Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford of Heytesbury

Former squire of the body to Henry VIII, Sir Walter was attainted by act of parliament in 1540.  Walter was charged with an involvement in various seditious plots against the King and also with ‘committing unnatural offences.’  He was beheaded at Tyburn on July 28, 1540 gaining the dubious distinction of being the first person to be executed under the Buggery Act of 1533.  Sir Thomas Cromwell, Henry’s favourite henchman, lost his head alongside Walter that same day.

*British History Online

1527, March 22.—Agreement between Sir William Sandys, knight, Lord Sandys, Lord Chamberlain, and Walter Hungerford esquire, son and heir of Edward Hungerford knight, late deceased, for a marriage between the latter and Alice, one of the daughters of the former, before the feast of the Ascension. Walter Hungerford undertakes to settle manors and lands to the yearly value of 100l. Lord Sandys undertakes to pay 600 marks, viz. 400 at the day of marriage, and 200 at Michaelmas following. He also undertakes to find meat and drink for such as shall happen to be at the marriage. He further undertakes to "gyve to the saide Water for the daye of the saide maryage one gowne of crymson velwet and one other gowne of blacke velwet, one jacket of blacke velwet and one other jacket of blacke satten, one dublet of crymson satten and one other dublet of blacke satten," and to give to his daughter for the day of the said marriage "one gowne of crymson velwet and one other gowne of blacke velwet, one kirtyll of crymson sattyn and one other of blacke satten, and all other ornaments as to the hed of the said Alice for the said daye of mariage shall appertayne."

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Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford of Heytesbury (1503 – 28 July 1540), created Baron Hungerford of Heytesbury in 1536, was the son and heir of Sir Edward Hungerford, and his first wife, Jane de la Zouche. He was born in 1503 at Heytesbury in Wiltshire, England.[1]

Walter was nineteen years old at his father's death in 1522, and soon afterwards appears as squire of the body to Henry VIII. In 1529 he was granted permission to alienate part of his large estates. On 20 August 1532 John, Lord Hussey of Sleaford, whose daughter was Hungerford's third wife, wrote to Sir Thomas Cromwell stating that Hungerford wished to be introduced to him.[2] A little later Hussey informed Cromwell that Hungerford desired to be sheriff of Wiltshire, a desire which was gratified in 1533. Hungerford proved useful to Cromwell in Wiltshire,[3] and in June 1535 Cromwell made a memorandum that Hungerford ought to be rewarded for his well-doing.[4] On 8 June 1536 he was summoned to parliament as Lord Hungerford of Heytesbury.[5]

In 1540 he, together with his chaplain, a Wiltshire clergyman, named William Bird, who was suspected of sympathising with the pilgrims of grace of the north of England, was attainted by act of parliament.[6] Hungerford was charged with employing Bird in his house as chaplain, knowing him to be a traitor; with ordering another chaplain, Hugh Wood, and one Dr. Maudlin to practise conjuring to determine the king's length of life, and his chances of victory over the northern rebels; and finally with committing unnatural offences,[5] and so becoming the first person executed under the Buggery Act of 1533.

He was beheaded on Tower Hill on 28 July 1540, along with his patron Cromwell. Hungerford is stated before his execution to have "seemed so unquiet that many judged him rather in a frenzy than otherwise."[7]

Family

Walter Hungerford, was the only child of Sir Edward Hungerford (d. 1522). Edward, son and heir of Sir Walter Hungerford (d. 1516), accompanied Sir Walter to Scotland in 1503; served in the English army in France in 1513, when he was knighted at battle of Tournai; was sheriff for Wiltshire in 1517, and for Somerset and Dorset in 1518. In 1520 he attended Henry VIII at the Field of the Cloth of Gold; died on 24 January 1522, and left his surviving wife sole executrix.[8]

Walter's mother was his father's first wife, Jane, daughter of John, Lord Zouche of Haryngworth. His father's second wife was Agnes, widow of John Cotell. She had (it afterwards appeared) strangled her first husband at Farleigh Castle on 26 July 1518, with the aid of William Mathewe and William Inges, yeomen of Heytesbury, Wiltshire, and seems to have married Sir Edward almost immediately after burning the body. Not until Sir Edward's death were proceedings taken against her and her accomplices for the murder. She and Mathewe were then convicted and were hanged at Tyburn on 20 February 1524;[9] she seems to have been buried in the Grey Friars' Church in London.[10] An interesting inventory of Lady Hungerford's goods, taken after her trial, is printed in "Archæologia", xxxviii. 353 sq.[11]

Lord Hungerford married thrice: (1) to Susan, daughter of Sir John Danvers of Dauntsey; (2) in 1527, to Alice, daughter of William, Lord Sandys; and (3), in October 1532, to Elizabeth, daughter of John, lord Hussey. His treatment of his third wife was remarkable for its brutality. In an appeal for protection which she addressed to Cromwell about 1536,[12] she asserted that he kept her incarcerated at Farleigh for three or four years, made some fruitless attempts to divorce her, and endeavoured on several occasions to poison her.[13] After his execution, she became the wife of Sir Robert Throckmorton.[5]

