William Paget, 1st Baron Paget
Encyclopedia
William Paget, 1st Baron Paget of Beaudesert (1506 – 9 June 1563), was an English
statesman
and accountant
who held prominent positions in the service of Henry VIII
, Edward VI
and Mary I
.
. He was born in Staffordshire
in 1506, and was educated at St Paul's School when William Lily
was its headmaster, and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge
, proceeding afterwards to the University of Paris
. At St Paul's, he befriended the future antiquary John Leland and later acted as one of his benefactors.
for Lichfield
in 1529 and for Middlesex
in 1545.
Probably through the influence of Stephen Gardiner
, who had early befriended Paget, he was employed by Henry VIII
in several important diplomatic missions; in 1532 he was appointed Clerk of the Signet
and soon afterwards of the privy council
. He became secretary to Queen Anne of Cleves
in 1539, and in 1543 he was sworn of the privy council and appointed secretary of state, in which position Henry VIII in his later years relied much on his advice, appointing him one of the council to act during the minority of Edward VI
.
Paget at first vigorously supported the protector Somerset
, while counselling a moderation which Somerset did not always observe. In 1547 he was made comptroller of the king's household, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
, elected knight of the shire (MP) for Staffordshire
and made a knight of the Garter; and in 1549 he was summoned by writ to the House of Lords
as Baron Paget de Beaudesert. About the same time he obtained extensive grants of lands, including Cannock Chase
and Burton Abbey in Staffordshire
, and in London the residence of the bishops of Exeter
, afterwards known successively as Lincoln House and Essex House
, on the site now occupied by the Outer Temple
in the London
. He obtained Beaudesert
in Staffordshire
, which remained the chief seat of the Paget family.
Paget shared Somerset's disgrace, being committed to the Tower
in 1551 and degraded from the Order of the Garter in the following year, besides suffering a heavy fine by the Star Chamber
for having profited at the expense of the Crown in his administration of the duchy of Lancaster. He was, however, restored to the king's favour in 1553, and was one of the twenty-six peers who signed Edward's settlement of the crown on Lady Jane Grey in June of that year. He made his peace with Queen Mary
, who reinstated him as a knight of the Garter and in the privy council in 1553, and appointed him Lord Privy Seal
in 1556. On the accession of Elizabeth I
in 1558 Paget retired from public life.
(d. 1568) and Thomas
, succeeded in turn to the peerage. A younger son, Charles Paget
(d. 1612, Weston-on-Trent
), was a well-known Catholic
conspirator against Queen Elizabeth, in the position of secretary to Archbishop James Beaton
, the ambassador in Paris of Mary, Queen of Scots; although at times he also played the part of a spy and forwarded information to Walsingham
and William Cecil
.
Thomas Paget, 3rd Baron Paget
(c. 1540-1589), a zealous Roman Catholic, was-suspected of complicity in Charles's plots and was attainted in 1587. The peerage was restored in 1604 to his son William, 4th Lord Paget
(1572–1629), whose son William
, the 5th lord (1609–1678), fought for Charles I
at the Battle of Edgehill
. William, the 6th lord
(1637–1713), a supporter of the Glorious Revolution
of 1688, was ambassador at Vienna
from 1689 to 1693, and later at Constantinople
, having much to do with bringing about the important treaty of Carlowitz in 1699.
Henry, the 7th baron (c.1665-1743), was raised to the peerage during his father's lifetime as Baron Burton in 1712, being one of the twelve peers created by the Tory
ministry to secure a majority in the House of Lords
, and was created Earl of Uxbridge in 1714. His only son, Thomas Catesby Paget, the author of an Essay on Human Life (1735) and other writings, died in January 1742 before his father, leaving a son Henry
(1719–1769), who became 2nd Earl of Uxbridge.
At the latter's death the earldom of Uxbridge and barony of Burton became extinct, the older barony of Paget of Beaudesert passing to his cousin Henry Bayly (1744–1812), heir general of the first baron, who in 1784 was created earl of Uxbridge. His second son, Sir Arthur Paget
(1771–1840), was an eminent diplomat during the Napoleonic wars
, Sir Edward Paget
(1775–1849), the fourth son, served under Sir John Moore in the Peninsula, and was afterwards second in command under Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
; the fifth, Sir Charles Paget
(1778–1839), served with distinction in the navy, and rose to the rank of vice-admiral. The eldest son Henry William, 2nd Earl of Uxbridge (1768–1854), was in 1815 created Marquess of Anglesey
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
and accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
who held prominent positions in the service of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
and Mary I
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
.
Early life
He was the son of William Paget, one of the serjeants-at-mace of the city of LondonCity of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. He was born in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
in 1506, and was educated at St Paul's School when William Lily
William Lilye
William Lily was an English classical grammarian and scholar. He was an author of the most widely used Latin grammar textbook in England and was the first headmaster of St Paul's School, London.-Life:...
was its headmaster, and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
, proceeding afterwards to the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
. At St Paul's, he befriended the future antiquary John Leland and later acted as one of his benefactors.
