Biography of Francis Dereham 1513-1541
Around 1513 Francis Dereham was born.
In Dec 1541 Francis Dereham (age 28) and Thomas Culpepper (age 27) were tried for adultery with Queen Catherine Howard of England (age 18). The former for adultery before Henry and Catherine's marriage, the latter for adultery after the marriage.
Both were found guilty and sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered. Both men pleaded for mercy. Culpeper, presumably because of his former closeness to the King, received a commuted sentence of beheading only.
Holinshed's Chronicle 1541. 01 Dec 1541. The first of December, Culpeper (age 27) and Diram (age 28) were arreigned at the Guildhall in London, before the lord maior sitting there in iudgement as chéefe iudge, hauing the lord chancellor vpon his right hand, and the duke of Norffolke vpon his left hand, the duke of Suffolke the lord priuie seale, the earles of Sussex and Hereford, with diuerse other of the councell sitting there as iudges in commission that daie: the prisoners in the end confessed the indictement, and had iudgement to die, as in cases of treason.
Holinshed's Chronicle 1541. 10 Dec 1541. The tenth of December, the said Culpeper (age 27) and Diram (age 28) were drawen from the tower vnto Tiburne and there Culpeper (age 27) had his head striken off, and Diram (age 28) was hanged, dismembred and headed. Culpeper's (age 27) bodie was buried in S. Sepulchers church, but both their heads were set on London bridge.
On 10 Dec 1541. At Tyburn [Map] ....
Francis Dereham (age 28) was hanged, drawn and quartered. He was buried at St Sepulchre without Newgate Church.
Thomas Culpepper (age 27) was beheaded. He was buried at St Sepulchre without Newgate Church.
Holinshed's Chronicle 1542. 16 Jan 1542. The sixtéenth of Ianuarie the parlement began at Westminster, in the which the lords and commons exhibited certeine petitions to the king. First, that he would not vex himselfe with the quéenes offense, and that she and the ladie Rochford might be attainted by parlement: and to auoid protracting of time, they besought him to giue his roiall assent thereto, vnder his great seale, without staieng for the end of the parlement. Also, that Diram and Culpeper before attainted by the common law, might also be attainted by parlement, & that Agnes duches of Norffolke, and Katharine countesse of Bridgewater hir daughter, which for concealing the said offense, were committed to the towre, and indicted of misprision, & the lord William Howard arreigned of the same, might likewise be attainted. Also, that who soeuer had spoken or doone anie thing in detestation of hir naughtie life, should be pardoned.
Holinshed's Chronicle 1541. After he had béene at Yorke twelue daies, he came to Hull, where he deuised certeine fortifications. This doone, he passed ouer the water of Humber, and so through Lincolneshire, returned toward the south parts, and at Alhallowen tide came to Hampton court. About the same time, the king had knowledge that the quéene liued dissolutelie, in vsing the vnlawfull companie of one Francis Diram, with whome she had beene too familiar before hir maraiage with the king; & not meaning to forgo his companie now in time of hir marriage, without regard had either to the feare of God, or the king hir husband, the last summer being in progresse with the king at Pomfret, the seuen and twentith of August, she reteined the said Francis Diram in hir seruice, to the intent she might vse his companie in such vnlawfull sort the more freelie: and not satisfied with him, she also vsed the vnlawfull companie of Thomas Culpeper esquire, one of the gentlemen of the kings priuie chamber, as well at Pomfret aforesaid on the nine and twentith and last of August aforesaid, and on the first of September, as at diuerse other times and places before and after. Wherevpon, the thirtéenth of Nouember, sir Thomas Wriothesleie knight the kings secretarie, came to Hampton court vnto the said quéene, and called all hir ladies, gentlewomen, and seruants into hir great chamber, & there openlie in presence of them all, declared hir offenses committed in abusing of hir bodie before hir mariage, & therwith he discharged hir houshold. The morrow after she was conueied to Sion, the ladie Bainton and certeine gentlewomen and some of hir seruants being appointed to wait vpon hir there, till the kings pleasure might be further knowen. Culpeper, Diram, and others were had to the tower. Diram in his examination being charged with the familiaritie which had béene betwixt them, before she was married to the king, confessed that he and she said quéene had made a precontract togither, and that he concealed it for hir preferment in marriage to the king, after he vnderstood the king began to cast a liking towards hir.
