Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford of Heytesbury
Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford of Heytesbury (* 1503 ; † July 28, 1540 on Tower Hill , London ) was an English politician during the Tudor period.
Life
He was the only son of Sir Edward Hungerford and Jane la Zouche, daughter of the 7th Baron Zouche (of Haryngworth) . Walter Hungerford must have been born in 1503, because he was 19 years old when his father died in 1522. In that year he entered the court service of King Henry VIII and became his squire of the body , a kind of chamberlain for the personal service of the king.
Hungerford had benevolent protectors at court: his father Baron Hussey and confidant of King Henry Thomas Cromwell , who promoted his career. In 1529, for example, the king allowed him to sell some of his inherited goods, which seldom happened because there were feudal obligations on these goods. On August 20, 1532, his father-in-law recommended him to the king's then advisor, Cromwell, saying that Hungerford would like to be the sheriff of Wiltshire . Cromwell granted this request in 1533 and caused the king to be appointed to this office. Obviously Cromwell was very pleased with him, for he proposed him to Henry VIII for a reward. The king, too, must have been convinced of its usefulness, for he appointed him to the House of Lords on June 8, 1536 through a Writ of Summons , thereby conferring on him the hereditary title of Baron Hungerford of Heytesbury .
As a close follower of Cromwell, he went down with him in 1540: he and his chaplain William Bird were arrested. Bird was accused of being a secret supporter of the Pilgrimage of Grace insurgents . Hungerford charged the charges with knowing Bird was a traitor. Both were sentenced to death by a parliamentary order ( Bill of Attainder ) and beheaded together with Cromwell on July 28, 1540 on Tower Hill. His title was forfeited and his property was confiscated. His older son received part of his land back under Queen Maria I in 1554 , but the forfeited title was not restituted.
Marriages and offspring
In his first marriage he was married to Susan Danvers, daughter of Sir John Danvers. With her he had two daughters, who died young, and a son, Sir Walter Hungerford (1532 – around 1596).
After Susan's death in 1527 he married Alice Sandys, daughter of William Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys . With her he had three daughters and a son, Sir Edward Hungerford († 1607).
His third marriage was in October 1532, Elizabeth Hussey († 1554), daughter of John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey (of Sleaford). This marriage remained childless.
literature
- William Jerome Harrison: Hungerford, Walter (1503-1540) . In: Sidney Lee (Ed.): Dictionary of National Biography . Volume 28. Smith, Elder & Co., London 1891, pp. 259-261.
- Charles Mosley (Ed.): Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage . Volume 3, Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, Wilmington 2003, p. 3477.
Individual evidence
- ^ Dictionary of National Biography , Volume 28, p. 260
- ^ Parliamentary Roll, 31 and 32 Henry VIII., M 42
- ↑ Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage , Volume 3, p. 3477
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| New title created |
Baron Hungerford of Heytesbury 1536-1540 |
Title forfeited |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Hungerford, Walter, 1st Baron Hungerford of Heytesbury |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English politician during the Tudor period |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1503 |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 28, 1540 |
| Place of death | Tower Hill |