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SPEKE, Sir Thomas (1508-51), of White Lackington, Som. and London. Member of British Parliament for Somerset 1539- after 1545[1]
Served as J.P. and sheriff in Somerset and Dorset, was keeper of Neroche Forest in Somerset 1539-1542, and was chief steward of the lands of Glastonbury Abbey after its dissolution.
Born 25 Mar. 1508, 1st s. of John Speke of White Lackington by Alice, da. of Sir Thomas Arundell of Lanherne, Cornw.[1]
J.p. Som. 1532-d.; sheriff, Som. and Dorset 1539-40, 1549-50; keeper, Neroche Forest, Som. Dec. 1539-Apr. 1542, Eltham park, Kent 1547-d.; sewer, the chamber by 1540, gent. by 1544; surveyor, ct. augmentations, Som. c.1540-d.; chief steward, lands formerly of Glastonbury abbey 1540, East and West Greenwich, Kent c.1547; commr. benevolence, Som. 1544/45, chantries, Dorset, Som. 1548, relief, Kent, Som. 1550; supervisor of kerseys, London, Southampton June-Nov. 1549.[1]
Married: (1) by 1530, Anne, da. of Richard Berkeley of Stoke, Som.; (2) 1549, Elizabeth, wid. of William Willoughby, 1da. suc. fa. 6 Dec. 1524. Kntd. bef. July 1538.
Married as his first wife, Anne, daughter of Richard Berkeley[2] [who was mother to his son and heir George], and as his second wife, Elizabeth, widow of William Willoughby.
1 son George 1 daughter[1]
Originally of Devon, the Speke family had acquired considerable lands in Somerset during the 15th century and Sir John Speke, grandfather of Thomas, had made his main seat at White Lackington. On reaching his majority in 1529 Thomas Speke succeeded to rich estates in Somerset and Devon, as also to the lands and half the goods of his uncle Sir George Speke.[1]
He was knighted in 1538 and in 1539, he was elected to Parliament for his shire. He probably began his career at court at about the same time.[1]
Following the dissolution of the monasteries and the attainder of the Marquess of Exeter in 1539 he obtained lucrative posts under the new augmentations office in Somerset; he seems, however, to have purchased little land himself. He probably continued to live much at court, where he was clearly a favourite of the King.[1]
He may have sat in the Parliament of 1542 (for which the names of the Somerset knights are unknown), and certainly did so in that of 1545.[1]
In 1544 he led a troop of horse on the campaign in France and in November 1545 he was licensed to retain 40 persons in his livery. Like his brother-in-law Sir Maurice Berkeley he was included in the King’s will, receiving a legacy of 200 marks.[1]
Speke was one of the challengers at the tournaments in honour of Edward VI’s coronation, and although not elected to the new Parliament appears to have remained in favour; he was made steward of several royal manors in north-west Kent and obtained a lease of Eltham manor and other property there. In December 1549 he bought from the bishop of Exeter the manor and borough of Paignton, Devon, although a month earlier, on the fall of the Protector Somerset, he had vacated the post of surveyor of kerseys in Southampton and London granted to him in June 1549.[1]
On 10 July 1551 Speke was struck down by the ‘sweating sickness’ which also carried off a number of his fellow-courtiers in that month. In his will dated Jul. 11, 1551 he described himself as "one of the gentilmen of the Kinges most honorable privy Chamber" and requested burial in "the churche of Seynt Dunstons within Temple Barre in London." [3] He died the day after at his house in Chancery Lane and was buried at St. Dunstan’s in the West. He left to his son all his lands, leases, jewels and cash, to his wife £240 ‘in old gold’, half his household stuff and the manor of Dawlish for life, and to his two daughters 500 marks each at their marriage.[1] He asked that all leases and copyholds which he had made but not yet confirmed should be fulfilled. As executors he appointed his son and wife, and among the overseers were (Sir) William Herbert I, Sir Thomas Cheyne, (Sir) Hugh Paulet (his fellow-knight in 1539) and Alexander Popham. The will was proved on 18 July 1551 by his son, and by sentence of 14 Nov. 1552 was pronounced valid except for the bequests to the widow, which were nullified by her adultery.[1]
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