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Thomas Digges (abt. 1546 - 1595)

Thomas Digges
Born about in Wootton, Kent, Englandmap [uncertain]
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married 24 May 1577 in Ulcombe, Kent, Englandmap
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 49 in London, Englandmap
Profile last modified | Created 1 Mar 2013
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Contents

Biography

Birth and Early Years

In about 1546 Thomas Digges was born, probably at Wootton, Kent, England; the eldest son of Leonard Digges (circa 1515 - circa 1559) and Bridget Wilsford.[1][2][3]

After the death of his father in 1559, Digges grew up under the guardianship of John Dee, a Renaissance natural philosopher, magician, astrologer and mathematician.[4]

Although the original Dictionary of National Biography states that Digges studied at Cambridge it appears he has been confused with another Thomas Digges, as the dates are too early.[5] Anthony Wood, in his Athenae Oxoniensis, asserts that Digges studied at Oxford, but he did not know at which college.[6] There is no definitive proof that he was ever at either university and his entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography makes no mention of university attendance.[7] By Digges's own statement he received his mathematical education first from his father and then from John Dee.[8] He is one of two known early pupils of John Dee, who passed on to him his copy of works of Archimedes in 1559, and whom Thomas referred to in one of his own works as his "revered second mathematical father."[7]

Mathematical and Scientific Interests

Thomas was one of the earliest proponents of Copernican astronomy in England. He published a loose translation of part of Copernicus's main work on cosmology, making Copernicus's thinking available for people not versed in Latin.[7] He was hailed by Tycho Brahe for his mathematical talents. He published a range of important works on the varied subjects of geometry, arithmetic, defence and military discipline.[5] In 1572 he wrote to William Cecil, Lord Burghley with notes about a new star he had studied.[9]

Public Career

In 1572 Thomas Digges entered parliament, under the patronage of Sir Robert Dudley, as the representative for Wallingford. He then represented Southampton. Digges was an active member of parliament and spoke on various issues including ports, armaments, benefit of clergy and seditious activities.[3]

Thomas was a consultant engineer in about 1577 for the harbour of Winchilsea, Sussex, and for Dover harbour, Kent in 1581, being made supervisor of works at Dover the next year.[3][10]

In 1584 Thomas represented Southampton in parliament.[3]

Later Years

Between 1586 and 1594 Thomas Digges was Mustermaster-General of the Queen's armies in the Low Countries. A summary of his service compiled in October 1588 noted that he was sincere and honest, as well as being highly efficient; and that her Majesty should deem the muster-master worthy of extraordinary favour.[11] Nevertheless, in his last years Thomas faced difficulties over his army accounts.[7][12]

On 2 May 1590 Thomas wrote to William Cecil, Lord Burghley, beseeching his "favour that I may have my pay, so long forborn after others by whom Her Majesty has been damaged are fully paid, or overpaid, whereas I, that never increased her charge one penny, but saved her many thousands, am yet unsatisfied by 1,000l., and have, for want thereof, received such hindrance that I had better have accepted a moiety than my full due now." He added that he was also engaged for debts of his brother.[13]

The problems over Thomas's army accounts appear to have been entangled with a bitter legal dispute with his brother-in-law William Digges over the handling of the estate of Thomas's father, of which William was executor. Thomas complained about this in a letter of 25 October 1593 to Robert Cecil, alleging a "foul conspiracy, contrived to defame me," of which he said William was an instigator.[14]

In 1596, after his death, Ralph Birkenshaw wrote to William Cecil drawing attention to what he saw as Thomas's negligence in his accounts and money-handling, and saying " it must have broken the heart of Mr. Digges to perceive that the Queen had lost so much through his oversight."[15]

Death and Burial

On August 24, 1595 Thomas Digges died in London. He was buried at St Mary Aldermanbury, London[1][2] where a monument was erected to his memory.[16] Although destroyed by the Great Fire of London, the memorial was noted in Stow's Survey of London:

"Hic resurrectionem mortuorum expectat Thomas Digsaeus, Armiger, ex Antiqua Digsaeorum in Cantia Familia oriundus, vir fide & pietate in Deum singulari, rei militaris admodum peritus, optimarum literarum studiosus, & scientiis Mathematicis ad miraculum (ut ex libris editis constat) eruditissimus: Quem Deus in Coelestem Patriam, Anno salutis, 1595. evocavit: charissimo Marito Vxor maestissima posuit."[16]
"Here Thomas Digges, armiger, awaits the resurrection of the dead, descended from the ancient Digges family of Kent, a man of great faith and piety towards God, greatly skilled in military affairs, studious in the best written works, and wonderfully expert in the mathematical sciences (as is evidenced by his books): whom God called to his celestial country, Year of Salvation, 1595: his sorrowing wife placed [this monument] to her beloved husband."[17]

Marriage and Children

Thomas married Anne St Leger[1][2] on 24 May 1577 in All Saints, Ulcombe, Kent, England.[18] The register noted that she was of Leeds Castle.

Thomas and Ann had at least six children:

The only reference found for son William, who presumably died young, is in Stow's Survey of London.

Will

Thomas Digges had his will drawn up on 10 Jun 1591, describing himself as Thomas DIgges, Esq of London.[19] It was proved on 1 September 1595.[22] He made bequests to and/or mentioned:

  • my wife Anne
  • my eldest son Dudley
  • my youngest son Leonard
  • my brother (in law) William Digges and my sister, his wife
  • my godson Thomas Digges
  • my brother James Digges
  • my daughter Mary Digges
  • my cousin Thomas Digges that served me in the low countries
  • my brothers (in law) George and William St Leger
  • my sister Constance Digges
  • my sister Sarah Weston
  • my sister Mary
  • my father in law Sir Wareham St Leger, Knt
  • my cousin Anthony St Leger
  • my cousin Matthew Hadd

A codicil was added to the will on 28 Sep 1594 revoking all bequests to Thomas's "ingrate" brothers James and William, as well as William's wife. A legacy of £100 was to go to his godson Thomas Digges, son of William Digges provided he did not participate in his parents' ingratitude. The codicil also included new bequests to:

A full transcription and analysis of his will is available here.

