Sir Thomas Wise, KB, MP

Thomas Wise (died 1629)

Sir Thomas Wise KB (died 21 February 1629) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England between 1621 and 1622.

Wise was the son of Thomas Wise of Sydenham, Devon and his wife Mary Buller, daughter of Richard Buller of "Shillingham," Cornwall. He was created a knight of the Bath at the coronation of James I in 1603. In 1612 he was High Sheriff of Devon.[1]

In 1621, Wise was elected Member of Parliament for Bere Alston.[2]

Wise built a house at Mount Wise on ancestral lands in the parish of Stoke Damerel, on a headland jutting out into Plymouth Sound. He also built Sydenham House "beautified by buildings of such height as the very foundations are ready to reel under the burden"[1]

Wise was buried at Marystow, where there is a marble monument supported by eight Corinthian columns surrounded by other monuments to the Wise family.[3]

Wise married Margaret Stafford, daughter of Robert Stafford of Stowford, Devon. Their son Thomas Wise was also an MP, and their daughter Margaret married Sir Samuel Rolle.[1]

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Wise_(died_1629)

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• WISE (WYES), Sir Thomas (c.1576-1630), of Sydenham, Marystow, Devon
• b. c.1576,1 2nd s. of Thomas Wise (d.1593) of Sydenham and Mary, da. of Richard Buller of Shillingham, Cornw.2 educ. L. Inn 1594.3 m. pre-nuptial settlement 1 Mar. 1600, Margery, da. and h. of Robert Stafford of Stowford, Devon, 2s. (1 d.v.p.) 2da.4 suc. bro. by 1600?; KB 25 July 1603.5 admon. 14 Apr. 1630.6 sig. Tho[mas] Wyes.
• Offices Held
  • Commr. piracy, Devon 1603, 1614,7 j.p. by 1604-d.,8 commr. oyer and terminer, Western circ. 1606-d.,9 subsidy, Devon 1608, 1621-2, 1624,10 sheriff 1611-12,11 dep. lt. 1618-at least 1628,12 commr. inquiry into Lizard lighthouse, Cornw. 1623,13 billeting, Devon and Cornw. from 1625,14 martial law 1625, 1627,15 Forced Loan, Devon 1627,16 duchy of Cornw. assessions 1628,17 swans, W. Country 1629.18
• Biography
• The Wise family can be traced in the West Country from the eleventh century. They acquired their main seat at Sydenham, on the western edge of Dartmoor, in the early 1400s. Substantial Devon landowners by this time, they provided a knight of the shire in three of Henry VI’s parliaments. The family was less prominent in the next century, but in 1593 Wise’s father died in possession of nine manors, with the bulk of his property situated either near Sydenham or in the vicinity of Plymouth. As a younger son, Wise initially inherited only two small estates, but within a few years he succeeded to the entire patrimony.19 His marriage to a local heiress significantly increased his wealth, enabling him to indulge his passion for architecture. Sydenham was ‘beautified with buildings of such height, as the very foundation is ready to reel under the burthen’. He also constructed a second seat at Stoke Damerel, just outside Plymouth, which he named Mount Wise. Created a knight of the Bath at James I’s coronation, he was soon a mainstay of Devon’s local government. Upon his nomination as a deputy lieutenant in December 1617 he was described as ‘every way fit for the discharge of that duty’.20
• Wise revived his family’s parliamentary service in 1621 by securing election at Bere Alston, where he had acquired property. He was added on 8 Feb. to the committee for privileges, a rare honour for a novice Member, and received nominations to seven legislative committees. Their wide-ranging topics included the limitation of actions at law, the discouragement of malicious suits against magistrates, usury, the catechizing of children, and the estates of another resident of south-west Devon, Sir Warwick Hele* (6 and 28 Feb., 20 Mar., 7 and 16 May).21 He left no mark on the proceedings of the winter sitting. The ‘Mr. Wise’ credited with several speeches in Sir Thomas Barrington’s parliamentary diary was actually John Wylde.22
