Biography of Nicholas Hare 1484-1557
Around 1484 Nicholas Hare was born to John Hare of Homersfield in Suffolk. He was educated at Gonville College, Cambridge University and admitted to the Inner Temple in 1515.
Around 1528 Nicholas Hare (age 44) and Katherine Bassingbourne (age 25) were married. They had three sons and three daughters.
In 1529 Nicholas Hare (age 45) was elected MP Downton.
In 1539 Nicholas Hare (age 55) was elected Speaker of the House of Commons.
In May 1539 Nicholas Hare (age 55) was knighted.
In 1545 Nicholas Hare (age 61) was elected MP Lancaster.
In 1547 Nicholas Hare (age 63) was elected MP Taunton.
In 1553 Nicholas Hare (age 69) was appointed Master of the Rolls.
In 1554 Nicholas Hare (age 70) presided at the trial of Nicholas Throckmorton (age 39) for his involvement in Wyatt's Rebellion.
On 31 Oct 1557 Nicholas Hare (age 73) died. He was buried on 08 Nov 1557 at Temple Church, London [Map].
Henry Machyn's Diary. 08 Nov 1557. The viij day of November was bered with-in the Tempull [Map] ser Necolas Hare (deceased), knyght, and master of the rolles, with ij whytt branchys and (blank) torches, and a herse garnyshed with wax and penselles and armes; and with a harold of armes; and with a standard, and a penon, and cote of armes, elmett, targatt, and sword; and a viij dosen of skochyons.
Note. P. 156. Ibid. Funeral of sir Nicholas Hare. Having been a master of requests to Henry VIII. and Edward VI. he was constituted master of the rolls by patent 18 Sept. 1553. His wife Catharine survived him not quite a month. See their epitaph printed in Dugdale's Origines Juridiciales, fol. 1671, p. 178.
Around 21 Nov 1557 [his former wife] Katherine Bassingbourne (age 54) died.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 30 Nov 1557. [The xxv day of November died the lady Hare (deceased), late wife] unto ser Necolaus Hare (deceased), knyght, and [master of the rolls, the] wyche she ded at (blank).