Edward Clinton KG PC (1512 - 1585)

Born 1512 in England

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Blount) Clinton — married about 1531 in England

Husband of Ursula (Stourton) Clinton — married before 15 Jun 1541 in England

Husband of Elizabeth (FitzGerald) Clinton — married Oct 1552 in England

Descendants

Died 16 Jan 1585 at about age 73 in London, England

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Biography

Edward Clinton (1512-1585), 9th Baron Clinton and 1st Earl of Lincoln, KG, PC, was an English nobleman who was a loyal supporter of four successive monarchs as military commander on land and sea, diplomat, courtier and administrator.^{[1] [2]} Documents surviving from his lifetime in English, French, Spanish, and Latin all agree that his first name was Edward, but his last names show many variations. In front of Clinton is often the name Fynes or Fiennes (they are pronounced the same) with a “de” before it or after it. Modern sources also differ so, for simplicity, this profile uses plain Edward Clinton.

Origins

Born in 1512, he was the only son and heir of Thomas Clinton, 8th Baron Clinton, and his wife Joan Poynings, illegitimate daughter of Sir Edward Poynings.^{[1] [2]} After his father died in 1517 when he was only five years old, he was made a ward of his grandfather Sir Edward Poynings.^{[1] [2] [3]} His mother then became the second wife of Sir Robert Wingfield.

Under King Henry VIII

By 1532 he was attending the royal court and had married a mistress of King Henry VIII. This was Elizabeth Blount, wealthy widow of Gilbert Tailboys, Baron Tailboys and first daughter of Sir John Blount and his wife Catherine Pershall. About 10 years older than him and already mother of the King's illegitimate son Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond^[1], she brought him extensive lands in Lincolnshire. ^[2] He was present at the coronation of Anne Boleyn in 1533, and at the trial before her execution in 1536. ^[2]

His wardship lasted until November 1535, when he succeeded to his father's lands at age 23, and in Apr 1536 he was first summoned to sit in Parliament as Baron Clinton. ^{[1] [2]} When most Lincolnshire landowners joined the rebellion known as the Pilgrimage of Grace in Oct 1536, he joined the royal army suppressing the rebels. He was rewarded with extensive lands seized from monastic houses, making his home in the former Gilbertine priory of Sempringham in Lincolnshire. ^[2] After the death of his first wife, leaving three daughters, by 1541 he had married Ursula Stoughton, daughter of William Stourton, 7th Baron Stourton, and his first wife Elizabeth Dudley ^[1], and jointly with her was granted further lands. ^[2]

In 1544 he served in the English expedition against Scotland under his wife's uncle John Dudley and in the captured town of Leith was rewarded with a knighthood. ^[1] Shortly after, he served in the English expedition against France, where he was present at the capture of Boulogne-sur-Mer. ^[2] At the funeral of King Henry VIII in 1547, he was one of the 12 peers who were chief mourners. ^[1]

Under King Edward VI

Under the next King Edward VI, who was only nine years old at the start of his reign, he benefited from the fact that Dudley was one of the most powerful figures in the kingdom. On various occasions he was rewarded with grants of lands, whose rentals augmented his income. ^[2] He served again in the war against Scotland and then from 1548 to 1550 in the war against France, where he was in command of the town of Boulogne-sur-Mer until its surrender. ^{[1] [2]} In 1550 he was appointed to the Privy Council, ^[1][2] and was named Lord High Admiral of England and in June 1551 he was installed as a Knight of the Garter. ^{[1] [2]} In addition, to maintain his important roles, he was granted additional income and lands. These included the estate of Tattershall in Lincolnshire, which he made his principal home in place of Sempringham. ^[2] His second wife died in Sep 1551, leaving four known children, and in Dec 1551 he served as ambassador to France. ^{[1] [2]} In Oct 1552 he married for the third time, to Elizabeth FitzGerald, later known as “The Fair Geraldine”, widow of Sir Anthony Browne and youngest daughter of Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare,^[4] and his second wife Elizabeth Gray. They had no children. ^{[1] [2]} In 1552 he was also appointed Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, holding the post for life. ^[1]

Under Queen Mary I

When King Edward VI died in Jul 1553, Dudley activated a conspiracy to put on the throne his own daughter-in-law Lady Jane Grey in place of the heir, Mary Tudor. Clinton's role in the plot was to seize the Tower of London but, when the coup collapsed and Dudley was executed, he was himself imprisoned. Queen Mary pardoned him, on payment of 6000 pounds (about 2.5 million in 2018), and deprived him of his posts of Lord High Admiral and Privy Councillor. When Sir Thomas Wyatt's rebellion broke out in Jan 1554, he was made military commander of the London district to confront the insurgents. In July 1554 he was at Mary's wedding to King Philip II of Spain. Mary sent him twice as her ambassador to France and when war broke out again in 1557 he was a leader of the English forces fighting there beside the Spanish. Reappointed as Lord High Admiral on the recommendation of Mary's husband, the Spanish ambassador reported of him: “'Although the Admiral is a double-dealer and principally concerned with his own interests, he has more authority than anyone else … he only likes to tell people things they will be glad to hear.” ^[2]

