Thomas Keyes: Difference between revisions
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==Life== |
==Life== |
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The son of Richard Keyes and probably Agnes Saunders, Thomas Keyes was born in England, possibly London, as his father was a Yeoman to [[Catherine of Aragon]] around the time of his birth. Richard Keyes later held the office of |
The son of Richard Keyes and probably Agnes Saunders, Thomas Keyes was born in England, possibly London, as his father was a Yeoman to [[Catherine of Aragon]] around the time of his birth. Richard Keyes later held the office of Serjeant-at-Arms. |
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Keyes was appointed to a position in Court by Henry VIII, September 1548.{{fact|date=May 2011}} He also succeeded his father, Richard Keyes, as Captain of Sandgate Castle, Kent (which Richard built for Henry VIII). He was M.P. for [[Hythe (UK Parliament constituency)|Hythe]], Kent in 1554 as a result of his friendship with Sir Thomas Cheyne, the Warden of the Cinque Ports, but was fined several times for non-appearance in the House. During the Wyatt rebellion, "...he took some share in suppressing that rising". In 1558 he was appointed Serjeant-Porter of the Palace of Westminster with responsibility for palace security. In Queen Elizabeth's General Pardon Roll of 15 Jan 1559, he was recorded as "Captain of Sandgate Castle, Foulkstone, Kent, now Serjeant-Usher of the Household, late of St Radigund's, in Poulton, Co Kent". In Aug 1562, he was appointed deputy to Lord Robert Dudley, Master of the Queen's Horse, with a brief to report on movements of all horses through the port of Dover. |
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Burghley observed that the secret marriage was "...an unhappy chance & monstrous..."; owing, no doubt, to the contrast in their physical statures - Keyes stood 6 ft 8 in tall in stockinged feet, "...with a girth to match"; the Lady Mary, who suffered a rather severe form of spinal curvature, was described as "dwarf-like" <ref>D.N.B.</ref> and by the Spanish Ambassador as "...little, crook-backed, & very ugly..." [Calendar of State Papers, Spanish Series.] |
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In 1565 he was secretly married to [[Lady Mary Grey]], the daughter of Henry Grey, 3rd Marquess of Dorset and the Queen's cousin, without the Queen's consent. Upon hearing the ill-advised ceremony had taken place, Elizabeth is said to have declared with great wrath, "... I'll have no little bastard Keyes laying claims to my throne." Burghley observed that the secret marriage was "...an unhappy chance & monstrous..."; owing, no doubt, to the contrast in their physical statures - Keyes stood 6 ft 8 in tall in stockinged feet, "...with a girth to match"; the Lady Mary, who suffered a rather severe form of spinal curvature, was described as "dwarf-like" <ref>D.N.B.</ref> and by the Spanish Ambassador as "...little, crook-backed, & very ugly..." [Calendar of State Papers, Spanish Series]. For this "monstrous" act of lese-majeste he was committed to the [[Fleet Prison]] in close confinement and Lady Mary was placed on house arrest until his death in 1572. His numerous pleas to [[Lord Burghley]] fell on deaf ears. But on [[Archbishop Grindal]]'s recommendation, he was eventually released, in 1568, on orders to live quietly in [[Lewisham]]. He was again appointed Captain of [[Sandgate Castle]] on the threat of a French-Spanish alliance in 1569. |
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Keyes was appointed to a position in Court by Henry VIII, September 1548.{{fact|date=May 2011}} He also succeeded his father, Richard Keyes, as Captain of Sandgate Castle, Kent (which Richard built for Henry VIII). He was M.P. for [[Hythe (UK Parliament constituency)|Hythe]], Kent, in 1554, when summoned, as a [[Warden of the Cinque Port]]s, during the Wyatt rebellion, & "...took some share in suppressing that rising." |
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In Queen Elizabeth's General Pardon Roll of 15 Jan 1559, he was recorded as "Captain of Sandgate Castle, Foulkstone, Kent, now Serjeant-Usher of the Household, late of St Radigund's, in Poulton, Co Kent". In Aug 1562, he was appointed deputy to Lord Robert Dudley, Master of the Queen's Horse, with a brief to report on movements of all horses through the port of Dover. |
