lord of Wormegay, and Beatrice de Pierrepont.Sir Bernard Burke. ''A genealogical history of the dormant, abeyant, forfeited, and extinct peerages of the British empire.'' Harrison, 1866. p. 90. The Burghs were rich, flamboyant and powerful people. Thomas was in great favour with the King and many offices, positions, land grants, and pensions were bestowed upon him.

Career

Thomas was Esquire of the Body to King

Edward IV of England 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 ...

and by Christmas 1462, Thomas was created a Knight by the King and a Privy Councillor. Sir Thomas slowly became the King's chief man in

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

where he held manors, land, tenements from Northumberland (from his mother's inheritance, which he shared with her sister Margaret, Baroness Grey of Codnor) through Westmorland, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire, down to his wife's dower lands in Somerset. Thomas became a rich man who was backed by the King and soon found himself giving advice and legal help to the people of Lincolnshire as well as becoming their

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...

in 1460 and their representative in Parliament. It was Sir Thomas Burgh with Sir Thomas Stanley who rescued King Edward IV from the

Earl of Warwick Earl of Warwick is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom which has been created four times in English history. The name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick. Overview The first creation came in 1088, and the title was held b ...

whom the Earl had kept prisoner in his castle of

Middleham Middleham ( ; meaning "middle ''ham''", i.e. "middle village") is a market town and civil parish in the district and county of North Yorkshire, England. It lies in Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales, on the south side of the valley, upstream fr ...

. In 1471, when Edward IV came to reclaim his throne it was Sir Thomas who was first to rally to his side. Sir Thomas fought at the battles of

Barnet Barnet may refer to: People *Barnet (surname) *Barnet (given name) Places United Kingdom *Chipping Barnet or High Barnet, commonly known as Barnet, one of three focal towns of the borough below. *East Barnet, a district of the borough below; anc ...

and

Tewkesbury Tewkesbury ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the north of Gloucestershire, England. The town grew following the construction of Tewkesbury Abbey in the twelfth century and played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses. It stands at ...

. After the unexpected death of Edward IV, Sir Thomas was courted by King

Richard III of England Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Bosw ...

, who admitted him to 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. The most senior order of knighthood in the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system, it is outranked in ...

. Sir Thomas initially supported Richard, but was more interested in securing the future of

Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond Henry VII (28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509), also known as Henry Tudor, 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 ...

, who would become King in 1485. Although Thomas fought in the

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 ...

, his role was kept secret by chroniclers and he was soon in good standing with the new king. After his accession to the throne, King Henry confirmed Sir Thomas as Knight of the Body and Privy Councillor.

Gainsborough Old Hall

In 1460, Sir Thomas built the great

Old Hall Old Hall may refer to: * Old Hall, Asfordby, Leicestershire, England * Old Hall, Bellerby, North Yorkshire, England * Old Hall, Hurworth-on-Tees, County Durham, England * Old Hall, Powys, a location in Wales See also *Old City Hall (disambiguation ...

Gainsborough Gainsborough or Gainsboro may refer to: Places * Gainsborough, Ipswich, Suffolk, England ** Gainsborough Ward, Ipswich * Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, a town in England ** Gainsborough (UK Parliament constituency) * Gainsborough, Saskatchewan, Ca ...

, Lincolnshire. Gainsborough Old Hall was not only their home, but also a demonstration of their wealth and importance. Sir Thomas was a great benefactor to Newark Church and also the founder of the Chantry and Alms House at Gainsborough. In 1470, the manor was attacked by Sir Robert Welles over a clash about lands, status, and honour, and part of it was "pullede downe" according to

Warkworth's Chronicle The Warkworth's Chronicle, now styled "Warkworths" ''Chronicle'', is an English chronicle formerly ascribed to John Warkworth, a Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge. Known from only two manuscripts, it covers the years 1461–1474 and provides inform ...

. It was in 1484 that Sir Thomas entertained King

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

in his hall. Today, the Hall with its elaborate timber roof survives as well as the kitchen—possibly the most complete medieval kitchen in England. The Hall is over five hundred years old and one of the best preserved medieval manor houses in England.

Marriage

Sir Thomas married Margaret de Ros (1432–1488) widow of

William de Botreaux, 3rd Baron Botreaux William de Botreaux, 3rd Baron Botreaux (1389–1462) was a baron, whose holdings were in Somerset and the south-west of England. He inherited from his father the barony by writ of Botreaux as well as substantial family landholdings which inclu ...

(1389–1462). Margaret was the daughter of Sir

Thomas de Ros, 8th Baron de Ros Thomas Ros or Roos, 8th Baron Ros of Helmsley (26 September 1406 – 18 August 1430) was an English peer. Family Thomas Ros, born 26 September 1406, was the second son of William Ros, 6th Baron Ros, and Margaret Fitzalan (d. 3 July 1438), th ...

