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Henry Courtenay, 1st Marquess of Exeter, 2nd Earl of Devon (c. 1498 – 9 December 1538), KG, PC, feudal baron of Okehampton,
feudal baron of Plympton The feudal barony of Plympton (or Honour of Plympton) was a large feudal barony in the county of Devon, England, whose ''caput'' was Plympton Castle and manor, Plympton. It was one of eight feudal baronies in Devonshire which existed during the ...
, of
Tiverton Castle Tiverton Castle is the remains of a medieval castle dismantled after the Civil War and thereafter converted in the 17th century into a country house. It occupies a defensive position above the banks of the River Exe at Tiverton in Devon. Desc ...
, Okehampton Castle and
Colcombe Castle Colcombe Castle was a castle or fortified house situated about a north of the town of Colyton in East Devon. It was a seat of the Courtenay family, Earls of Devon, whose principal seat was Tiverton Castle, about to the north west. It ...
all in Devon, was a grandson of
King Edward IV Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in Englan ...
, nephew of the queen consort, Elizabeth of York and a first cousin of King
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
. Henry Courtenay was a close friend of Henry VIII, having "been brought up of a child with his grace in his chamber".


Origins

He was born in about 1498, the first and only surviving son and heir of
William Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon William Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon (1475 – 9 June 1511), feudal baron of Okehampton and feudal baron of Plympton, was a member of the leading noble family of Devon. His principal seat was Tiverton Castle, Devon with further residences a ...
(1475–1511) by his wife Princess Catherine of York (died 1527), the sixth daughter of King
Edward IV Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in Englan ...
by his wife
Elizabeth Woodville Elizabeth Woodville (also spelt Wydville, Wydeville, or Widvile;Although spelling of the family name is usually modernised to "Woodville", it was spelt "Wydeville" in contemporary publications by Caxton, but her tomb at St. George's Chapel, Wind ...
.Burke, Bernard. ''Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage'', London; Harrison and Sons, 1914, p. 618
/ref> His maternal first cousins therefore included King
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
.


Early life

At the time of his birth in 1498, his paternal grandfather
Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon (c. 1527 – 18 September 1556) was an English nobleman during the rule of the Tudor dynasty. Born into a family with close royal connections, he was at various times considered a possible match for the ...
(died 1509) was still living and Henry's father William Courtenay was his eldest son and
heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
. In 1504, during the reign of the Tudor King Henry VII, William Courtenay was accused of maintaining correspondence with Edmund de la Pole, 3rd Duke of Suffolk, the leading Yorkist claimant to the throne, and the king ordered him incarcerated in the
Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...
and he was attainted in February 1504, which disabled him from inheriting his father's earldom. King Henry VII died on 22 April 1509 closely followed by Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon, on 28 May 1509. The king was succeeded by his son King Henry VIII, the nephew of William Courtenay's wife, who released William from the Tower. On 24 June 1509, William took part in the coronation of Henry VIII and carried the Third Sword during the ceremony. William enjoyed some favour with Henry VIII who reversed his attainder on 9 May 1511 and created him Earl of Devon on 10 May 1511, with the usual remainder to heirs male of his body. William died a month later on 9 June 1511, before completing his official
investiture Investiture (from the Latin preposition ''in'' and verb ''vestire'', "dress" from ''vestis'' "robe") is a formal installation or ceremony that a person undergoes, often related to membership in Christian religious institutes as well as Christian k ...
as an earl, but was by royal warrant buried with the honours due to an earl. He left Henry Courtenay as his heir.


Earl of Devon

On the death of his father on 9 June 1511, Henry succeeded to his father's earldom of 1511, in accordance with the
patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A ...
. But in 1512 he also succeeded to his grandfather's earldom of 1485, having obtained from Parliament in December 1512 a (more formal) reversal of his father's 1504 attainder. His first cousin King Henry VIII was at the time involved in the War of the League of Cambrai against King
Louis XII of France Louis XII (27 June 14621 January 1515), was King of France from 1498 to 1515 and King of Naples from 1501 to 1504. The son of Charles, Duke of Orléans, and Maria of Cleves, he succeeded his 2nd cousin once removed and brother in law at the time ...
. The new earl of Devon experienced his first battles in 1513 as second captain of a
man-of-war The man-of-war (also man-o'-war, or simply man) was a Royal Navy expression for a powerful warship or frigate from the 16th to the 19th century. Although the term never acquired a specific meaning, it was usually reserved for a ship armed wi ...
. He seems to have gained the further favour of his royal cousin during the 1510s. He became a gentleman of the privy chamber and member of the
Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mo ...
in 1520. In June 1520 he accompanied Henry VIII to Calais for his meeting with King
Francis I of France Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin on ...
at the Field of the Cloth of Gold and became one of the debauched and athletic friends of the king's, frequently going on hunting trips with the king and his favourite, Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk. In 1521
Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham (3 February 1478 – 17 May 1521) was an English nobleman. He was the son of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, and Katherine Woodville, and nephew of Elizabeth Woodville and King Edward IV. Thu ...
, KG, was executed on charges of treason, and a place having become vacant in the Order, the king appointed Courtenay a Knight of the Garter on 9 June 1521 and granted him part of Stafford's forfeited lands and properties. He was granted the administrations of the vacant dukedoms of
Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
,
Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lor ...
, and
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...
over the following two years. In April 1522 he was made keeper of Burling Park in Kent, during which period he reached his greatest height of power in the king's inner council. It was possibly at that time he met the Boleyn family. He continued in the traditional hereditary offices of the Courtenays, as warden of the Stannaries and as the high steward of the Duchy of Cornwall from May 1523. He was appointed constable of the royal residence of
Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original c ...
in 1525.