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For his "monstrous" act of lese-majeste, he was committed to the [[Fleet Prison]], in close confinement. His numerous pleas to [[Lord Burghley]] fell on deaf ears. But on [[Archbishop Grindal]]'s recommendation, he was eventually released, in 1568, on orders to live quietly in [[Lewisham]]. He was again appointed Captain of [[Sandgate Castle]] on the threat of a French-Spanish alliance, 1569. |
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Thomas Keyes, the Sergeant-Porter, died on or shortly before 5 September 1571.<ref>Letter of Lord Cobham to Burghley of that date - "...Keyes ys departyd, which the Lady Mary taketh grievously...".</ref> |
Thomas Keyes, the Sergeant-Porter, died on or shortly before 5 September 1571.<ref>Letter of Lord Cobham to Burghley of that date - "...Keyes ys departyd, which the Lady Mary taketh grievously...".</ref> |
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Revision as of 16:45, 23 December 2011
 | This article has an unclear citation style. (March 2011) |
Thomas Keyes (1544–1571) was the Royal Gatekeeper to the Queen regnant, Elizabeth I of England. He married her Majesty's cousin, Lady Mary Grey in 1564 without her consent. Upon hearing the ill-advised ceremony had taken place, Elizabeth is said to have declared with great wrath, "... I'll have no little bastard Keyes laying claims to my throne." For this, Lady Mary Grey was placed on house arrest until Thomas Keyes' death in 1572.
Life
The son of Richard Keyes and probably Agnes Saunders, Thomas Keyes was born in England, possibly London, as his father was a Yeoman to Catherine of Aragon around the time of his birth. Richard Keyes later held the office of Serjeant-at-Arms.
Keyes was appointed to a position in Court by Henry VIII, September 1548.[citation needed] He also succeeded his father, Richard Keyes, as Captain of Sandgate Castle, Kent (which Richard built for Henry VIII). He was M.P. for Hythe, Kent in 1554 as a result of his friendship with Sir Thomas Cheyne, the Warden of the Cinque Ports, but was fined several times for non-appearance in the House. During the Wyatt rebellion, "...he took some share in suppressing that rising". In 1558 he was appointed Serjeant-Porter of the Palace of Westminster with responsibility for palace security. In Queen Elizabeth's General Pardon Roll of 15 Jan 1559, he was recorded as "Captain of Sandgate Castle, Foulkstone, Kent, now Serjeant-Usher of the Household, late of St Radigund's, in Poulton, Co Kent". In Aug 1562, he was appointed deputy to Lord Robert Dudley, Master of the Queen's Horse, with a brief to report on movements of all horses through the port of Dover.
In 1565 he was secretly married to Lady Mary Grey, the daughter of Henry Grey, 3rd Marquess of Dorset and the Queen's cousin, without the Queen's consent. Upon hearing the ill-advised ceremony had taken place, Elizabeth is said to have declared with great wrath, "... I'll have no little bastard Keyes laying claims to my throne." Burghley observed that the secret marriage was "...an unhappy chance & monstrous..."; owing, no doubt, to the contrast in their physical statures - Keyes stood 6 ft 8 in tall in stockinged feet, "...with a girth to match"; the Lady Mary, who suffered a rather severe form of spinal curvature, was described as "dwarf-like" [1] and by the Spanish Ambassador as "...little, crook-backed, & very ugly..." [Calendar of State Papers, Spanish Series]. For this "monstrous" act of lese-majeste he was committed to the Fleet Prison in close confinement and Lady Mary was placed on house arrest until his death in 1572. His numerous pleas to Lord Burghley fell on deaf ears. But on Archbishop Grindal's recommendation, he was eventually released, in 1568, on orders to live quietly in Lewisham. He was again appointed Captain of Sandgate Castle on the threat of a French-Spanish alliance in 1569.
Thomas Keyes, the Sergeant-Porter, died on or shortly before 5 September 1571.[2]
Family
He married 2ndly, as a widowered father of a grown family, on 10 August 1564, at 9.00 p.m. and by candlelight, in his apartments over the Watergate at Westminster, to the Lady Mary Grey.[3]