Under Queen Elizabeth I

When Queen Mary was succeeded by her half-sister Elizabeth I in Nov 1558, he was reappointed to the Privy Council. His wife had been brought up with the Queen and was appointed as her attendant. The war against France and Scotland continued, with Clinton heading naval operations.^[2] In 1564 he was awarded an MA by the University of Cambridge. ^[1] When the Rebellion of the North broke out in November 1569, he was in command of the land forces quelling it and then switched to command the naval forces in the North Sea. ^[1][2] In January 1572 he was one of the peers judging the Duke of Norfolk, who was executed for treason, ^[1] and for his many services to his country in May 1572 he was created Earl of Lincoln. ^{[1] [2]}

In Aug 1572 he was English ambassador to France for the wedding of Princess Margaret to Henry, King of Navarre, which ended in the St Bartholomew's Day massacres. ^[1] This was his last major public duty, though he kept his offices and their salaries. ^[2] He was an investor in voyages of exploration, privateering and colonisation, taking a stake in the round-the-world voyage of Sir Francis Drake in 1577-80 and probably in Sir Humphrey Gilbert's expedition to North America in 1578. When the latter failed, he was a member of the official enquiry into the causes. ^[5]

Death

Edward died in London on 16 January 1585, aged 72, and was buried in St George's Chapel at Windsor in Berkshire, where a monument was put up in what is now called the Lincoln Chapel to him and his third wife, who had died in 1590. ^{[1] [2]} His will made on 11 July 1584, which divided his property between his eldest son and his wife, was proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 19 May 1585. ^[6] It was immediately challenged in the courts by his son, who obtained a preliminary ruling in July 1585, ^[7] but was finally confirmed in March 1587. ^[2] The inquisitiones post mortem for his extensive landholdings are accessible in the National Archives.^[8]

Children

His children with Elizabeth Blount were:

• Bridget, who married Sir Robert Dymoke.
• Catherine, who married William Burgh, 2nd Baron Burgh.
• Margaret, who married Charles Willoughby, 2nd Baron Willoughby of Parham.^[9]

His known children with Ursula Stourton were:

• Henry, his heir, who married first Catherine Hastings and secondly Elizabeth Morrison.^[1]
• Frances, who married Giles Brydges, 3rd Baron Chandos.
• Anne, who married William Ayscough.
• Thomas, who married Mary Tyrrell.

Likenesses

Portraits of Edward in English collections may be seen in the National Portrait Gallery ^[10], the Royal Collection at Windsor ^[11], and the Royal Museums at Greenwich. ^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20} George Edward Cokayne, revised by Vicary Gibbs, edited by H A Doubleday and Lord Howard de Walden, “Lincoln” in “The Complete Peerage or the History of the House of Lords and all its Members from the earliest times”, London (1929) Volume VIII, pages 690-693 https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/84574-the-complete-peerage-of-england-scotland-ireland-great-britain-and-the-united-kingdom-extant-extinct-or-dormant-vol-7?viewer=1&offset=0#page=697&viewer=picture&o=info&n=0&q=
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22} Anne Duffin, “Clinton, Edward Fiennes de, first earl of Lincoln (1512–1585)” in “Oxford Dictionary of National Biography”, 3 January 2008 https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/5679 (open to members of subscribing libraries)
3. ↑ H W Forsyth Harwood (ed), The Genealogist, new series, London, 1901, volume 17, page 284. Internet Archive (accessed 12 Dec 2021)
4. ↑ Benolte, Thomas; Philipot, John; & Owen, George. The Visitations of the County of Sussex: 1530 and 1633-4. London: The Harleian Society, 1905. Vol LIII, p 83.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} National Maritime Museum https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/14314.html
6. ↑ PROB 11/68/307 https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D921686
7. ↑ PROB 11/68/439 https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D921819
8. ↑ C 142/209/34-1 https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7830284
9. ↑ Lincolnshire Pedegrees Vol. 3. Edited by Maddison, The Rev. Canon A.R. 1904. London Page 1088. Anne daughter of Charles, 2nd Lord Willoughby by Margaret, dau. of Edward, Earl of Lincoln, married Sir William Pelham, Knt. of Brocklesby.[1]
10. ↑ https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp02738/edward-fiennes-de-clinton-1st-earl-of-lincoln
11. ↑ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hans_Holbein_the_Younger_-_Edward_Fiennes_de_Clinton,_9th_Lord_Clinton,_1st_Earl_of_Lincoln_RL_12198.jpg

• Lincolnshire Pedegrees Vol. 3. Edited by Maddison, The Rev. Canon A.R. 1904. London Page 1088. Anne daughter of Charles, 2nd Lord Willoughby by Margaret, dau. of Edward, Earl of Lincoln, married Sir William Pelham, Knt. of Brocklesby.[2]

See also:

• Royal Ancestry, D. Richardson, 2013, Vol. V, p. 217