William Knight (bishop)

• 1. Early Education And Court Entry

  ›

  William Knight entered Winchester School as a scholar in 1487. He moved to New College, Oxford the following year. By 1493 he had become a Fellow there. On the 12th of October 1531 he received his Doctor of Civil Law degree. In 1495 Knight went to court where Henry VII made him one of his secretaries. The young man from London quickly found himself serving the Tudor monarch directly.

  12

• 2. Diplomatic Missions Across Europe

  ›

  On the 3rd of June 1512 William Knight traveled with Sir Edward Howard to Spain. Storms and sickness delayed their arrival until the 18th of February 1513 at Valladolid. They carried a commission to treat with Ferdinand II of Aragon about church defense. Knight stayed in Valladolid until June 1513. On the 3rd of April 1514 he appeared at Mechlin for embassies to the Low Countries. Richard Wingfield and Spinelly joined him on the 18th of April. By the 12th of June he was at The Hague with Sir Edward Poynings. In July he visited Switzerland before receiving grant of arms on the 14th of July 1514. That document described him as prothonotary with an eagle bearing two heads displayed sable.

  1

• 3. The Failed Annulment Embassy To Rome

  ›

  Henry VIII sent William Knight to Rome in 1527 to secure annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Thomas Wolsey believed Jerome de Ghinucci would have been better suited for this work. On the 10th of September Knight saw Wolsey at Compiègne. He proceeded to Venice to watch for access to Pope Clement VII who was captive there. Gambara the prothonotary helped him get safe-conduct but nearly all died at Monterotundo on the 4th of December 1527. When Knight entered Rome he could only send letters of credence noting what the king wished. Henry Jerningham wrote by end of December that the secret had not been well kept. The Emperor had already written to the pope about it. Full instructions arrived later with a commission signed by the pope after Cardinal St. Quatuor altered terms. Knight returned to London in February 1528 admitting failure.

  1