• In October 1622 Wise and his son-in-law, Sir Samuel Rolle* were summoned before the Privy Council after getting involved in a dispute over a French prize ship in Plymouth harbour. However, upon examination of the case, they were both exonerated.23 Wise assisted with preparations for the Cadiz expedition in 1625, impressing 400 Devon men, and during the next three years played an active role in supervising the troops billeted in and around Plymouth.24 Although he never sat in Parliament again, he provided a seat at Bere Alston for his son Thomas in 1626 and 1628, on the former occasion showing his support by actually attending the election. When Wise drew up his will on 26 Jan. 1630, his health was rapidly failing, but his religious convictions remained strong.
  • I rest assured to receive remission of my sins ... craving the assistance of [God%E2%80%99s] Holy Spirit to perfect that good work which he hath begun in me, that I may pass the rest of my pilgrimage on this earth so as may be most for his glory, and may lead me the directest way to that Mount Sion, that heavenly Jerusalem, which through his mere mercy I undoubtedly hope to enjoy.
• His bequests included a generous £3,500 dowry for his unmarried daughter, gifts in excess of £700 to his servants, and £100 for the poor. To his wife he assigned the rents from her father’s former lands, augmented by £1,300 and a large quantity of livestock. The will was proved on 14 Apr. 1630, and a splendid memorial was erected to Wise’s memory in Marystow church.25
• From: http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1604-1629/member/wi... _____________________
• A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, Enjoying ... Vol. 1 by John Burke
• https://archive.org/details/agenealogicalan04burkgoog
• https://archive.org/stream/agenealogicalan04burkgoog#page/n42/mode/1up
• Pg.20
• JOHN WISE, of Sydenham, who m. Alicia, daughter of John Harris, of Hayne, serjeant-at-law to King HENRY VIII. and had with other issue,
  • 1. THOMAS, who m. Mary, daughter of Richard Buller, esq. of Shillingham, in Cornwall, and was s. by his son,
    • SIR THOMAS WISE, who was made a Knight of the Bath at the coronation of King JAMES I. and was sheriff of Devonshire in the 9th of the same monarch. he represented Beeralston in parliament in 1620, and following years. Sir Thomas built the seats of Syndenham House and Mount Wise. The former, says Westcote, "is the seat of the knightly and dignous family of Wise, and beautified with buildings of such height, as the very foundations are ready to reele under the burthen." Sir Thomas m. Margaret, daughter and heiress of Robert Stafford, esq. of Stowford, in the county of Devon, and dying in 1629, left (with a daughter, Margaret, m. to Sir Samuel Rolle, M.P.) a son and successor,
      • THOMAS WISE, of Mount Wise and Syndenham, who was sheriff of Devonshire in 1638 and representative of that shire in parliament anno 1640. He m. the Lady Margaret Chichester, daughter of Edward, Earl of Donegal, by when he had, with other issue, .... etc. ___________________
• The Gentleman's Magazine, Volume 101, Part 2; Volume 150
• https://books.google.com/books?id=MPgRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA313&lpg=PA313&d...
• Pg.314
