Arthur Stourton or Sturton (died 1558) was an English courtier, keeper of royal jewels and robes, and Member of Parliament with Robert Southwell for the Westminster constituency in 1553.

Family background

Arthur Stourton was a son of William Stourton, 7th Baron Stourton and Elizabeth Dudley, daughter of

Edmund Dudley Edmund Dudley (c. 1462Gunn 2010 or 1471/147217 August 1510) was an English administrator and a financial agent of Henry VII of England, King Henry VII. He served as a leading member of the Council Learned in the Law, Speaker of the House o ...

. He married Anne Macwilliam, a sister of Henry Macwilliam. His main estate was at Moignes Court in Dorset.

Royal jewels and robes

Stourton was joint keeper of jewels and robes at

Westminster Palace The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is located in London, England. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the ...

with Andrew Dudley. He had the safekeeping of some of Dudley's jewels, and items issued to Dudley for his wedding.

Cloth of gold vestments and copes

According to the historian

John Strype John Strype (1 November 1643 – 11 December 1737) was an English clergyman, historian and biographer from London. He became a merchant when settling in Petticoat Lane Market, Petticoat Lane. In his twenties, he became perpetual curate of Theydo ...

and

Henry Machyn Henry Machyn (1496/1498 – 1563) was an English clothier and diarist in 16th century London. Machyn's ''Chronicle'', which was written between 1550 and 1563, is primarily concerned with public events: changes on the throne, state visits, ...

's ''Diary'', Stourton received vestments and copes of

cloth of gold Cloth of gold or gold cloth (Latin: ''Tela aurea'') is a textile, fabric woven with a gold-wrapped or spinning (textiles), spun weft—referred to as "a spirally spun gold strip". In most cases, the core yarn is silk, wrapped (''filé'') with a ...

collected from churches by commissioners, appointed after the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

, in the reign of

Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. The only surviving son of Henry VIII by his thi ...

(said to be a scheme of the

Duke of Northumberland Duke of Northumberland is a noble title that has been created three times in English and British history, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of Great Britain. The current holder of this title is Ralph Percy, 12th Duke of N ...

), and he redistributed them back to the parishes in the reign of

Mary I of England Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 and Queen of Spain as the wife of King Philip II from January 1556 until her death in 1558. She made vigorous ...

. Northumberland called Stourton his nephew. Records survive of some cloth of gold delivered to Stourton from churches in Surrey and other counties, Stourton received vestments from Canterbury in May 1553. The vestments, like some church plate, were thought to be surplus to church requirements by the Edwardian reformers. The cloth of gold or silver and tissue fabrics were regarded like surplus "jewels" by the commission, and so these materials were not sold in the parishes but sent to Stourton at the Royal Wardrobe. In the autumn of 1553, policy changed under Mary I, and some of collected materials were returned. Stourton was paid by the parishioners of

St Mary Woolnoth St Mary Woolnoth is an Anglican church in the City of London, located on the corner of Lombard Street, London, Lombard Street and King William Street, London, King William Street near Bank junction. The present building is one of the Commission f ...

after searching for their two tabernacles in diverse parishes. In May 1556, by the order of

Philip Philip, also Phillip, is a male name derived from the Macedonian Old Koine language, Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominen ...

and Mary, the process of confiscation was reversed. Stourton returned vestments to churches including

St Mary-at-Hill St Mary-at-Hill is a Church of England parish church in the Ward of Billingsgate, City of London. It is situated on Lovat Lane, a cobbled street off Eastcheap. It was founded in the 12th century as "St Mary de Hull" or "St Mary de la Hulle". It ...

in London. Henry Machyn had a personal interest in the proceedings as parish clerk of

Holy Trinity the Less Holy Trinity the Less was a parish church in Knightrider Street in the City of London, destroyed in the Great Fire of London. Following the fire the site was used for a Lutheran church, which was eventually demolished in 1871 to make way for Man ...

, and wrote that "Trinity parish had not their cope of cloth of gold again".

Jewels and Mary's wardrobe

He made an inventory of jewels associated with

Lady Jane Grey Lady Jane Grey (1536/1537 – 12 February 1554), also known as Lady Jane Dudley after her marriage, and nicknamed as the "Nine Days Queen", was an English noblewoman who was proclaimed Queen of England and Ireland on 10 July 1553 and reigned ...

or with

Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset (née Stanhope; before 1512 – 16 April 1587) was the second wife of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (c. 1500–1552), who held the office of Lord Protector during the first part of the reign of their n ...

, and delivered cloth and jewels to Lady Jane Grey at the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...

on 10 and 14 July 1553. Stourton supplied velvet from the wardrobe for Mary's coronation. He sent cloths to

Peterborough Cathedral Peterborough Cathedral, properly the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew, and formerly known as Peterborough Abbey or St Peter's Abbey, is a cathedral in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, in the United Kingdom. The seat of the Church ...

to adorn the tomb of

Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, historical Spanish: , now: ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England as the Wives of Henry VIII, first wife of King Henry VIII from their marr ...

. Stourton made inventories of jewels in the royal wardrobe. One list, copied from his registers after his decease, includes notes of items issued to the gentlewomen of Mary I of England for her use, including to Susan Clarencieux and Frideswide Strelley. Mary gave a length of black silver

tinsel Tinsel is a type of decorative material that mimics the effect of ice, consisting of thin strips of sparkling material attached to a thread. When in long narrow strips not attached to thread, it is called "lametta", and emulates icicles. It was o ...

cloth to Lady Jerningham for her daughter Mary's wedding to Thomas Southwell in 1558. A letter from the Loseley manuscripts collection from Henry Jerningham to

Thomas Cawarden Sir Thomas Cawarden (died 25 August 1559) of Bletchingley, Nonsuch Park and East Horsley (Surrey) was Master of the Revels to Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I. Background Thomas was the son of William Cawarden, a cloth-fuller and citizen of Lon ...

mentions a possible delivery of wardrobe stuff for revels at "Sturtuntes hand".

Death

Stourton died in February 1558 and was buried at

St Martin-in-the-Fields St Martin-in-the-Fields is a Church of England parish church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. Dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, there has been a church on the site since at least the medieval pe ...

. His executors, William Stourton and Edmund Felton, transferred apparel in his custody to George Brediman, his successor in the royal wardrobe. George Brediman issued copes and vestments from the wardrobe to

Kat Ashley Katherine Ashley (née Champernowne; – 18 July 1565), also known as Kat Ashley or Astley, was the first close friend, governess, and Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth I of England. Sh ...

, chief gentlewoman of the bedchamber to

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...

in December 1560. By the same warrant, fabrics were requested for "masking garments" to be sent to

Thomas Benger Sir Thomas Benger Master of the Revels (ca. 1520? – 1572) succeeded Sir Thomas Cawarden as Elizabeth I's Master of the Revels on 18 January 1560. He served until 1572 when it appears Sir Thomas Blagrave stepped in. Benger was considered to be an ...

, Master of the Revels.

Marriage and children

Stourton's children included:John Paul Rylands, ''The Visitation of the County of Dorset: Taken in the Year 1623'' (London, 1885), p. 86. * Edward Stourton of Overmoigne * Philip Stourton of Overmoigne, who married Joan St John, of Wiltshire

References

External links

Jewel warrant of 14 July 1553, from New College Oxford. Some Grey Matter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stourton, Arthur 1558 deaths English MPs 1553 (Mary I) Court of Mary I of England