Thomas Savage (1449 in Clifton, Cheshire – 3 September 1507, in Cawood, Yorkshire) was a prelate, diplomat and scholar during the Tudor period. Savage served as Chaplain to King Henry VII and was Archbishop of York from 1501 until his death in 1507.[2] Prior to his consecration as a Bishop, Savage served as a diplomat and rector (Savage continued to carry out diplomatic duties whilst he was a Bishop). As a diplomat Savage held the positions of English Ambassador to Castile and Portugal, during which time he helped broker the marriage treaty between Arthur, Prince of Wales and Catherine of Aragon in 1489,[3] and later held the position of English Ambassador to France from 1490, where he took part in the conference at Boulogne.
Thomas Savage early ecclesiastical career entailed appointments to several rectorships. Savage was first appointed Rector of Davenham, Cheshire in 1470, before successively becoming; Rector of Jacobstow, Devon in 1474, Rector of Monks Risborough, Buckinghamshire in 1484; and Rector of Rostherne, Cheshire. Such advowsons provided him with a source of income while he pursued his academic studies abroad.
Savage benefited greatly from Henry VII's ascension to the throne. Savage's brother Sir John Savage had been one Henry's main commanders at the Battle of Bosworth Field (the battle which had put Henry on the throne) and the Savage family enjoyed newfound prominence and privileges after victory was achieved on the field of battle. Previously only a rector and scholar Savage now received appointments to several positions of power and prestige; first receiving important diplomatic appointments as English ambassador to Castile and Portugal in 1488[7] during which time he helped broker the marriage treaty between Arthur, Prince of Wales and Catherine of Aragon in 1489,[8] and then later as Ambassador to France in 1490, where he took part in the conference at Boulogne (where Sir John would be killed whilst besieging the city in 1492).[9] Before beginning a career as a high ranking cleric (prelate), being nominated to the position of Bishop of Rochester in 1492 (consecrated on 28 April 1493)[10] serving until 1496 when he became Bishop of London and Chaplain to King Henry.[11] During this time the Bishop continued his diplomatic duties, negotiating a trade treaty between England and Riga in 1498.[12] Before finally becoming Archbishop of York and Primate of England in 1501 a position which he held until his death in 1507.[13] Both Sir John and Dr Thomas became part of the King's inner circle, of 11 known meetings of the King's council in the months June-July 1486, one or both of the brothers were present at 8.[14]
Savage served as President of the council attendant on the King and Chaplain to Henry VII, before being appointed as Archbishop of York on 18 January 1501.[15][16] While Archbishop he played a part in the marriage ceremony of Arthur, Prince of Wales, to Catherine of Aragon. Prince Arthur died young, and his brother Henry, who became Henry VIII, then married Princess Catherine. Archbishop Savage had earlier led the ceremony by which Henry was made Duke of York.
"A Lancastrian in politics, he was much trusted and employed by Henry VII....he was a courtier by nature, and took part in the great ceremonies of his time, the creation of Prince Henry as Duke of York, the meeting with the Archduke Philip, and the reception of Catherine of Aragon."[17]
The now Archbishop Thomas Savage became one of the most important men in the north of England, exercising a great deal of power as the king's commissioner and leader of the King's Council of the North.[18] As a result of the great power he wielded over the years of his tenure as Archbishop of York, he formed a rivalry with Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland, one of the most powerful noblemen in the north of England. Northumberland had wanted several of the positions on the council to go to his supporters but was unable to secure these positions, he had also frequently clashed with two of the Archbishop's household officers Sir John Hotham and Sir Robert Constable.[19] Tensions between the Archbishop and Lord Northumberland mounted as a result of several clashes between their associates, and reached a head on 23 May 1504. That day Lord Northumberland left Fulford (a small town just outside York) with an escort of 13 armed riders. Archbishop Savage had passed that way not long before with an escort of 80 armed riders.[20] Throughout that day the two parties had encountered each other on multiple occasions in York, and each time there had been provocation from members of both parties.[21] On the road out of Fulford Northumberland and his men encountered a dozen of the Archbishop's men who had hung back from his main party.[22] Two of these men deliberately rode between the Earl and his men causing the Earl's horse to stumble and fall to its knees.[23] The Earl exclaimed 'Is there no way sirs but over me?' before striking one of the men in the face.[24] Swords were drawn by members of both groups and some blows were exchanged. The main body of the Archbishop's force now aware of the commotion rode back to the scene of the altercation, The Archbishop's men aimed crossbows at the Earl and his men and insults were exchanged between both parties.[25] One almost fired his weapon but another of the Archbishop's party cut the bow before he could do so, and thus full-scale fighting was avoided.[26] Both the Archbishop and the Earl were apprehensive about what response awaited them from the King.[27] The two men and their retainers were summoned to London by the King where they were questioned by a panel of counsellors.[28] The Archbishop claimed that the entire situation was entirely down to the actions of Lord Northumberland, despite this King handed the two equal punishment, forcing them to enter bonds for £2000. The King was greatly displeased by the situation and the Archbishop's career faltered after this point, declining slowly but steadily until his death three years later.[29]
