29 Jun 1541 Execution of Thomas Fiennes

Chronicle of Edward Hall [1496-1548]. [28th June 1541]. In this season was arraigned and condemned three gentlemen, called Mantell, Roydon, and Frowdes, and were hanged at Saint Thomas of Wateringes [Map]. Likewise was Thomas Fiennes (age 26) Lord Dacres of the South, arraigned before the Lord Audley of Walden (age 53), then Chancellor of England, and that day High Steward of the same at Westminster, and there before the said Lord Chancellor and his Peers, he confessed the inditement, and so had judgement to be hanged.

And so the twenty and nine day of June , being Saint Peter's day at afternoon, he was led on foot, between the two Sheriffs of London, from the Tower through the city to Tyburn [Map], where he was strangled, as common murderers are, and his body buried in the Church of Saint Sepulchres. The cause of the death of this noble man, and the other gentlemen, was a murder of a simple man and an unlawful assembly made in Sussex. Great moan was made for them all, but most especially for Mantell, who was as witty, and toward a gentleman, as any was in the realm, and a man able to have done good service.

Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic Henry VIII 1541. That afternoon [Chapus appears here to have the wrong day; other sources say 29th June 1541 i.e. St Peter's Day] two gentlemen were hung [the other being either John Mantell, John Frowds, George Roidon, Thomas Isleie, and two yeomen Richard Middleton and John Goldwell], one of whom had an income of over 12,000 ducats a year, and was the handsomest and best bred man in England, only 25 years old and married to a niece of the Duke of Norfolk (age 68). He was sentenced for having belonged to a set of eight rakish youths, one of whom had killed a poor old man in an unpremeditated fray. For the same cause lord Dacres (age 26) also, son¹ of the Duke of Norfolk's sister, and cousin of this Queen (age 18), 23 years old and possessing a property of about 5,000 ducats a year, was hung from the most ignominious gibbet, and for greater shame dragged through the streets to the place of execution, to the great pity of many people, and even of his very judges, who wept when they sentenced him, and in a body asked his pardon of the King. But the thing which astonished people most was, that, the same day lord Dacres was hung, another young man (age 28), son of the Treasurer of the Royal household (age 56), who was one of those present at the old man's death, was freely pardoned, though he had been already tried for some like misdemeanour.

At the same time in the North, Sir John Neville (deceased) and about 60 more, among whom at least 25 were ecclesiastics, were executed for the conspiracy of which Chapuys wrote some time ago. Has just heard of the arrival of a Polish gentleman with eight or ten servants. Will endeavour to discover who he is and what he comes for. London, 2 July 1541. Original at Vienna.

Note 1. Thomas Fiennes 9th Baron Dacre Gilsland, Lord Dacre, was the grandson of Anne Bourchier Baroness Dacre of Gilsland who was the maternal half-sister of Thomas Howard 3rd Duke of Norfolk; Anne and Thomas' mother was Elizabeth Tilney Countess of Surrey.

Chronicle of Greyfriars. 29th June 1541. And the 29th of the same monyth was Lord Dacres of the South (age 26) led with the sheriffs of London unto Tyborne at after-none, and there hanged for the new acte that was made, and browte home agayne in the carte unto St Sepulchres and ther buried.

Note. Lord Dacre was hung for a murder committed in Sussex, as were his three companions named in the next paragraph.

Wriothesley's Chronicle [1508-1562]. 29th June 1541. The 29th daie of June, being Sainct Peeters daie, at 11 of the clocke in the afternoune, the sherives were at the Towre of London to have had the Lord Dacres (age 26) to execution on the gallowes at Towre Hill, and, as the prisonner should have come out of the Tower, the Controwler of my Lord Chauncelors howse, called Mr. Heyre, came and commanded, in the Kinges name, to stay the execution till tow of the clocke in the afternoune, which caused the people to hope that the King would pardon him; nevertheles at three of the clocke in the afternoune the said Lord Dacres was had from the Tower to Tiburne [Map], led betwene the sherives of London on foote till he came to the place of execution, where he was hanged till he was dead, and then ymediatlie he was cutt downe and laid in the cart, and had from thence to Sainct Sepulchers church by Newgate, and their buried.

On 29th June 1541 Thomas Fiennes 9th Baron Dacre Gilsland (age 26) was hanged at Tyburn [Map]. He was buried at St Sepulchre without Newgate Church. Baron Dacre Gilsland, Baron Multon of Gilsland forfeit. His son Gregory (age 2) would be restored to the title in 1558.

Note. Hall's Chronicle says strangled.