The supposition that Francis Hastings is the son of King Henry VIII is based on the following conjecture:- 1. Henry VIII and his mother were having a relationship at the time of his conception in 1510, the discovery of which led her husband George Hastings 1st Earl of Huntingdon (1529-1544) [10] to remove her to a convent and her brother Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham to leave court in a rage, refusing to stay under Henry's roof. As late as 1513, Anne was the courtier who received the second most expensive New Year's gift from Henry, indicating that their relationship continued until then (and/ or that she had had a child by him). Don Luis Caroz de Villaragut, the Spanish Ambassador in England and Eustace Chapuys the Savoyard diplomat who served as the Imperial ambassador to England from 1529 until 1545 and is best known for his extensive and detailed correspondence [9] both reported on 28 May 1510, that one of the young married sisters of the Duke of Buckingham had attracted the attention of King Henry VIII. “The Ambassador was relying on gossip fed to him by one of Catharine of Aragon's former ladies-in-waiting, Francesca de Carceres [8]. Anne's own sister, Elizabeth, Lady Fitzwalter (her husband Robert Radcliffe later became 1st Earl of Sussex in 1529), informed their brother that Anne’s behaviour was bringing shame on the Stafford family. Buckingham subsequently caught Sir William Compton in Anne’s chamber. After a heated exchange during which Buckingham is reported to have told the pair that 'women of the Stafford family are no game for Comptons, no, nor for Tudors, either', the Duke saw to it that Anne’s husband [10] spirited his wife away from court, initially transporting her to a convent some sixty miles distant. Henry ordered Catharine of Aragon to dismiss Elizabeth for her meddling; and bawled out Buckingham, who withdrew from court in a huff.” [1] 2. There are a number of reasons why Henry VIII did not recognise all his illegitimate children:- I. With Francis Hastings, he had only been married for five years to Catherine of Aragon as had Anne Stafford and George Hastings [10]. II. Henry VIII’s second legitimate son Henry was born in Dec 1514 and so probably thought that he had a legitimate son that would grow to adulthood. (The first, also called Henry was born and died in 1511) III. It may have been accepted practice at the time for the king to have had extramarital relationships, however Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon were supposedly a very loving couple and he might not have wanted to have offended her early in their marriage. IV. George Hastings career to have warranted his elevation to becoming an Earl is difficult to understand. He was close friends with Henry VIII, possibly because he acquiesced to the relationship between the King and his wife. V. Henry VIII’s earlier mistresses, Anne Stafford, Margaret Bouchier, and Anne Hastings were all married and for this reason their children not recognised. It is possible that Henry Fitzroy was recognised as a natural son of Henry VIII by the Elizabeth Blount because she was not yet married. She was quickly married off to Gilbert Tailboys 1st Lord Tailboys. VI. When he began his relationship Elizabeth Bryan in 1512 she was not married, aged 12. She married 2 years later Sir Nicholas Carew Sheriff of Surrey. Their daughter Anne Carew, Lady-in-waiting was unlikely to be recognised simply because she was female and could not in in circumstances inherit the throne. 3. Francis was neither a traditional Hastings nor Stafford name. It is likely that he was named after Henry VIII’s greatest rival, Francis I King of France and not his supposed father who was probably named after the Patron Saint of England, St. George. (It is interesting to note that two other mistress of Henry VIII’s, Margaret Bouchier and Elizabeth Browne wife of Henry Somerset Earl of Worcester possible sons were also named Francis). Francis only appears to become an accepted English name after c.1500. 4. After 28 May 1510 when Anne was involved in the scandal with Henry VIII, during the period that she was “spirited his wife away from court, initially transporting her to a convent some sixty miles distant,” might have been just for the period of her pregnancy as clearly she is in Court again at late as 1513. 