• John Wise of Syndeham married Alicia daughter of John Harris of Hyne, serjeant at law to Henry the VIIIth (whose brother married Mary daughter of Sir Fulke Greville of Beauchamp Court), and had issue five sons and five daughters: 1. Thomas; 2. John of Totnes, and ancestor of thw Wises of the present day; 3. James, 4. Charles, 5. Erkenbold. Thomas Wise married Mary, daughter of Richard Buller of Shillingham co., Cornwall, by whom he had issue Thomas, who was created a knight of the Bath at the Coronation of James I. and was Sheriff for the county of Devon 9th of the same reign, Member of Parliament for Beeralston 1620, and following years. Westcote says, that Sydenham was built by Sir Thomas Wise. "It is," says he, "the set of the dignous family of Wise," Sir Thomas married Margaret, the only daughter of Robert Stafford of Stafford, by whom he had issue Thomas and Margaret, who was married to Sir Samuel Rolle, M.P. co. Devon. Sir Thomas Wise died 21 Feb. 1629, and was buried at Marystow, where there is a handsome marble monument supported by eight Corinthian columns, to his memory, standing in the space enclosed (19 feet by 12) for the cemetery of the family of Wise, with a Latin inscription upon it as follows: .... etc. __________________
• The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising ..., Volume 1, Pages 1-452 edited by John Lambrick Vivian
• https://books.google.com/books?id=GmqlIibS95IC&pg=PA791&lpg=PA791&d...
• Pg.791
  • WISE OF SIDENHAM.
• John Wise of Mount Wise and Sidenham, 5 Hen. IV. = ; ch: Thomas (m. Margaret Brett) Wise
  • Thomas Wise of Sidenham. = Margaret, da. & h. of Robert Brett of Stottiscombe. ; ch: Thomas (m. Thomasin Fulford) Wise.
    • Thomas Wise of Sidenham. = Thomasin, da. of Sir Baldwin Fulford, vide ped. ante, page 378. ; ch: Oliver, Alicia (m. James Rusell) Wise
      • Alicia, m. James Rusell, A quo the Duke of Bedford.
      • Oliver Wise of Sidenham. = ; ch: Oliver (m. Margaret Tremayne), Jane (m. . . . Devyocke & Richard Tremayne) Wise
        • Jane, mar. 1 . . . Devyocke, 2 Richard Tremayne of Upcot, vide ped. ante, page 730.
        • Oliver Wise of Sidenham. = Margaret, da. of John Tremayne, remar. Sir James Chudleigh of Ashton Kt., vide Chudleigh ped. ante, pate 189, and Tremayne ped., page 730. ; ch: John (m. Mary Chudleigh & Dorothy Leigh & Ann Mathew), Oliver, Margaret (m. Thomas Pyne) Thomasin (m. Hugh Beaumont) Wise
          • Thomasin, mar. Hugh Beaumont, vide ped. ante, page 65.
          • Margaret, mar. to Thomas Pyne of East Down, vide ped. ante, page 632.
          • Oliver Wise
          • John Wise of Sidenham in Devon. = Mary, da. of James Chudleigh of Ashton Esq. first wife, vide Chudleigh ped. ante, page 189, where she is called Margaret. ; ch: James (m. Alice Dyneham), Nicholas, Ann (m. . . . Drewe) Wise.; = Dorothy, da of Thomas Leigh of South Molton, 2 wife. ; ch: Thomas, Pierce Wise. ; = Ann, dau. of Sr. Thomas Mathew of Wales 3 wife. ; ch: Leonard, Elizabeth Wise.
            • Nicholas Wise, 2 son.
            • Ann, wife to . . . Drewe of Cornwall.
            • Thomas Wise.
            • Pierce Wise.
            • Leonard Wise.
            • Elizabeth.
            • James Wise of Sydenham, son and heir. d. 5 Aug. 1534, Inq. p.m. 26 Hen. VIII., No. 18. = Alice, da. of John Dyneham of Wortham in Devon Esq., mar. sett. 16 Dec 1514, remarried Richard Kendall, marr. sett. 3 Jan. 1539, living 1564, vide Kendall ped., Vivian's Visitaions of Cornwall, page 258. ; ch: John (m. Alice Harris), George, Phillip (m. Hugh Person), Margery Wise
              • George Wise, 2 son, living 1564.
