The search for Henry VIII's sixth wife

King Henry VIII, 1542

In February 1542, even before the death of Queen Katherine Howard on the 13th of that month, it appears that King Henry VIII was already looking for a sixth wife, and the rest of the court were also speculating who the lucky lady would be. The ambassador to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, Eustace Chapuys, was among those trying to guess where the king's eyes would rest next. 

The lady for whom he showed the greatest regard was the sister of lord Cobham, whom Wyatt sometime ago repudiated for adultery. She is a pretty young creature, with wit enough to do as badly as the others if she were to try. The King is also said to have a fancy for the daughter of Madame Albart, niece, of the Grand Esquire, Master Anthony Brown, and also for a daughter (by her first marriage) of the wife of Mons. Lyt, late deputy of Calais—a surmise which rests partly on the fact that after nearly two years' close confinement in the Tower, her father has been liberated, and the King has ordered his arms, which had been removed from their place in the chapel of the Order, to be replaced. - Chapuys to Charles V, 9th February 1542

'Madame Albart' = Lucy Somerset, Lady Herbert (1524-83). Lucy was the daughter of Henry Somerset and Elizabeth Browne, and came to court to serve as Maid of Honour to Queen Katherine Howard. In 1545 she married John Neville (1520-77) who was a stepson of Queen Katheryn Parr, whom she then served as Maid of Honour. Lucy and John Neville had four daughters.

'Sister of Lord Cobham' = Elizabeth Brooke (1503-60). She was married to Thomas Wyatt (d. 11 October 1542) in 1520 but they had long been separated. They separated in 1526 and he supported her financially until 1537. At which time she then moved in with her brother. They separated due to adultery, which Wyatt said was on Elizabeth's side. She remarried after her husband's death to Edward Warner (1511-65). Elizabeth had a son, Thomas (1521-54), with her first husband. and then had three more children with her second husband; Edward, Thomas and Henry. At the time the letter was written, Elizabeth was still legally married to Thomas. It has been suggested that the Elizabeth Brooke that Chapuys refers to in the letter is in fact this Elizabeth's niece of the same name born in 1526 - putting her in the same age range as the other two women mentioned. However, as Chapuys knew her marital history and therefore this younger Elizabeth would seem too young at only sixteen to have been married to Wyatt and separated for a long period of time, it seems unlikely that he would make that mistake. 

'Daughter of the wife of Lord Lisle' = Anne Bassett (1521-58). Anne had been in royal service since 1533, as part of Queen Anne Boleyn's household. She did not marry until 1554 to Walter Hungerford. She was rumoured to be Henry's mistress in 1538-9, despite being related to the king by marriage as her stepfather was King Henry's uncle. Anne had also been considered a possible wife by many to become the king's fourth wife in 1540.

The day after the execution of Katherine Howard, the king held a banquet for many men and women and he was said to favour Elizabeth Brooke and Anne Bassett the most.

However, as we know King Henry did not marry any of these three women. On the 12th July 1543 he married Katherine Parr. Katherine had joined Princess Mary's household by the 16th of February that year, her second husband having recently died. 

The Darrell-Wyatts

Elizabeth Darrell, born around 1513, was the youngest daughter of Edward Darrell, Chamberlain to Queen Catherine of Aragon, and his third wife Alice Flyte. By 1530 Elizabeth was serving Queen Catherine of Aragon as a Maid of Honour until her death in January 1536. She did not take the Oath of Supremacy, perhaps out of loyalty to Queen Catherine rather than for her religious beliefs. Elizabeth served as a mourner at Queen Catherine's funeral. Queen Catherine left Elizabeth £200 in her will which was to be used for her dowry, however this was not given to her until 1554 when Catherine's daughter Mary was on the throne. Elizabeth then went on to serve Gertrude Courtenay, Marchioness of Exeter, who had been a close friend of  Queen Catherine, after applying to join Queen Jane Seymour's household and being turned down.

By 1538 Elizabeth had begun an affair with the married Thomas Wyatt (1503-42), possibly as early as 1537 as testimony given in October 1538 states that the couple had been together since the previous June when Wyatt returned from Spain. They had three sons together; Henry - who died young, Francis (b.1540) and Edward (1541-54). Francis took the last name Darrell. Some historians list Thomas Wyatt's legitimate son Thomas the younger as the father of Edward, as due to the men's ages either could be, but for this post I am placing him as the son of the elder Thomas Wyatt as I feel Elizabeth Darrell would not have children with both the father and son within such a short space of time. Thomas Wyatt was married during this time to Elizabeth Brooke, but the couple had been separated since 1526, only six years after marrying.

