A Biography of Sir Nicholas Throckmorton 1515-1571

Abstract

There is no comprehensive biography of Sir Nicholas Throckmorton. This account is concerned primarily with the public world of the Throckmorton who lived under five monarchs in England and served another four abroad as England's ambassador. Emphasis is placed on the political man for two reasons: firstly that the source material available is almost all of a public nature, consisting of his diplomatic despatches and other public documents; secondly, that his life was to a great degree shaped by his political actions crossed with his religious beliefs as reflected in those documents. But to give the context for this public figure I have resorted to the political background to illustrate the importance of his actions.

A biography of course, is incomplete without considering the individual behind his actions; hence I have tried to show something of the private man through the documents, for in Throckmorton's case the action was so much the man. To discover his personal idiosyncrasies, however, is beyond the scope of this thesis; to do so would involve seeking out for instance the surviving private correspondence that is not readily available.

The method of approach is chronological to the extent that Throckmorton's life and changing fortunes were marked by the accession and passing of Kings and Queens. The chapters thus consider the development of his career through the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Jane Grey, Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I. The biography begins in the latter years of the reign of Henry VIII and ends about one-third of the way through that of Elizabeth I.

As the account was compiled almost solely from primary sources, it was necessary to support the narrative with essential documentation. Further, where some confusion has arisen over dating, I have given precedence to the consistency of information. Often cited in the text is the only biographical work on Throckmorton: The Legend of Sir Nicholas Throckmorton (c. 1580–1600?), a long poem by his nephew Thomas Throckmorton in the manner of The Mirror for Magistrates (1559). Owing to its importance as the only contemporary account and, indeed in view of its inaccuracies, I have included the Legend as an appendix.