Marquess of Exeter

On 18 June 1525 Henry VIII created Henry Courtenay, as "Earl of Devon, ''Dominus'' of Okehampton and Plympton" (i.e. feudal baron of Okehampton and
feudal baron of Plympton The feudal barony of Plympton (or Honour of Plympton) was a large feudal barony in the county of Devon, England, whose ''caput'' was Plympton Castle and manor, Plympton. It was one of eight feudal baronies in Devonshire which existed during the ...
), Marquess of Exeter. At that time Francis I of France had lost the Battle of Pavia and was held captive by
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain ( Castile and Aragon) fr ...
. Henry VIII sent the new Marquess of Exeter to secure an agreement with French
regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
Louise of Savoy and to pledge the assistance of the English king in negotiations for the return of Francis. The Marquess of Exeter further served the interests of the King in the proceedings for the
annulment Annulment is a legal procedure within secular and religious legal systems for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning al ...
of his marriage to
Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until their annulment on 23 May 1533. She was previously ...
and signed the letter to
Pope Clement VII Pope Clement VII ( la, Clemens VII; it, Clemente VII; born Giulio de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the ...
in that regard. He was placed second to the King at the Privy Council at which Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was charged with treason and signed the documents for his prosecution. He served as a commissioner for the formal deposition of Catherine in 1533. During the preparation of his Dissolution of the Monasteries, Henry VIII granted to Courtenay the stewardship of several monasteries in 1535, which placed him in a key position for the forthcoming process. In 1536 Courtenay was a commissioner at the trial of
Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and of her execution by beheading for treason and other charges made her a key f ...
, the king's second wife who had been accused of
adultery Adultery (from Latin ''adulterium'') is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal ...
,
incest Incest ( ) is human sexual activity between family members or close relatives. This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity (blood relations), and sometimes those related by affinity ( marriage or stepfamily), ado ...
, and high treason. Courtenay and Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk were sent into
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
to put down the Pilgrimage of Grace, a
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
uprising that broke out on 15 October 1536. Courtenay failed in this task and retreated to
Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
shire. On 15 May 1537, he served as High Steward at the trial for treason of
Thomas Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy de Darcy Thomas Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy of Darcy or of Temple Hurst, ( 1467 – 30 June 1537) was an English nobleman, the only son, and heir, of Sir William Darcy (1443 – 30 May 1488) and his wife, Euphemia Langton, the daughter of Sir John Langton. Dar ...
, charged with being a leader of the rebellion.


Downfall and death

By the late 1530s, Courtenay was an influential figure at court and was administering most of western England in his own name and that of King Henry VIII. He was also a political rival of
Thomas Cromwell Thomas Cromwell (; 1485 – 28 July 1540), briefly Earl of Essex, was an English lawyer and statesman who served as chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false char ...
and the two men reportedly had little sympathy for each other. Following the
Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
, Courtenay's second wife, Gertrude Blount, remained a Roman Catholic. She had supported Elizabeth Barton to her downfall and continued to maintain correspondence with the Catholic former queen Catherine to her death. Her father had served as Queen Catherine's chamberlain, and a stepmother had been one of her Spanish attendants while she was Princess of Wales. Cromwell used these connections to point suspicion at Courtenay's loyalties. Being a powerful landowner in the west country did not make him blind to the sufferings of his tenants. Many lay and clerical alike were turned out of their lands and homes by the Dissolution of the Monasteries and Courtenay came to hate Vicar-General Cromwell and his Protestantism, whose "measures ... became so obnoxious to him that he drifted into a treasonable conspiracy with the Pole family". He joined the Catholic Poles in the Western Rebellion during 1538 and endeavoured to raise the men of Devon and Cornwall. At St Keverne on the Lizard peninsula of Cornwall a painted banner was reportedly created which was taken around local villages and called for the population to revolt. However, Madeleine Hope Dodds argues that there never was a conspiracy. "They were less a political party than a group of friends, who loved the old Faith, hated Cromwell, and longed for a change of policy. They met and talked treason and sang political songs… They did not trouble themselves about anything so strenuous and intellectual as a plot." Bernard Burke says Exeter fell victim to the king's jealousy of the Poles. Courtenay was found to be in correspondence with the self-exiled Cardinal
Reginald Pole Reginald Pole (12 March 1500 – 17 November 1558) was an English cardinal of the Catholic Church and the last Catholic archbishop of Canterbury, holding the office from 1556 to 1558, during the Counter-Reformation. Early life Pole was born a ...
. Geoffrey Pole, younger brother of the Cardinal, came to London with the information that a Roman Catholic conspiracy was in the making. Both Poles were accused of heading this conspiracy and Cromwell convinced the king that Courtenay was a part of it. Perhaps anticipating the end, he wrote a will on 25 September 1538. In early November 1538, Courtenay with his wife and son Edward Courtenay were arrested and incarcerated in the
Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...
. On 3 December 1538 Courtenay was put on trial by his peers in
Westminster Hall The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...
, although there was little evidence for his involvement in the so-called Exeter Conspiracy. He was found guilty because of his correspondence with Cardinal Pole in Rome. Courtenay was beheaded with a sword on Tower Hill on 9 December 1538, with Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu who was the elder brother of both the Cardinal and Geoffrey together with their cousin Edward Neville. He was attainted and the Earldom of Devon became forfeit, and his lands in Cornwall were annexed by the
Duchy of Cornwall The Duchy of Cornwall ( kw, Duketh Kernow) is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch obtains possession of the duchy and the title of 'Duke of Cornwall' at ...
. His wife Gertrude and his son Edward were both attainted in 1539, when her lands (including estates inherited from Sir William Say) were forfeited to the Crown. She was released in 1540 and maintained a friendship with the king's elder daughter, Mary, for the rest of her life. Following Mary's accession, on her orders his son Edward Courtenay was released on 3 August 1553, and thereafter became a suitor for her marriage.


