Biography of Thomas Culpepper 1514-1541

Paternal Family Tree: Culpepper

1541 Catherine Howard Trial

1541 Catherine Howard Tyburn Executions

Before 1514 [his father] Alexander Culpepper (age 56) and [his mother] Constance Chamberlayne (age 55) were married.

Around 1514 Thomas Culpepper was born to Alexander Culpepper (age 56) and Constance Chamberlayne (age 56).

Around Apr 1541 Queen Catherine Howard of England (age 18) wrote to Thomas Culpepper (age 27)...

Master Culpeper,

I heartily recommend me unto you, praying you to send me word how that you do. It was showed me that you was sick, the which thing troubled me very much till such time that I hear from you praying you to send me word how that you do, for I never longed so much for a thing as I do to see you and to speak with you, the which I trust shall be shortly now. That which doth comfortly me very much when I think of it, and when I think again that you shall depart from me again it makes my heart die to think what fortune I have that I cannot be always in your company. It my trust is always in you that you will be as you have promised me, and in that hope I trust upon still, praying you that you will come when my Lady Rochford (age 36) is here for then I shall be best at leisure to be at your commandment, thanking you for that you have promised me to be so good unto that poor fellow my man which is one of the griefs that I do feel to depart from him for then I do know no one that I dare trust to send to you, and therefore I pray you take him to be with you that I may sometime hear from you one thing. I pray you to give me a horse for my man for I had much ado to get one and therefore I pray send me one by him and in so doing I am as I said afor, and thus I take my leave of you, trusting to see you shortly again and I would you was with me now that you might see what pain I take in writing to you.

Yours as long as life endures,

Katheryn.

One thing I had forgotten and that is to instruct my man to tarry here with me still for he says whatsomever you bid him he will do it.

On 21 Jun 1541 [his father] Alexander Culpepper (age 83) died at Goudhurst, Kent.

Before Nov 1541 King Henry VIII of England and Ireland (age 50) and Queen Catherine Howard of England (age 18) visited Chenies Manor House, Buckinghamshire [Map]. The house was subsequently mentioned in evidence against her as somewhere she had committed adultery with Thomas Culpepper (age 27).

Catherine Howard Trial

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.

Catherine Howard Tyburn Executions

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 had his head striken off, and Diram was hanged, dismembred and headed. Culpeper's 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.

Hall's Chronicle 1541. 10 Dec 1541. At this tyme the Quene (age 18) late before maried to the kyng called Quene Katheryne, was accused to the Kyng of dissolute livyng, before her mariage, with Fraunces Diram (age 28), and that was not secretely, but many knewe it. And sithe her Mariage, she was vehemently suspected with Thomas Culpeper (age 27), whiche was brought to her Chamber at Lyncolne, in August laste, in the Progresse tyme, by the Lady of Rocheforde (age 36), and were there together alone, from a leven of the Clocke at Nighte, tyll foure of the Clocke in the Mornyng, and to hym she gave a Chayne, and a riche Cap. Upon this the kyng removed to London, and she was sent to Sion [Map], and there kepte close, but yet served as Quene. And for the offence confessed by Culpeper and Diram, thei were put to death at Tiborne [Map], the tenth dale of December.

Chronicle of Greyfriars. 10 Dec 1541. This year the 10th daye of December was draune from the tower to Tyborne [Thomas] Culpeper (age 27), and there was hongyd and heddyd.

In 1542 [his mother] Constance Chamberlayne (age 84) died.

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.

From 1640 to 1641 Thomas Culpepper lived at 4 5 Great Piazza Covent Garden.

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.

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.

Ancestors of Thomas Culpepper 1514-1541

Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Culpepper

Great x 3 Grandfather: John Culpepper

Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Culpepper

Great x 1 Grandfather: Walter Culpepper

GrandFather: John Culpepper

Great x 2 Grandfather: Edmund Roper

Great x 1 Grandmother: Agnes Roper

Father: Alexander Culpepper

GrandMother: Agnes Gaynsford

Thomas Culpepper

Mother: Constance Chamberlayne