Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford Of Heytesbury
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Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford of Heytesbury (1503 – 28 July 1540), was created
Baron Hungerford of Heytesbury Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...
in 1536. He was the first person to be convicted under the
Buggery Act 1533 The Buggery Act 1533, formally An Acte for the punishment of the vice of Buggerie (25 Hen. 8. c. 6), was an Act of Parliament (United Kingdom), act of the Parliament of England that was passed during the reign of Henry VIII. The act was the c ...
.


Biography

Walter Hungerford was born in 1503 at
Heytesbury Heytesbury is a village (formerly considered to be a town) and a civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The village lies on the north bank of the Wylye, about southeast of the town of Warminster. The civil parish includes most of the small nei ...
, Wiltshire, the only child of Sir
Edward Hungerford (died 1522) Sir Edward Hungerford (died 1522), was a soldier and courtier in the court of King Henry VIII of England who was present at the Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520. Biography Edward was the son and heir of Sir Walter Hungerford of Farleigh and hi ...
of
Farleigh Hungerford Farleigh Hungerford () is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Norton St Philip, in the Somerset (district), Somerset district, in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England, 9 miles southeast of Bath, Somerset, Bath, 3½ mile ...
, Somerset, and his first wife, Jane Zouche, daughter of John, Lord Zouche of
Harringworth Harringworth is a village and civil parish in North Northamptonshire, England. It is located close to the border with Rutland, on the southern bank of the River Welland, and around north of Corby. At the 2001 census, the population of the pa ...
(1459–1526). Hungerford was nineteen years old at his father's death in 1522, and soon afterwards appears as squire of the body to
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. ...
. In 1529, he was granted permission to alienate part of his large estates. On 20 August 1532,
John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford (sometimes spelled Hosey, Husey, Hussie, Huse; 1465/1466 – 29 June 1537) was Chief Butler of England from 1521 until his death. He was a member of the House of Lords, and a Chamberlain to King Henry ...
, whose daughter, Elizabeth, was Hungerford's third wife, wrote to Sir
Thomas Cromwell Thomas Cromwell (; – 28 July 1540) was an English statesman and lawyer who served as List of English chief ministers, chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false cha ...
stating that Hungerford wished to be introduced to him. A little later, Hussey informed Cromwell that Hungerford desired to be
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 ...
, a desire which was gratified in 1533. Hungerford proved useful to Cromwell in Wiltshire, and in June 1535 Cromwell made a memorandum that Hungerford ought to be rewarded for his well-doing. On 8 June 1536, he was summoned to parliament as Lord Hungerford of Heytesbury. In 1540, he, together with his chaplain, a Wiltshire clergyman named William Bird, Rector of
Fittleton __NOTOC__ Fittleton cum Haxton is a civil parishes in England, civil parish in Wiltshire, England, north of Salisbury. The parish contains the adjacent settlements of Fittleton and Haxton, which lie on the east bank of the River Avon, Hampshir ...
and Vicar of
Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...
, who was suspected of sympathising with the pilgrims of grace of the north of England, was
attainted In English criminal law, attainder was the metaphorical "stain" or "corruption of blood" which arose from being condemned for a serious capital crime (felony or treason). It entailed losing not only one's life, property and hereditary titles, but ...
by act of Parliament ( 32 Hen. 8. c. ''61''). Hungerford was charged with employing Bird in his house as chaplain, knowing him to be a traitor; with ordering another chaplain, Hugh Wood, and one Dr. Maudlin to practise conjuring to determine the king's length of life, and his chances of victory over the northern rebels; and finally with committing offences forbidden by the
Buggery Act 1533 The Buggery Act 1533, formally An Acte for the punishment of the vice of Buggerie (25 Hen. 8. c. 6), was an Act of Parliament (United Kingdom), act of the Parliament of England that was passed during the reign of Henry VIII. The act was the c ...
(
25 Hen. 8 25 Hen. 8 The fifth session of the 5th Parliament of King Henry VIII (the Reformation Parliament), which met at Westminster from 15 January 1534 until 30 March 1534. This session was also traditionally cited as 25 H. 8. Note that cc. 23&ndas ...
. c. 6). He was beheaded at Tower Hill on 28 July 1540, along with his patron, Cromwell. It has been stated that before his execution Hungerford "seemed so unquiet that many judged him rather in a frenzy than otherwise."