, and Lady Eleanor Beauchamp, second daughter of

Richard Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick Richard Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick (25 or 28 January 138230 April 1439) was an English medieval nobleman and military commander. Early life Beauchamp was born at Salwarpe CourtRichard Gough, ''Description of the Beauchamp chapel, adjoin ...

, and Elizabeth Berkeley. Lady Eleanor was an older paternal half-sister of

Henry de Beauchamp, 1st Duke of Warwick Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainment ...

, and Anne Neville, Countess of Warwick. After the death of 8th Baron Ros, Margaret's mother,

Lady Eleanor "Lady Eleanor" is a song written by Alan Hull, featured on the first Lindisfarne album, '' Nicely Out of Tune''. Initially released as a single in May 1971, it failed to chart. In 1972, following the success of the band's single "Meet me on t ...

, married

Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, 4th Earl of Somerset, 1st Earl of Dorset, 1st Marquess of Dorset styled 1st Count of Mortain, (140622 May 1455), was an English nobleman and an important figure during the Hundred Years' War. His rivalry ...

, thus making Margaret a maternal half-sister of the

Duke of Somerset Duke of Somerset, from the county of Somerset, is a title that has been created five times in the peerage of England. It is particularly associated with two families: the Beauforts, who held the title from the creation of 1448, and the Seymours ...

.Douglas Richardson, ''Plantagenet Ancestry'', p. 503. Sir Thomas and Margaret had the following children: * Edward Burgh, 2nd Baron Burgh, married Anne Cobham, daughter of

Thomas Cobham, 5th Baron Cobham Thomas Cobham, ''de jure'' 5th Baron Cobham (died 26 April 1471) of Sterborough Castle, and from 1460 ''de jure'' 5th Baron Cobham, was an English nobleman. Life Sir Thomas was the second son of Reginald de Cobham, ''de jure'' 3rd Baron Cobham ...

, and Lady Anne Stafford, and had issue. His grandson,

Sir Edward Burgh Sir Edward Burgh (pronounced "Borough"; died before April 1533)Linda Porter. Katherine, the Queen. Macmillan. 2010.James, Susan E. ''Catherine Parr: Henry VIII's Last Love'' Gloucestershire, England: The History Press 2009. pg. 60–63.David St ...

, would marry

Catherine Parr Catherine Parr ( – 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 Henry's death on 28 January 1547. Catherine was the final queen consort o ...

; later Queen consort 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 known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

. * Elizabeth Burgh (d. 1 August 1507), married Richard FitzHugh, 6th Lord FitzHugh and secondly Sir Henry Willoughby. In his will, her father gave her "a book of gold enamelled" which had been her mother's.Nicholas Harris Nicolas, ''Testamenta Vetusta: Illustrations from Wills'', vol. 1 (London, 1826), p. 429. * Margaret Burgh (d. before April 1493), married Sir George Tailboys. Like her brother Edward, Lord Burgh, her husband Sir George was found to be a lunatic, in 1531.M. E. James, "Obedience and Dissent in Henrician England: The Lincolnshire Rebellion, 1536", ''Past and Present'', 48 (August 1970), 3–78. * Thomas Burgh In his will, his father gave him a cross of gold with an emerald. * Anne Burgh In his will, her father gave her a cross of gold set with precious stones and rubies.

Peerage

In records, the peerage, and genealogy books he is shown as being created 1st Lord Burgh, of Gainsborough on 1 September 1487. He was several times summoned to Parliament, but never sat; whether he held a hereditary peerage is not clear; fifteenth century records treat him as a knight. His son was never summoned to Parliament (because he was found insane in 1510); his grandson was summoned and sat in the House of Lords, but sixteenth century records treat this as a new creation in 1529 after the death of his father. When the Burgh peerage was drawn out of abeyance in 1916, however, it was given precedence as of 1487.

Death and succession

Lord Thomas died on 18 March 1496. He was buried next to his wife, Margaret, in the family vault in Holy Trinity Church, Gainsborough, though their tomb has since disappeared.

References

Citations

External links

''Thomas, Lord Burgh's Retinue''
– Historical Interpretation and Living History from the Wars of the Roses 1460–1490, the household of Lord and Lady Burgh.

*Note, there is ''no'' source and the information on the top part of the page is ''not'' entirely correct.
Official Gainsborough Old Hall Website
Official information on admissions, events and history
'' Friends of Gainsborough Old Hall''
– published by ''Friends of the Old Hall Association''.
''English Heritage, Gainsborough Old Hall''
– ''English Heritage''
''Pictures of Gainsborough Old Hall''
– published by the ''Lincolnshire Council''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Burgh Of Gainsborough, Thomas Burgh, 1st Baron 1430s births Year of birth uncertain 1496 deaths People from Gainsborough, Lincolnshire Garter Knights appointed by Richard III Barons Burgh Members of the Privy Council of England High sheriffs of Lincolnshire

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 ...

Esquires of the Body