John Arundell (admiral)

Monumental brass of Sir John IV Arundell (1495–1561) of Trerice, Stratton Church, Cornwall (detail)[1]
Arms of Arundel of Trerice (and of Arundell of Lanherne & Wardour Castle): Sable, six martlets argent. These are early canting arms, based on the French hirondelle, a swallow

Sir John IV Arundell (1495–1561), of Trerice, Cornwall, nicknamed "Tilbury Jack" (or Jack of Tilbury), was a commander of the Royal Navy during the reigns of Kings Henry VIII and Edward VI and served twice as Sheriff of Cornwall.

Origins

Sir John IV Arundell was the eldest son and heir of Sir John III Arundell (1470-1512)[2] of Trerice by his wife Jane Grenville (1474–1551), a daughter of Sir Thomas Grenville (d.1513) KB, lord of the manors of Bideford in Devon and of Stowe in the parish of Kilkhampton in Cornwall, Sheriff of Cornwall in 1481 and in 1486 and an Esquire of the Body to King Henry VII.[3]

Career

Arundell was an Esquire of the Body to King Henry VIII, and was knighted at the Battle of the Spurs in 1513. In 1523 he achieved notability by the capture of a notorious pirate. Under King Edward VI he was Vice-Admiral of the West and served twice as Sheriff of Cornwall, in 1542 and in 1553 at the time of the accession of Queen Mary.

Marriages and progeny

Monumental brass of Sir John IV Arundell (d.1561) of Trerice with his two wives (detail), St Andrew's Church, Stratton, Cornwall

John IV Arundell married twice:

Illegitimate progeny

Sir John had an illegitimate son Robert Arundell,[13] who founded his own branch of the family at Menadarva, Cornwall, and adopted as his arms the hirondelle arms of Arundell debruised with a bend sinister[14] for bastardy.

Death & burial

Sir John IV Arundell died in 1561 and was buried at Newlyn East.[15] His monumental brass survives in Stratton Church, Cornwall.[16]

Monumental brass

Monumental brass of Sir John IV Arundell (1495–1561) of Trerice, Stratton Church, Cornwall[17]
Drawing of arms of Sir John IV Arundell (1495–1561) of Trerice, with six quarters, from his brass in Stratton Church

His monumental brasses survive in St Andrew's Church, Stratton, Cornwall. In 1882 a monument was situated at the east end of the north aisle of the church, formed of a chest tomb on top of which was a slab of stone inlaid with several brasses, of which some were then missing, as revealed by matrices. Today only the slab with brasses survives, with some further brasses missing, and stands against the west wall of the church. The brasses show Sir John flanked by his two wives with two groups of his children below and two individual children between himself and each wife. Other brasses are heraldic escutcheons. The inscription on the ledger line of the slab is as follows:

"Here lyeth buriede Syr John Arundell Trerise, Knyght, who praysed be God dyed in the Lorde the xxv daye of November in the yeare of Oure Lorde God a MCCCCC lxi and in the iiixx and vii yeare of his age whose soule now resteth wyth the Faythfull Chrystians in our Lorde"

The date of death inscribed on his monument (25 November 1561) disagrees with that reported in his Inquisition post mortem, namely 26 November 1560, which latter appears to be correct as probate of his will was granted to his widow Juliana on 23 January 1560/1.[18] He is shown dressed in full armour with helmet. Of the four original brass escutcheons only two survive. The one above the wife on his right hand side shows the arms of Arundell with six quarters:[19]

The escutcheon above the wife on his left hand side shows the arms of Arundell with the same six quarters impaling Grenville: Gules, three clarions or. The arms of Arundell are the well-known hirondelle arms but with the addition of a wolf passant between two groups of three swallows.[20] This wolf is believed to be the arms of Trembleigh, in consequence of one of the Arundell's having married the heiress of that family.[21]

See also

Honorary titles
Preceded by
John Arundell
High Sheriff of Cornwall
1542
Succeeded by
Sir Hugh Trevanion
Preceded by
Reginald Mohun
High Sheriff of Cornwall
1554
Succeeded by
John Arundell

References

  1. Dunkin, Edwin Hadlow Wise, The Monumental Brasses of Cornwall with Descriptive, Genealogical and Heraldic Notes, 1882, Plate XXX, pp.34-5; drawn by Dunkin
  2. Pedigree of Arundell of Trerice, Vivian, J.L., ed. (1887). The Visitations of Cornwall: comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1530, 1573 & 1620; with additions by J.L. Vivian. Exeter: W. Pollard, p.12
  3. Byrne, Muriel St. Clare, (ed.) The Lisle Letters, 6 vols, University of Chicago Press, Chicago & London, 1981, vol.1, p.302
  4. Vivian, 1887, p.12
  5. Dunkin, Edwin Hadlow Wise, The Monumental Brasses of Cornwall with Descriptive, Genealogical and Heraldic Notes, 1882, p.35
  6. Dunkin, p.35
  7. Vivian, 1887, p.12
  8. Dunkin, p.35
  9. Vivian, 1887, p.12
  10. Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p.619
  11. Vivian, 1887, p.12
  12. Vivian, 1887, p.12
  13. Dunkin, p.34
  14. Vivian, 1887, p.10
  15. Per Newlyn parish register, quoted by Dunkin, p.35, note 8
  16. Dunkin, Edwin Hadlow Wise, The Monumental Brasses of Cornwall with Descriptive, Genealogical and Heraldic Notes, 1882, pp.34-5
  17. Dunkin, Edwin Hadlow Wise, The Monumental Brasses of Cornwall with Descriptive, Genealogical and Heraldic Notes, 1882, Plate XXX, pp.34-5; drawn by Dunkin
  18. Dunkin, p.34
  19. Dunkin, p.34
  20. Dunkin, p.34
  21. 'General history: Extinct peers and baronial families', Magna Britannia: volume 3: Cornwall (1814), pp. LXXVIII-LXXXIX. , showing drawings of two seals of in which two seals: 1: Seal appendant to an indenture dated 4 Henry VI., containing a conveyance from Sir John Arundell to John Luky, of a tenement in the town of Truro. The arms of Arundell are here seen, with the helmet, crest, and lamberquin; between the martlets, a wolf is introduced, being the arms of Trembleigh, in consequence of one of the Arundell's having married the heiress of that family. The inscription runs thus: "Sigillu: Johis Arundell: milit." 2: Seal appendant to a deed dated 45 Edward III., whereby Sir John Arundell conveys the manor of Lanhern, &c. to Trustees. On the seal are the arms of Arundell, with this inscription, "Sigillum Johannis de Arundel." (with drawings of both seals)
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