              • Phillip, wife to Hugh Person.
              • Margery.
              • John Wise of Sidenham, son and heir, aged 7 years and more at the death of his father, d. 22 jan. 1563-64, Inq. p.m. 7 Eliz., Nos. 4 and 6, recites will dated 22 Jan. 1563-64. = Alice, da. of John Harris of Hayne in Devon, vide ped. ante, page 449. ; ch: Elizabeth, Alice, Dorothy, Mary, Anne, James, Charles, Arkenwald, John (m. Emmet Vavasour), Thomas (m. Mary Buller) Wise
                • John Wise, 2 son, living 1564. = Emmet, da. of . . . Vavasour. ; ch: A (Pg.792 John (m. Susanna Prestwood) Wise)
                • Elizabeth, living 1564.
                • Alice, living 1564.
                • Dorothy, living 1564.
                • Mary, living 1564.
                • Anne, living 1564.
                • James Wise, 3 son, living 1564.
                • Charles Wise 4 son, living 1564.
                • Arkenwald Wise, 5 son, living 1564.
                • Thomas Wise of Sidenham, son and heir, aged 18 years and 4 months at the death of his father, d. 27 Jan 1592-93, Inq. p.m. 35 Eliz., pt. 1, No 55 recites will dated 14 Jan. 1592-93. = Mary, da. of Richard Buller of Shillingham, vide Buller ped., Vivian's Visitations of Cornwall, page 56. ; ch: William, Sir Thomas (m. Margery Stafford), Arthur, Elizabeth (m. Anthony Dennys) Wise.
                  • William Wise, son and heir, aged 22 years and more at the death of his father, ob. s.p.
                  • Arthur Wise, 3 son, living 1593.
                  • Elizabeth, mar. Anthony Dennys of Orleigh, mar. lic. 20 July 1610. Exeter, vide Dennys ped. ante, page 282.
                  • Sir Thomas Wise of Sidenham, 2 son, living 1593, K.G. at the coronation of Jas. 1, Sheriff of Devon 1612 and M.P. Will 26 Jan., pro. 14 Apl. 1630, P.C.C. (Scroope 40) = Margery, da. & h. of Robert Stafford, sett. before marriage 1 Mar. 1599-1600, living 1630, Admon. granted 4 Aug. 1640 to her son Thomas, P.R. Exeter. vide Stafford ped. ante, page 712. ; ch: Thomas (m. Mary Chichester), Elizabeth, Margery (m. Sir Samuel Rolle) Wise.
                    • Elizabeth, living 1630.
                    • Margery, mar. Sir Samuel Rolle Kt., issue named in her father's will, vide Rolle ped. ante, page 654.
                    • Thomas Wise of Sidenham, son and heir, exr. of his father's will, Sheriff of Devon 1638, M.P. 1640, Adm. to his mother. = Lady Mary, da. of Edward Chichester, Earl of Donegal, mar. lic. 16 Oct. 1629 Exeter. ; ch: Sir Edward (m. Arabella St. John & Radigund Elliott), Margery (m. Sir John Molesworth) Wise.
                      • .... etc. _____________________
• WISE, Thomas (c.1605-1641), of Sydenham, Marystow and Mount Wise, Stoke Damerel, Devon
• b. c.1605,1 2nd but 1st surv. s. of Sir Thomas Wise* and Margery, da. and h. of Robert Stafford of Stowford, Devon.2 educ. Sidney Sussex, Camb. 1619, BA 1622; incorp. Oxf. 1622.3 m. lic. 16 Oct. 1629, Mary, da. of Edward, 1st Visct. Chichester of Carrickfergus [I], 3s. 3da. (1 d.v.p.). suc. fa. 1630.4 d. 18 Mar. 1641.5 sig. Thomas Wise.
• From: http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1604-1629/member/wi... ______________________
• The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising ..., Volume 1, Pages 1-452 edited by John Lambrick Vivian
• https://books.google.com/books?id=GmqlIibS95IC&pg=PA791&lpg=PA791&d...
• Pg.791
  • WISE OF SIDENHAM. _________________________
• Col. John Wise of England and Virginia (1617-1695) ; his ancestors and descendants (1918)
• https://archive.org/details/coljohnwiseofeng00wise
• https://archive.org/stream/coljohnwiseofeng00wise#page/22/mode/1up