Political career
He served as Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Lichfield
Lichfield (UK Parliament constituency)
Lichfield is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
in 1529 and for Middlesex
Middlesex (UK Parliament constituency)
Middlesex is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885....
in 1545.
Probably through the influence of Stephen Gardiner
Stephen Gardiner
Stephen Gardiner was an English Roman Catholic bishop and politician during the English Reformation period who served as Lord Chancellor during the reign of Queen Mary I of England.-Early life:...
, who had early befriended Paget, he was employed by Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
in several important diplomatic missions; in 1532 he was appointed Clerk of the Signet
Clerk of the Signet
The Clerks of the Signet were English officials who played an intermediate role in the passage of letters patent through the seals. For most of the history of the position, four clerks were in office simultaneously....
and soon afterwards of the privy council
Privy Council of England
The Privy Council of England, also known as His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, was a body of advisers to the sovereign of the Kingdom of England...
. He became secretary to Queen Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves was a German noblewoman and the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England and as such she was Queen of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540. The marriage was never consummated, and she was not crowned queen consort...
in 1539, and in 1543 he was sworn of the privy council and appointed secretary of state, in which position Henry VIII in his later years relied much on his advice, appointing him one of the council to act during the minority of Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
.
Paget at first vigorously supported the protector Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp of Hache, KG, Earl Marshal was Lord Protector of England in the period between the death of Henry VIII in 1547 and his own indictment in 1549....
, while counselling a moderation which Somerset did not always observe. In 1547 he was made comptroller of the king's household, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster...
, elected knight of the shire (MP) for Staffordshire
Staffordshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Staffordshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
and made a knight of the Garter; and in 1549 he was summoned by writ to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
as Baron Paget de Beaudesert. About the same time he obtained extensive grants of lands, including Cannock Chase
Cannock Chase
Cannock Chase is a mixed area of countryside in the county of Staffordshire, England. The area has been designated as the Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Chase gives its name to the Cannock Chase local government district....
and Burton Abbey in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, and in London the residence of the bishops of Exeter
Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The incumbent usually signs his name as Exon or incorporates this in his signature....
, afterwards known successively as Lincoln House and Essex House
Essex House (London)
Essex House was a house in London, built around 1575 for Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and originally called Leicester House.The property occupied the site where the Outer Temple, part of the London headquarters of the Knights Templar, had previously stood , and was immediately adjacent to the...
, on the site now occupied by the Outer Temple
Outer Temple
The Outer Temple is thought to have been one of the ten Inns of Chancery. Previously unknown, its existence was first posited by A. W. B. Simpson and confirmed by John Baker in 2008...
in the London
Strand, London
Strand is a street in the City of Westminster, London, England. The street is just over three-quarters of a mile long. It currently starts at Trafalgar Square and runs east to join Fleet Street at Temple Bar, which marks the boundary of the City of London at this point, though its historical length...
. He obtained Beaudesert
Beaudesert (house)
Beaudesert was an estate and stately home on the southern edge of Cannock Chase in Staffordshire. It was one of the family seats of the Paget family, the Marquesses of Anglesey...
in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, which remained the chief seat of the Paget family.
Paget shared Somerset's disgrace, being committed to the Tower
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
in 1551 and degraded from the Order of the Garter in the following year, besides suffering a heavy fine by the Star Chamber
Star Chamber
The Star Chamber was an English court of law that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster until 1641. It was made up of Privy Counsellors, as well as common-law judges and supplemented the activities of the common-law and equity courts in both civil and criminal matters...
for having profited at the expense of the Crown in his administration of the duchy of Lancaster. He was, however, restored to the king's favour in 1553, and was one of the twenty-six peers who signed Edward's settlement of the crown on Lady Jane Grey in June of that year. He made his peace with Queen Mary
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
, who reinstated him as a knight of the Garter and in the privy council in 1553, and appointed him Lord Privy Seal
Lord Privy Seal
The Lord Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state...
in 1556. On the accession of Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
in 1558 Paget retired from public life.
Descendants
By his wife Anne Preston he had at least four sons, the two eldest of whom, HenryHenry Paget, 2nd Baron Paget
Henry Paget, 2nd Baron Paget was an English MP and peer.He was the son of William Paget, 1st Baron Paget of Beaudesert, Staffordshire and his wife Anne Preston. He was knighted in 1553 and succeeded to the title Baron Paget in 1563 on the death of his father.He was elected as Member of Parliament...
(d. 1568) and Thomas
Thomas Paget, 3rd Baron Paget
Thomas Paget, 3rd Baron Paget was a member of the British aristocracy. He was the second son of William Paget, 1st Baron Paget and his wife Anne Preston. He succeeded to the title Baron Paget in 1568 on his older brother Henry's death....
, succeeded in turn to the peerage. A younger son, Charles Paget
Charles Paget (conspirator)
Charles Paget was a Roman Catholic conspirator, involved in the Babington plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I of England.He was also a double agent working for Sir Francis Walsingham....
