Robert Constable

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For other people named Robert Constable, see Robert Constable (disambiguation).

Sir Robert Constable (c. 1478 – Flamborough, Yorkshire, England - 6 July 1537 – Hull, Yorkshire, England) was a member of the English Tudor gentry. He helped Henry VII to defeat the Cornish rebels at the Battle of Blackheath in 1497. In 1536, when the rising known as the Pilgrimage of Grace broke out in the north of England, Constable was one of the insurgent leaders, but towards the close of the year he submitted at Doncaster and was pardoned. He did not share in the renewal of the rising which took place in January 1537; but he refused the king's invitation to proceed to London, and was arrested, tried for treason, and hanged at Hull in the following June.^[1]

Family

Robert Constable was the eldest son of Sir Marmaduke Constable (1456/7 – 20 November 1518) and his second wife, Joyce Stafford. His paternal grandparents were Sir Robert Constable of Flamborough, Yorkshire, and Agnes Wentworth, daughter of Sir Roger Wentworth, esquire, of Nettlestead, Suffolk, and Margery le Despencer. Constable's maternal uncle, Sir Humphrey Stafford (c.1426/7 – 8 July 1486), who was executed at Tyburn for his part in an insurrection against King Henry VII.^[2]

Early life

In his youth Constable carried off a ward of Chancery, and tried to marry her to one of his retainers. In the reign of Henry VII he was of signal service to the crown upon the Cornish Rebellion led by Lord Audley, who marched on London and was defeated at the battle of Blackheath in 1497. Constable was one of the knights bannerets that were created at Blackheath by the Henry VII after his victory on 17 June 1497. In the following reign he was also at Flodden.^{[citation needed]}

Pilgrimage of Grace

In 1536, on the outbreak of the great Yorkshire rising, known as the Pilgrimage of Grace, caused by the beginning of the destruction of monasteries in 1536, he took the leading part, along with Robert Aske and Lord Darcy. Constable was among those who made their submission, and received their pardon. At the beginning of the next year, January 1537, when Sir Francis Bigod rashly attempted to renew the insurrection, Constable exerted himself to keep the country quiet. When this last commotion was over, he, like the other leaders, was invited by King Henry VIII to proceed to London. This he refused, and at the same time removed for safety from his usual place of abode to a dwelling thirty miles away.^{[citation needed]}

Hereupon the powerful minister Thomas Cromwell caused the Duke of Norfolk to send him up with a sergeant-at-arms on 8 March. He with Aske and Darcy was committed to the Tower till they should be tried, and meantime Norfolk was directed to say in the north that they were imprisoned, not for their former offences, but for treasons committed since their pardon. What those treasons were the Duke was conveniently forbidden to say. There was 'no specialty to be touched or spoken of', but all 'conveyed in a mass together'. True bills were returned against them, and after their condemnation it seemed to the King 'not amiss' that some of them should be remitted to their county for execution, 'as well for example as to see who would groan'. Constable and Aske were therefore sent down to Yorkshire, exhibited as traitors in the towns through which they passed, and Constable was executed at Hull on 6 July 1537 being hanged in chains over Beverley gate at Hull, and thereby forfeited Flamborough and 35 other manors in Lincolnshire.^{[citation needed]} The Duke of Norfolk witnessed his execution;

On Frydaye, beyng market daye at Hull, Sir Robert Constable suffred, and dothe hang above the highest gate of the towne, so trymmed in cheynes, that I thinke his bones will hang there this hundrethe yere. And on Thursdaye, which shall be market daye, God willing, I will be at the execution of Aske at York.
—Duke of Norfolk, ^[3]

Family

Sir Robert was married to Jane Ingleby of Ripley (b. 1472) in 1492, probably in Yorkshire, England. Jane's parents were Sir William Ingleby of Ripley, son of John Ingleby of Ripley and Margaret Strangeways, Baroness Willoughby, and his wife Catherine Stillington, daughter of Thomas Stillington of Nether Acaster and Agnes Bigod.^{[citation needed]}

