Bridget (Wiltshire) Tyrwhitt (abt. 1495 - aft. 1534)

Born about 1495 in England

Ancestors

Wife of Richard Wingfield KG — married before 1513 (to 22 Jul 1525) in Calais, Pas-de-Calais, France

Descendants

Died after Jan 1534 after about age 39 in Ickworth, Suffolk, England

Biography

Bridget (Wiltshire) Tyrwhitt is Notable.

Bridget Wiltshire was the daughter and heir of Sir John Wiltshire of Stone Castle in Kent ^[1][2] and his wife, Margaret Graunt.^[3][4]It is not known when or where Bridget was born but she was married sometime before 1513 when she was likely in her teens. It is often suggested that she was born at Shurland in Kent but her father did not acquire property there until well into the reign of Henry VIII.^[5]

Her father was appointed Controller of Calais in 1505 ^{[6] [7]} so it seems likely that Bridget spent much of her childhood there. Likely too that she was married there since the man she was to marry was appointed Marshall of Calais on the 10th of November 1511.^[7] Her husband was widower Sir Richard Wingfield of Kimbolton in Huntingdonshire, son of John Wingfield and his wife, Elizabeth FitzLewis.^[1][2] Richard was a man of considerable stature having previously though briefly been married to Katherine Woodville, sister of Elizabeth Woodville grandmother of the King, Henry VIII. ^[8]He was also some 20 years older that Bridget and about to begin his career as ambassador.^[7] They are said to have had as many as 10 children. ^[4] Of the "unsourced" children in the Wikipedia account sources have been found for Charles, Margaret, Cecilia, Jana, Thomas, and Jacques.^[2] Not listed in Wikipedia is Lawrence.^[2]The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography lists Charles, Thomas Maria, Jacques, Lawrence, Elizabeth, Katherine, Cecily and Mary. ^[7]Listed in Wikipedia but not elsewhere are Henry and Anne.

Their first child, Charles, was born in 1513, his godparents being Margaret of Savoy, Regent of the Netherlands and the archduke Charles,^[7] presumably by proxy. Their next son, Thomas Maria, born about 1516 also had illustrious godparents, supposed by the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography to have been Cardinal Wolsey and the King's sister, Mary Tudor, formerly Queen of France and by this time the wife of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk,^[7] son of Richard's cousin, William Brandon. On 15 May 1519 Richard was replaced as deputy of Calais and recalled to England.^[7]

Early in 1520 Richard was sent to France as resident ambassador, replacing Sir Thomas Boleyn, and charged with negotiating the arrangements for that great meeting of Henry VIII and Francis I known as the Field of the Cloth of Gold which he and Bridget both attended. ^[7] Around this time Bridget became a member of the household of the Queen, Catherine of Aragon.^[4] Meanwhile Richard continued his service to the King and was rewarded with the Knighthood of the Garter in April 1522 and a grant in November that same year of the Castle and Manor of Kimbolton.^[7]In March 1525 Richard was sent on a mission to Spain and died at Toledo on the the 22nd of July. He was elaborately buried in the church of the Friars Observants of San Juan de los Reyes at Toledo. By his will he made Bridget guardian of his children and left her a considerable collection of gold and silver plate and the use of his households at Kimbolton and in London until she came into her own inheritance.^[7]

Bridget came into her inheritance the following year at the death of her father, Sir John. He had, at sometime into the reign of Henry VIII acquired, from the Killingworths, Stone Place and the manor of Cotton in the parish of Stone in Kent, but not Stone Castle which was held by others. ^[5]

Bridget married secondly another widower, Sir Nicholas Hervey of Ickworth in Suffolk, son of William Hervey and his wife, Jane Cockett. ^[9][10]Nicholas was a very different man from Richard. He was much younger being about the same age as Bridget and, indeed, the King. She may first have noticed him jousting in the lists at the Field of the Cloth of Gold.^[10] According to History of Parliament she bore Nicholas 3 sons, including George, and 2 daughters. ^[10]Richardson in Royal Ancestry says just 3 children. ^[9]On the other hand the Visitation of Essex names John, 2 Georges, Ann and Mabel with the possibility of a William. ^[11]

By the time of Bridget's second marriage the King had become enamoured of Anne Boleyn ^[12]and Nicholas became what Chapuys, the imperial ambassador called "a strong partisan" of Anne. ^[10] He did not, however, live to see her married to the king for he died at Ampthill in Bedfordshire on the 5th of August 1532. ^[10]

Very shortly after Nicholas' death Bridget married for a third time. Her choice was a young man about the court, esquire of the body to the king, Robert Tyrwhitt, son of Robert Tyrwhit and his wife, Maude Tailboys.^[1]

Bridget was still alive in January 1534^[9]and was dead by 1540 when Robert married again.^[1]Richardson says that there were no children from this marriage ^[9] while History of Parliament is silent on the matter. ^[1] Wikipedia asserts that she died after giving birth to 2 children, Jane and Arthur Tyrwhitt.^[4]

Disputed Parents

Burke names Bridget's parents as John Wiltshire and Isabella Clothall^[13]here given as her grandparents. More sourced dates are needed to make a more balanced assessment.

See ^[14]for an appraisal of Burke's work.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} History of Parliament online: TYRWHITT, Sir Robert I (by 1504-72), of Mortlake, Surr. and Leighton Bromswold, Hunts
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} The Visitation of Huntingdonshire Page 112: Wingfield
3. ↑ Visitation of Essex Page 737
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3} Wikipedia:Bridget Wiltshire
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} British History online. Parishes Stone
6. ↑ Chronicles of Calais xli
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9} Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: Wingfield, Sir Richard (b. in or before 1469, d. 1525) Mary L. Robertson
8. ↑ Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 62 Wingfield, Richard (1469?-1525) by Isaac Saunders Leadam
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3} Royal Ancestry by Douglas Richardson Vol. V p. 20
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4} History of Parliament online: HARVEY, Nicholas (c.1491-1532) of Ickworth, Suff
11. ↑ The Visitation of Essex Page 582: Harvey, Hervey
12. ↑ Wikipedia: Anne Boleyn
13. ↑ Burke's Peerage, Featured Families: Hervey
14. ↑ Britannica

See also:

• Royal Ancestry by D. Richardson Vol. III p. 517.

Acknowledgements

• Entered from the Genealogy worksheets compiled by Ralph Pryor during his 40 years of research, traveling extensively in the military and in retirement. Entered by Greg Rose, Grandson.