Robert Throckmorton of Coughton Court, M.P. & K.G., High Sheriff of Warwickshire & Knight of the Shire

Sir Robert Throckmorton

Born c. 1513 and died 12 February 1581, Sir Robert Throckmorton was a Knight of the Garter (KG) of Coughton Court in Warwickshire, and was a Member of Parliament and a distinguished English courtier. His brother Sir Nicholas was an ambassador of Queen ELizabeth I to the courts of France and Scotland. However, his public career was impeded by remaining a subject of the pope as a Roman Catholic.

Robert was the eldest son and heir of Sir George Throckmorton (died 1552) and Katherine Vaux, daughter of Nicholas Vaux 1st Baron Vaux of Harrowden (died 1523).

Robert had several notable brothers, in descending seniority: Sir Kenelm Throckmorton, Sir Clement Throckmorton (MP), Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, Thomas Throckmorton, Sir John Throckmorton, Anthony Throckmorton, and George Throckmorton.

Robert also had six sisters: Elizabeth, Mary, Anne, Catherine, Margaret, Amy.

Robert Throckmorton may have trained at the Middle Temple, the inn attended by his father. At least three of his younger brothers and his own eldest son trained there, but as the heir to extensive estates, he had little need for a career in justice or government. He was joined with his father in several stewardships from 1527 and was perhaps the servant of Robert Tyrwhitt, a distant relative by marriage of the Throckmortons, who in 1540 took an inventory of Cromwell's goods at Mortlake. He attended the reception of Anne of Cleves.

With several of his brothers, he took part in the French war of 1544. Three years later he was placed on the Warwickshire bench, and in 1553 he was appointed High Sheriff of Warwickshire. He was also elected as a knight of the shire (MP) for Warwickshire in 1553 and 1555. Three of his brothers likewise sat for Parliament, Nicholas as knight of the shire for Northamptonshire.

Throckmorton's role in the succession crisis of 1553 is unknown, but his standing with Queen Mary is shown by her reputed answer to the news of Edward VI's death sent her by four of his brothers: "If Robert had been there she durst have gaged her life and hazarded the hap."

In the autumn of 1553, Throckmorton was knighted and appointed constable of Warwick Castle. He continued to sit as MP for the shire until 1558, when he resigned in favour of his eldest son, Thomas.

Robert's adherence to Roman Catholicism explains his disappearance from the House of Commons in the new reign, although the most Catholic of his brothers, Anthony Throckmorton, was to sit in the Parliament of 1563.
Judged as an "adversary of true religion" in 1564, Throckmorton remained active in Warwickshire until his refusal to subscribe to the Act of Uniformity which led to his removal from the Commission of the Peace.

In 1577, the Bishop of Worcester, John Whitgift, listed Throckmorton as a Catholic and reckoned him to be worth 1,000 marks a year in lands and £1,000 in goods.

Robert's mother, Katherine Vaux, was the daughter of Elizabeth FitzHugh by her second marriage to Sir Nicholas Vaux.

Robert's continued the family's Catholic tradition. He married his children into leading Catholic families, in generations when increased persecution of the Catholics led to many of his relatives becoming involved in plots against the throne.

Robert's grandsons by his daughters Anne and Muriel, were Robert Catesby and Francis Tresham of the Gunpowder Plot fame.
While a third daughter, Mary, was married to Edward Arden who was also convicted of treason and executed for his part in a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth in 1583. Mary kept an excellent record of a woman persecuted for recusancy, documenting the fines and searches made at Coughton Court which is still in the family archives.
According to the BBC, Robert's nephew, Francis Throckmorton, was executed in 1584 for acting as a go-between for Mary Queen of Scots, Scottish Jesuits, and the Spanish Ambassador de Mendoza, in an attempt to invade England and place Mary on the throne.
Robert's niece (a daughter of his brother Sir Nicholas Throckmorton), Elizabeth "Bess" Throckmorton, who was a lady-in-waiting and close friend to Queen Elizabeth I, who greatly offended the Queen by secretly marrying to famed explorer and Governor of Jersey, Sir Walter Raleigh, without royal consent as required by law. This deeply emotional interaction was excellently portrayed by Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth and Abbie Cornish as Elizabeth "Bess" Throckmorton in the 2007 motion picture Elizabeth: The Golden Age which received 8 Academy Awards and 33 nominations, and major multiple international awards and nominations.

Robert died on 12 February 1581, six days after making a will in which he styled himself as being "of Weston Underwood, Buckinghamshire", but asked to be buried at Coughton, where an alabaster and marble tomb was accordingly erected to his memory. There is a portrait of him at Coughton Court. He named as executors his eldest son Thomas, and his sons-in-law Sir John Goodwin and Ralph Sheldon, and as overseers another son-in-law Sir Thomas Tresham and his "loving friend" Edmund Plowden.

