Sir William Killigrew (died 1622) of
Hanworth
Hanworth is a district of West London, England. Historically in Middlesex, it has been part of the London Borough of Hounslow since 1965. Hanworth adjoins Feltham to the northwest, Twickenham to the northeast and Hampton to the southeast, with ...
, Middlesex, was a courtier to Queen
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
Eli ...
and to her successor King
James I James I may refer to:
People
*James I of Aragon (1208–1276)
*James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327)
*James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu
*James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347)
*James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...
, whom he served as
Groom of the Privy Chamber
Groom of the Chamber was a position in the Household of the monarch in early modern England. Other ''Ancien Régime'' royal establishments in Europe had comparable officers, often with similar titles. In France, the Duchy of Burgundy, and in Eng ...
. He served as a member of parliament at various times between 1571 and 1614 and was
Chamberlain of the Exchequer between 1605 and 1608. Several of his descendants were also royal courtiers and many were buried in
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...
.
Origins
Killigrew was the fifth son of John III Killigrew (died 1567) of
Arwenack
Arwenack, historically in the parish of St Budock, Cornwall, is a historic manor on the site of what is today the town of Falmouth. It was partly destroyed in 1646, and only a remnant survives today. It was long held by the Killigrew family, w ...
, Cornwall, the first
Governor of Pendennis Castle
The Governor of Pendennis Castle was a military officer who commanded the fortifications at Pendennis Castle, part of the defences of the River Fal and Carrick Roads, on the south coast of Cornwall near Falmouth. Originally fortified under Henry ...
, situated on land within the Arwenack estate, appointed by King Henry VIII. His mother was Elizabeth Trewinnard, 2nd daughter of James Trewennard of Trewennard, in the parish of St Erth, Cornwall. The
monumental brass
A monumental brass is a type of engraved sepulchral memorial, which in the 13th century began to partially take the place of three-dimensional monuments and effigies carved in stone or wood. Made of hard latten or sheet brass, let into the pav ...
of John III Killigrew survives in
St Budock's Church, near Arwenack.
Career
Under Queen Elizabeth I
In 1571 he was elected Member of Parliament for
Grantham
Grantham () is a market and industrial town in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road. It lies some 23 miles (37 km) south of the Lincoln a ...
in Lincolnshire and in 1572 he was elected MP for
Helston
Helston ( kw, Hellys) is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated at the northern end of the Lizard Peninsula approximately east of Penzance and south-west of Falmouth.Ordnance Survey: Landranger map ...
in Cornwall. He became
feodary and
escheator
Escheat is a common law doctrine that transfers the real property of a person who has died without heirs to the crown or state. It serves to ensure that property is not left in "limbo" without recognized ownership. It originally applied to a ...
for 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 ...
and Constable of
Launceston Castle
Launceston Castle is located in the town of Launceston, Cornwall, England. It was probably built by Robert the Count of Mortain after 1068, and initially comprised an earthwork and timber castle with a large motte in one corner. Launceston Castl ...
in 1576 by which year he was Groom of the Privy Chamber to Queen Elizabeth I. In 1578 he was
farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer m ...
of the profits from seals in the Court of Queen's Bench and the Court of Common Pleas. He was commissioner for musters for Cornwall by 1582 and was a
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or '' puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the s ...
for Cornwall from 1583 to 1587. In 1584 he was elected MP for the Killigrew
pocket borough
A rotten or pocket borough, also known as a nomination borough or proprietorial borough, was a parliamentary borough or constituency in England, Great Britain, or the United Kingdom before the Reform Act 1832, which had a very small electorate ...
of
Penryn. He was receiver for Devon and Cornwall by 1588 and was commissioner for goods from Madre de Dios in 1592. In 1593 he was elected MP for
Fowey
Fowey ( ; kw, Fowydh, meaning 'Beech Trees') is a port town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town has been in existence since well before the Norman invasion, with the local ch ...
in Cornwall. He was commissioner acting treasurer of the chamber in 1595 and commissioner for goods from
Cadiz in 1596. In 1597 he was elected MP for the prestigious county seat,
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 ...
.
Under King James I
He was knighted in 1603 on the succession of King James I. In 1604 he became MP for
Liskeard
Liskeard ( ; kw, Lyskerrys) is a small ancient stannary and market town in south-east Cornwall, South West England. It is situated approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Plymouth, west of the Devon border, and 12 miles (20 km) eas ...
. From 1605 to 1608 he was
Chamberlain of the Exchequer. In 1614 he was elected MP for Penryn again.
[ History of Parliament Online – William Killigrew]
/ref>
Marriage and progeny
At some time about 1576 Killigrew married Margaret Saunders, daughter of Thomas Saunders of Uxbridge, Middlesex, and widow of Robert Woolman and of John Leigh. By his wife he had the following progeny:
*Sir Robert Killigrew
Sir Robert Killigrew (1580–1633) was an English courtier and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1601 and 1629. He served as Ambassador to the United Provinces.
Life
Killgrew was born at Lothbury, London, th ...
(1580–1633) of Hanworth, Middlesex, MP and Vice-Chamberlain to Queen Henrietta Maria
Henrietta Maria (french: link=no, Henriette Marie; 25 November 1609 – 10 September 1669) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland from her marriage to King Charles I on 13 June 1625 until Charles was executed on 30 January 1649. She was ...
.
*Elizabeth Killigrew, eldest daughter, wife of Sir Maurice Berkeley (c. 1577–1617), MP, of Bruton Abbey
Bruton Abbey in Bruton, Somerset was founded as a house of Augustinian canons in about 1127, and became an abbey in 1511, shortly before its dissolution in 1539. It was endowed with manors, churches and other properties in the area and also in ...
, Somerset.
*Catherine Killigrew (born 1579), wife of Sir Thomas Jermyn (died 1645) of Suffolk, MP, and mother of Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of Saint Albans, KG, (1605–1684). Her portrait by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger
Marcus Gheeraerts (also written as Gerards or Geerards; 1561/62 – 19 January 1636) was a Flemish artist working at the Tudor court, described as "the most important artist of quality to work in England in large-scale between Eworth and van ...
(1561–1636) survives in the collection of the Yale Center for British Art
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the worl ...
, Connecticut, USA.
Landholdings
In 1594 he obtained an 80-year lease of the two adjoining royal manors of Kempton and Hanworth
Hanworth is a district of West London, England. Historically in Middlesex, it has been part of the London Borough of Hounslow since 1965. Hanworth adjoins Feltham to the northwest, Twickenham to the northeast and Hampton to the southeast, with ...
in Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...
. In 1631 his son Sir Robert Killigrew (1580–1633) secured the reversion and in 1651 the latter's son Sir William Killigrew (1606–1695), "of Kempton Park", conveyed Kempton to John Warburton.Victoria County History
The Victoria History of the Counties of England, commonly known as the Victoria County History or the VCH, is an English history project which began in 1899 with the aim of creating an encyclopaedic history of each of the historic counties of E ...
, Volume 3, 1962, ''Middlesex; Sunbury: Manors
/ref>
Death and burial
Killigrew died in 1622 and was buried in St. Margaret's Church, Lothbury, in the City of London
The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...
, near his brother Henry Killigrew.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Killigrew, William
Members of the pre-1707 English Parliament for constituencies in Cornwall
Year of birth missing
1622 deaths
English MPs 1571
English MPs 1572–1583
English MPs 1584–1585
English MPs 1593
English MPs 1597–1598
English MPs 1604–1611
English MPs 1614
English knights
Knights Bachelor