Sir Amyas Paulet
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Sir Amias Paulet (1532 – 26 September 1588) of Hinton St. George, Somerset, was an English diplomat,
Governor of Jersey Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gover ...
, and the
gaoler A prison officer (PO) or corrections officer (CO), also known as a correctional law enforcement officer or less formally as a prison guard, is a uniformed law enforcement official responsible for the custody, supervision, safety, and regulation ...
for a period of
Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...
.


Origins

He was the son of Sir Hugh Paulet of Hinton St George by his wife Philippa Pollard, a daughter of Sir
Lewis Pollard Sir Lewis Pollard (c. 1465 – 1540) his will was of 1526 when he retired of Grilstone in the parish of Bishop's Nympton, Devon, was Justice of the Common Pleas from 1514 to 1526 and served as MP for Totnes in 1491 and was a JP in Devon in ...
(c.1465 – 21 October 1526),
Justice of the Common Pleas Justice of the Common Pleas was a puisne judicial position within the Court of Common Pleas (England), Court of Common Pleas of England and Wales, under the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, Chief Justice. The Common Pleas was the primary court o ...
, of
King's Nympton King's Nympton (Latinised to ''Nymet Regis'') is a village, parish and former manor in the North Devon district, in Devon, England, in the heart of the rolling countryside between Exmoor and Dartmoor, some 4½ miles () S.S.W. of South Molton and ...
, Devon.


Career

Paulet went to Jersey in 1550 when his father was made Governor and immediately acted as his assistant. The following year he was sent by his father to complain to the Privy Council that officials in
Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
were refusing to hand over six thieves who had escaped from Jersey. He was sent to Paris with a letter for the Constable of France, and thence to Normandy, returning ultimately to Jersey with his prisoners. In 1556 he was formally appointed Lieutenant-Governor and by the end of the decade he was effectively running the island in his father's absence. He kept this post until 1573. His father Hugh died that year, and Paulet was made Governor, a post he held until his death. There was much concern at this time about invasion by the French and Paulet went on a spying mission to the Brittany coast to discover for himself whether ships and troops were being gathered. Nothing happened because the death of the French king brought a temporary cessation to threats against the Channel Islands. However, relations with nearby Normandy were not good, as shown by a letter from Amias to his father:
Mr St Aubin has been arrested by Mons Boisrougier of Coutances, and after fourteen days imprisonment dismissed with the loss of a goshawk and 20 ells of canvas. I wrote to this Monsieur for redress, but he answered he was sorry he had dismissed his prisoner, and that his stock was not better, advising me to look to myself, as he hoped to pluck me out of my house, as he had the Captain of Alderney. If I had the Queen's leave, I would ask no aid but the retinue of this Castle to pluck him out of his house.
Amias continued his father's work on strengthening Mont Orgueil Castle, despite the lack of funds available from Elizabeth. He wrote in 1557: "Though I have husbanded Her Majesty's money well I have been constrained to employ more than I received, and our walls want a third part yet". And in 1563: "I am much deceived, considering the depth of the foundation, the height and thickness of the walls, if a greater piece of work hath ever been done for the like sum". And again in 1573: "A strong piece of work, begun four or five years ago, lacks completion of one third. Four hundred pounds will be needed this year and four hundred next." Like his father, Amias was strongly anti-Catholic, although more Calvinist than Protestant. When the first
Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...
refugees poured into Jersey in 1558 he appointed some of the priests among them as Rectors and ignored his father's wishes, and to an extent those of Queen Elizabeth, over which prayer book should be used in island churches. His appointment to the Town Church of Guillaume Morise, a Huguenot minister from Anjou, led to the establishment of what Chroniques de Jersey described as the first "real Reformed Church in Jersey". There was a second influx of Huguenots in 1568 and they, too, were welcomed by Amias, although his father had reservations and wrote: "I approve my son's zeal in receiving these strangers, but I cannot like their continued abode in the isle. They should be passed on." But father and son got on well, despite these occasional disagreements, and in 1571 Amias was made joint-Governor, becoming sole Governor on his father's death, probably in 1578, although there are no records of the transition. In 1576
Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II (1926–2022; ), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms * Queen B ...
raised him to
knighthood A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...
, appointed him Ambassador to Paris and at the same time put the young
Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626) was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England under King James I. Bacon argued for the importance of nat ...
under his charge. Paulet was in this embassy until he was recalled November 1579. In 1579, he took into his household, the young Jean Hotman, son of
Francis Hotman Francis may refer to: People and characters *Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church (2013–2025) *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Francis (surname) * Francis, a character played by YouTuber Boogie29 ...
, to tutor his two sons Anthony and George. When the family returned to England, the tutor and his two charges settled at Oxford. His duties increasingly meant that Amias was absent from the island for long periods. He was appointed resident Ambassador in France for three years in 1576 and appointed Guillaume Lempriere, Seigneur of Trinity, his Lieutenant-Governor. He was clearly well trusted, because Queen Elizabeth's principal secretary Sir Francis Walsingham wrote: "Her Majesty wishes you in matters that concern her service to deal as you think fit, though you have no special direction, such trust she reposes in you." Paulet sent a new design of
farthingale A farthingale is one of several structures used under Western European women's clothing - especially in the 16th and 17th centuries - to support the skirts in the desired shape and to enlarge the lower half of the body. The fashion originated ...
to Elizabeth I in March 1577 which was worn by
Louise of Lorraine Louise of Lorraine (; 30 April 1553 – 29 January 1601) was Queen of France as the wife of King Henry III from their marriage on 15 February 1575 until his death on 2 August 1589. During the first three months of their marriage, she was also ...
and
Margaret of Valois Margaret of Valois (, 14 May 1553 – 27 March 1615), popularly known as , was List of Navarrese royal consorts, Queen of Navarre from 1572 to 1599 and Queen of France from 1589 to 1599 as the consort of Henry IV of France and III of Navarre. Ma ...
. Paulet was present in Jersey in 1583 for the swearing-in of his son Anthony as Lieutenant-Governor and his brother George as Bailiff, before leaving to join the Privy Council.


