August 16 – Sir Christopher More

On this day in Tudor history, 16th August 1549, in the reign of King Edward VI, landowner and administrator Sir Christopher More died. He was buried in St Nicholas's Church, Guildford, in the Loseley Chapel.

More was a Justice of the Peace and sheriff during the reign of Henry VIII and was appointed to the guard of honour prepared for Anne of Cleves in late 1539.

Here are some facts about Sir Christopher More:

• Sir Christopher More was born in around 1483 and was the son of fishmonger John More and his wife, Elizabeth.
• By 1504, More was married to Margaret Mugge, who came from Guildford, and the couple had 12 children together. By 1535, Margaret had died and More had married Constance Sackville, widow of William Heneage.
• In 1505, in the reign of King Henry VII, More was made a clerk of the exchequer, and More also purchased the office of alnager, i.e. an inspector of the quality and measurement of woollen cloth, in Surrey and Sussex.

• More bought half of the manor of Loseley, near Guildford, in 1508 and was able to buy the second half later.
• In 1513, More was admitted to the Inner Temple, one of London's inns of the court.
• Between 1513 and 1521, he was made understeward of Witley and Worplesdon, verderer of Windsor Forest, and surveyor of Margaret Pole's lands.
• In 1521, More became a Justice of the Peace for Surrey, and he served as a sheriff for Surrey and Sussex in 1532-3 and 1539-40. He served as a knight of the shire in 1539.
• In 1530-1, More served as a commissioner for gaol delivery.
• In 1538, He was made a commissioner of oyer and terminer, and again in 1544-5. In 1544-8, he served as a commissioner of musters.
• In November 1539, More was appointed to the guard of honour prepared for Anne of Cleves.
• In 1540, More became master of game at Merrow and West Clandon, and he was knighted in either 1540 or 1541.
• In 1542, in Henry VIII's reign, he was appointed king's remembrancer of the exchequer.
• In 1547, he served as a knight of the shire for the young King Edward VI's first Parliament.
• More raised troops for Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset and Lord Protector, in 1549 during the rebellions.
• Sir Christopher More died on 16th August 1549 and was survived by his second wife, Constance. His heir was his only surviving son, William.
• More owned properties and land in Surrey and Sussex, having benefitted from the dissolution of the monasteries.

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Notes and Sources

• Robison, W. (2008, January 03). More, Sir Christopher (b. in or before 1483, d. 1549), landowner and administrator. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 15 Aug. 2023, from https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-77080.