Walter Hungerford (abt. 1502 - 1540)

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 28 Jul 1540 at about age 38 in Tower Hill, London, Middlesex, England

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Walter Hungerford was a member of the aristocracy in British Isles.

Biography

Walter Hungerford, 1st Lord Hungerford of Heytesbury (c.1502-28 July 1540) was the son of Edward Hungerford and Jane la Zouche. He m. (1) Susan Danvers, daughter of Sir John Danvers, (2) Alice Sandys, daughter of William Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys, in 1527 and (3) Elizabeth Hussey, daughter of John Hussey, 1st Lord Hussey, in October 1532.

He was Squire of the Body to HENRY VIII c. 1523. He was High Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1533. He was created 1st Lord Hungerford of Heytesbury [England by writ] on 27 April 1536.

His 3rd wife is notable for the apparent cruelty against her - she appealed for protection to her husband's patron Thomas Cromwell, accusing her husband of keeping her at Farley for the previous 4 years, attempted divorce, and tried to poison her.

On 16 July 1540 Hungerford was attainted for sodomy, sorcery and subversion. He died on 28 July 1540, beheaded along with Thomas Cromwell, when the Barony was forfeited. After his execution, his widow Elizabeth became the wife of Sir Robert Throckmorton.

Child of Walter Hungerford, 1st Lord Hungerford of Heytesbury and Susan Danvers

1. Sir Walter Hungerford b. 1532

Children of Walter Hungerford, 1st Lord Hungerford of Heytesbury and Alice Sandys

1. Edward Hungerford d. 1607 m. (1) Jane Hungerford (2) Cecily Tufton.
2. Eleanor Hungerford m. (1) William Masters (2) John Hungerford^[1]
3. Mary Hungerford d. 30 Sept 1613 m. (1) Thomas Baker, esq (2) Thomas Shaw (or Shaa); 1s. Robert Shaw^[2]

Research Notes

Sir Walter Hungerford, 2nd son of Robert Hungerford, 3rd Lord Hungerford, obtained a reversal of his attanter and gained his estates, which were passed to his son Edward who d. 1521.

Edward had a son Sir Walter, summoned to Parliament as Lord Hungerford of Heytesbury in 1536, attainted and executed 28 July 1541.

Sir Walter's son Walter obtained a reversal of the attainter 1543/4 and the manor of Hungerford was granted to him and his wife Anne in 1558, with the remainder to his brothers and sisters.

Sir Walter died without male heirs in 1596 and his estates passed to his brother Sir Edward who d. 1607. His property passed to his great-nephew and adopted heir Sir Edward Hungerford, KB 1626, d. 1648.

He also died childless, and the manor passed to his half-brother Anthony Hungerford of Black Bourton.

He was succeeded in 1657 by his son Sir Edward, the Spendthrift. At his death in 1711 the Manor of Hungerford was sold to another member of the family, Sir Giles Hungerford of Coulston, Wltshire.

HIs da. and heir Margaret Hungerford m. Robert Sutton, 2nd Lord Lexinton of Aram.

Their da. and heir Bridget Hungerford m. John Manners, Marques of Granby and Duke of Rutland sold the manor to Thomas and Edward Snow in 1720.

Due to his association with Thomas Cromwell, Walter Hungerford quickly became a powerful person and was appointed as Lord Hungerford of Heytesbury in 1536. Unfortunately, his personal life is what is now known best and has left Farleigh Hungerford Castle with one if its more sordid tales. Walter was known to be particularly cruel toward his wife, Elizabeth Elizabeth (Hussey) Throckmorton , and imprisoned her in the Castle tower and repeatedly tried to take her life and starve her to death. Elizabeth pleaded to Cromwell and Henry VIII for a divorce and in revenge against Walter alluded to his possible homosexual activities. They ignored her pleas until Walter faced accusations of heretical practices, abuse and what was known then as buggery. Walter quickly faced a fall from grace and his reputation was ruined. The charges ended with Walter becoming the first person to ever be executed under the English Buggery Act of 1533. English Heritage considers Farleigh Hungerford Castle to be one the 7 most important sites linked to England's queer history.

Sources

1. ↑ Sir Richard Colt Hoare, bart., The history of Modern Wiltshire v.1 Heyetsbury Hundred pp.112
2. ↑ The English Historical Review p. 294

• Hungerford, Walter (1503-1540) (DNB00)
• wikipedia:Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford of Heytesbury
• http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol4/pp183-200#h3-0003
• http://www.thepeerage.com/p56853.htm#i568530
• The Visitation of the County of Gloucester 1623 Page 90

Wriothesley's A Chronicle of England during the Reigns of the Tudors Page 120

• https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/7-sites-linked-to-englands-queer-history/
• https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/episode-237-the-horrifying-history-of/id1156861002?i=1000631822212