5. After the birth of Francis Hastings, the remaining children are given traditional English names; William (perhaps after King William The Conqueror), Catherine (perhaps named after Catherine of Aragon), Thomas (perhaps named after St Thomas à Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury or Thomas Plantagenet 1st Duke of Gloucester and son of King Edward III), Edward (perhaps named after the Kings of England by that name), Henry (perhaps named after Henry VIII), Mary (perhaps named after Henry VIII’s daughter) and Dorothy (perhaps named after Dorothy Grey, daughter of Thomas Grey 1st Marquis of Dorset, stepson of King Edward IV and married firstly Sir Robert Willoughby, KB (1472-1521), 2nd Baron Willoughby de Broke and married secondly Charles Blount, 5th Baron Mountjoy (1516–1544). 6. Francis Hastings has a magnificent monument at St Helen's Church, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire where his alabaster monument still exists in the Hastings Chapel [4]. A study of the extensive shields and heraldry on the monument might reveal his true father’s identity. 7. His tutors included John Leland (13 Sep 1503 – 18 Apr 1552) an English poet and antiquary who has been described as "the father of English local history and bibliography" [7]. 8. In 1529 (3 Nov) aged 15, he gained a seat at the Reformation Parliament, the same day his supposed father George Hastings was created the 1st Earl of Huntingdon (aged 41). (Again, an examination of how many 15 year old MPs in existence at the time might be revealing) 9. In 1530 aged 16 he was awarded stewardship over two abbeys (possibly Tewkesbury and Hornby abbeys as his father-in-law, Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu had been steward of these abbeys before his execution on 9 Jan 1539 [14]. 10. In 1532 aged 18 he married Catherine Pole who had a claim to the throne (Her Grandmother was Margaret Plantagenet Countess of Salisbury who was beheaded on 28 May 1541 when he was 27). 11. In 1533 aged 19 he was created a Knight of the Bath [11]. 12. In 1536 aged 22 he was one of the leaders who helped sent to suppress The Pilgrimage of Grace [13]. 13. On 24 Mar 1544 aged 30 he succeeded to the title of 7th Lord Botreaux [16]. 14. On 24 Mar 1544 aged 30 he succeeded to the title of 2nd Earl of Huntingdon [16]. 15. On 20 Feb 1547 aged 33 at the coronation of Edward VI of England he carried Edward's staff and took a prominent part in the jousting competition held in celebration of the event. 16. In 1549 aged 35 he was named Lieutenant General of the army and Chief Captain of the fleet in a campaign against Boulogne-sur-Mer under Edward IV. Due to his success he was awarded with several estates in Leicestershire which were previously held by John Beaumont Master of the Rolls 13 Dec 1550 to 18 Jun 1552. (The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the second most senior judge in England and Wales, after the Lord Chief Justice). He allowed the widow of Beaumont (Elizabeth Hastings his 2nd cousin daughter of Sir William Hastings born about 1470 at Donnington Castle, Kirby and son of William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings of Hungerford and Jane daughter of Sir Robert Sheffield) to keep their family manor in Grace Dieu where further members of this family would survive. 17. In 1550 aged 36 he was invested as a Privy Counsellor [16]. 18. From 1550 to 1559 he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Rutland [11]. 19. From 1551 to 1552 he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire [11]. 20. From 1552 to 1560 he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire [11]. 21. On 21 May 1553 aged 39, his eldest son Henry, aged 18, married Catherine Dudley, one of the daughters of John Dudley his brother-in-law, 1st Duke of Northumberland the same day as Northumberland's son, Lord Guildford Dudley, married Lady Jane Grey, Queen from 10 Jul 1553 to 19 Jul 1553. He was among the nobles signing on the document proclaiming Lady Jane Grey to be the heir of Edward VI. 22. He was among the supporters of Jane in her brief reign (1 0 – 19 Jul 1553) but this reign ended in revolt in favour of her cousin Mary I of England. He was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London. However he was released in Jan 1554 and immediately assigned to locate and arrest the rebellious Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk, father of Lady Jane Grey. He was successful and led Suffolk to the Tower for his incarceration. Henry Grey was beheaded on 23 Feb 1554 at Tower Hill and buried at St. Peter et Vincula, Tower of London, after his conviction for high treason for his part in Sir Thomas Wyatt's attempt (Jan – Feb 1554) to overthrow Mary after she announced her intention to marry Philip II of Spain. 