(d. 1612, Weston-on-Trent
Weston-on-Trent
Weston-on-Trent is a village and civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire. It is to the north of the River Trent and the Trent and Mersey Canal. Nearby places include Aston-on-Trent, Barrow upon Trent, Castle Donington and Swarkestone....
), was a well-known Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
conspirator against Queen Elizabeth, in the position of secretary to Archbishop James Beaton
James Beaton
Dr. James Beaton was a Scottish church leader, the uncle of Dr. David Cardinal Beaton and the Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland....
, the ambassador in Paris of Mary, Queen of Scots; although at times he also played the part of a spy and forwarded information to Walsingham
Francis Walsingham
Sir Francis Walsingham was Principal Secretary to Elizabeth I of England from 1573 until 1590, and is popularly remembered as her "spymaster". Walsingham is frequently cited as one of the earliest practitioners of modern intelligence methods both for espionage and for domestic security...
and William Cecil
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley , KG was an English statesman, the chief advisor of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State and Lord High Treasurer from 1572...
.
Thomas Paget, 3rd Baron Paget
Thomas Paget, 3rd Baron Paget
Thomas Paget, 3rd Baron Paget was a member of the British aristocracy. He was the second son of William Paget, 1st Baron Paget and his wife Anne Preston. He succeeded to the title Baron Paget in 1568 on his older brother Henry's death....
(c. 1540-1589), a zealous Roman Catholic, was-suspected of complicity in Charles's plots and was attainted in 1587. The peerage was restored in 1604 to his son William, 4th Lord Paget
William Paget, 4th Baron Paget de Beaudesert
William Paget, 4th Baron Paget of Beaudesert was an English peer and colonist born in Beaudesert House, Staffordshire, England to Thomas Paget, 3rd Baron Paget and Nazareth Newton. He was a descendent of William Paget, 1st Baron Paget. William's father had been stripped of his title after fleeing...
(1572–1629), whose son William
William Paget, 5th Baron Paget
William Paget, 5th Baron Paget an English peer born at Beaudesert House Staffordshire, England to William Paget, 4th Baron Paget and Lettice Knollys.-Career:...
, the 5th lord (1609–1678), fought for Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
at the Battle of Edgehill
Battle of Edgehill
The Battle of Edgehill was the first pitched battle of the First English Civil War. It was fought near Edge Hill and Kineton in southern Warwickshire on Sunday, 23 October 1642....
. William, the 6th lord
William Paget, 6th Baron Paget
William Paget, 6th Baron Paget was an English peer and Ambassador.Paget was English ambassador to Vienna between 1689 and 1692 and Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in Constantinople between 1692 and 1702, during which time he was central to the negotiation of the Treaty of Carlowitz between the...
(1637–1713), a supporter of the Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
of 1688, was ambassador at Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
from 1689 to 1693, and later at Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, having much to do with bringing about the important treaty of Carlowitz in 1699.
Henry, the 7th baron (c.1665-1743), was raised to the peerage during his father's lifetime as Baron Burton in 1712, being one of the twelve peers created by the Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
ministry to secure a majority in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, and was created Earl of Uxbridge in 1714. His only son, Thomas Catesby Paget, the author of an Essay on Human Life (1735) and other writings, died in January 1742 before his father, leaving a son Henry
Henry Paget, 2nd Earl of Uxbridge
Henry Paget, 2nd Earl of Uxbridge was a British nobleman, styled Lord Paget from 1742 to 1743....
(1719–1769), who became 2nd Earl of Uxbridge.
At the latter's death the earldom of Uxbridge and barony of Burton became extinct, the older barony of Paget of Beaudesert passing to his cousin Henry Bayly (1744–1812), heir general of the first baron, who in 1784 was created earl of Uxbridge. His second son, Sir Arthur Paget
Arthur Paget (diplomat)
Sir Arthur Paget GCB, PC was a British diplomat and politician.-Family and early life:Arthur Paget was the third son of Henry Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge and his wife Jane Chamagné daughter of Arthur Chamagné, Dean of Clonmacnoise in Ireland. He was a younger brother of Henry Paget, 1st Marquess...
(1771–1840), was an eminent diplomat during the Napoleonic wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, Sir Edward Paget
Edward Paget
General Sir Edward Paget GCB was a British Army officer.-Career:Born the fourth son of Henry Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge, Edward Paget became a cornet in the 1st Regiment of Life Guards in 1792...
(1775–1849), the fourth son, served under Sir John Moore in the Peninsula, and was afterwards second in command under Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
; the fifth, Sir Charles Paget
Charles Paget (vice-admiral)
Vice Admiral Sir Charles Paget GCH Kt was a British sailor who also became a liberal politician and Member of Parliament.-Naval career:...
(1778–1839), served with distinction in the navy, and rose to the rank of vice-admiral. The eldest son Henry William, 2nd Earl of Uxbridge (1768–1854), was in 1815 created Marquess of Anglesey
Marquess of Anglesey
Marquess of Anglesey is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1815 for Henry Paget, 2nd Earl of Uxbridge, a hero of the Battle of Waterloo...
.