_________________________________________________________________________

Family and Education

b. by 1513, 1st s. of Sir George Throckmorton, and bro. of Anthony†, Clement, George, John I, Kenelm and Nicholas. educ. ?M. Temple. m. (1) 1527, Muriel, da. of Thomas, 5th Lord Berkeley, 3s. inc. Thomas II 4da.; (2) 1542, Elizabeth (d. 23 Jan. 1554), da. of Sir John Hussey, Lord Hussey, wid. of Walter, Lord Hungerford, at least 2s. 5da. suc. fa. 6 Aug. 1552. Kntd. by 25 Sept. 1553. d. 12 Feb. 1581.

'He died on 12 Feb. 1581, six days after making a will in which he styled himself of Weston Underwood but asked to be buried at Coughton, where an alabaster and marble tomb was accordingly erected to his memory'

Biography

History of Parliament Online

Links

• The Visitation of the county of Warwick in the year 1619
• wikipedia.org
• thepeerage.com

http://www.oxford-shakespeare.com/Probate/PROB_11-36_ff_160-2.pdf
And whereas by a pair of indentures made between Sir Thomas Berkeley, knight, Lord
Berkeley, of thone party, and me, the said Sir George [Throckmorton], of thother party, bearing date the
tenth day of November in the 18th year [=10 November 1526] of the reign of our late
Sovereign Lord King Henry the 8th concerning the marriage of Robert Throckmorton,
my son and heir apparent, unto Muriel, daughter of the said Lord Berkeley, the manors of
Toseland and Yelling in the county of Huntingdon and all other my lands, tenements and
other hereditaments in Toseland, Yelling, Paxton, Hemingford, Abbotswold, Payworth
and Saint Ives in the said county of Huntingdon were assured unto the said Robert
Throckmorton and to his heirs males of his body lawfully begotten after the decease of
me, the said Sir George Throckmorton, as by the said indentures plainly it may appear,
which manors, lands, tenements and other the premises in Toseland, Yelling, Paxton,
Hemingford, Abbotswold, Payworth and Saint Ives aforesaid I, the said Sir George, for
certain considerations have bargained and sold away from me and mine heirs forever, for
recompense, satisfaction and allowance whereof I have given to my said son, Robert
Throckmorton, and Dame Elizabeth Hungerford, now his wife, and to the heirs males of
their two bodies lawfully begotten, my manors of Soliholl and Sheldon with their
appurtenances in the county of Warwick, and all other my lands, tenements and
hereditaments in Solihull and Sheldon aforesaid, as by a deed by me thereof made to the
said Robert and Lady Elizabeth it doth and may appear, which deed and estate so by me
as is aforesaid made I do ratify, approve and confirm by this my present testament and
last will, and which manors of Solihull and Sheldon with th’ appurtenances and other the
premises in Solihull and Sheldon aforesaid be of as good or better yearly value as the said
manors, lands and tenements in Toseland, Yelling, Paxton, Hemingfold [sic?],
Abbotswold, Payworth and Saint Ives aforesaid;
And further I will that if it happen the said Robert Throckmorton and Lady Elizabeth, his
wife, to die without issue male of their two bodies lawfully begotten, then I will that my
said manors of Solihull and Sheldon with their appurtenances and all other the premises
in Solihull and Sheldon aforesaid shall wholly remain to the heirs males of the body of
my said son, Robert Throckmorton, lawfully begotten, and for default of such issue to the
heirs males of my body lawfully begotten, and for default of such issue to the right heirs
of me, the said Sir George, forever;
And whereas also by the covenants of the said indentures made between the said Lord
Berkeley and me, the said Sir George Throckmorton, the manor of Roxton with th’
appurtenances in the county of Bedford and all other my lands, tenements and
hereditaments in Roxton aforesaid, the manor of Birdingbury with th’ appurtenances and
all other my lands, tenements and hereditaments in Birdingbury in the county of [f. 160v]
Warwick, and certain lands and tenements in Milnerton, Brinklow, Studley, Alcester and
Grafton in the said county of Warwick and in Elmley and Dormston in the county of
Worcester were likewise assured unto the said Robert Throckmorton, my son, and to his
heirs after the decease of me, the said Sir George, which manors of Roxton and
Birdingbury aforesaid and all other the premises in Roxton, Birdingbury, Mylnerton,
Brinklow, Studley, Alcester, Grafton, Elmley and Dormston aforesaid for divers
considerations be now by me bargained and sold away to divers persons and to their heirs
forever, for recompense, allowance and satisfaction whereof I will that after my decease
my manors of Weston with th’ appurtenances in the county of Buckingham and all other
my lands, tenements and hereditaments in Weston aforesaid shall descend, remain and go
unto the said Robert Throckmorton, my son, and to the said Lady Elizabeth Hungerford,
his wife, and to th’ heirs males of the body of the said Robert lawfully begotten, and for
default of such issue to th’ heirs males of my body lawfully begotten, and for default of
such issue to the right heirs of me, the said Sir George Throckmorton, forever;