Despite having had a key role in many of the notable events of his time (the brokering of the marriage treaty between Arthur, Prince of Wales and Catherine of Aragon, the creation of Prince Henry as Duke of York, the meeting with the Archduke Philip, and the reception of Catherine of Aragon and Prince Arthur) and being a much trusted employee of Henry VII (serving him as President of his council and his personal chaplain, as well as ambassador to several European powers), the Archbishop's legacy is slightly tarnished by allegations that he maintained a lifestyle too akin to that of a nobleman rather than that of a priest. Described as a 'flamboyant, worldly sophisticate, a keen hunter and a keeper of peacocks, with an unholy penchant for taking the lord's name in vain'[31] he was also accused of nepotism, exploiting his position to gain benefits for his friends and family.[32]
↑ Penn, Thomas. Winter King: Henry VII and the Dawn of Tudor England. pg 136
↑ Penn, Thomas. Winter King: Henry VII and the Dawn of Tudor England. pg 136
Bibliography
Arnold, Morris; Green, Thomas A.; Scully, Sally A.; White, Stephen D., eds. (1976). . On the Laws and Customs of England: Essays in Honor of Samuel E. Thorne (1sted.). Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN0807878146.
Crossley, Fred. H. (1924). Mediaeval monumental effigies remaining in Cheshire. A&C Black.
Harriss, G. L.; Archer, Rowena E.; Walker, Simon, eds. (1995). Rulers and Ruled in Late Medieval England. A&C Black. ISBN9781852851330.
Lee, Sidney (ed.). "Savage, Thomas (d.1507)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
Penn, Thomas (2012). Winter King: Henry VII and the Dawn of Tudor England. Simon & Schuster. ISBN978-1439191569.
Pryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (Third reviseded.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN0-521-56350-X.
Richardson, Douglas (2007). Magna Carta Ancestry, Baltimore. Baltimore, Md. ISBN978-0806317595.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Smith, F.W.; Watson, Gemma, L (2015). Writing the Lives of People and Things, AD 500-1700. Abingdon-on-Thames: Routledge. ISBN9781472450678.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Rylands, John Paul, ed. (1882). The Visitation of Cheshire 1580 by several heralds. London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Woolfson, Jonathan (1998). Padua and the Tudors: English Students in Italy, 1485-1603. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN0802009468.
Catherine of Aragon was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until its annulment on 23 May 1533. She was Princess of Wales while married to Henry's elder brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales, for a short period before his death.
Henry VII, also known as Henry Tudor, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor.
Thomas Wolsey was an English statesman and Catholic cardinal. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king's almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered and by 1514 he had become the controlling figure in virtually all matters of state. He also held important ecclesiastical appointments. These included the Archbishop of York—the second most important role in the English church—and that of papal legate. His appointment as a cardinal by Pope Leo X in 1515 gave him precedence over all other English clergy.
The House of Tudor was an English and Welsh dynasty that held the throne of England from 1485 to 1603. They descended from the Tudors of Penmynydd, a Welsh noble family, and Catherine of Valois. The Tudor monarchs ruled the Kingdom of England and the Lordship of Ireland for 118 years with five monarchs: Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. The Tudors succeeded the House of Plantagenet as rulers of the Kingdom of England, and were succeeded by the Scottish House of Stuart. The first Tudor monarch, Henry VII, descended through his mother from the House of Beaufort, a legitimised branch of the English royal House of Lancaster, a cadet house of the Plantagenets. The Tudor family rose to power and started the Tudor period in the wake of the Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), which left the main House of Lancaster extinct in the male line.
Elizabeth of York was Queen of England from her marriage to King Henry VII on 18 January 1486 until her death in 1503. She was the daughter of King Edward IV and his wife, Elizabeth Woodville, and her marriage to Henry VII followed his victory at the Battle of Bosworth Field, which marked the end of the civil war known as the Wars of the Roses.