Hungerford left two sons,[14] and two daughters, all apparently by his first and second wife. The eldest Sir Walter Hungerford (1532–1596), was known as "the Knight of Farley" and the younger, Sir Edward, a gentleman-pensioner to Queen Elizabeth I, was twice married, but died without issue in 1607. He left to his widow (d. 1653) a life interest in the estates, with remainder to his great-nephew, Sir Edward (1596–1648), son of Sir Anthony Hungerford of Black Bourton, Oxfordshire.[5]

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Walter Hungerford, Baron Hungerford of Heytesbury

Alleged traitor, probable sodomite

Born 1503 Died 1540

Walter Hungerford was born in 1503 at Heytesbury in Wiltshire,[1] the only child of Sir Edward Hungerford (d.1522) by his first wife, Jane de la Zouche, daughter of John la Zouche, 7th Baron Zouche, 8th Baron St Maur(1459–1526) of Haryngworth. Edward, son and heir of Sir Walter Hungerford (d. 1516), accompanied Sir Walter to Scotland in 1503; served in the English army in France in 1513, when he was knighted at battle of Tournai; was sheriff for Wiltshire in 1517, and for Somerset and Dorset in 1518. In 1520 he attended Henry VIII at the Field of the Cloth of Gold; died on 24 January 1522, and left his surviving wife sole executrix.[2]

Walter's step-mother, his father's second wife, was Agnes, widow of John Cotell. It appears that she had strangled her first husband at Farleigh Castle on 26 July 1518, with the aid of William Mathewe and William Inges, yeomen of Heytesbury, Wiltshire, and seems to have married Sir Edward almost immediately after burning the body. Not until Sir Edward's death were proceedings taken against her and her accomplices for the murder. She and Mathewe were then convicted and were hanged at Tyburn on 20 February 1524;[3] she seems to have been buried in the Grey Friars' Church in London.[4] An interesting inventory of Agnes's goods, taken after her trial, is printed in "Archæologia", vol. 38, pp. 353 et.seq.[5]

[edit] CareerWalter was nineteen years old at his father's death in 1522, and soon afterwards appears as squire of the body to Henry VIII. In 1529 he was granted permission to alienate part of his large estates. On 20 August 1532 John, Lord Hussey of Sleaford, whose daughter was Hungerford's third wife, wrote to Sir Thomas Cromwell stating that Hungerford wished to be introduced to him.[6] A little later Hussey informed Cromwell that Hungerford desired to be sheriff of Wiltshire, a desire which was gratified in 1533. Hungerford proved useful to Cromwell in Wiltshire,[7] and in June 1535 Cromwell made a memorandum that Hungerford ought to be rewarded for his well-doing.[8] On 8 June 1536 he was summoned to parliament as Lord Hungerford of Heytesbury.[9]

In 1540 he, together with his chaplain, a Wiltshire clergyman, named William Bird, who was suspected of sympathising with the pilgrims of grace of the north of England, was attainted by act of parliament.[10] Hungerford was charged with employing Bird in his house as chaplain, knowing him to be a traitor; with ordering another chaplain, Hugh Wood, and one Dr. Maudlin to practise conjuring to determine the king's length of life, and his chances of victory over the northern rebels; and finally with committing unnatural offences,[9] and so becoming the first person executed under the Buggery Act of 1533.[citation needed]

He was beheaded at Tyburn on 28 July 1540, along with his patron Cromwell. Hungerford is stated before his execution to have "seemed so unquiet that many judged him rather in a frenzy than otherwise."[11]

Lord Hungerford married thrice:

Firstly to Susan Danvers, daughter of Sir John Danvers of Dauntsey, Wiltshire.
Secondly in 1527, to Alice Sandys, daughter of William Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys of the Vyne. Thirdly in October 1532, to Elizabeth Hussey, daughter of John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford. His treatment of Elizabeth was remarkable for its brutality. In an appeal for protection which she addressed to Thomas Cromwell in about 1536,[12] she asserted that he kept her incarcerated at Farleigh for three or four years, made some fruitless attempts to divorce her, and endeavoured on several occasions to poison her.[13] After Hungerford's execution, she became the second wife of Sir Robert Throckmorton(d.1581).[9] [edit] ProgenyHungerford left two sons,[14] and two daughters, all apparently by his third wife. The eldest Sir Walter Hungerford (1532–1596), was known as "the Knight of Farley" and the younger, Sir Edward, a gentleman-pensioner to Queen Elizabeth I, was twice married, but died without issue in 1607. He left to his widow (d. 1653) a life interest in the estates, with remainder to his great-nephew, Sir Edward (1596–1648), son of Sir Anthony Hungerford of Black Bourton, Oxfordshire.[9]

First man killed over the buggery act.