Meautis Family - Part 1

Researching the Meautis line has been a real challenge! The Coningsby and Boteler lines that will follow were an equal challenge!

 

First Generation

  

1.  Sir John Meautis¹ died on 24 Sep 1522–15 Jan 1523 in England.¹ He was born in Duchy of Normandy.¹ Sir John Meautis was a Norman by birth. He arrived in England with King Henry VII about 1490. Meautis served as French secretary to King Henry VII and then Henry VIII from 1491 until his death in 1522. Sir John was a Knight of Windsor and Clerk of Counsel.

John was named target of rioters in the play "The Book of Sir Thomas More."

Meautis married three times according to his will. He mentioned his late wives Agnes and Jane. John also made bequesta to his third wife Lettice Lucas, wife of Sir Thomas, Solicitor General to Henry VIII. It is not known for sure whether Agnes or Jane was the mother of his son and heir, Philip, preceded him in death.

 

John Meautis had the following child:

 

2 i. Philip Meautis, died 8 Nov 1510.

 

Second Generation

 

2.  Philip Meautis¹ (John-1) died on 8 Nov 1510.¹ TNA PROB 11/21/4 Philip was the son of John Meautis. He married Elizabeth Foxley of Blakeley in Northamptonshire. He is also recorded as "Thomas Meautis" on p. 77 of the Visitation of Essex.

Philip died 8 November 1510 in Kensington Parish, London. His passage was noted in Kensington Picturesque and Historical by W.J. Loftie, p. 187 [archives.com]:

The Kensington Church [St. Mary Abbot] was destroyed in 1696 and the majority of the old monuments with it. A few were preserved in the pages of Weaver, Bowack and Strype.
"Here under lyeth Philip Meawtis the son and heir of John Meawtis oone of the Secretaries to the King Henry the Seventh and Henry the Eighth. Clerk of his Counsel and oone of the Knights of Windsor. Whyche Philip decesseyd the Eight of November MDX on whose Soul Jesu have mercy. Amen"

Elizabeth Foxley¹ was born in Blakeley, Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom.¹

 

Philip Meautis and Elizabeth Foxley had the following child:

 

3 i. Sir Peter Meautis, born England; married Lady Jane Astley, 1537, England; married Jane Angersley, ca 1552, Westham, Essex, England; died 17 Jul 1562–7 Sep 1562, Dieppe, Haute Normandie.

 

Third Generation

 

3.  Sir Peter Meautis^2–3 (Philip-2, John-1) died on 17 Jul 1562–7 Sep 1562 in Dieppe, Haute Normandie.² He was buried on 8 Sep 1562 in Westham, Essex, England.² He was born in England.² Sir Peter Meautis was a soldier and courtier from the reigns of Henry VIII to Elizabeth I. He was the son of Philip Meautis and grandson of John Meautis, French secretary to Henry VII and VIII [1492-1522].

Philip held numerous posts during his lifetime.
1536: He helped put down the Pilgrimage of Grace [uprising against Henry VIII's break with the Roman Catholic Church.
1536: Appointed gentleman of the privy chamber.
1536: Master of Bethlam Hospital.
1537: Comptroller of the mint.
1537: Overseer of artillery.
1540: Keeper of Wanstead Park.
1540: One of dignitaries who met with Anne of Cleeves at Calais.
1544: 18 May - Knighted at Edinburgh, Scotland.
1545: Governor of Gurnsey; at Castle Cornet, oversaw the building of Mewtas Bullwark.
1546: By this time, Chancellor of the tenths of the householder.

Peter was described as a man of action, tall, strong, with fair hair, a long beard. He was an expert with small arms and a follower of Thomas Cromwell.
Meautis was married twice. He married first, in 1537 to Jane Astley, a lady of the queen's privy chamber. By 1552, he was married to Jane Angersley[?].

Meautis and Jane Astley were granted lands in Westham, Essex in 1539. To this was added the adjacent manor of Bretts in 1540. Peter and Jane had four children: Henry, Frances [who became gentlewoman of the chamber to Elizabeth I and wife of Henry, Viscount Howard of Bindon], Thomas and Hercules.

Peter's will was dated 17 July 1652 and proved 7 September 1562. He was buried 8 September 1562.

Sir Peter Meautis and Lady Jane Astley were married in 1537 in England.³ Lady Jane Astley³ was born circa 1517 in England.³ She died circa 1551 at the age of 34 in Westham, Essex, England.³ Jane Astley was a lady of the queen's privy chamber to Jane Seymour. She married Peter Meautis in 1537 and bore him four children. Jane died about 1551.

Jane was the subject of a sketch by Hans Holbein the Younger during the 1530s. The sketch is part of the Royal Collection.

 

Peter Meautis and Jane Astley had the following child:

 

4 i. Sir Henry Meautis, born Feb 1539, West Ham, Essex, England; died ca 1588, West Ham, Essex, England.

 

Sir Peter Meautis and Jane Angersley were married circa 1552 in Westham, Essex, England.³ Jane Angersley³ died in 1577 in Bretts, Essex, England.³ She was born in England.³