Allington Castle, Kent

By 1541 Elizabeth was openly living with Thomas Wyatt as his mistress at Allington Castle in Kent. When Wyatt was arrested on the 20th January 1541 for suspected Lutheran tendencies, Elizabeth was pregnant with their third son Edward. Due to her pregnancy she was allowed to continue living in one of Wyatt's houses that were confiscated by the crown upon his arrest. After his release from the Tower later that year, he returned to Elizabeth at Allington Castle despite the fact that his release was conditional upon his returning to his wife. Thomas Wyatt's legitimate son Thomas (1521-54) and his wife Jane were also living at Allington Castle during this time.

Thomas Wyatt died on the 12th October 1542. Wyatt left Elizabeth his properties in Dorset and Somerset in his Will dated 1541, with the instruction that after her death they would pass to their son Francis, and by 1543 Elizabeth was indeed in possession of those properties. That Thomas only mentioned one son in his will, we can guess that their son Henry had already died and that the youngest son Edward was not yet born at the time the will was written.

Upon his death on the 11th April 1554 Thomas Wyatt's legitimate son, Thomas the younger, also left Elizabeth Darrell properties in his Will, including the estate at Tarrant in Dorset on the 25th February 1544 which was to pass to her son Francis after her death. Due to his arrest and execution for treason, the properties which Elizabeth held for her lifetime and were supposed to pass to the younger Thomas after her death, were then confiscated by the Crown. The manor of Tintinhull in Somerset was left by Thomas the younger to Elizabeth, and failing her heirs, would revert to his son Thomas. However due to his attainder the crown declared that after Elizabeth's death it would go to Sir William Petre. The parsonage at Stoke in Somerset was leased to Elizabeth in 1548 and remained in her possession until her death, at which time it passed to her husband.

Tintinhull Manor, Somerset

Elizabeth and Thomas' son Edward was executed for treason in 1554 for his part in the rebellion against Queen Mary. The rebellion was led by his half-brother Thomas Wyatt, his father's legitimate son. On the 21st January 1554, the thirteen year old Edward was present at a meeting at Allington Castle led by Thomas Wyatt, which discussed the date for the rebellion. And three days later on the 24th he was listed alongside the main conspirators and local gentry who were sleeping on the floor of the hall of Allington Castle. The next day, the 25th, Edward marched into London with his brother, however the rebellion failed and the men surrendered. Edward was imprisoned in the Tower and tortured. Bishop Gardiner told Sir William Petre, Governor of the Tower, to find out any information about Thomas Wyatt's relationship with Princess Elizabeth "whether ye press him to say the truth by sharp punishment or promise of life". On February 19th, Edward was sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered.

In 1554 Elizabeth married Robert Strode shortly after receiving her long overdue £200 legacy from Queen Catherine. However. Elizabeth died before the end of 1556. Her husband Robert was still living in 1560.

Thomas Cromwell's Catholic daughter

Thomas Cromwell

Jane Cromwell was the illegitimate daughter of King Henry VIII's right hand man Thomas Cromwell (1485-1540). Jane was born 1520/5 and died 3rd November 1580. She married William Hough (1525-85) of Leighton in Cheshire between 1535 and 1540.
Jane and William had only one child together;
+ Alice Hough m. William Whitmore (d.1620)

William Hough was the son of Richard Hough (1505-74) and his wife Christian Calverley, daughter of Sir George Calverley.
Richard Hough was a servant in the house of Thomas Cromwell during the years 1534-40.
In 1536 Richard appeared as one of the Lord Privy Seal's men, and was described as a 'sage and sober person'. In January 1538 Richard reminded Cromwell of a promise he had made to make Richard a Rider of Delamere Forest in Cheshire. In 1540 Richard carried messages and letters from Cromwell to the council in Ireland.
In the spring of 1544 Richard Hough was accused of murder by a man named John Massey. Hough and Massey were both at this time petty captains of companies raised for the Scottish War. Massey alleged that whilst leaving Chester one afternoon, he and his servants had been attacked by Hough and others. Randolph Davenport who was one of Massey's servants was killed and Massey and his other servants were injured and left for dead. At the inquest on the matter, the coroner worked to 'obtain lightly the pardon of the said Hough and to save his lands, which be yearly 20 marks in lands and above', which he managed to do with the aid of the Sheriff and 'by the maintenance of divers gentlemen, being near kinsmen to the said Hough, who caused their own tenants and servants to be put upon the said inquest'.
In 1558 Richard Hough was a senior Knight of the Shire for Cheshire and this post suggests that the Massey scandal had been forgiven and forgotten.
Richard died in 1574 and at that time his lands were worth £50 a year, which included a number of monastic properties.

