RADCLIFFE, Sir Henry (by 1533-93).

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558, ed. S.T. Bindoff, 1982
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

1555

Family and Education

b. by 1533, 2nd s. of Henry Radcliffe, 2nd Earl of Sussex, by 1st w. Elizabeth, da. of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk; bro. of Sir Thomas. m. lic. 6 Feb. 1549, Honor, da. and coh. of Anthony Pound (d.1547) of Drayton in Farlington, Hants, 1s. Kntd. 2 Oct. 1553; suc. bro. as 4th Earl of Sussex 9 June 1583; KG nom. 22 Apr. inst. 19 Dec. 1589.1

Offices Held

MP [I] 1560.

Sewer by 1556; PC [I] 1557; lt. Leix and Offaly 1557-64; constable, Portchester castle and lt. Southbere forest 14 June 1560; jt. steward, crown possessions in Essex 1561; warden and caps. Portsmouth May 1571-d., high steward 9 Sept. 1590-d.; j.p.q. Hants 1573/74, commr. musters by 1576, jt. (with William Paulett, 3rd Marquess of Winchester) ld. lt. 1585-d.; trier of petitions in the Lords, Parlts. of 1586, 1589, 1593.2

Biography

Henry Radcliffe can have been scarcely of age when Edward VI died but he was already married, for in May 1553 his wife and her sister came into their inheritance in Hampshire. He and his father early declared their support for Mary and he was knighted at her coronation. The earl, a great landowner in Essex, obtained one of the Maldon seats in the Queen’s first Parliament for his servant John Raymond, and undoubtedly did the same for his son two years later. As a Member of this Parliament Radcliffe is not listed as having voted against one of the government’s bills, as did his uncle Sir Humphrey Radcliffe, but both were doubtless concerned with the unsuccessful bill for the Countess of Sussex’s jointure. In July 1556 Radcliffe was granted by the Queen an annuity of 50 marks for his services, and in the following year he went to Ireland in the service of the lord deputy, his brother Thomas, Earl of Sussex since the death of their father in February 1557. The two brothers returned to attend Elizabeth’s coronation and to sit in her first Parliament, but then went back to Ireland, from which Radcliffe came home for good in 1565. He was to sit twice more in the Commons and after succeeding to the earldom he took his place in the Lords. He died on 14 Dec. 1593.3

Ref Volumes: 1509-1558

Author: D. F. Coros

Notes

  • 1. Date of birth estimated from age at brother’s i.p.m., C142/210/84. CP.
  • 2. CPR , 1555-7, p. 516; 1558-60, p. 390; CSP Dom. 1547-80, p. 413; 1581-90, pp. 245-6; 1591-4, p. 418; Cal. Carew Pprs. 1515-74, passim; CSP Ire. 1509-73 passim; R. East, Extracts from Portsmouth Recs. 133, 137; Lansd. 4, f. 156; 56, ff. 168 seq.; LJ, 113, 145, 169.
  • 3. CPR, 1553, p. 6; 1555-7, p. 516; Chron. Q. Jane and Q. Mary (Cam. Soc. xlviii), 5; CJ, i. 44-46; CSP Ire. 1509-73, pp. 136, 138, 167 et passim; Cal. Carew Pprs. 1515-74, pp. 266, 272, 279; PCC 19 Dixv.