Biography of Charles Stourton 8th Baron Stourton 1520-1557

In or before 1520 [his father] William Stourton 7th Baron Stourton (age 14) and [his mother] Elizabeth Dudley Baroness Stourton (age 20) were married.

Around 1520 Charles Stourton 8th Baron Stourton was born to William Stourton 7th Baron Stourton (age 15) and Elizabeth Dudley Baroness Stourton (age 20).

In 1548 [his father] William Stourton 7th Baron Stourton (age 43) died. His son Charles (age 28) succeeded 8th Baron Stourton. [his future wife] Anne Stanley Baroness Stourton (age 6) by marriage Baroness Stourton. He left most of his estates to Agnes Rhys Lady Baynton leading to years of litigation between her and his son Charles Stourton 8th Baron Stourton.

Before 1553 Charles Stourton 8th Baron Stourton (age 32) and Anne Stanley Baroness Stourton (age 10) were married. The difference in their ages was 22 years. She the daughter of Edward Stanley 3rd Earl of Derby (age 43) and Dorothy Howard Countess Derby (age 41). They were fourth cousin twice removed.

In 1553 [his son] John Stourton 9th Baron Stourton was born to Charles Stourton 8th Baron Stourton (age 33) and [his wife] Anne Stanley Baroness Stourton (age 11).

Around 1555 [his son] Edward Stourton 10th Baron Stourton was born to Charles Stourton 8th Baron Stourton (age 35) and [his wife] Anne Stanley Baroness Stourton (age 13).

On 7th February 1555 [his brother-in-law] Henry Stanley 4th Earl of Derby (age 23) and Margaret Clifford Countess Derby (age 15) were married. She the daughter of Henry Clifford 2nd Earl of Cumberland (age 38) and Eleanor Brandon Countess Cumberland. He the son of [his father-in-law] Edward Stanley 3rd Earl of Derby (age 45) and [his mother-in-law] Dorothy Howard Countess Derby (age 44). They were fourth cousins. She a great granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.

In 1557 John Arundell (age 27) and [his wife] Anne Stanley Baroness Stourton (age 15) were married. She the daughter of [his father-in-law] Edward Stanley 3rd Earl of Derby (age 47) and [his mother-in-law] Dorothy Howard Countess Derby (age 46). They were half third cousins.

Before 28th January 1557 William Hartgill and John Hartgill were murdered by Charles Stourton 8th Baron Stourton (age 37).

Henry Machyn's Diary. 28th January 1557. The xxviij day of January was had to the Towre [Map] my lorde Sturton (age 37) for murder of ij gentyllmen, the father and the sune and ere [heir], master Argylles[Hartgill] and ys sune, the wyche was shamfully murdered in ys own plasse.

Note. P. 125. Lord Stourton's murder of the Hartgills. Some account of this tragedy will be found in Holinshed, Stowe, Strype, and the other historians of the period: but Sir R. C. Hoare, in his History of Modern Wiltshire (Hundred of Mere, pp. 152–157) has collected at considerable length the particulars preserved of it—the first page and a half derived from various passages of our own diarist, but the narrative of the crime itself from an authentic MS. of the time. Some years before, lord Stourton's arbitrary violence had attracted the censure of the privy council: see its minutes under July 17, 21, 28, 1551. (MS. Harl. 353.)

Henry Machyn's Diary. 17th February 1557. The xvij day of Feybruary was my lord Sturton (age 37) cam from the Towre [Map], and one of ys men, unto Westmynster a-for the consell and juges, and ther the evydens was declared a-for ys owne face that he cold nott deny ytt.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 18th February 1557. The xviij day of Feybruary cam from the Towre [Map] unto my lord of Preve-selle a-for serten of the consell, iiij of my lord Sturtun('s) (age 37) servandes, and ther thay where examynyd of the deth of master Argyll and ys sune; and after they wher cared bake a-gayne by iiij of the gard unto the (Tower [Map]).

Henry Machyn's Diary. 26th February 1557. The xxvj day of Feybruary was rayned at Westmynster halle my lord Sturton (age 37), and for the juges and dyvers of the consell, as lord justes Broke, and the lord stuard, and my lord tresorer (age 74), and dyvers odur lordes and knyghtes; and longe yt wher or he wold answer, and so at last my lord justes stod up and declaryd to my lord and he wold nott answer to the artyculles that was led [laid] to hym, that he shuld be prast [pressed] to deth by the law of the rayme [realm]; and after he dyd answer, and so he was cast by ys owne wordes to be hangyd, and ys iiij men, and so to be cared to the Towre [Map] a-gayne tyll thay have a furder commondement from the consell.

On 28th February 1557 Charles Stourton 8th Baron Stourton (age 37) was tried for the murder of William Hartgill and his son John Hartgill.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 2nd March 1557. The ij day of Marche rod from the Towre [Map] my lord Sturtun (age 37) with ser Robart Oxinbryge (age 49) the leyff-tenantt, and iiij of my lordes servandes, and with serten of the gard, thrugh London, and so to Honsley, and ther thay lay alle nyght at the seyne of the Angell, and the morow after to Staynes, and so to Bassyng-stoke, and so to Sturtun, to sufer deth, and ys iiij men; and to more men for robyng of a ryche farmer in that contrey, to be hangyd, for ther was layd by the sam farmer a-for the consell that a knyght and ys men dyd rob him, and the knyght was layd in the Flett tylle yt plessyd God that the theyff was taken; the knyght ys nam ys callyd ser [blank] Wrothun knyght.

Note. P. 127. last line. For Sturton read Salisbury, as in the next page.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 6th March 1557. The sam day was hangyd at Salysbere in the markett plasse [Map] the lord Sturtun (age 37) for the deth of old master Argylle and yong Argyll ys sune; the wyche they wher shamfully murdered by the lord, and dyvers of ys servandes; the wyche he mad grett lamentasyon at ys deth for that wyllfull ded that was done, and sayd as he was on the ladder (unfinished).

On 16th March 1557 Charles Stourton 8th Baron Stourton (age 37) and four of his servants were executed at Salisbury for the murder of William Hartgill and John Hartgill. His son [his son] John (age 4) succeeded 9th Baron Stourton.

The Newgate Calendar Volume 1. Lord Stourton (age 37) and Four of his Servants. Executed 6th [16th] of March, 1556 [1557], for the Murder Of William Hartgill, Esq., and his Son John, of Kilmington, Somerset, after an implacable Persecution.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 11th February 1558. The xj day of Feybruary was bered at sent Marten's-in-thefeyld [Map] master [his brother] Arthur Sturtun (age 33) sqwyre, the keper of the [White] halle, and brodur to the lord Sturtun, and he was the reyseyver of all copes of cloth of gold that was taken owt of all chyrches, and he dyd delevered them unto serten parryches agayne to them that cowld know them, the wyche wher taken away by kyng Edward the vjth tym by the dewyse of the [his uncle] duke of Northumberland [and] serten of bysshopes of nuw doctryne that was then; and now, when that good qwyne Mare (age 41) cam to the crown, she lett evere parryche for to have them agayne by her commyng to the crowne, yf they wher nott gyffyn to odur places in the reyme of England; but Trenete parryche had nott ther cope of cloth of gold agayne.

Note. P. 165. Funeral of Arthur Stourton esquire. Ancestor of the Stourtons of Over Moigne, co. Dorset. See Collins's Peerage and Hutchins's Dorsetshire.

On 22nd September 1602 [his former wife] Anne Stanley Baroness Stourton (age 60) died.

[his daughter] Catherine Stourton was born to Charles Stourton 8th Baron Stourton and Anne Stanley Baroness Stourton.