Paulet and Mary, Queen of Scots

A fanatical
Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to rid the Church of England of what they considered to be Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should b ...
with a harsh character, Paulet was appointed gaoler of Mary, Queen of Scots, by Elizabeth in January 1585, at
Chartley Castle Chartley Castle lies in ruins to the north of the village of Stowe-by-Chartley in Staffordshire, between Stafford and Uttoxeter (). Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned on the estate in 1585. The remains of the castle and associated earthworks ...
, and guarded her very strictly. He replaced the more tolerant Sir
Ralph Sadler Sir Ralph Sadler or Sadleir PC, Knight banneret (1507 – 30 March 1587) was an English statesman, who served Henry VIII as Privy Councillor, Secretary of State and ambassador to Scotland. Sadler went on to serve Edward VI. Having signed the ...
and his assistant John Somers who had given Mary far more liberty. He remained her keeper until Mary's execution at
Fotheringhay Castle Fotheringhay Castle, also known as Fotheringay Castle, was a High Middle Age Norman Motte-and-bailey castle in the village of Fotheringhay to the north of the market town of Oundle, Northamptonshire, England (). It was probably founded ar ...
on 8 February 1587. During his time with the Scottish Queen at Chartley, Paulet wrote to
Francis Walsingham Sir Francis Walsingham ( – 6 April 1590) was principal secretary to Queen Elizabeth I of England from 20 December 1573 until his death and is popularly remembered as her " spymaster". Born to a well-connected family of gentry, Wa ...
describing the activities of women who contributed to Mary's secret correspondence. Paulet discovered that a gentlewoman living near the castle helped send Mary's letters to her son
James VI James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...
. The laundry women lived and worked outside the castle, and might become a security risk. Mary's ladies in waiting could be conduits of foreign news. Letters addressed to the women of the household might attract less scrutiny. Paulet tried to recruit laundrywomen from Somerset, without local connections and so less likely to be useful to Mary's helpers, but none would travel so far for work. Walsingham also instructed Paulet to prevent Mary's household distributing alms or charity to houses outside the castle. In September 1586, Paulet invited Mary to go riding in the countryside, but it was a ruse and she was taken to
Fotheringhay Castle Fotheringhay Castle, also known as Fotheringay Castle, was a High Middle Age Norman Motte-and-bailey castle in the village of Fotheringhay to the north of the market town of Oundle, Northamptonshire, England (). It was probably founded ar ...
where she was made to stand trial for treason. After Mary's conviction, Walsingham wrote to Paulet requesting he assassinate Mary, to spare Elizabeth from involvement in her death. In a letter to Walsingham, Paulet refused to "make so great a shipwreck of my conscience, or leave so great a blot to my poor posterity, as shed blood without law or warrant". He was the appointed
Chancellor of the Order of the Garter The Chancellor of the Order of the Garter is an officer of the Order of the Garter. History of the office When the Order of the Garter was founded in 1348 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle by Edward III of England, three officers were initial ...
.


