Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland

Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland (* before 1493; † September 20, 1543 ) was an English politician and courtier during the Tudor period .

Origin and family

Thomas Manners came from an old English family, the female line descended from the Anglo-Norman family de Ros, who held the Barony de Ros since 1264 . This gave her the oldest English hereditary baron dignity and therefore claimed the title of Premier Baron of England , which she had officially held since 1806. This barony, a so-called barony by writ , came to the Manners family in the 15th century through the heir to the de Ros family. Thomas Manners was the son of George Manners, 11th Baron de Ros , and Anne St. Leger, whose father, Sir Thomas Saint Leger, was executed by beheading in November 1483. He was born before 1493.

Life and political career

As a young nobleman, he took part in Henry VIII's campaign to France as early as 1513 and therefore landed on June 12, 1513 in Calais, then England . Soon afterwards, when his father died on October 27, 1513, he inherited his peer status and became the 13th Baron de Ros member of the House of Lords . Since the parliamentary session on February 5, 1514, he regularly took his seat in the upper house. Henry VIII then used it in numerous court and administrative offices. On July 7, 1519, he became Joint Constable of Nottingham Castle and Keeper of Sherwood Forest , he was present at the meeting between Henry VIII and Emperor Charles V in Gravelingen in July 1520, and Charles V's return visit to Dover in 1522. Furthermore, he was trier (investigator) of the petitions concerning Gascony and the overseas territories from April 15, 1523. Even before that, he also performed judicial tasks. He was one of the peers who led the treason trial against the Duke of Buckingham in May 1521. Then he was entrusted with administrative offices again. Until October 1522 he was active on the Scottish border as Warden of the East and Middle Marches, in 1527 he was Warden of Sherwood Forest, when he met the Pope's ambassador in Blackheath he wore the Holy Rose. Since September 1, 1524 he was Commissioner of the Peace of the counties of Middlesex , Lincolnshire , Surrey , Essex , York , Leicestershire , Nottinghamshire and Rutland . For his numerous services rendered to the king, he was accepted into the Order of the Garter as a Knight Companion on April 24, 1525 . Finally, in the same year on June 18, 1525, Henry VIII awarded him the earliest dignity and appointed him Earl of Rutland . In the following years he received other offices: 1526 Keeper of Enfield Chase, Commissioner of Sewers 1528. He accompanied the king at his meeting with Francis I of France, was present at the coronation of Anne Boleyn on June 1, 1533 and was one of her accusers in May 1536. He was then appointed to the Privy Council in 1536, then he was one of the prosecutors against the Marquess of Exeter and Lord Montagu in December 1538. In 1540 he was first Lord Chamberlain of Anne of Cleves , then who ordered Catherine Howard . He was then Constable of Nottingham Castle until his death on September 20, 1543.

He was married twice: first childless since February 21, 1512 with Elisabeth Lovell, then before 1523 with Eleanor Paston. After his death, his son Henry Manners (1526–1563) inherited his title and became 2nd Earl of Rutland and 14th Baron de Ros.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ The London Gazette No. 15943, royal approval ibid No. 1010 of May 30, 1806.
2. ↑ ^{a b c} The Complete Peerage, Volume XI, Article Rutland, page 253.
3. ↑ Lord's Journal, Volume 1, page 20 ff.
4. ↑ The Complete Peerage, Volume XI, Article Rutland, page 253, footnote f
5. ^ The Complete Peerage, Volume XI, Article Rutland, p. 254, footnote a
6. ^ The Complete Peerage, Volume XI, Article Rutland, p. 257.

predecessor	Office	successor
George Manners	Baron de Ros 1513-1543	Henry Manners
New title created	Earl of Rutland 1525-1543	Henry Manners