23. On 13 Oct 1549 he was created a Knight of the Garter alongside George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham, Thomas West, 9th Baron De La Warr and William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke. In 1533 aged 19 he was created a Knight of the Garter. (The Order comprised of the King and 25 elected Knight Companions, who were only replaced upon death or disgrace; Arthur Plantagenet, Viscount Lisle and Sir Henry Fitzroy were created in 1525) 24. On 11 Apr 1554 he was present at the execution of Thomas Wyatt the younger who was beheaded, his body was quartered. 25. He was again appointed Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire on 23 Feb 1554 upon the execution of Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk until 20 Jun 1561 when he shared the role jointly with his son Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon (who held the position until 14 Dec 1595). 26. In 1558 he was appointed Captain of the Vanguard of the Queen Mary's Forces [11]. 27. In 1559 he was appointed Queen Mary's Master of the Harthounds [11]. 28. Francis was a nephew by marriage of Cardinal Reginald Pole Archbishop of Canterbury (1557–1558) a favourite of Mary I This connection allowed him to avoid persecution for his Protestantism. 29. In 1583, his youngest daughter, Mary, received a formal proposal of marriage from Ivan IV "the Terrible," Czar of Russia (25 Aug 1530 – 28 Mar 1584) [12], presented at Court by his Ambassador. She declined the offer. She would have been his 9th wife. 30. His son Henry Hastings became the 3rd Earl of Huntingdon. His mother was Catherine Pole, the great-granddaughter of the Duke of Clarence, was a brother to Edward IV and Richard III. As a result, he claimed succession to Elizabeth I [13]. 31. His Great Grandson Henry Hastings 5th Earl of Huntingdon married Elizabeth Stanley who was 3rd in line to the throne. 32. Francis’s mother, Anne Stafford, Countess of Huntingdon, the daughter of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, and Catherine Woodville (sister of Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of Edward IV) married firstly on 15 Feb 1500 Sir Walter Herbert a son of Sir William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Anne Deveureux (daughter of Sir Walter Devereux, Sheriff of Herefordshire & Gloucestershire, Constable of Wigmore, and Keeper of Leominster. An older brother of Walter’s was Sir William Herbert, 2nd Lord Herbert, 1st Earl Huntingdon & 2nd Earl of Pembroke - when he died on 16 Jul 1491 his only child, Elizabeth received the Herbert lands, including Raglan Castle, but not his title. However, oddly his earldom did not pass to his younger brother Walter) and after his death on 16 Sep 1507 she lived for a time in the household of her brother, Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, at Thornbury near Bristol. Anne married secondly on 2 Dec 1509 George, 3rd Baron Hastings, Lord of Ashby de la Zouche. It was as Lady Hastings that she was at court as one of Queen Catharine of Aragon’s ladies. (Edward Stafford arranged both of Anne’s marriages.) Anne apparently had no children with Walter Herbert despite being married for seven years. One of her grandsons (one of Earl Francis’s children) was named Walter and was born in 1544. Anne may have asked Francis to name the baby after her first husband (that she had been long married to for so long before his death, or it may have been after an unrecorded child of theirs, of that name that presumably died young). Walter’s godfather was his great uncle, Cardinal Reginald Pole. Anne died on 24 Mar 1544 at Stoke Pogis, Buckinghamshire, the year Walter was born. 33. Anne had eight children (supposedly all with George, Baron Hastings) however according to Tudorplace [1] the children (probably all born at Ashby de la Zouche, Leicestershire) were born in this order:- 1) 1504 Sir Thomas Hastings Sheriff of Warwickshire & Leicestershire, Justice of the Peace for Leicestershire (married Winifred Pole in about 1534, sister of Catherine Pole, granddaughter of Margaret Plantagenet Countess of Salisbury whose uncles included Edward IV and Richard III) and died 1558. If he was older than Francis, he would have become the 2nd Earl. (Given that Francis was supposedly 18 when he was married, on this basis Sir Thomas is more likely to have been born in 1517) (Winifred married secondly Sir Thomas Barrington [11]) 2) 1505 Edward Hastings 1st Baron Hastings of Loughborough (Tudor Place
