Richard Southwell
Richard Southwell, the eldest son of Francis Southwell, an auditor of the exchequer, and his wife, Dorothy, daughter of William Tendrin, was born in 1502. Southall's father' died in 1512. He also acquired property after the death of his his uncle Sir Robert Southwell, chief butler to Henry VII, who died in 1514 leaving an estate based on the manor of Woodrising.
In 1526 Southwell entered Lincoln's Inn. A well-educated man he taught the son of Thomas Cromwell, who for a time lived with him in Norfolk. In 1531 he became a JP for Norfolk and Suffolk. He also became the member of the House of Commons.
His biographer, Stanford Lehmberg, points out: "On 20th April 1532, with accomplices who included his brothers Robert and Anthony, Richard killed Sir William Pennington in sanctuary at Westminster. Pennington had married a cousin of Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk, and was the latter's tenant of the manor of Costessey, and the crime may have arisen from a competition for pre-eminence in East Anglia between Brandon and the Howards. The Howards and Cromwell were able to obtain a pardon for Southwell and his followers on 15 June 1532, though his crime cost Richard a fine of £1000, subsequently confirmed by act of parliament. Instead of money he gave the king his Essex manors of Coggeshall and Filolls Hall. The affair did not prevent Southwell from being made sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk in 1534."
In August 1535, Henry VIII sent a team of officials, including Southwell, to find out what was going on in the monasteries. After reading their reports Henry decided to close down 376 monasteries. Monastery land was seized and sold off cheaply to nobles and merchants. They in turn sold some of the lands to smaller farmers. This process meant that a large number of people had good reason to support the monasteries being closed. Southwell dealt with the lands of dissolved monasteries in East Anglia. This enabled him to obtain lands formerly held by several religious houses in Norfolk.
In Yorkshire, in 1536, a lawyer named Robert Aske formed an army to defend the monasteries. The rebel army was joined by priests carrying crosses and banners. Leading nobles in the area also began to give their support to the rebellion. The rebels marched to York and demanded that the monasteries should be reopened. This march, which contained over 30,000 people, became known as the Pilgrimage of Grace.
Southwell helped Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, to raise forces from his region. Henry VIII's army was not strong enough to fight the rebels. Henry VIII's army was not strong enough to fight the rebels. The Duke of Norfolk, negotiated a peace with Aske. Howard was forced to promise that he would pardon the rebels and hold a parliament in York to discuss their demands. The rebels were convinced that this parliament would reopen the monasteries and therefore went back to their homes. However, as soon as the rebel army had dispersed. Henry ordered the arrest of the leaders of the Pilgrimage of Grace. About 200 people were executed for their part in the rebellion. These included Robert Aske and Lady Bulmer who were burnt at the stake. Abbots of the four largest monasteries in the north were also executed.
Richard Southwell had his portrait painted by Hans Holbein in 1536. He was knighted in 1540. Now considered one of Henry's trusted advisers, in 1542 he was appointed as one of the three general surveyors of the king's lands. He also helped the king to dispose of both Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell. Shortly before the king's death Southwell was granted an annuity of £100, and the king's will included a bequest of £200 in token of his "special love and favour".
Southwell became a supporter of John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, but in January 1550 he was sent to the Tower of London, charged with writing seditious bills. Bishop John Ponet argued that Southwell deserved to be hanged, but he was soon released. However, he was stopped from sitting in the House of Commons during the reign of Edward VI.
In 1553 Southwell initially gave his support to Lady Jane Grey as Edward VI's heir, but he changed sides and helped Queen Mary to gain power. For his services he was rewarded on 4th December with an annuity of £100. Mary restored him to the privy council and made him master of the ordnance. Within her administration Southwell served on a number of commissions. Southwell helped to prosecute protestants and according to John Foxe he argued that they should be "put on the rack". After the death of Mary, Elizabeth decided not to appoint him to the privy council and in 1559 surrendered his offices in exchange for an annuity of £165.
Richard Southwell died on 11th January 1564. Stanford Lehmberg has pointed out: "His landholdings were substantial and included more than thirty manors in Norfolk alone, together with over 10,000 sheep. Succession to his estates was complicated by the fact that his two sons were illegitimate. He and his first wife, Thomasin Darcy of Danbury, Essex, had a daughter, Elizabeth, who married George Heneage. His second wife was Mary, the daughter of Thomas Darcy of Danbury and a relative of Thomasin. They had two sons, Richard and Thomas, who were born of their adulterous relationship while Mary was still married to the Norwich alderman Robert Leeche, and a daughter, Katherine, born following her marriage to Southwell."