HENEAGE, Thomas (by 1532-95), of Lincoln and Copt Hall, Essex.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558, ed. S.T. Bindoff, 1982
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

Oct. 1553
1584
1586
1589
1593

Family and Education

b. by 1532, 1st s. of Robert Heneage of Lincoln and London by Lucy, da. and coh. of Ralph Buckton of Hemswell, Lincs.; bro. of Michael. educ. Queens’, Camb. matric. pens. 1549, MA 1564. m. (1) settlement 1555, Anne, da. of Sir Nicholas Poyntz of Iron Acton, Glos., 1da.; (2) 2 May 1594, Mary, da. of Anthony Browne I, 1st Viscount Montagu, wid. of Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton, s.p. suc. fa. 27 July 1556. Kntd. 1 Dec. 1577.3

Offices Held

Steward, manor of Hatfield, Herts. 1561; gent. privy chamber by 1565; treasurer, chamber 1570; j.p.q. Essex, Lincs. (Lindsey) 1573/74-d.; jt. (with bro. Michael) keeper of recs. Tower of London 1576-dep. lt. Essex by 1585; PC and v.-chamberlain 6 Sept. 1587; chancellor, duchy of Lancaster 1590-d.; recorder, Colchester, Essex 1590; high steward, Kingston-upon-Hull 1590, Salisbury 1591, Winchester 1592; ranger, Epping forest, Essex.4

Biography

Thomas Heneage’s father, youngest of the four sons of John Heneage of Hainton near Wragby, Lincolnshire, became an auditor for the duchy of Lancaster and a customer of London, where he had a dwelling called Heneage House or Bevis Marks in the parish of St. Katharine Cree.5

Of the early life of Thomas Heneage enough is known to prevent confusion with the young namesake, a page of the Household, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Eton (Heton), servant to Heneage’s uncle Sir Thomas Heneage and deputy for Robert Heneage at the customs house. Thus it is all but certain that the Member for Stamford in Mary’s first Parliament was Robert Heneage’s son and not this namesake. On that occasion Heneage was returned as a substitute, for on 26 Sept. 1553 the borough elected Cecil and it was only after he had withdrawn, for what reason has to be guessed, that Heneage’s name was inserted in a blank space on the indenture. The two persons most likely to have been responsible were Cecil himself and the sheriff, Sir William Skipwith; to the first of them Heneage must have been well known through his father and uncle, with the second he was connected by marriage, while such other links as that with William Willoughby, 1st Baron Willoughby of Parham, conduced to his eligibility. The parliamentary career thus begun was to last for 40 years but only after an initial interruption, due perhaps to Heneage’s temerity in joining with those, including his cousin George, who ‘stood for the true religion’, that is, for Protestantism against the first measures to restore Catholicism. On 21 Nov. 1553 the House ordered that Heneage’s servant Brian Huchen should have privilege.6

In 1555 Heneage’s father settled upon him and his wife Anne the site of Legbourne priory with extensive lands in Lincolnshire, and on the father’s death in the following year Heneage succeeded to property in Yorkshire and to the leasehold house in Lincoln in which his uncle George and his father had lived. He was to enjoy the favour of Elizabeth, under whom he attained high office at court and in government. He died on 17 Oct. 1595.7

Ref Volumes: 1509-1558

Author: M. K. Dale

Notes

  • 1. Did not serve for the full duration of the Parliament.
  • 2. Ibid.
  • 3. Date of birth estimated from age at fa.’s i.p.m., C142/110/100. PCC 24 Ketchyn; Lincs. Peds. (Harl. Soc. li), 481; Cott. Claudius C. III; H. Nicolas, Mems. Hatton, 39; DNB.
  • 4. CPR, 1560-3, p. 176; HMC 11th Rep. VII, 139; Wright Eliz. i. 209; APC, vii. 374; xv. 228; Egerton Pprs. (Cam. Soc. xii), 91; SP12/179/53; HMC Foljambe, 25; Somerville, Duchy, i. 396; Neale, Commons, 165, 235; J. J. Sheahan, Kingston-upon-Hull, 255; Hants RO, Winchester 1st bk. ordinances, f. 275; Lansd. 83, f. 216; E. K. Chambers, Eliz. Stage, i. 64.
  • 5. Somerville, i. 396, 442-3; PCC 24 Ketchyn; LP Hen. VIII, xviii.
  • 6. Fac. Off. Reg. 1534-48, ed. Chambers, 174; LP Hen. VIII, xiii, xviii, xx, add.; Stamford hall bk. 1461-1657, f. 157; C219/21/94; Bodl. e Museo 17; CJ, i. 30.
  • 7. CPR, 1554-5, p. 249; PCC 24 Ketchyn; C142/110/93, 100; CSP Dom. 1595-7, p. 318.