Marriages and children

Henry Courtenay married twice: *First, shortly after June 1515, to Elizabeth Grey, ''suo jure'' Viscountess Lisle (1505–1519), the only child and sole heiress of
John Grey, 2nd Viscount Lisle John Grey, 2nd Viscount Lisle (April 1480 – 9 September 1504) was a British peer of the Tudor period. Upon his death the title Viscount Lisle became extinct, but the Barony of Lisle passed to his unborn daughter Elizabeth, his only child ...
by his wife Muriel Howard, daughter of
Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk (144321 May 1524), styled Earl of Surrey from 1483 to 1485 and again from 1489 to 1514, was an English nobleman, soldier and statesman who served four monarchs. He was the eldest son of John Howard, 1st D ...
. Elizabeth had been the ward of Charles Brandon, later 1st Duke of Suffolk, and was betrothed to him when she was only eight years old. The betrothal was broken when Brandon married Mary Tudor, sister to
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
. At this time, she became ward of Catherine of York, who betrothed Elizabeth to her son, Henry Courtenay. She died soon after the marriage without children. *Secondly, on 25 October 1519, he married Gertrude Blount (c.1499/1502 – 25 September 1558), a daughter of
William Blount, 4th Baron Mountjoy William Blount, 4th Baron Mountjoy (8 November 1534), KG, of Barton Blount, Derbyshire, was an extremely influential English courtier, a respected humanistic scholar and patron of learning. He was one of the most influential and perhaps the wea ...
. In October 1537, Lady Exeter was a courtier, serving as godmother to Princess Elizabeth and representing Princess Mary at the pre-funeral ceremonies for Queen
Jane Seymour Jane Seymour (c. 150824 October 1537) was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII of England from their marriage on 30 May 1536 until her death the next year. She became queen following the execution of Henry's second wife, Anne ...
at
Hampton Court Palace Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chie ...
. She was arrested on 5 November 1538 with her husband and was attainted as his widow in July 1539, and imprisoned for several years until her attainder was reversed by Queen Mary, to whom she became a lady in waiting. She died on 25 September 1558 and was buried in
Wimborne Minster Wimborne Minster (often referred to as Wimborne, ) is a market town in Dorset in South West England, and the name of the Church of England church in that town. It lies at the confluence of the River Stour and the River Allen, north of P ...
in Dorset. By Gertrude Blount he had two sons: **Henry Courtenay, who died young; **
Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon (c. 1527 – 18 September 1556) was an English nobleman during the rule of the Tudor dynasty. Born into a family with close royal connections, he was at various times considered a possible match for the ...
(c. 1527 – 18 September 1556), eldest surviving son, who having spent 15 years incarcerated in the Tower of London was released on 3 August 1553, a few days after the accession of Queen Mary to the throne. She created him Earl of Devon on 3 September 1553.


References


Bibliography

* Alison Weir, ''Henry VIII'' (London, 1998) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Exeter, Henry Courtenay, 1st Marquess Of 1490s births 1538 deaths Henry Courtenay, 1st Marquess of Exeter Knights of the Garter Marquesses in the Peerage of England Members of the Privy Council of England Executed English people People executed under Henry VIII People executed by Tudor England by decapitation People executed under the Tudors for treason against England Executions at the Tower of London English politicians convicted of crimes Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber Earls of Devon