16 June – Sir John Cheke, scholar and statesman

On this day in Tudor history, 16th June 1514, English classical scholar and statesman, Sir John Cheke was born in Cambridge.

Cheke was the first Regius Professor of Greek at Cambridge University, tutored King Edward VI, served as Secretary of State to Queen Jane (Lady Jane Grey) and was imprisoned by Mary I for his reformed faith. He died a broken man after denying his faith to survive. Find out more about him in today's talk.

You'll find a more detailed biographical article on him, which gives details on his works at http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/cheke.htm

Also on this day in Tudor history, 16th June 1487, the final battle of the Wars of the Roses took place. It was the Battle of Stoke Field and was between the forces of Henry VII and Lord Lovell and John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, who had recently crowned Lambert Simnel as King Edward VI. Find out more in last year’s video:

Also on this day in history:

• 1614 – Death of Henry Howard, Earl of Northampton, author, courtier and administrator, at his house in Charing Cross. He died of gangrene after an operation on a tumour on his thigh. Northampton is known for his learning and intelligence, but also for his alleged involvement in the Overbury scandal, the plot that led to the poisoning of Thomas Overbury in the Tower of London. Although it is not known whether Northampton was definitely involved, it was something that affected his posthumous reputation. His niece Frances Howard, Countess of Somerset, and her husband were tried after Northampton's death, and the lawyer for the prosecution claimed that Northampton was involved. Of course, he was not there to defend himself.

Transcript:

On this day in Tudor history, 16th June 1514, English classical scholar and statesman, Sir John Cheke was born in Cambridge.
Cheke was the son of Peter Cheke, bedel of the University of Cambridge, and his wife, Agnes Duffield or Dufford. Cheke was educated at St John's College, Cambridge, where he also became exposed to the reformed faith, which he embraced. He excelled at Latin and Greek, and became a fellow of the college in 1529. He became the first Regius Professor of Greek at the university in 1540 and taught William Cecil, Baron Burghley, and Roger Ascham, the English scholar and tutor to Princess Elizabeth, the future Elizabeth I. He was so good at Greek that King Henry VIII granted him an exhibition.

He served as a tutor to King Edward VI and was knighted on the 11th October 1551. He served on Edward’s privy council and served as Secretary of State for Lady Jane Grey during her short reign in July 1553.

Cheke was imprisoned in the Tower of London on 27th July 1553 for supporting Queen Jane, but he was released just over a year later, on 3rd September 1554, and granted permission to go abroad. He went to Basle, then Italy and finally to Strasburg. However, in 1556, he was arrested between Brussels and Antwerp along with Sir Peter Carew while travelling to Brussels to visit his sick wife. He was taken back to England and imprisoned once more in the Tower of London. Terrified of being burnt as a heretic for his Protestant faith, Cheke agreed to be received into the Catholic Church and was released from prison in October 1556 after making a public recantation in front of Mary I. Afterwards, he was ashamed of himself and regretted his cowardice. It is thought that the shame of denying his true faith hastened his death and he died on 13th September 1557 in Wood Street, London, leaving his wife, Mary Hill, and three sons: John, Edward and Henry.