States that his wife was Joanne Aston. Wikipedia states that his wife
was Joanne Harrington daughter of John Harrington of Bagley. [2] This Joanne married George Villiers [3]. If she was Joan Ashton then it is possible that her father was Sir Edward Ashton of Tixhall and her grandfather was Sir John Ashton of Heywood, Sheriff of Leicestershire, Warwickshire and Staffordshire [3]. He was appointed Knight of the Garter in 1555) The International Genealogical Index (IGI) gives just her first name as Joanne [5]. The relevance of this peripheral information is only for the purposes of determining his date of birth and therefore assisting in setting a date of birth of his siblings, specifically Francis. Sep 1507 Sir Walter Herbert dies. 3) 1508 Henry Hastings 21 Apr 1509 Henry VII dies & Henry VIII begins reign (probable date of conception
of first child)
11 Jun 1509 Henry VIII marries Catherine of Aragon. 31 Jan 1510 Catharine of Aragon gives birth to a premature (?) stillborn daughter Dec 1509 Anne marries George Hastings 4) 1510 William Hastings 28 May 1510 Anne attracts the attention of Henry VIII. 1 Jan 1511 Catharine of Aragon gives birth to Henry (dies 23 Feb 1511) 1513 Henry VIII invades France and wins a victory at the Battle of the Spurs on 16 Aug 1513 c. Oct 1513 Catharine of Aragon gives birth to a stillborn son Dec 1514 Catharine of Aragon gives birth to a 2nd Henry (dies Dec 1514) 5) 1514 Mary Hastings (married Thomas Berkeley "The Hopeful" 6th Baron
Berkeley)
6) 1514 Francis Hastings 2nd Earl of Huntingdon (married Catherine Pole, Granddaughter of Margaret Plantagenet Countess of Salisbury [7] whose uncles included Edward IV and Richard III) 7) 1515 Catherine Hastings (married Sir Henry Clinton, 2nd Earl Lincoln) 18 Feb 1516 Catharine of Aragon gives birth to Mary I, Queen of England 10 Nov 1518 Catharine of Aragon gives birth to a stillborn daughter 7 Jun to 24 Jun 1520 Field of the Cloth of Gold – meeting between King Henry VIII
of England and King Francis I of France.
8) 1520 Dorothy Hastings (married Sir Richard Devereux Knight – parents
of Walter Devereux 1st Earl Essex [6])
It is unlikely that both Francis and Mary were born in 1514. If Francis Hastings was conceived on 28 May 1510 then he would have been born about Feb/Mar 1511. There are a number of avenues of conjecture. It is possible that although Walter Herbert died on 16 Sep 1507, he and Anne might have divorced earlier - but unlikely. It is possible that Sir Thomas and Edward 1st Baron Hastings of Loughborough’s dates of birth have been recorded incorrectly. This is likely and adds to the conjecture that Francis’s date of birth is more likely to be Feb/Mar 1511. A more plausible order of the birth of the children would be as follows:- 1) 1511 Francis (son of Henry VIII) 2) 1513 Henry (named after Henry VIII) 3) 1514 Mary 4) 1515 Catherine 5) 1517 Thomas 6) 1518 Edward 7) 1520 Dorothy 8) 1521 William
[1] http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/Bios/AnneStafford(CHuntingdon).htm [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Hastings,_1st_Baron_Hastings_of_Loughborough [3] http://www.stirnet.com/genie/data/british/aa/aston02.php#top [4] http://www.leicestershirechurches.co.uk/#/ashby-de-la-zouch-st-helens/4543052825 [5] http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Search/frameset_search.asp [6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Devereux,_1st_Earl_of_Essex [7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Pole,_8th_Countess_of_Salisbury [8] http://www.kateemersonhistoricals.com/TudorWomenC-Ch.htm [9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustace_Chapuys [10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hastings,_1st_Earl_of_Huntingdon [11] http://www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk/online/content/Huntingdon1529.htm [12] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_the_Terrible [13] http://midgleywebpages.com/hastings.html [14] http://our-royal-titled-noble-and-commoner-ancestors.com/p911.htm [15] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Leland_(antiquary) [16] http://thepeerage.com/p2465.htm#i24645
.
. Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon, KG (1514 – 20 June 1561) was the eldest son of George Hastings, 1st Earl of Huntingdon and Anne Stafford, Countess of Huntingdon, the ex-mistress of Henry VIII.[1]
His maternal first cousins included Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford and Henry Radclyffe, 2nd Earl of Sussex.
