Individual Notes

Note for: Job Throckmorton, 1594 - UNKNOWN Index

Individual Note:

Admitted as a barrister of the Middle Temple in 1618.

Individual Notes

Note for: Clement Throckmorton, 1605 - 1664 Index

Individual Note:

Sir Clement Throckmorton: he was knighted on 11th August 1660.
Elected M.P. for Warwickshire three times ( 1654/5, 30th March 1660, & 26th March 1681).

Individual Notes

Note for: Arthur Throckmorton, 1557 - 1626 Index

Individual Note:

Sir Arthur Throckmorton.
Matriculated from Magdalen College, Oxford in 1571. He was M.P. for Colchester in 1558-9.
In 1598 he joined the expedition to Cadiz, where he was knighted. He inherited the manor of
Paulerspury, Northamptonshire from his father, and was sheriff of Northamptonshire in 1605.

Sir Arthur Throckmorton

Born Abt 1557, second son of Sir Nicholas Throckmorton & Anne, daughter of Sir Nicholas Carew of Beddington,; brother of Nicholas Throckmorton (afterwards Carew). Matriculated from Magdalen College, Oxford in 1571, aged 14; travelled abroad 1580-2. Married 1586 , Anne daughter of Sir Thomas Lucas of Colchester, Essex, by whom he had four daughters. He was M.P. for Colchester in 1588/9. Freeman, Colchester 1589; justice of the peace Middlesex from 1591. In 1598 he joined the expedition to Cadiz, where he was Knighted. Captain of horse, W. Division 1601, Sheriff of Northamptonshire November 1604 - February 1606.

In 1596, Throckmorton, as a gentleman volunteer, no doubt, went on the Cadiz expedition through the influence of his brother-in-law, Sir Walter Raleigh, receiving his knighthood during the voyage.
Instead of returning to the court he settled at Paulerspury, Northamptonshire, where, in February of that year, he had been granted another 16 acres of land 'for services'. Still, he knew early of the Raleigh marriage and the birth of Bess Raleigh's child, to whom he stood godfather. He was anti-Catholic, in 1599 suggesting it was necessary to restrain and disarm not only recusants, but also those whose wives refused to go to church. In 1605 he took part in searching the houses of Catholic suspects, including Robert Catesby.

He died at Paulerspury 21 July 1626, and was buried there. The will he made 26 January 1625 has a long religious preamble. His wife was executrix and residuary legatee. His respect for his father is implicit in bequests to two of his overseers: to his son-in-law, Sir Thomas Wotton, he gave a great gilt cup engraved with the Carew and Throckmorton arms, presented to his father by MARY, QUEEN of SCOTS in France; and to Sir Henry Wotton he bequeathed his father's papers concerning his missions in France and Scotland, asking him to write a book to counter the slanders brought against Sir Nicholas.
'Mr.Serjeant Harvey' (Francis Harvey), another friend, was joined with these two as an overseer. He left his library of Italian and French books, which he had purchased abroad, to Magdalen College.
To the poor of Tiffield, Northamptonshire, he gave Ł20, in addition 6d., a piece of beef and a loaf of bread to each of 71 of his poorest tenants in Northamptonshire. In accordance with his wishes a memorial was erected to him, extolling his piety, character and wealth.

Died without male issue, but Mrs. Richardson says the offspring of one of the daughters "influenced the Royal descent".

Source:
A. L. Rowse: 'Ralegh and the Throckmortons'.

Individual Notes

Note for: Nicholas Throckmorton, JUN 1562 - FEB 1643 Index

Individual Note:

Sir Nicholas Throckmorton.

Individual Notes

Note for: Elizabeth Throckmorton, 16 APR 1565 - 1647 Index

Individual Note:

Some give the marriage date as 1588, but I think it was 19th November 1591.
More about Elizabeth Throckmorton & Sir Walter Raleigh on a separate page.
Sir Walter Raleigh was beheded in 1618, on the orders of King James 1st.

Elizabeth Throckmorton
Wife of Sir Walter Raleigh

Born: 16 April 1565, Died 1647.

Bess was nineteen when she first appeared at Court.
She was the daughter of Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, Queen Elizabeth's first ambassador to Paris, and her brother was a courtier. Both their parents were dead and they relied on the Court for their livelihood.
Bess was intelligent, forthright, passionate and courageous. Though Raleigh was about 40 and Bess was about 26, the two fell madly in love. In the summer of 1591, Bess discovered she was pregnant and they secretly married. They were together, but catastrophe loomed. Raleigh's young wife, however, could no longer keep her pregnancy secret. Bess gave birth to a baby boy who was quickly put out to a wet nurse so she could resume her place as Lady-in-Waiting. When Sir Walter returned from the sea, he arranged for the baby and nurse to go to Durham House. However, on the 31st of May 1592, his marriage was discovered. The Queen had not granted permission for such a match and Raleigh was promptly arrested.
Elizabeth expected Walter and Bess to sue for a pardon and, while their fate lay in the balance, she even confirmed the lease of Sherborne.