Sir Robert and Jane had the following issue:^{[citation needed]}

Sir Marmaduke Constable of Nuneaton (1498/1502-20 April 1560), married Elizabeth Darcy, daughter of Lord Darcy. Had issue.
Catherine Constable (c. 1498–1585), married Sir Roger Cholmley. Had issue.
Thomas Constable of Great Grimsby (c. 1504-aft 1558), married 1st Barbara Catherall, 2nd Lady Holdenby. Had issue by both wives.
Joyce Constable (b. circa 1500), married Rowland Pudsey. No issue.
Anne Constable (b. circa 1504), who married George Hussey (d. 10 August 1537) of Harswell and North Duffield, Yorkshire, son and heir of Sir William Hussey (d.1531) by Anne Salvaine, and had issue three sons, John, Robert and William, and one daughter, Frances.^[4]

Ancestry

Ancestors of Robert Constable

For further back
see the Ancestry of Roger FitzJohn (aka Roger de Lacy)
(elder brother of (*) Robert FitzJohn (or le Constable) of Flamborough (-c.1216))

Greatx6-grandson of John Fitz^{[lower-alpha 1]} Richard of Flamborough (c.1130-1190^{[lower-alpha 2]}),
6th Constable of Chester
& Alice Filia^{[lower-alpha 3]} Roger
(daughter of Roger Fitz^{[lower-alpha 1]} Richard and Alice (Adeliza) de Vere)

Greatx5-grandson of
(*) Robert Fitz^{[lower-alpha 1]} John (or le Constable) of Flamborough (-c.1216)
& Eufemia Tison
(daughter of William Tison & Eufemia,
and granddaughter of Adam Tison of Holme-on-Spaldingmore)

Greatx4-grandson of Sir William le Constable of Flamborough (bef.1208-bef.1267^{[lower-alpha 4]})
& Juliana Deyvil [de Daiville]

Greatx3-grandson of Sir Robert le Constable of Flamborough (-c.1272)
& Lady Agnes^{[lower-alpha 5]}

Instead of 4 generations some genealogies only have 2 generations between
Robert FitzJohn (or le Constable) (-c.1216) and Sir Marmaduke le Constable (-1378).
Instead of having Robert-William-Robert-William-Robert-Marmaduke
they only have Robert-William-Robert-Marmaduke.^{[lower-alpha 6]}

Greatx2-grandson of Sir William le Constable of Flamborough (-c.1319)^{[lower-alpha 7]}

Great-grandson of Sir Robert le Constable of Flamborough (-aft.1339^{[lower-alpha 8]})
& Katherine

Grandson of Sir Marmaduke le Constable of Flamborough (-1378^{[lower-alpha 9]}) [married twice]
& Joan or Elizabeth

Some genealogies claim that a Sir William Constable belongs here.^{[lower-alpha 6]}
This is incorrect. The will of Sir Marmaduke le Constable (-1378)
states that his son and heir was Sir Robert Constable (c.1353-1401).
An extra generation does not fit here.

Son of Sir Robert Constable of Flamborough (c.1353-1401^{[lower-alpha 10]})
& Margaret Skipwith
(daughter of Sir William Skipwith of Ormesby, Lincolnshire & Alice Hiltoft)

16. Sir Marmaduke Constable
of Flamborough
(c.1379-1404^{[lower-alpha 11]})

8. Sir Robert Constable
of Flamborough
(c.1396-1441^{[lower-alpha 12]})

17. Katherine Cumberworth
(daughter of Sir Robert Corner-worth (de Cumberworth) of Somerby,
& Sibil de Erghum, daughter of Sir William de Erghum (-c.1347) & and Sybil FitzHenry (d.1347))