Edmund de la Pole, 3rd Duke of Suffolk, 6th Earl of Suffolk, KG, Duke of Suffolk, was an English nobleman and soldier. The son of John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk and his wife Elizabeth of York, he was through his mother the nephew of the Yorkist kings of England Edward IV and Richard III and the cousin of Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York and of Henry VII's queen Elizabeth of York.
Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, styled Earl of Surrey from 1483 to 1485 and again from 1489 to 1514, was an English nobleman, soldier and statesman who served four monarchs. He was the eldest son of John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk, by his first wife, Catharina de Moleyns. The Duke was the grandfather of both Queen Anne Boleyn and Queen Katherine Howard and the great-grandfather of Queen Elizabeth I. In 1513, he led the English to victory over the Scots at the decisive Battle of Flodden, for which he was richly rewarded by King Henry VIII, then away in France.
The Council of the North was an administrative body first set up in 1484 by King Richard III of England, to improve access to conciliar justice in Northern England. This built upon steps by King Edward IV of England in delegating authority in the north to Richard, duke of Gloucester, and in establishing the Council of Wales and the Marches.
Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset was the son of Henry VIII of England and his mistress Elizabeth Blount, and the only child born out of wedlock whom Henry acknowledged. He was the younger half-brother of Mary I, as well as the older half-brother of Elizabeth I and Edward VI. Through his mother, he was the elder half-brother of Elizabeth, George, and Robert Tailboys. His surname means "son of the king" in Norman French.
The Tudor rose is the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England and takes its name and origins from the House of Tudor, which united the House of Lancaster and the House of York. The Tudor rose consists of five white inner petals, representing the House of York, and five red outer petals to represent the House of Lancaster.
In common parlance, the wives of Henry VIII were the six queens consort of King Henry VIII of England between 1509 and his death in 1547. In legal terms, Henry had only three wives, because three of his marriages were annulled by the Church of England. He was never granted an annulment by the Pope, as he desired, however, for Catherine of Aragon, his first wife. Annulments declare that a true marriage never took place, unlike a divorce, in which a married couple end their union. Along with his six wives, Henry took several mistresses.
George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury, 4th Earl of Waterford, 10th Baron Talbot, KG, KB, PC was the son of John Talbot, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury, and Lady Catherine Stafford, daughter of the 1st Duke of Buckingham. He also held the subsidiary titles of 13th Baron Strange of Blackmere and 9th Baron Furnivall.
Events from the 1530s in England.
Events from the 1480s in England. This decade marks the beginning of the Tudor period.
Events from the 1500s in England.
Joan Larke was the mistress of the powerful English statesman and churchman in the Tudor period, Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York, and mother of his two illegitimate children.
Sir Richard Pole, KG was a supporter and first cousin of King Henry VII of England. He was created a Knight of the Garter and was married to Margaret Plantagenet, a member of the House of York. The marriage reinforced the Tudor alliance between the houses of York and Lancaster.
Sir John Savage, KG, KB, PC (1444–1492), was an English knight of the Savage family, who was a noted military commander of the late 15th-century. Savage most notably fought at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, where he commanded the left flank of the Tudor (Lancastrian) army to victory and is said to have personally slain the Duke of Norfolk in single combat. Earlier in the Wars of the Roses, Savage had been a supporter and friend of the Yorkist King Edward IV, fighting alongside him and helping him to victories at the Battle of Barnet in April 1471 and the Battle of Tewkesbury the following month. He returned to active military service in 1482 when he joined the invasion of Scotland led by the King's brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester, where the Duke made him a Knight banneret.
The siege of Boulogne took place during the autumn of 1492. Henry VII of England had led an expeditionary force of 12,000 troops across the Channel to Calais and began to besiege the French port of Boulogne on 18 October. After several weeks the siege was broken off when Henry and the French monarch Charles VIII agreed to the Peace of Étaples. The siege had proved to be a successful show of force and Henry was offered very favourable terms by Charles, including the end of French support to the pretender to the English throne Perkin Warbeck, Warbeck was also expelled from the country. The terms of the treaty also included the English accepting French control of Brittany, and the French paying Henry an indemnity of 742,000 crowns, payable at 50,000 crowns per annum, equivalent to 5% of the crown's annual income. Henry had been in negotiations even before the campaign, and the move against Boulogne may have been intended to put further pressure on Charles.
Savage is an Anglo-Norman surname which was used by several English and Anglo-Irish knightly or gentry families, several of whom were politically important in England or Ireland.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