Family

Hungerford married firstly Susan Danvers, daughter of Sir John Danvers of
Dauntsey Dauntsey is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It gives its name to the Dauntsey Vale in which it lies. The village is set on slightly higher ground in the floodplain of the upper Bristol Avon. Today, ...
, Wiltshire, and Anne Stradling, They had two children: * Sir Walter Hungerford (died 1596), his heir, knighted in 1554 *Jane Hungerford (died 1575), who married John Crane of Wildon He married secondly, in 1527, Alice Sandys, daughter of
William Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys William Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys (1470 – 4 December 1540), KG, of The Vyne in the parish of Sherborne St John, Hampshire, was an English diplomat, and a favourite of King Henry VIII, whom he served as Lord Chamberlain. In the 1520s he buil ...
, by whom he had a son and two daughters: *
Edward Edward is an English male name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortunate; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-S ...
(died 1607), became one of Queen Elizabeth's
gentlemen pensioners His Majesty's Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms is a Sovereign's Bodyguard, bodyguard to the British monarchy, British Monarch. Until 17 March 1834, they were known as The Honourable Band of Gentlemen Pensioners. Formation ...
, and who married firstly, after 1574, Jane Hungerford, widow of William Forster of
Aldermaston Aldermaston ( ) is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. In the 2011 census, the parish had a population of 1,015. The village is in the Kennet Valley and bounds Hampshire to the south. It is approximately from Newbury, Basin ...
, Berkshire, and daughter of
Anthony Hungerford of Down Ampney Sir Anthony Hungerford of Down Ampney, Gloucestershire (born by 1492, died 18 November 1558) was an English soldier, sheriff, and courtier during the reign of Henry VIII of England, and briefly Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire. Biography ...
, Gloucestershire, and secondly Cecily Tufton (d.1653), daughter of Sir John Tufton of Hothfield, Kent, but died without issue. His widow married
Francis Manners, 6th Earl of Rutland Francis Manners, 6th Earl of Rutland, KG KB (1578–1632) was an English nobleman. Despite a brief imprisonment for his involvement in the Essex Rebellion of 1601, he became prominent at the court of James I. He lived at Belvoir Castle in Le ...
. *Eleanor Hungerford, who married William Masters and John Hungerford *Mary Hungerford, who married firstly Thomas Baker, esquire, and secondly Thomas Shaa. He married thirdly, in October 1532, Elizabeth Hussey (d. 23 January 1554), daughter of
John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford (sometimes spelled Hosey, Husey, Hussie, Huse; 1465/1466 – 29 June 1537) was Chief Butler of England from 1521 until his death. He was a member of the House of Lords, and a Chamberlain to King Henry ...
, and his second wife,
Anne Grey Anne Grey (born Aileen Stephen Ewing; 6 March 1907 – 3 April 1987) was an English actress, who appeared in 44 films between 1928 and 1939, including some Hollywood films during the late 1930s. She was educated at Lausanne and King's College L ...
(d.1546), daughter of
George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent, (1454 – 25 December 1505) was the son of Edmund Grey, 1st Earl of Kent and Lady Katherine Percy. He was the Second Earl of Kent from 1490 to 1505. Biography George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent and 5th Baron Grey d ...
(d.1503), by his second wife, Katherine Herbert, daughter of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, by Anne Devereux. Hungerford's treatment of his third wife was remarkable for its brutality. In an appeal for protection which she addressed to
Thomas Cromwell Thomas Cromwell (; – 28 July 1540) was an English statesman and lawyer who served as List of English chief ministers, chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false cha ...
in about 1536, she asserted that he kept her incarcerated at Farleigh for three or four years, made some fruitless attempts to divorce her, and endeavoured on several occasions to poison her. cites: cf. Froude, ''History of England'', iii. 304 n. popular ed. There were no children from the marriage. After Hungerford's execution, she became the second wife of Sir Robert Throckmorton (d.1581).


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * * ;Attribution * Endnotes ** Dugdale's Baronage; ** Burke's Extinct Peerage; ** Hoare's Hungerfordiana, 1823; ** Jackson's Guide to Farleigh-Hungerford, 1853, and Sheriffs of Wiltshire; ** Burnet's Hist. of Reformation, i. 566–7; ** Hall's Society in the Elizabethan Age; ** Hoare's Modern Wiltshire, Heytesbury Hundred, pp. 110 sq.; ** Brewer and Gairdner's Letters and Papers of Henry VIII; Antiquary, ii. 233.


Further reading

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hungerford, Walter 1503 births 1540 deaths Barons in the Peerage of England People executed under Henry VIII Executed people from Wiltshire High sheriffs of Wiltshire People executed by Tudor England by decapitation English politicians convicted of crimes People convicted for homosexuality in the United Kingdom Executed English nobility