Sources

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Douglas Richardson. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 4 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham, 2nd edition (Salt Lake City: the author, 2011), Vol. II, p. 81, DIGGES 13,Google Books
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Douglas Richardson. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), Vol. III, p. 105, DIGGES 12
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 History of Parliament Online, entry for 'DIGGES, Thomas (c.1546-95), of Wootton and Wingham, Kent', accessed: 20 November 2021
  4. Stephen Johnston Museum of the History of Science, University of Oxford Like father, like son? John Dee, Thomas Digges and the identity of the mathematician. Wordpress
  5. 5.0 5.1 Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Vol. 15, pp. 71-73, entry for "Digges, Thomas", Wikisource (accessed November 20, 2021).
  6. Wood, Anthony, Athenae OxoniensesGoogle Books
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, entry by Stephen Johnston for 'Digges, Thomas (c. 1546–1595)', print and online 2004, revised online 2009
  8. Johnson, Francis R. “The Influence of Thomas Digges on the Progress of Modern Astronomy in Sixteenth-Century England.” Osiris 1 (1936): 390–410. JSTOR
  9. 'Queen Elizabeth - Volume 90: December 1572', in Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Edward VI, Mary and Elizabeth, 1547-80, ed. Robert Lemon (London, 1856), pp. 454-458, entry for 11 December 1572, British History Online, accessed 12 December 2021
  10. 'Queen Elizabeth - Volume 153: April 1582', in Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Elizabeth, 1581-90, ed. Robert Lemon (London, 1865), pp. 50-53, British History online, accessed 12 December 2021
  11. "Elizabeth: October 1588, 6-10," in Calendar of State Papers Foreign: Elizabeth, Volume 22, July-December 1588, ed. Richard Bruce Wernham (London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1936), 247-258. British History Online, accessed December 1, 2021, www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/foreign/vol22/pp247-258 (not accessible in February 2024)
  12. 'Addenda, Queen Elizabeth - Volume 31: July 1590', in Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Elizabeth, Addenda 1580-1625, ed. Mary Anne Everett Green (London, 1872), pp. 308-310, entries for 24 and 25 July, 1590, British History Online, accessed 12 December 2021
  13. 'Addenda, Queen Elizabeth - Volume 31: May 1590', in Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Elizabeth, Addenda 1580-1625, ed. Mary Anne Everett Green (London, 1872), pp. 306-307, British History Online, accessed 12 December 2021
  14. 'Cecil Papers: October 1593', in Calendar of the Cecil Papers in Hatfield House: Volume 4, 1590-1594, ed. R A Roberts (London, 1892), pp. 381-406, entry for 25 October 1593, British History Online, accessed 12 December 2021
  15. 'Queen Elizabeth - Volume 260: October 1596', in Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Elizabeth, 1595-97, ed. Mary Anne Everett Green (London, 1869), pp. 291-301, entries for 14 October 1596, British History Online, accessed 12 December 2021
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 Stow, John, Anthony Munday, Anthony Munday, and Humphrey Dyson. The Survey of London (1633): Cripplegate Ward. The Map of Early Modern London. Ed. Janelle Jenstad. Victoria: University of Victoria. Accessed June 26, 2020. MoEML
  17. Translated by Michael Cayley
  18. Marriage: "Kent Marriages And Banns"
    Archive: Canterbury Cathedral Archives
    FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 18 November 2021)
    Thomas Digges marriage to Anna StLeger on 24 May 1577 in Ulcombe, All Saints, Kent, England.
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Will: "England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858"
    The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 86
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry au Record 5111 #940712 (accessed 18 November 2021)
    Will of Thome Diggs of London, granted probate on 1 Sep 1595. Died Abt 1595.
  20. Baptism: "England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
    Ancestry au Record 9841 #121341942 (accessed 18 November 2021)
    Ursula Diggs baptism on 19 Jul 1594, daughter of Thomas, in Saint Mary The Virgin Aldermanbury, London, London, England.
  21. Some Monumental Inscriptions of Chilham Church, Noted by Rev Bryan Faussett 1757 Kent Archaeology
  22. The National Archives, ref. PROB 11/86/204, Will of Thomas Diggs of London, Discovery Centre catalogue entry

Magna Carta Project

This profile was developed for the Magna Carta Project by Elizabeth Viney in November and December 2021 and reviewed for the Project by Michael Cayley on 2 December 2021.
Thomas Digges appears in Magna Carta Ancestry in a Richardson-documented trail from Gateway Ancestor Edward Digges to Magna Carta Surety Baron Geoffrey de Say (vol. II, pages 78-83 DIGGES). The trail from Digges to Say was badged in March, 2023 and is set out in the Magna Carta Trails section of the Gateway's profile.
See Base Camp for more information about identified Magna Carta trails and their status. See the project's glossary for project-specific terms, such as a "badged trail".




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Comments: 3

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Hello PMs, I will be working to develop this profile for the Magna Carta Project. Cheers, Elizabeth.
Thank you, Elizabeth, for your great work on this profile. I have now reviewed it for the Magna Carta Project.
posted by Michael Cayley
This profile appears in a Richardson documented trail from Gateway Edward Digges to surety baron Geoffrey de Say that has not yet been developed on WikiTree (see trail here). I will soon be adding the Magna Carta Project as co-manager of this profile as well as project box and project section. Thanks.
posted by Traci Thiessen