Letters and Papers 1542. II. Acts printed in the Statutes at Large, but not entered on the Parliament Roll, viz.:—
Cap. 2 [o.n. 2]. Buying of fish upon the sea.
C. 5 [o.n. 5]. Great horses.
C. 8 [o.n. 8]. Against conjurations and witchcrafts and sorcery and enchantments.
C. 14 [o.n. 14]. Prophecies upon declaration of names, arms, badges, &c.
C. 15 [o.n. 15]. Sanctuary of Manchester to be abolished, and the sanctuary men transferred to West Chester, which is to be a sanctuary.
C. 21 [o.n. 33 in the year 37 Henry VIII.].5 Attainder of Catharine Howard and others.—Catharine Howard whom the King took to wife is proved to have been not of pure and honest living before her marriage, and the fact that she has since taken to her service one Francis Dereham, the person with whom she "used that vicious life before," and has taken as chamberer a woman who was privy to her naughty life before, is proof of her will to return to her old abominable life. Also she has confederated with Lady Jane Rocheford, widow, late wife of Sir George Boleyn, late Lord Rochford, to "bring her vicious and abominable purpose to pass" with Thomas Culpeper, late one of the King's Privy Chamber, and has met Culpeper in "a secret and vile place," at 11 o'clock at night, and remained there with him until 3 a.m., with only "that bawd, the lady Jane Rocheford." For these treasons, Culpeper and Dereham have been convicted and executed, and the Queen and Lady Rochford stand indicted. The indictments of such as have lately suffered are hereby approved, and the said Queen and Lady Rochford are, by authority of this Parliament, convicted and attainted of high treason, and shall suffer accordingly; and the said Queen, lady Rocheford, Culpeper, and Dereham shall forfeit to the Crown all possessions which they held on 25 Aug. 33 Henry VIII. The Royal assent to this Act shall be given by commission. And where Agnes duchess of Norfolk, widow, and Catharine Countess of Bridgewater, wife of Henry Earl of Bridgewater, are indicted of misprision of treason for concealing the first treasons, and lord William Howard, lady Margaret Howard his wife, Edward Walgrave, Kath. Tylney, Alice Restwold, Joan Bulmer, Anne Howard, Robert Damporte, Malyn Tylney, Marg. Bennet, and William Assheby have been convicted of the said misprision, all of them shall forfeit their goods to the King, and be imprisoned for life, and the King shall take the revenues of their lands from 1 Oct. 33 Henry VIII. for term of their lives. To avoid doubts in future, it is declared that the Royal assent given by commission shall be valid in all cases hereafter, that any lightness of the Queen for the time being may be revealed to the King or his Council, and that an unchaste woman marrying the King shall be guilty of high treason.
C. 25 [o.n. 23]. Denization of children of Thomas Poyntz, of London, grocer, William Castelyn, of London, mercer, and John Dymock, late gentleman usher, born beyond sea of wives who were not denizens.
C. 26 [o.n. 24]. Certain crafty conveyances executed by Sir John Shelton, dec., declared null.
C. 28 [o.n. 26]. That the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Chancellor of Augmentations, the Chancellor of First Fruits and Tenths, the master of Wards and Liveries, each of the General Surveyors, the treasurer of the Chamber, the treasurer of Augmentations, and the groom of the Stole, may each retain one chaplain holding one benefice with cure of souls and not resident upon it.
C. 29 [o.n. 27]. Religious persons of houses and monasteries which have been translated from their old corporations into new corporations, without being suppressed, to enjoy the benefits of the Act of 31 Henry VIII., enabling religious persons in houses suppressed to sue and be sued, &c.
C. 30 [o.n. 28]. Authority of the dean and chapter of Lichfield in making leases, &c.
C. 31 [o.n. 29]. Bishoprics of Chester and of the Isle of Man transferred from the jurisdiction of Canterbury to that of York.
C. 32 [o.n. 30]. Whitegate made a parish church separate from the parish of Over.
C. 33 [o.n. 31]. Privileges of Kingston-upon-Hull.
C. 34 [o.n. 32]. The two annual fairs granted to King's Lynn by pat.
7 July 29 Henry VIII. taken away, because of the regrating of salt fish practised there, to the detriment of Styrbridge fair, Ely fair, and other fairs in cos. Camb. and Hunts.
C. 35 [o.n. 33]. Water conduits of Gloucester.
C. 39 [o.n. 37]. Establishment of the Court of General Surveyors.
Note. 5. Received the royal assent, 11 February, Lords' Journals.