The Hough family were known Catholics. Richard Hough however supported the Religious Settlement which Queen Elizabeth I created upon her accession to the throne. The Bishop of Chester credited him for this move in 1564 and Richard was appointed to the Cheshire Bench.
Richard's son William responded differently than his father to the Religious Settlement. William refused to compromise his beliefs and maintained his Catholic faith, making him a recusant. This difference caused a rift between father and son, and in his Will Richard included a clause which read that if William did not follow his father's wishes relating to religion then he would lose his inheritance.

In direct opposition to her father, Jane Cromwell was much like her husband William in her religious beliefs and both were listed as recusants from 1576 onwards. In 1576 she was first listed as an 'ostinate recusant' on the Diocesan list, and later in 1578 was listed as an absentee and non-communicant at the Metropolitan Visitation at which time she was excommunicated for non-appearance, but later this was rescinded.
In 1581 William was imprisoned by the High Commission, and later indicted at the October Quarter Sessions for absence. He was given a fine of £120 and was returned to Chester Castle Prison. In December he was transferred to New Fleet in Salford, where he joined a group of recusants and remained there until his death in February 1585. The news of his death did not reach the government for a long time. In autumn 1585 he was assessed as a recusant and in June 1586 he owed £600 in recusancy fines.

Jane and William's daughter Alice and her husband William and their children were also known recusants. From 1581 onwards Alice was frequently listed as a non-communicant and recusant. She was fined £960 in April 1593, a further £240 in September 1600. Her husband William Whitmore, however, was listed as a non-communicant, not a recusant, and was loyal to crown. Alice and William had at least four children; William, Christina, Eleanor and Jane. The three daughters were listed as absentees for the 1598 Diocesan Visitation and were fined £240 each in 1600 for their absences. Christina and Eleanor were listed again in 1601 and 1605.

Antigone Plantagenet

Antigone Plantagenet was born about 1425 as the illegitimate daughter of Humphrey Plantagent, Duke of Gloucester (1390-1447), the younger brother of King Henry IV of England. The mother of Antigone is a mystery; she is sometimes listed as Eleanor Cobham (1400-52) who was his mistress at the time and later his wife, however her mother is also known simply as 'an unidentified Frenchwoman'. If her mother had been Eleanor Cobham, it would have been likely that after her parent's marriage she would have been legitimized.

Humphrey and Eleanor of Gloucester

Antigone was married to Henry Grey, Earl of Tankerville and Powys (1419-50) with whom she had three children; Richard (1436-66), Humphrey and Elizabeth (1440-1501).
After her husband died in 1450, leaving Antigone a widow at only 25 years old, she soon married again. However, her second husband was not a nobleman or landed gentry which would be expected of her as a member of the royal family. With both her husband and father dead, Antigone left England for France where she married Jean D'Amancy in 1451; he was the Esquire of the Horse for Charles VII of France. "An alliance utterly alien to her dead father's policy"(Beaucourt). The marriage occurred before June of that year as the King of France issued papers legitimising Antigone and declaring her already married for a second time. On the 9th November 1452 the King of France granted the castle of Rumilly-sous-Cornillon to Jean and his descendants, who held it until 1518. Jean D'Amancy died in 1459. It is unknown when Antigone died.

Chateau Rumilly-sous-Cornillon

Jilting Bernard Ezi

Princess Isabella (b.1332) was the eldest daughter of King Edward III of England and his wife Philippa. Isabella was spoiled and over-indulged by her father, who allowed and forgave her anything.
In 1351, when Isabella was 19 years old it was announced that she was to marry Bernard, second son of Bernard Ezi Lord d'Albret (1295-1358) and Mathe D'Armagnac (1300-48). Lord d'Albret was a Gascon lord and King Edward's chief lieutenant in the region.

King Edward III

Due to Isabella's willful nature, she must have at the very least agreed to the match, rather than her father arranging it. There was very little to be gained by King Edward by marrying Isabella into the Ezi family as they were not politically prominent. It is possible that it was a love match, and that Isabella had met the diplomat's son and fallen in love with him, and told her father that she wished to marry the young Frenchman. In early May the king wrote to Lord d'Albret agreeing to the betrothal "with mutually glad hearts", again showing that this match was not initiated by the king, and it is doubtful that Lord d'Albret would suggest such a marriage.

