Henry Marney, 1st Baron Marney

Henry Marney, 1st Baron Marney KG (c. 1447 – 4 May 1523) was a politician of the Tudor period in England. He was a favourite of Henry VIII and captain of his guard.

Life

He rose to favour during the battles of Bosworth and Stoke and following the rout of Perkin Warbeck in 1497.

He was a Knight of the Garter; and ennobled as the first Baron Marney.

Offices held included Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Lord Privy Seal, Vice-Chamberlain of the Household and Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard.

In 1515 he began building the Tudor-style Layer Marney Tower in Layer Marney; the gatehouse was not finished before his death and passed to his son. It is visited by thousands of people annually.

Heraldry

In his garter stall, Henry Marney quarters the Marney arms (at 1 and 4) with Sergeaux (at 3) and the senior branch of Venables (at 4) because of his ancestry:

Sir Robert de Marny quartered the arms of his parents, Sir William de Marny and Catherine Venables. He married Alice le Lacer in 1345. Their son was Sir William (c.1370-1414), of Layer Marney, Essex and Kingsey, Buckinghamshire, a Sheriff of Cornwall, then of Essex and Hertfordshire. He married Elizabeth Sergeaux, daughter and co-heiress of Sir Richard Sergeaux of Colquite, Cornwall (d. 30 Sep 1393). Sir William Marney’s heir, Thomas, served under Clarence when Henry V first invaded France and was knighted, but he died in 1421, perhaps at Baugé, leaving the family estates to his younger brother John. The latter’s son, Sir Henry Marney KG, was created Lord Marney by Henry VIII.

Ancestry

Marriage and issue

He married Thomasine Arundell (b. 7 Jan 1458 – d. 1485), daughter of Sir John Arundell, VII.

They had three children:

• John, 2nd Baron Marney (who first married Christian Newburgh (b. 1466 – d. 6 August 1517), daughter of Roger Newburgh, then second married c. 1518 Bridget Waldegrave (d. September 1549); his daughters Catherine and Elizabeth survived him),
• Catherine (who first married Edward Knyvet of Stanway then upon his death married Thomas Bonham, MP (d. 1532), and had issue), and
• Thomas (who died young).

• John Marney, 2nd Baron Marney