4. Sir Robert Constable M.P.
of Flamborough
(1423-1488^{[lower-alpha 13]})

18. Sir William Gascoigne
of Gawthorp
(c.1362-1419)^{[lower-alpha 14]}

9. Agnes Gascoigne
(-1466^{[lower-alpha 15]})

19. Elizabeth Mowbray
(c.1340-c.1391)
(the daughter of Alexander Mowbray & Elizabeth Musters)

2. Sir Marmaduke Constable ("the Little")
of Flamborough
(c.1457-1518^{[lower-alpha 16]})

10. Sir Roger Wentworth
of Nettlestead, Suffolkshire
(-1452)

5. Agnes Wentworth
(-1496^{[lower-alpha 17]})

22. Philip Despenser, 1st Lord Despenser

11. Margaret Despencer
(-1478)

1. Sir Robert Constable
of Flamborough
(c.1478-1537^{[lower-alpha 18]})

24. Sir Humphrey Stafford
(-1420)^{[lower-alpha 19]}

12. Sir Humphrey Stafford
(c.1400-1450)

25. Elizabeth Burdett
(-1434)

6. Sir Humphrey Stafford
of Grafton, Hertfordshire
(c.1427-1486)

26. Thomas Aylesbury

13. Eleanor Aylesbury

27. Catherine Pakenham

3. Joyce Stafford
(-1500^{[lower-alpha 20]})

14. Sir John Fray
(c.1419-1461)

7. Catherine Fray
(c.1437-1482)

30. John Danvers

15. Agnes Danvers

Notes

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Fitz = son of
↑ Slain at Tyre in 1190 whilst on a crusade.
↑ Filia = daughter of
↑ One document mentions him together with his father in 1208, and another document of 1267 states that his wife Dame Juliana Deyvil is a widow.
↑ A grant is given to Dame Agnes the wife of "Sir Robert de Flaynburge the Constable".
↑ 6.0 6.1 Burke 1836, p. 548
↑ Involved in a law suit of 1298. Made a gift of land to the Abbey of St. Germanus at Selby on behalf of his ancestors Adam Tison, William Tison, William le Constable his grandfather and Robert le Constable his father.
↑ Last appears in historical records in 1339 when he bought a mill and pasture in Flamborough.
↑ Will proved 17 June 1378
↑ Will proved 8 January 1401. Unmarried at the time of his father Sir Marmaduke Constable's death in 1378.
↑ Will proved 5 August 1404. Old enough to inherit when his father died in 1401, therefore at least 21.
↑ Will proved 16 June 1441, a minor at the time of his father's death in 1404
↑ Born Easter Day 1423, died 23 May 1488 - History of Parliament, a biographical dictionary of Members of the House of Commons
↑ For further back than Sir William Gasciogne see: Lundy, Darryl. "p. 15818 § 158178 , Sir William Gascoigne". The Peerage.
↑ Will proved 5 February 1466
↑ He died in 10 Henry VIII (1518) and is buried at Flamborough. Described as aged 31 and more at his father's death in May 1488, which would give a birth date of 1456 or 1457. This fits the circumstances of his career better than the claim in his epitaph in Flamborough church that he was aged seventy when he fought at Flodden in 1513.
↑ History of Parliament, a biographical dictionary of Members of the House of Commons
↑ Executed at Hull, Yorkshire in 1537
↑ for further back than Sir Humphrey Stafford see Lundy, Darryl. "p. 21324 § 213240 Sir Humphrey Stafford". The Peerage.
↑ Will dated 1551

Footnotes

↑ Chisholm 1911.
↑ Richardson I 2011, pp. 117–19, 527–8; Newman 2004.
↑ State Papers Henry VIII, vol. V part IV part 2 (1836), 93, Norfolk to Cromwell, Sunday 8 July 1537.
↑ Maddison 1903, p. 528.

References

Brodie, Robert Henry (1887). "Constable, Marmaduke". Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900 XII. London: Smith, Elder. pp. 42–44. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
Horrox, Rosemary (2004). Constable, Sir Marmaduke (1456/7?–1518). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 21 December 2012. (subscription required)
Maddison, Arthur Roland, ed. (1903). Lincolnshire Pedigrees II. London: Harleian Society. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
Newman, Christine M. (2004). Constable, Sir Robert (1478?–1537). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 21 December 2012. (subscription required)
Richardson, Douglas (2011). Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, ed. Kimball G. Everingham I (2nd ed.). Salt Lake City. ISBN 1449966373
Burke, John (1836), A genealogical and heraldic history of the commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, Colburn, p. 548
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Constable, Sir Marmaduke". Encyclopædia Britannica 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press
"Sir Robert Constable". Tudor Place.

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Name	Constable, Robert
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Date of birth
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Date of death	1537
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