Henry Isley

Sir Henry Isley was an English nobleman involved in Wyatt's Rebellion.

The Isley family were established landowners of Kent county.[1] Henry Isley owned Sundridge manor estate in Brasted, his brother Thomas Isley (Jr.) in Vinters Park near Maidstone.[2] He was appointed sheriff of Kent for 1542 and 1550.

Between 1547 and 1550 protestants[3] George Harper, Thomas Culpepper, Thomas Wyatt the younger and Henry Isley, all strongly associated with the Edwardian Council, had followed each other as Sheriffs of Kent.[1] Immediately after the accession of Queen Mary Isley was arrested, but managed to make peace with the new regime, accepting the changes in the established religion and was released.[4]

On January 22, 1554 Henry Isley attended a meeting of thirty key conspirators at Wyatt's Allington Castle. On January 25 Wyatt took control of Maidstone in an open revolt; brothers Thomas and Henry Isley operated their own detachments separately from Wyatt's main forces. On January 27, 1554, when Wyatt occupied Rochester, Henry Isley and his men stayed at Sevenoaks.[5] On the next day, however, Henry Isley and his five hundred men marched out of Sevenoaks to join Wyatt at Rochester.[6] Loyalist sheriff Robert Southwell intercepted Henry Isley at Wrotham and defeated the rebels, taking around sixty men prisoners. Isley himself fled to Hampshire.[6] The Crown offered pardon to all rebels, excluding Isley, Wyatt, Harper and Rudstone, and offered a ₤100 bounty for the capture of each ringleader.[7]

By the end of February all the rebels were apprehended and imprisoned in the Tower of London.[8] The trials began on February 10 and were largely over by February 22. The case against the leaders was examined by the Westminster Commission.[8] Henry Isley was sentenced to death and executed. The overwhelming majority of noble rebels were fined and set free, and some released without fine.[9]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Loades, p. 79.
  2. ↑ Archaeologia cantiana, Volume 129, p. 94.
  3. ↑ Zell, p. 221.
  4. ↑ Loades, p. 86.
  5. ↑ Loades, p. 58.
  6. 1 2 Loades, p. 59.
  7. ↑ Bounty was offered for four men only - Wyatt, Isley, Harper and Rudstone - Loades, p. 71.
  8. 1 2 Loades, p. 109.
  9. ↑ Loades, p. 127.

References

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