William FitzWilliam, 1st Earl of Southampton
Fitzwillian William, 1st Earl of Southhampton (* 1490, † October 15, 1542 in Newcastle -upon- Tyne ) was a confidant of Henry VIII (England) and has held several different government posts.
Life
He was the son of Sir Thomas Fitzwilliam († 1498) and Lucy Neville, a daughter of John Neville. His mother married after the death of the father, Sir Anthony Browne. He was standard-bearer of the king. Probably it therefore came at the age of 10 years as a companion for Prince Henry to the court. In November 1513 he married Mabel Clifford, a maid of honor of Catherine of Aragon. The marriage remained childless.
Political career
In 1518 he accompanied Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester and the Bishop of Ely Nicholas West on a diplomatic trip to France. In February 1521, he was seconded by Thomas Wolsey as ambassador to France. In the negotiations, he showed great skill and gained the trust of Wolsey. The following year he was again recalled to his delight to England.
He was appointed in 1522 in the war against France as Vice Admiral of the Navy. Its mission under the command of the Earl of Surrey was to protect the British merchant ships from enemy attacks. In 1523 he defeated a Scottish- French squadron and devastated parts of the coast of France. He could not prevent the Duke of Albany came from France to Scotland but.
On November 3, 1529, he was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. A post he held until his death.
After the death of Henry Fitzroy, the illegitimate son of Henry in 1536, he took over the post of Admiral of the Navy.
On October 18, 1537 he was appointed Earl of Southhampten.
In December 1539 it was part of the welcoming committee of Anne of Cleves, the fourth wife of Henry VIII Due to the bad weather, they were fixed for several days. During this time he taught her the card games. The king he wrote a letter about her arrival and also praises the beauty of the bride.
In 1540 he was appointed Lord Privy Seal. A post he held until his death kept. In this position, he signed with Anne letters of consent to the divorce and afterwards he assisted them in setting up their own household.
For Henry, he was in several cases, the Prosecutor. Among other things, he led the survey of Henry Norris; this in later complained that he had been tricked. In 1538, he was responsible for the interrogation of Sir Geoffrey Pole and his mother in connection with the Exeter Conspiracy. The last study of this kind, he led 1541.
Death
He died on October 15, 1542 in Newcastle -upon- Tyne, during a march of the army towards Scotland. Him his standard was carried on the whole further Wag honor. The title became extinct after his death, as he had no heirs.