The wedding was to take place in Gascony, where the Ezi family were seated, at the request of Lord d'Albret. King Edward settled a marriage portion on Isabella of 4000 marks as well as £1000 per year, along with the condition that if for any reason the marriage does not go ahead, Isabella was to keep the money. Isabella's impressive wedding trousseau was an array of expensive materials and jewels, including; cloth of gold, Tripoli silk, Indian silk lined with ermine, all embroidered in silver and gold - using seven ounces of gold thread.

Isabella was to sail to Gascony immediately after Christmas, and on the 15th November five ships were placed west of the mouth of the Thames River ready for her journey. As well as this, all ships bound for Gascony were told to dock at Plymouth so that they could accompany the Princess' fleet on their journey. However, a week before she was set to sail Isabella suddenly changed her mind and called off the wedding. King Edward showed no signs of being angry with his daughter, and in fact seemed delighted with her decision. He rewarded her with money, estates and honours over the next few years.

Bernard Ezi was devastated by Isabella's actions. He signed all of his rights and possessions over to his younger brother, and then entered a Franciscan monastery where he died later that month.

It is possible that Isabella's actions were related to her own experience when she herself was jilted by Louis de Male, Count of Flanders in 1347. After nine years of refusing, Louis finally agreed to the marriage, however as soon as the engagement was formalised in Flanders the whole court absconded. Isabella was quite literally left at the altar by her fiance. Isabella had to make the return journey to England and returned humiliated. For a spoiled child who was accustomed to having her own way, this may have been a slight she could not forget. Or perhaps, she remembered how only three years earlier, her sister Joan had sailed to France on the way to her wedding and how she had died of the plague during the journey through France. A third, more selfish, reason is possible; Isabella saw herself gaining nothing by marrying. She had money and was the most important woman at the royal court after her mother the queen. Whatever the reason, Isabella had made her decision and there was no changing her mind. 

Marriage of Isabella and Enguerrand, 1365

Isabella did finally marry on the 27th July 1365 at the age of 33. Having the eldest daughter of a king marry so late in life would have been highly unusual, especially as by the end of 1561 Isabella was their only surviving daughter. Enguerrand, Lord of Coucy, was brought to England in 1360 as a hostage to be exchanged for an English prisoner, King John II of France. Enguerrand was seven years younger than Isabella, and the son and heir of a wealthy French lord. It seems that while he was in England, Isabella fell in love with him; again she was allowed to choose her husband rather than have an arranged marriage. Isabella and Enguerrand had two daughters; Marie (1366-1404) and Philippa (1367-1411). King Edward did not stop indulging his daughter; he released Enguerrand from being his prisoner without demanding a ransom, and he later made him Earl of Bedford and Count of Soissons.

Isabella was with her father when he died on the 21st June 1377. She spent most of her time at the English royal court, as her husband returned to France only a few years into the marriage, so Isabella and her daughters lived at her father's court. After the accession of her nephew King Richard II, Enguerrand cut all ties with England. Isabella died suddenly in England in 1379.

Cardinal Swynford's illegitimate daughter

Henry Beaufort (d.1447) was a son of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford, and was therefore a half-brother to King Henry IV. On the 14th July 1398 Henry was consecrated as Bishop of Lincoln, in November 1404 he became Bishop of Winchester and then in 1426 he was made a Cardinal by Pope Martin V. 

Henry Beaufort

In 1402 Henry fathered a daughter named Jane Beaufort. Many people gave her mother as Alice FitzAlan (1378-1415) however this is highly unlikely due to Jane's date of birth. It is possible that Jane was in fact named Joan, however due to non-standardized spelling it is unclear which it is. She may have been named Joan after Henry's sister. It does not appear that Jane was kept a secret or hidden away, as the Beaufort family themselves were an illegitimate line it appears they treated their children the same whether they were legitimate or not. 

