Thomas Chaloner
Thomas Chaloner, often referred to as "the elder" to distinguish him from his stepson, was a prominent figure in 16th-century England, born in 1521 to a mercer family. He received an education at Cambridge and began his career in the service of Thomas Cromwell, a key player in British diplomacy. Following Cromwell's downfall, Chaloner found refuge with Charles V, where he gained fame after surviving a shipwreck during an expedition in Algeria. His diplomatic career flourished as he held various roles, including clerk of the Privy Council and member of Parliament representing Lancaster and Knaresborough.
Chaloner’s Protestant faith complicated his career during Queen Mary's reign, but he returned to prominence under Queen Elizabeth I, serving as an ambassador in various European regions. He authored writings in both Latin and English, contributing to works like the "Myrroure for Magistrates." Chaloner’s personal life included two marriages, the second to Audrey Frodsham, and the adoption of his stepson, who would later become notable in his own right. Although Chaloner's literary output may have been overshadowed by his diplomatic endeavors, he remains a significant historical figure of his time.
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Thomas Chaloner
Writer
- Born: 1521
- Birthplace: London, England
- Died: October 14, 1565
Biography
Thomas Chaloner—called the elder to distinguish him from his similarly named stepson—was born in 1521, the oldest of the three sons of Robert Chaloner, a London mercer, and Margaret, daughter of Richard Middleton. He was educated at Cambridge, perhaps at St. John’s College, and by 1538 was in the service of Thomas Cromwell, the great pioneer of British diplomacy and espionage. He survived Cromwell’s fall in 1540, when he went to the imperial diet at Regensburg. He remained with Charles V thereafter, perhaps unsure whether it was entirely safe for him to return to England. He accompanied the emperor on an expedition against the moors in Algeria, during the course of which he was shipwrecked; the tale of his fortunate survival became very popular in England, securing him heroic status and considerable celebrity.
In 1545, Chaloner was appointed clerk of the privy council, in which capacity he undertook many further missions in Europe. In the late 1540’s, he married Joan, the widow of Sir Thomas Leigh. He negotiated with the Scots and fought against them at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547, after which he was knighted. He became a minister of parliament, initially for Lancaster and then for Knaresborough in Yorkshire. His Protestantism worked to his detriment when Queen Mary came to the throne in 1553. Although he was recalled from his recent appointment as special ambassador to France, he continued in Mary’s employ, but he made no further progress. Chaloner may have done much of his original writing while she was on the throne; he was certainly recruited by William Baldwin to write for the Myrroure for Magistrates in 1555, for which he wrote the tragedy of Richard II.
Chaloner’s diplomatic career revived when Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558, and he served her indefatigably as an ambassador in Germany, Spain, Flanders, and the Holy Roman Empire. After being recalled to England in 1563, he was married again in 1565, to Audrey (or Ethelreda), the daughter of Edward Frodsham, who had recently given birth to a son. He was careful never to refer to Sir Thomas Chaloner the younger—who became a prominent figure in the court of James I and tutor to Prince Henry—as his own son, and it might well have been the case that the marriage and his adoption of the boy were diplomatic responses to a royal command. The actual parentage of the younger Sir Thomas remains a mystery, and the exact fate of the elder is clouded by some uncertainty, although he appears to have died not long after his second marriage. Chaloner wrote in both prose and verse, in both Latin and English, and would doubtless have been a more significant literateur had he not been so busy with other matters.