Thomas Howard Duke Of Norfolk Essay Research

Thomas Howard, Duke Of Norfolk Essay, Research Paper

In the year of our Lord, 1538, Frances Howard, Countess of Surrey, gave birth to her second child. Within the walls of Kenninghall Palace, Thomas Howard was born at precisely thirty-six minutes and seven seconds past two o clock in the morning on October 10th, 1538. In attendance at this occasion was his father, Henry Earl of Surrey, renowned poet and soldier, and his grandfather, Thomas Lord Treasurer and Duke Norfolk. Also present at the earl s request was an Italian astrologer, sent for to read Thomas future in the skies. The astrologer would tell of Henry s early death and a difficult and tragic life for Thomas. His prediction would become too true for the Howard family.

Thomas Howard s parents, having met in London, were married at the age of fifteen. He would come to have three sisters, and older, Jane, and two younger, Katherine and Margaret. A brother, Henry, was born into the family in 1540. The Howards had an extensive family line and many ties to the Crown. His aunt, Catherine Howard, was married to King Henry VIII, until her beheading for adultery at the Howard home in Lambeth when Thomas was only four years old. Another of his aunts, Mary, Duchess of Richmond, was widowed by King Henry VIII s son, Henry Fitzroy. King Henry VIII himself was Thomas godfather.

Thomas lived the first nine years of his life at the place of his birth, Kenninghall Palace. There he was tutored by the scholar Hadrianus Junius, and learned many athletic, as well as, diplomatic skills. As the heir to the dukedom of Norfolk, he was required to learn many more skills than his siblings, and the genius of his sister Jane and brother Henry did not show itself in Thomas. Thomas did, however, become an expert at coursing rabbits during his first years at Kenninghall and wrote a treatise concerning the subject which was still being reprinted a century ago.

Thomas father, the Earl of Surrey, was deeply involved in plots against the Crown. He had maneuvered several people into positions close to the Queen as so he could attain more power. Several people brought accusations against Surrey, including his mistress and daughter, and he was brought to trial. Henry was found guilty and beheaded on the nineteenth of January, 1547. The accusations against his son were also brought against Norfolk. Further more, Norfolk was also accused of perverting the English arms. The duke admitted to knowledge of his son s plans and to abusing the coat of arms. He was imprisoned for treason in the Tower the same day his son was executed. The Howard s were said to have tainted blood from then on.

After his father s death, Thomas mother became very ill and could no longer take care of her children. The young Howards were sent to live with their extreme Calvinist aunt, Mary Fitzroy, Duchess of Richmond, at Reigate Castle. The tutor Mary acquired for them was John Foxe, a troubled martyrologist and a Protestant. Foxe would instill his beliefs in the Howard children for the next five years and become Thomas friend for life.

In 1553, Norfolk was released from his imprisonment in the Tower and restored to his former position. At his order, Thomas was sent to London to live with him. At fifteen years old, Thomas would become the youngest man to ever become a Knight of the Bath. Concerned over the young man s Protestant upbringing, Norfolk sent Thomas to become the page of Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, to eradicate the heretic teachings of Foxe and provide him with Catholic views. During the time at Gardiner s, Thomas managed a few brief meetings with his friend Foxe.

In time, the young Howard boys would be sent to live with a priest, John White, who would soon become the new Bishop of Winchester, and were confronted with a new type of religion, stern Romanism.

Thomas Howard, Lord Treasurer and third Duke of Norfolk, died on the twenty-fifth of August, 1554, at the age of eighty and Thomas Howard, Knight of the Bath, Gentleman of the Bedchamber of King Philip, became the fourth Duke of Norfolk.

A year after his ascension, the new Norfolk asked permission of Queen Mary to wed her ward, Mary FitzAlan. Mary was fifteen and Thomas was seventeen. They were married in the spring of 1555. On June twenty-eighth, 1557, Norfolk s first son was born. He was to be called Philip, named after Queen Mary s Prince Consort. Eight weeks after this joyous occasion, Thomas wife died at seventeen, never having recovered from the childbirth.

As was common in the time, Thomas wished to remarry to a woman who was a widower herself. She was Margaret, Lady Dudley and a cousin to Thomas. Due to the fact that they were related, it was required that they receive a papal dispensation. In the fall of 1558, Thomas, now 20, married his second wife and cousin, Margaret.

Also in 1558, came the death of Queen Mary. A scant two hours after the death of the queen, Norfolk was sending heralds to proclaim Elizabeth Queen of England, France and Ireland. On Sunday, January fifteenth, Elizabeth was crowned and Thomas named the Earl Marshall. Howard became England s sole duke, and the first subject in the land, heir to fifty-six manors, thirty-seven advowsons and countless other properties. He sponsored the heralds and helped to secure a royal charter of incorporation for the College. Kenninghall Palace became the first h