Jane married Sir Edward Stradling (1389-1453, Acre) in about 1423. Edward was the eldest son of Sir William Stradling and Lady Isabel St Barbe. The ancient Stradling family was seated at St Donat's Castle in Glamorgan in Wales. Like his father and grandfather before him, Edward made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to receive his knighthood in 1408.
The couple had four children;
+ Henry Stradling (1423-77, Cyprus) m. Elizabeth Herbert
                                                           + Thomas Stradling (1454-80) m. Janet Matthew
                                                           + Charles Stradling (b.1457)
                                                           + Jane Stradling (b.1459) m. Myles ap Harry
                                                           + Elizabeth Stradling (b.1461) m Richard Fleming
In 1449 Henry, his family and a servant were captured by the Breton pirate Colyn Dolphyn on their journey sailing from Wales to Somerset. The pirate held the family at St Malo while demanding a ransom of 2,200 marks. Sir Edward had to sell off  four of his manors to pay it; Sutton, Bassalleg, Rogerston and Tregwillim. Dolphyn finally released the family in 1451. A year later, Colyn Dolphyn returned to St Donat's and so the Stradlings lured the pirate to Nash Point, a sandbank, using false lights on the cliffs so as to capture him. Dolphyn was given a trial - although the legality of this is in question - and he was condemned to death. Colyn Dolphyn was buried up to his neck in the sand in Tresillian Cave. As his father did, Henry Stradling went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1476. Henry was knighted at the Holy Sepulchre the following year. He died on his way back to England in 1477. He was buried in Famagusta in Cyprus.
+ Katherine Stradling m. Maurice Denys (1410-1503)
                                   + Walter Denys
                                   + John Denys
                                   + William Denys
                                  m2. Hugh Winston
+ John Stradling (b.1425). Had a daughter named Ann Danvers (b.1459)
It has been suggested by some that John joined the church and became Archdeacon of Llandaff in 1448, but later leaving Wales and obtaining the rectory of North Tawton in the diocese of Exeter in 1454.
+ David Stradling
The only mention of David was that he was the youngest child of the family and that he lived in Somerset, as he was very close to his mother.

It seems likely that Edward's appointment as Chamberlain of South Wales in December 1423 may have been a result of his new connection to the Bishop. He remained in this position until March 1437. Edward held a number of positions throughout the years; his rise furthered due to his connection to the royal family he had married into. 

November 8th 1424, Westminster
Grant, during pleasure, by advice of the council, to Edward Stradlyng, king's knight of the office of steward and receiver of the lordships of Cantreselly, Alsandreston and Penkethly, which are held of the earl of Hereford, the said office of steward and receiver of the kings lordships having been previously held as one office, with the fees of 40s. [a year].

July 31st 1432, Dogmersfield
Commission to Edward Stradelyng, knight, and William ap Thomas, knight, to enquire as to the malefactors who took at sea a ship called le George of Sluys laden with wines and honey of certain merchants of Flanders and Picardy, and brought her to the town of Dynby and sold the ship there with part of the wines and honey, giving the remainder to divers persons. The circumstances are to be ascertained and persons refusing to make restitution are to find. surety to appear in Chancery in the quinzaine of Michaelmas next.

April 28th 1434, Westminster
Commission to James Audeley, knight, Edward Stradlyng, knight, William ap Thomas, knight, Robert Grendour, knight, Thomas Arundell, knight, John Herle, knight, John Polryden and John Hunte, sarjeant at arms, to make inquisition touching a petition by Peter Preere, Richard Goulle, Francis Sarratt, William Lorget and their fellows, burgesses and merchants of the king's cities of Paris and Rouen, shewing that, whereas they recently laded two vessels of Rouen at Leseluse with goods worth 2,000 marks for the victualling of the said cities, these vessels were taken off Brumalet in Caux by certain of the king's lieges in two balingers of Wynchelse and Sandewyche and carried as if belonging to enemies to the parts of Cornwall and Wales, where they were disposed of. All goods whereof the petitioners can prove their ownership by the merchants' marks or otherwise are to be restored, or their value paid if they have been consumed, and any persons proving contumacious are to be brought before the king in chancery.

July 27th 1438, Dogmersfield
Appointment, during pleasure, of Edward Stradelyng knight, to be sheriff of Kermerdyn in South Wales, accounting at the exchequer of Kermerdyn.

When Cardinal Beaufort died in 1447, he mentioned both his daughter and son-in-law in his Will. 
In the original Will of Henry Beaufort, dated 20 January 1446;
"Item, I bequeath to Johanna, wife of Edward Stradling, Knight, two dozen dishes, four chargers, XII salt-cellars, etc and c li in gold". This bequest was the first one listed after the gift of a cup of gold to the king, Henry.
In the second codicil (2 September 1447) to Henry's Will is states;
"Item, I bequeath to Edward Stradling, Knight, a certain portion of silver vessels, according to the discretion of my executors"

Jane died in 1453, the same year as her husband.