• https://archive.org/stream/coljohnwiseofeng00wise#page/n31/mode/1up
  • CHART OF THE FAMILY OF WISE OF DEVONSHIRE ______________________
• 'Wise01'
• Families covered: Wise of Mount Wise, Wise of Sydenham (Sidenham), Wise of Totnes
• BLG1886 reported that "This family, which resided in the West of England before the Norman Conquest, deduces its descent from Oliver Wise, de Greston (on the Tamar), whose 7th direct descendant was Sir William Wise, 40 Henry III" (1255-6). BLG1886 (Wyse of the Manor of St. John), which covers an early branch of the family which moved to Ireland (shown on Wise02), mentions that the family were "originally of Greston, Cornwall (1167), and subsequently of Sydenham, Devon (1320)".
• John Wise of Sydenham (Sidenham), Devon (a 1403)
  • 1. Thomas Wise
  • m. Margaret Brett, heiress of Stoke Damarell (dau/heir of Robert Brett of Slottiscombe or Stottiscombe)
    • A. John Wise of Sydenham
    • m. Thomasine Fulford (dau of Sir Baldwin Fulford of Great Fulford)
      • i. Oliver Wise of Sydenham
      • BLG1886 jumps from Oliver to his great-grandson John (m. Alicia Harris). Vivian shows that John as this Oliver's great-great-grandson (i.e. adds an additional intervening generation), continuing with ...
        • a. Oliver Wise of Sidenham
        • m. Margaret Tremayne (dau of John Tremayne, m2. Sir James Chudleigh of Ashton)
          • (1) John Wise of Sidenham
          • m1. Mary or Margaret Chudleigh (dau of James Chudleigh of Ashton)
            • (A) James Wise of Sidenham (d 05.08.1534)
            • m. Alice Dyneham (a 1564, dau of John Dyneham of Wortham, m2. Richard Kendall)
              • (i) John Wise of Sidenham (b c1527, d 22.01.1563-4)
              • m. Alice Harris (dau of John Harris of Hayne, sergeant-at-law to Henry VIII)
                • (a) Thomas Wise of Sidenham (b c09.1545, d 27.01.1592-3)
                • BLG1886 & Vivian identify Thomas's wife as Mary, dau of Richard Buller of Shillingham, but the Buller records suggest that she was ...
                • m. Mary Buller (dau of Alexander Buller of Lillesdon)
                  • ((1)) William Wise of Sidenham (b c1570, dsp)
                  • ((2)) Sir Thomas Wise of Sidenham, Sheriff of Devon (d before 14.04.1629, MP)
                  • m. Margaret Stafford (dau/heir of Robert Stafford)
                    • ((A)) Thomas Wise of Mount Wise (in Stoke Damarell) & Sidenham, Sheriff of Devon (a 1640, MP)
                    • m. (c10.1629) Mary Chichester (dau of Edward Chichester, 'Earl of Donegal' (sic))
                      • ((i)) Sir Edward Wise of Mount Wise & Sidenham (b 1632, d 1675)
                      • m1. (1651/7) Arabella St. John (dau/coheir of Oliver, Lord St. John)
                        • ((a)) Arabella Wise
                        • m. (28.01.1673-4) Edmund (probably not Edward) Tremayne of Collacombe
                        • ((b))+ other issue (dvpsp) - St. John (d 19.04.1668), Thomas
                      • m2. (25.05.1675) Radigund Eliot (d 1694, dau of John Eliot of Port Eliot/St. Germans)
                      • ((ii)) Margery/Margaret Wise (d 19.06.1671)
                      • m. (07.10.1663) Sir John Molesworth of Pencarrow, Bart
                    • ((C)) Margaret Wise
                    • m. Sir Samuel Rolle
                  • ((3)) Arthur Wise (a 1593) .... etc.
• Main source(s): BLG1886 (Wise of Clayton Hall), Visitation (J.L. Vivian (1895), Devon, 1531+1564+1620+additions, Wise of Sidenham)
• From: Stirnet.com
• http://www.stirnet.com/genie/data/british/ww/wise01.php ____________________________