However, the couple refused such a humiliating course of action and by 7th August, that same year, the Queen's favourite had fallen into five long years of disgrace. The couple's first child must have died, but Bess was soon pregnant again and their son, was born in 1593.

When Sir Walter Raleigh was executed in 1618 on the orders of James 1st, she was presented with her husbands Embalmed Head, She carried the shrivelled head of her husband in a red leather bag, every where she went, for the next 29 years, until she died in 1647, at the age of 82.

One of the children she had with Sir Walter was called Carew Raleigh.
The maiden name of her mother was Anne Carew.

Individual Notes

Note for: Sir-Walter Raleigh, 1552 - 29 OCT 1618 Index

Individual Note:

Sir Walter Raleigh. Some give his birth as 1539.
He was born in 1552 at Hayes Barton, Woodbury Common.
"Raleigh" is just one of the [over 40] ways in which his surname was written.
He used numerous of these spellings, with "Rawleigh", "Ralegh", & "Rawley",
being more often used than the currently accepted version.
His name was pronounced "raw lie" & it is said he is never known to have used the modern "Raleigh".
I will do a separate page on Sir Walter Raleigh.
His wife Elizabeth known as "Bess" was 19 years old when she first appeared at the Court of
Queen Elizabeth the 1st. She was a Lady-in-Waiting.
I will also do a separate page on Elizabeth Throckmorton.

Sir Walter Raleigh

Born 1552 at Hayes Barton, Woodbury Common, near the village of East Budleigh, the house is a typical Devon farmhouse built between 1450 & 1484 & is constructed using cob walls, based on a stone foundation. The main (or King) roof beam which extends the length of the main block, is rock-hard oak
12 inches square and 80 feet long.
The house is not open to the public. However it can be viewed from the nearby road.
The house belongs to Clinton Devon Estates. The National Trust is not interested in acquiring it.
His Background: born in 1552, during a time when his father leased Hayes Barton from the Duke family of Otterton. He was half brother to Sir Humphrey and Sir John Gilbert, from his mother's first marriage.
He had a brother, Carew, and sister, Margaret.

The spelling used in those days was rather erratic and thus "Raleigh" is just one of the (over 40) ways in which the surname was written. He used numerous of these spellings, with "Rawleigh", "Ralegh", and "Rawley" being more often used than the currently accepted version. His name was pronounced
"raw lie" and it is said he is never known to have used the modern "Raleigh" spelling.

He was quite tall (six foot) considering that, the average height was lower then than now.
He is said to have retained his strong Devonshire accent during all his time at Court.

In 1581, after seeing action on a number of occasions, he became a favourite of Queen Elizabeth the 1st.
There is little to confirm the famous story of how he spread his cloak across a puddle so that the Queen could walk over it, except for the cloak included in his coat of arms.

He became Captain of the Guard and his part in foiling the "Babington" conspiracy ended up with him owning a 42,000-acre estate in Ireland. The "Babington" conspiracy was aimed at replacing Queen Elizabeth with Mary, Queen of Scots. Since she was implicated in it, this led to Mary's execution.

Raleigh arranged for the construction of one of the ships involved in fighting the Armada. "The Ark Royal" weighed 800 tons and was completed in 1587. It had four masts and a normal crew of 270.
The Treasury was very short of money to finance a fleet to fight the Armada. Thus Raleigh donated the ship in exchange for an I.O.U. of Ł5,000. The "Ark Royal" was chosen to lead the English fleet against the Armada in 1588. It was rebuilt in 1608 and renamed "Anne Royal". It was finally sunk due to an accident, in 1636.
In1588 Sir Richard Grenville and Raleigh took over the joint defence of Devon & Cornwall against the expected Spanish Armada. They arranged the construction of a series of beacons along the coasts.
These were to be lit when the Armada was first sighted.
As it happened, land-based soldiers did little but watch the sea battles from the coast and guard some Spanish prisoners.

Considering the Queen's evident affection for him, it was not unexpected that she should be displeased with his love affair with one of her Maids of Honour, Elizabeth (Bessie) Throckmorton. The Queen had him thrown in the Tower of London. He was released after one of his ships brought back a huge treasure.
On the captured Spanish, ship "Madre De Dios".