Marriage and progeny

He married Margaret Harvey, a daughter of Antony Harvey, of
Columbjohn Columb John (today "Columbjohn") in the parish of Broadclyst in Devon, England, is a historic estate that was briefly the seat of the prominent Acland family which later moved to the adjacent estate of Killerton. Nothing of the structure of the ...
in Devon, an "expert surveyor", by whom he had three sons and three daughters: * Hugh Paulet (b. 1558), the eldest son, who predeceased his father. *
Anthony Paulet Sir Anthony Paulet (1562–1600) of Hinton St George, Somerset, was Governor of Jersey from 1588 until his death in 1600. Origins He was born at Hinton St George, Somerset the eldest son of Amyas Paulet, Sir Amias Paulet (1532–1588) by his wife ...
(b. 1562), eldest surviving son and heir, who also succeeded his father as Governor of
Jersey Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gov ...
. His son was
John Poulett, 1st Baron Poulett John Poulett, 1st Baron Poulett (1585 – 20 March 1649), of Hinton St George, Somerset, was an English sailor and politician who sat in the House of Commons of England, House of Commons between 1610 and 1621 and was later raised to the Peerag ...
(born c. 1585). * George Paulet (b. 1565), who married his distant cousin Elizabeth Paulet, daughter and heiress of Edward Paulet of
Goathurst Goathurst is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Somerset, around 3 miles from the town of Bridgwater. The parish includes the hamlets of Andersfield and Huntstile. The village is on the route of the Samaritans Way South ...
, in
Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...
* Joan Paulet, wife of Robert Haydon (1560–1626) of Bowood, Epford and Cadhay House in Devonshire. * Sarah Paulet, second wife of Sir Francis Vincent, 1st Baronet (c. 1568 – 1640) of
Stoke d'Abernon __NOTOC__ Stoke d'Abernon () is a village and former civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Borough of Elmbridge, Elmbridge district, in Surrey, England. It is on the bank (geography), right bank of the River Mole contiguously south of ...
,Per Acland monumental inscription, Landkey, Devon in Surrey. Sir Francis Vincent's third wife was Eleanor Mallet (1573–1645), the widow and step-first cousin of Sir Arthur Acland (died 1610) of Acland in the parish of
Landkey Landkey is a village and civil parish in the North Devon district, in the county of Devon, England. The parish has a population of 2,302 according to the United Kingdom Census 2021, 2021 census. It is situated from the nearest town of Barnsta ...
, and of
Columbjohn Columb John (today "Columbjohn") in the parish of Broadclyst in Devon, England, is a historic estate that was briefly the seat of the prominent Acland family which later moved to the adjacent estate of Killerton. Nothing of the structure of the ...
in the parish of
Broadclyst Broadclyst is a village and civil parish in the East Devon local government district. It lies approximately northeast of the city of Exeter, Devon, England, on the B3181. In 2011 its population was 1,467, reducing at the 2021 Census to 1,552. ...
, Devon. * Elizabeth Paulet, died unmarried.


Death and burial

Paulet died in London on 26 September 1588 and was buried in the church of
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 ...
. However, his remains and monument were later removed to the
Church of St George, Hinton St George The Church of St George in Hinton St George, Somerset, England includes 13th-century work by masons of Wells Cathedral, and has been designated as a Grade I listed building. The vestry and north chapel of 1814 are said to be by James Wyatt, how ...
, after the original church was rebuilt. His name (as "Amyas le Poulet") was used by
Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Fau ...
for a character in ''
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court ''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' is an 1889 historical novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The book was originally titled ''A Yankee in King Arthur's Court''. Some early editions are titled ''A Yankee at the Court ...
''.


Works

*


See also

* ''
Elizabeth R ''Elizabeth R'' is a BBC television drama serial of six 90-minute plays starring Glenda Jackson as Queen Elizabeth I of England. It was first broadcast on BBC2 from February to March 1971, through the ABC in Australia and broadcast in the Un ...
'' * '' Elizabeth: The Golden Age''


References


Sources

* ''Jersey Through the Centuries: A Chronology'', Leslie Sinel, Jersey, (1984) * ''Mary, Queen of Scots'', Antonia Fraser, (1971), Dell Publishing Company, Inc., New York
''Letter books of Amias Paulet''
Morris, John, ed., (1874)
''Copy-book of Sir Amias Poulet's letters, written during his embassy to France''
Ogle, Octavius, ed., (1866), Roxburghe Club


External links


His portrait at the National Portrait Gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paulet, Amias 16th-century English diplomats Knights Bachelor Ambassadors of England to France Governors of Jersey People from Somerset 1532 births 1588 deaths Amias Chancellors of the Order of the Garter Burials at the Poulett mausoleum, Church of St George (Hinton St George)