He was born in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire. He was tutored by John Leland during his youth. His mother, Anne Stafford, Countess of Huntingdon had an affair with Henry VIII in 1510, the discovery of which led her husband to remove her to a convent and her brother to leave court in a rage, refusing to stay under Henry's roof. As late as 1513, Anne was the courtier who received the second most expensive New Year's gift from Henry, indicating that their relationship continued until then. However, there are no contemporary references to the possibility of Francis being an illegitimate son of the Tudor monarch.
His father was created the first Earl of Huntingdon by Henry VIII of England on 3 November 1529. He was awarded stewardship over two abbeys in 1530.
Contents |
Francis married Catherine Pole on 25 June 1532. She was a daughter of Henry Pole, 11th Baron Montacute and Jane Neville. Jane was in turn a daughter of George Nevill, 4th Baron Bergavenny and Margaret Fenne. They had eleven children:
He seems to have gained some favour and was created a Knight of the Bath in 1533. His father died on 24 March 1544 and Francis succeeded as the 2nd Earl of Huntingdon. At the coronation of Edward VI of England on 20 February 1547, Huntingdon St. Edward's staff and took a prominent part in the jousting competition held in celebration of the event.
He was a political supporter of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland during the service of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset as Lord Protector. He was the one to lead Somerset to the Tower of London for his imprisonment on 13 October 1549. He was rewarded with a creation as a Knight of the Garter before the end of that day, alongside George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham, Thomas West, 9th Baron De La Warr and William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke.
The Kingdom of England was at this point at war with Scotland and France, under Mary, Queen of Scots and King Henry II, respectively. Huntingdon was named Lieutenant General of the army and Chief Captain of the fleet in a campaign against Boulogne-sur-Mer. His complaining about the lack of sufficient funding and equipment for his campaign was probably justified. The campaign led however to the signing of the Peace of Boulogne. According to its terms all English claims were forfeit in exchange for 400,000 crowns. The British forces accordingly withdrew from Boulogne and all hostilities ceased for a time.
After this reasonable success for Huntingdon, Northumberland was able to provide his supporter with a membership in the Privy council. He accompanied Edward VI in 1552 and Northumberland in 1553 during their respective travels in English territory away from London. He probably enjoyed the trust of both men at the time.
In 1553, Huntingdon was further awarded with several estates in Leicestershire which were previously held by John Beaumont. Beaumont had been attended and was by then deceased. Huntingdon generously allowed the widow of Beaumont to keep their family manor in Grace-Dieu where further members of this family would survive.
On 21 May 1553, his eldest son Henry married Catherine Dudley, one of the daughters of their ally John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland. Huntingdon was among the nobles signing on the document proclaiming Lady Jane Grey to be the heir of Edward VI. Jane was married to Lord Guildford Dudley, son to Northumberland and brother-in-law of Henry Hastings. Huntingdon probably held high hopes for his son under the new reign.
He was among the supporters of Jane in her brief reign (10 – 19 July 1553) but this reign ended in revolt in favour of her cousin Mary I of England. Huntingdon was arrested and incarcerated in the Tower of London.
He was released in January 1554 and immediately assigned to locate and arrest the rebellious Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk, father of Jane Grey. He was successful and led Suffolk to the Tower for his incarceration. He was present for the execution of Thomas Wyatt the younger (on 11 April 1554).
He was a nephew by marriage of Cardinal Reginald Pole who was a favourite of Mary I and briefly Archbishop of Canterbury (1557–1558). This connection allowed him to avoid persecution for his Protestantism. Mary would die in 1558 and be succeeded by her younger half-sister Elizabeth I of England.
He died in 1562 and was buried in St Helen's Church, Ashby-de-la-Zouch where his alabaster monument still exists in the Hastings Chapel. He was succeeded by his eldest surviving son Henry two years later.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by The Marquess of Dorset |
Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire 1551–1552 |
Succeeded by The Duke of Suffolk |
| Preceded by The Duke of Suffolk |
Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire jointly with Lord Hastings 1559–1561 1554–1561 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Huntingdon |
| Peerage of England | ||
| Preceded by George Hastings |
Earl of Huntingdon 1544–1561 |
Succeeded by Henry Hastings |
| Baron Hastings (descended by acceleration) 1544–1559 |
||