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John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford

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Name
  
John Vere,


Died
  
August 3, 1562, Castle Hedingham, United Kingdom

Spouse
  
Dorothy Neville (m. 1536–1546)

Children
  
Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, Katherine de Vere

Parents
  
Elizabeth Trussell, Countess of Oxford, John de Vere, 15th Earl of Oxford

Siblings
  
Frances de Vere, Countess of Surrey, Aubrey de Vere, Anne de Vere, Geoffrey Vere, Elizabeth de Vere, Robert de Vere

Similar People
  
Edward de Vere - 17th Earl of Ox, John de Vere - 15th Earl of Ox, Henry de Vere - 18th Earl of Ox, Frances de Vere - Countess, William Cecil - 1st Baron Bu

John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford (1516 – 3 August 1562) was born to John de Vere, 15th Earl of Oxford and Elizabeth Trussell, daughter of Edward Trussell. He was styled Lord Bolebec 1526 to 1540 before he succeeded to his father's title.

Contents

Career

While never of consequence in the Tudor court, the 16th Earl's support for Queen Mary was instrumental in her accession to the throne in 1553, though he was given no preferment by her. During her reign he was active as the principal magnate in Essex. Under Mary, Essex men and women suspected of heresy against Catholicism were brought before Oxford to be charged, and thence conveyed to the Bishop of London for examination. Of his prisoners, at least sixteen were condemned and burnt, beginning with his former servant, Thomas Hawkes, who was burnt at Coggeshall on 10 June 1555. He was followed by Nicholas Chamberlain, William Bamford, and Thomas Ormond. On 28 April 1556, another six men charged by the earl were burnt at Colchester. A seventh, John Routh, was executed on 27 June. Five more prisoners indentured by the earl that year were released, but continued obstinate in their refusal of Catholic practices, and were re-arrested, condemned, and burnt at Colchester on 2 August 1557: William Bongeour, Helen Ewring, William Munt, his wife Alice Munt, and her daughter, Rose Allen.

Family

He married first Dorothy Neville, daughter of Ralph Neville, 4th Earl of Westmorland in Holywell, Shoreditch, London on 3 July 1536, and second Margery Golding in Belchamp St Paul on 1 August 1548. Dorothy Neville (died c. 6 January 1548), His two marriages produced three children. With his first wife, Dorothy, he had Katherine de Vere, who married Edward Windsor, 3rd Baron Windsor. With Margery he had a son, Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, and a daughter, Mary de Vere. Margery died on 2 December 1568. After his death in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, he was buried in Castle Hedingham, Essex, on 31 August 1562.

Cultural pursuits

The Earl was known as a sportsman, and like several noblemen of his day, he retained a company of actors. The troupe, known as Oxford's Men, was retained by the Earl from 1547 until his death in 1562. His circle included the scholar and diplomat Sir Thomas Smith and his brothers-in-law, the poets Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey and Edmund Sheffield, 1st Baron Sheffield, and the translator Arthur Golding.

References

John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford Wikipedia