Henry Wyatt
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Henry Wyatt father of Thomas Wyatt (poet). He had been one of Henry VII’s Privy Councillors and remained a trusted adviser when Henry VIII came to the throne in 1509.
Sir Henry WYATT, Knight
Born: 1460
Died: 10 Nov 1536/7, Allington Castle, Kent, England
Buried: Milton, near Gravesend
Father: Richard WYATT
Mother: Margaret (Jane) CLARKE
Married 1: Margaret BAILIFF (dau. and heiress of Richard Bailiff of Barnsley)
Married 2: Anne SKINNER (dau. of John Skinner) 1485, Ardleigh, Essex, England
Children:
1. Thomas "The Elder" WYATT (Sir)
2. Anne WYATT
3. Margaret WYATT
4. Francis WYATT
5. Henry WYATT
For More Information see:
The Wyatt Family History
Henry Wyatt was a young cadet of the Lancastrian house, the youngest son of a Yorkshire squire of Southange in Yorkshire. In 1483 he became involved, as a stout Lancastrian in the Duke of Buckingham's unsuccessful revolt in the West Country in favour of Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, who was then in Brittany awaiting possible developments. In consequence Henry Wyatt was imprisoned in the Tower during the two years of the reign of Richard III, on whose orders he is said to have been tortured. He was only released on the death of King Richard and the accession of Henry VII. When the Standard of the fugitive Earl floated on the field of Bosworth, Wyatt found means to join it. When the Usurper had fallen on Bosworth field, one of the first acts of Henry VII was to liberate Henry and raise him from the private gentleman to the highest honours at Court. In 1485 he was rewarded by grant of “Keeper”, later to “Constable” for life of Norwich Castle. 1490 Master of the King’s Jewels for 34 years. 1488 Controller of the Mint, assisted with the reorganisation of the Mint and Coinage.
He married Anne Skinner, late in life, in 1502. He bought Allington Castle from the trustees of Robert Gainsford in 1292. The castle was in bad repair, and Henry Wyatt and his son made extensive alterations. They put in large Tudor windows, erected a fine porch, a ladies bower, a new fire place , a long gallery, a new kitchen and a new staircase. Camden ascribes the credit of these alterations to Thomas Wyatt, but most of them seem to have been carried out by his father.
1492 Esquire-of-the-Body, King’s select Bodyguard. He sold Hall in the village Solhange (South Haigh or Upper Haigh) which he had acquired through his marriage to Margaret, daughter and heiress of Richard Bailiff of Barnsley, and purchased Allington Castle and restored it. Henry VIII visited him there in 1527, as did Cardinal Wolsey.
1491 Joint Executor of Henry VII’s will. 1494 Governor of the Castle of Carlisle to hold the border against the Scots 1513 -1515, then ransomed. 1500 Commissioner of the Peace for South East England. 1504 Was one of four who formed committee of the Privy Council to raise money for the King by the sale of offices, privileges and pardons.
Henry VII had died at the age of 52. He was succeeded by Prince Henry (VIII) to who Henry Wyatt had been guardian for some years. Henry Wyatt created Knight of the Bath at the Coronation 23 Jul 1509. Was one of the signatories for England of the Treaty of Scotland.
Henry applied for a new grant of Arms in Jan 1507/8. The grant by Garter was made on the grounds simply that he was descended form the House of Blood and name of the Wyatts' He was a privy councillor and may not have been called upon by Garter to produce a pedigree any more than his acquaintances Cardinal Wolsey or Thomas Cromwell when they applied for Armorial Bearings which they had not inherited. In the Rolls of Roger Twysden the pedigree shows five generations back to an Adam Wyot, who lived in the middle of the 14 Century in Yorkshire.
In 1512 he was appointed joint constable of Norwich Castle with Sir Thomas Boleyn, (father of Anne Boleyn). In 1513 Wyatt conducted Suffolk from France to the Tower where he was executed by Henry VIII. Sir Henry was made Knight Banneret for his services at the Battle of Spurs in 1515, and was present at the Field of the Cloth of Gold.
As Treasurer of the King’s Chamber raised and sent £20,000 to King’s Army on the Scottish Border in 1522. About 1526, Henry Wyatt had official lodgings in the Royal Palace as member of the Select Body of the Privy Council to hear complaints of the King’s subjects.
When lesser monasteries were dissolved Wyatt obtained lands and tenements in Essex and land in Milton (near Faversham in Kent) where he established the “Henry Wyatt Chantry”
Resigned posts of Treasurer of the King’s Chamber and the Royal Mint in 1528.
Henry Wyatt died at Allington Castle in Nov 1536 nearly 80 years old and was buried at Milton, Gravesend.
