The Middleton Accounts of 1525 #18 & Coventry Lammas Day Rebellion 1525 #4

This post contains two entries from the Middleton accounts of Sir Henry Willoughby in 1525. The first of these concerned Sir Henry Willoughby’s activity in relation to his commission from King Henry VIII to quell the Lammas Day Rebellion in Coventry. This entry also correlates with the request in the letter by Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, for them to meet in response to receiving their commissions. However, the entry also provides information as to where and when they met.

The entry in the accounts was described as a payment for Sir Henry’s costs at Astley Castle on Friday 11th August 1525. It additionally stated that Sir Henry was staying there for two days with Thomas. The amount was 2 shillings 4 pence, which was the equivalent of about £51.48 today.

Astley Castle was a fortified manor house located near Nuneaton in Warwickshire and is located about nine miles away from Middleton Hall. This “Castle” had come into the possession of the Grey family in 1420 via marriage. It remained in the family’s possession until it was forfeited when Henry Grey, 3rd Marquess of Dorset, who was the father of Lady Jane Grey “Nine Days Queen”, was executed in 1554. Many members of the Grey family were buried in St Mary’s Church at Astley, including Thomas.

The ruin of Astley Castle, 2014. Photograph taken by Greg Storrar, CC-BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The next entry in the Middleton accounts was undated and was described as a reward to the keeper of Middleton Park for the killing of a buck deer. The amount was 2 shillings, which was the equivalent of about £44.13 today.

Further Reading: W. H. Stevenson, Report on the Manuscripts of Lord Middleton, Historical Manuscripts Commission, 1911. p377.

Author - Debbie Jordan, Middleton Hall Volunteer.

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