His Downfall

Raleigh was made governor of Jersey in 1600, but his fortunes ebbed when he drifted apart from his former ally Robert Cecil (later Earl of Salisbury) in the political tempest over Essex's treason and death.
He met his downfall upon the accession (1603) of James 1st, who had been convinced by Raleigh's enemies that Raleigh was opposed to his succession. Many of Raleigh's offices and monopolies were taken away, and , on somewhat insufficient evidence, he was found guilty of intrigues with Spain against England and of participation in a plot to kill the king and enthrone Arabella Stuart.
Saved from the block by a reprieve, Raleigh settled down in the Tower and devoted himself to literature and science. There he began his incomplete History of the World. He also wrote poetry.
Raleigh was released in 1616 to make another voyage to the Orinoco in search of gold, but he was warned not to molest Spanish possessions or ships on pain of his life. The expedition failed, but Laurence Kemys captured a Spanish town. Raleigh returned to England, where the Spanish ambassador demanded his punishment. Failing in an attempt to escape to France, he was executed under the original sentence of treason passed many years before.

His Execution

At his execution in 1618 he asked to see the axe and said "This is a sharp Medicine, but it is a Physician for all Diseases".

As was common at the time, his head was embalmed and presented to his wife.
She apparently carried it with her everywhere she went, in a red leather bag until she died 29 years later at the age of 82. The head was finally buried with their son (Carew -like Sir Walter, a one -time Governor of Jersey) alongside the body of Sir Walter to the South side of the alter at St. Margaret's Church. This is just next to Westminster Abbey. It was founded in the 12th century and is the parish church of the House of Parliament.

Poem's by Sir Walter Raleigh
The Silent Lover
A description of love
The Lie
To His Son

Extracts from the last letter he wrote to his wife.
Lady Elizabeth Raleigh

     You shall now receive (my deare wife) my last words in these last lines. My love I send you that you may keep it when I am dead, and my Councell that you may remember it when I am no more. I would not by my will present you with sorrowes (dear Besse) let them go to the grave with me and be buried in the dust. And seeing that it is not Gods will that I should see you any more in this life, beare it patiently, and with a heart like thy selfe.
     First, I send you all the thankes which my heart can conceive, or my words can rehearse for your many travailes, and care taken for me, which though they have not taken effect as you wished, yet my debt to you is not the lesse: but I pay it I never shall in this world.
     Secondly, I beseech you for the love you beare me living, do not hide your selfe many dayes, but by your travailes seeke to helpe your miserable fortunes and the right of your poor childe. Thy mourning cannot availe me, I am but dust.

      Written with the dying hand of sometimes thy Husband, but now alasse overthrowne.
        Yours that was, but now not my own.

        Walter Rawleigh

Individual Notes

Note for: Thomas Wotton, - UNKNOWN Index

Individual Note:

Sir Thomas.

Individual Notes

Note for: Peter Temple, - UNKNOWN Index

Individual Note:

Sir Peter.

Individual Notes

Note for: Susan Bright, - UNKNOWN Index

Individual Note:

Widdow of Henry Butler.

Individual Notes

Note for: Francis Carew, 1602 - 9 APR 1649 Index

Individual Note:

Sir Francis Carew.

Individual Notes

Note for: Thomas Throckmorton, ABT 1550 - 16 OCT 1595 Index

Individual Note:

Thomas Throckmorton : Settled permanently in Paris in 1582, and served as an agent of
Mary, Queen of Scots. He was betrothed to Mary, youngest daughter of George Allen, brother of
Cardinal Allen, but died before the marriage could take place.

Individual Notes

Note for: Francis Throckmorton, 1554 - 10 JUL 1584 Index

Individual Note:

Sir Francis Throckmorton:
English conspirator, who plotted the unsuccessful attempt to overthrow Queen Elizabeth 1st. in 1583.
The nephew of one of the Queen's diplomats, he was educated at Oxford, visited Europe, where he
conspired with Catholic exiles, and returned in 1583 with a plot to restore papal authority.
Thomas Throckmorton, along with his brothers-in-law Sir william Catesby & Sir Thomas Tresham,
were amongst the leading rebels. The conspiracy was uncovered, he was tortured into a full
confession, and executed.

Individual Notes

Note for: Gabriel Throckmorton, ABT 1518 - 6 JAN 1553 Index

Individual Note:

Gabriel Throckmorton (Esq.)

Individual Notes

Note for: Robert Throckmorton, 1 OCT 1551 - 12 JAN 1631 Index

Individual Note:

Will dated 1st April 1630. Lord of the Manor of Ellington.
Baron of Ellington of Warboys fame.