One Name Study of Gronow / Gronnow / Goronwy

One Name Study of Gronow / Gronnow / Goronwy

Friday, July 01, 2011


From the publication: Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 12 Part 2: June-December 1537 comes an interesting conversation between Thomas Cranmer & Thomas Cromwell on the 28th August 1537.

'Has twice written in favour of "this poor man," Wm. Gronnow, the bearer, to the lord Deputy of Calais to restore him to his room, but he can get no answer. Begs him to get a bill signed by the King to the treasurers and comptrollers of Calais for payment to Gronnowe of his accustomed wages, and to none other.' Forde, Signed.

It would appear that at this time the lord Deputy of Calais was Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle, KG (died 3 March 1542 Tower of London). History is less clear what happened to his 'bearer William Gronnow[e]. However During his time at Calais, Arthur and his wife had to manage much of their affairs outside Calais by correspondence. Copies of 3,000 of these letters were seized as evidence after Arthur was arrested. They survive to the present day in the Public Record Office, and have become a valuable historical resource for a critical period in English history. Does there lurk among the dusty letters any further insight to the "Bearer" of the Lord Deputy of Calais. I wonder?

Citation 'Henry VIII: August 1537, 21-31', Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 12 Part 2: June-December 1537 (1891), pp. 209-228.

No comments:

GeneaBloggers