Vice-Admiral of England Sir Thomas Spert (spelled in some records as Pert) (died December 1541) was a mariner who reached the rank of vice admiral in service to 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 known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. He was sailing master of the flagships ''

Mary Rose The ''Mary Rose'' was a carrack in the English Tudor navy of Henry VIII of England, King Henry VIII. She was launched in 1511 and served for 34 years in several wars against France, Scotland, and Brittany. After being substantially rebuilt in ...

'' and '' Henry Grace a Dieu''. He served as the first Master of

Trinity House The Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond, also known as Trinity House (and formally as The Master, Wardens and Assistants of the Guild Fraternity or Brotherhood of the most glorious and undivided Trinity and of St Clement in the ...

, the private corporation for maritime affairs in London.

Spert Island Spert Island is an island lying off the west extremity of Trinity Island, in the Palmer Archipelago of Antarctica. Charted by the Swedish Antarctic Expedition under Nordenskjold, 1901–04. Named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Commit ...

off the coast of

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

is named for him. AnthonyRoll-1 Great Harry

Early life and career

Thomas Pert (as his name was at times recorded) or Spert was born in England. He entered the service of Henry VII as a mariner, carrying dispatches between England and Spain. Spert served, evidently with credit, in the navy of

during the Anglo-French War of 1512–1514. From 1512 to 1515, he was master of the ''

,'' one of the most important warships in the Crown's fleet. On 10 November 1514, Spert was granted an annuity of £20, which was confirmed in January 1516. He next was assigned as master to the '' Henry Grace a Dieu'', the largest vessel constructed up to then in England. On 10 July 1517, Spert was granted the office of ballasting ships in the

Thames River The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the ...

, which office he was to hold 'during pleasure' at a fee of £10 a year. Historian James A. Williamson in his work of 1913 thought this fact aided an argument against Richard Eden's statement that Spert's misconduct had spoiled the success of the 1516-1517 voyage of discovery undertaken with Sebastian Cabot. Williamson said that the ballasting office apparently provided opportunity for profit, and would not have been granted to a man who had recently disgraced himself. A document in the Public Record Office is found in a manuscript book showing the issues of various stores to the masters of the king's ships. Entries detail Spert's presence on the ''Henry Grace a Dieu'' on 7 April and 5 July 1516, and on 28 April and 17 September 1517. Together with the grant made to him on 10 July 1517, Williamson argued that these appear to be conclusive evidence that Spert was not traveling with Sebastian Cabot in a voyage of discovery in 1516–1517 to the southern coast of North America.James A. Williamson, ''Maritime Enterprise 1485-1558'', Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913, pp. 241–245 What is known of the remainder of Spert's career shows that he continued in high favour with the king. He served in the war of 1522-5 and was consulted by the admiral as to the best way of cutting out some Scottish privateers in

Boulogne Boulogne-sur-Mer (; ; ; or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Hauts-de-France, Northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais. Boul ...

harbour. In 1524 he was appointed Clerk Comptroller of the Navy, a financial office which he held until 1540. Between 1538 and 1540 he held the office of Captain of Portsmouth, by which he was responsible for maintaining and rebuilding the

fortifications of Portsmouth The fortifications of Portsmouth are extensive due to its strategic position on the English Channel and role as home to the Royal Navy. For this reason, Portsmouth was, by the 19th century, one of the most Fortification, fortified cities in the ...

. He was knighted in (or soon after) 1535. His knighthood has been disputed by historians, but Williamson notes two official documents that refer to him as Sir Thomas Spert (Letters and Papers, vi, No. 196; xvii, No. 1258).Williamson (1913), ''Maritime Enterprise'', p. 244 Spert made his will 28 November 1541, naming his wife Mary (Fabian) as executrix, and died at

Stepney Stepney is an area in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London. Stepney is no longer officially defined, and is usually used to refer to a relatively small area. However, for much of its history the place name was applied to ...

in December. According to Baldwin, his monument at St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney, is in error in stating that he died on 8 September 1541. He left his pasturage in Blackwall to his widow until his son Richard reached the age of majority. He also made bequests to his daughter and to his cousin Margaret Spert, who was married to 'the famous

Guinea Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...

seaman,

John Lok John Lok was the son of Sir William Lok, the great-great-great-grandfather of the philosopher John Locke (1632–1704). In 1554 he was captain of a trading voyage to Guinea. An account of his voyage was published in 1572 by Richard Eden. Fami ...

Marriages and issue

Spert married a woman named Margery, whose surname is unknown. He married as his second wife Anne Salkell, but appears to have had no children by either marriage. He married thirdly Mary Fabian, the daughter of John Fabian (nephew of the chronicler,

Robert Fabyan Robert Fabyan (died 1512) was a London draper, Sheriff and Alderman, and author of ''Fabyan's Chronicle''. Family Robert Fabyan was the son of John Fabyan and his wife, Agnes. He is said to have been born in London. He had a brother, John. His ...

) and Anne Waldegrave. They had two children. Their son Richard Spert married Grissell Salkell of King's Wood,

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...

. Their daughter Anne Spert married firstly Thomas Brook, and secondly John Skott.

Legacy and honors

off the coast of

is named for him.

Notes

References

*
Sir Thomas Spert - People and places
Port Cities
James A. Williamson, ''Maritime Enterprise 1485-1558''
Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913, full text online at Internet Archive, via University of Toronto {{DEFAULTSORT:Spert, Thomas 1541 deaths 16th-century Royal Navy personnel Sailors from London English admirals Members of Trinity House Year of birth unknown