Sir Thomas Parr

Drawing of the Parr tomb illustrating Thomas Parr, and his wife Maud Green kneeling with their children at St. Anne's, Blackfriars, London which was later destroyed.

Sir Thomas Parr (1478 – 11 November 1517) of Kendal in Westmorland (now Cumbria), England, was a courtier and is best known as the father of Queen Catherine Parr, the sixth and final wife of King Henry VIII.

Early life and family

Thomas was the eldest son of Sir William Parr and Elizabeth FitzHugh. He descended from King Edward III of England through his mother, Elizabeth. Thomas's paternal grandparents were Sir Thomas Parr of Kendal and Alice Tunstall. His maternal grandparents were Sir Henry FitzHugh, 5th Baron FitzHugh of Ravensworth Castle and Lady Alice Neville, daughter of Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury and Alice Montacute, 5th Countess of Salisbury. The Earl and Countess were parents to "Warwick, the Kingmaker" who was influential in the War of the Roses. The 5th Earl of Salisbury was the son of Lady Joan Beaufort, daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, son of Edward III.

Thomas had three siblings, and three half siblings. They were: Anne Parr (d. 1513), who married Sir Thomas Cheney of Irthlingborough. Their daughter Elizabeth married Thomas Vaux, 2nd Baron Vaux of Harrowden, son of Nicholas Vaux, 1st Baron Vaux of Harrowden by his second wife, Anne Green. This Anne was sister of Maud Green, who married Anne's brother Thomas Parr (below), meaning Anne Green was both aunt and mother-in-law to Elizabeth. was sheriff of Northamptonshire in 1518 and 1522 and, after his niece Katherine Parr's promotion to queen consort, he became her chamberlain. On 23 December 1543 he was created Baron Parr of Horton, Northamptonshire. He died on 10 September 1547 and was buried at Horton (for his tomb, see Bridges, Northamptonshire, i. 370). By Mary, daughter of Sir William Salisbury, he left four daughters. John Parr (d. 8 September 1508), married Constance, daughter of Sir Henry Vere of Addington, Surrey. They had no issue.

After the death of his father, his mother married Sir Nicholas Vaux as his first wife. They had the following children: Katherine Vaux (c. 1490 – c. 1571), married Sir George Throckmorton of Coughton and had issue. Alice Vaux (d. 1543), married Sir Richard Sapcote c. 1501. They had at least one child, Anne. Anne Vaux, married Sir Thomas Lestrange (1493–1545) and had issue.

Education Thomas' forebears, the Parrs of Kendal, were a down-to-earth northern landed gentry family. They had been, after the Crown, the most influential presence in southern Westmoreland since 1381. His mother and grandmother had been royal ladies-in-waiting, and this enabled Thomas to acquire a polished upbringing at the English court.

The surviving children of Sir Thomas and Maud were: Catherine Parr (1512–5 September 1548), Queen Consort of England and Ireland, who wedded: Sir Edward Burgh, 1529 at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England. Sir Thomas Seymour on 4 April 1547. Had issue: Mary Seymour. William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton (c. 1513–28 October 1571). He married three times, all without issue: Anne Bourchier, 7th Baroness Bourchier Elizabeth Brooke Helena Snakenborg. Anne Parr, Countess of Pembroke (c. 1515–20 February 1552), married in 1538, William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, by whom she had two sons and a daughter.

Death Sir Thomas fell seriously ill in November 1517. He compiled a will which made provision for his wife and children. The two female children were to receive dowries while the bulk of the estate was to be inherited by his only male child, William. Because Sir Thomas died before any of his children were of age, Maud – together with Sir Cuthbert Tunstall, the children's uncle Sir William Parr, and a Dr. Melton – were made executors.

Sir Thomas died in his home at Blackfriars, London, on 11 November 1517. He was interred in St Anne's Church, Blackfriars, within an elaborate tomb. His widow was later buried beside him. 11= 11. Isabel Harrington 12= 12. William FitzHugh, 4th Baron FitzHugh 13= 13. Hon. Marjory Willoughby 14= 14. Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury 15= 15. Lady Alice Montacute, 5th Countess of Salisbury 16= 16. Sir William Parr 17= 17. Elizabeth Ros 18= 18. Sir Thomas de Crophull 19= 19. Sybil de la Bere 20= 20. Sir William de Tunstall 21= 21. Alice Lindsay 22= 22. Sir Nicholas of Farleton Harrington 23= 23. Isabel English 24= 24. Henry FitzHugh, 3rd Baron FitzHugh 25= 25. Elizabeth of Codnor Grey 26= 26. William Willoughby, 5th Baron Willoughby de Eresby 27= 27. Lucy Le Strange 28= 28. Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland 29= 29. Lady Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmoreland 30= 30. Thomas Montacute, 4th Earl of Salisbury 31= 31. Lady Eleanor Holland, Countess of Salisbury