Thomas Starkey
Thomas Starkey was a notable figure born around 1498 in Cheshire, England, likely in the town of Wrenbury. He was raised in a wealthy family, which enabled him to pursue education at Magdalen College, where he earned his B.A. and M.A. Starkey became a fellow of the college and developed significant connections, particularly with Reginald Pole. His academic journey led him to serve as university proctor and later as a secretary for Pole, during which he traveled to Italy and France, engaging deeply with humanist philosophies.
Upon returning to England, Starkey held the position of rector in Great Mongeham, where he authored "A Dialogue between Cardinal Pole and Thomas Lupset," which explored the concept of the commonwealth in the context of governance. His political involvement expanded when he became an agent for Thomas Cromwell, gathering intelligence and writing propaganda during a tumultuous period marked by Henry VIII's separation from the Church. Despite his efforts to navigate the political landscape, Starkey's allegiances were tested, particularly as he distanced himself from Cromwell and faced the ramifications of his associations with Pole. He eventually withdrew to Somerset for safety and passed away on August 25, 1538, possibly due to the plague.
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Thomas Starkey
- Born: c. 1498
- Birthplace: Probably Wrenbury, Cheshire, England
- Died: August 25, 1538
- Place of death: North Petherton, Somerset, England
Biography
Thomas Starkey was born in 1498 or thereabouts in Cheshire, England, probably in the town of Wrenbury. He was the son of another Thomas Starkey and his wife Maud, née Mainwaring. His maternal grandfather, John Mainwaring, was exceedingly rich, and Maud’s money seems to have enlivened the family fortunes considerably, permitting her son to attend Magdalen College School before progressing to the college itself, where he took a B.A. in 1516 and an M.A. in 1521. He was a fellow of the college from 1518 to 1522, during which time he formed a close acquaintance with Reginald Pole and became a member of his circle. In 1522, Pole’s associate Thomas Wolsey appointed him university proctor for six months.
In 1523, Starkey travelled with another friend, Thomas Lupset, to join Pole in Padua, Italy, probably joining his household. By 1529 he was certainly serving as Pole’s secretary, and went with him to Paris, France, before returning to England in 1530. Starkey then obtained an appointment as rector of Great Mongeham, Kent, and there composed his first significant literary work, “A Dialogue between Cardinal Pole and Thomas Lupset, Lecturer in Rhetoric at Oxford, by Thomas Starkey.” The dialogue concerns the practical application of the humanist philosophy that Pole and his associates had imbibed in Padua, particularly to the business of government. Its historical importance rests on the attention it pays to the idea of the commonwealth, which was becoming a fashionable notion as monarchs such as Henry VIII attempted to wrest moral and political authority from the Church. The dialogue undoubtedly begins as an address to Pole, but changes its course midway to appeal directly to the king.
After completing the dialogue in 1532, Starkey returned to the continent with Pole in 1533, but Pole had become dangerous company since withdrawing his support for Henry’s divorce from Katharine of Aragon. Starkey’s loyalties appear to have become divided. In 1534, he returned to England and attracted the attention of Thomas Cromwell, who employed him as an agent gathering intelligence on Italian expatriates and writing propaganda for the crown, the most important example of which is an An Exhortation to the People, Instructynge Thym to Vnitie and Obedience, issued in 1536.
Starkey tried to steer a middle way between the various contending parties, splitting with Cromwell but retaining sufficient support from Henry to obtain an appointment at the collegiate church of St. Laurence Pountney in London in December, 1536. There he began to make notes for two substantial works on political organization, but did not live to complete either. He withdrew to North Petherton in Somerset the following December, probably to put himself out of harm’s way when his old associate Pole was defined as an enemy of the state; he died there on August 25, 1538, perhaps of the plague.