Francis Knollis

, Son of Robert Knollis of Rotherfield-Gray, commonly called Grays, near to Henley in Oxfordshire, did receive for a time his Grammatical and Dialectical Education in this University, particularly, as it seems, in Magd. coll. Afterwards he retired to his patrimony, and at length to the court, and became one of the Gentlemen Pensioners to K. Hen. 8. in the latter end of his reign. When a reformation was set on foot by King Ed. 6. he was so zealous for the religion then professed, as that, when Qu. Mary began to reign and grow severe towards the Reformed party, he (*)(*) Camden in Annal. Reg. Eliz. sub an. 15. 6. vide etiam in Baro [••] g. Angl. To. 3. p. 412. fled into Germany, where he sorted himself for a time among several of the English Divines that went away about the same time for conscience sake. After the death of that Queen, he returned, and became so much in esteem by Q. Elizabeth (who stood totally affected to the reformation) as that in the first year of her reign, he was made choice of, for one of her privy Council, and shortly after that, she made him Vice-chamberlain of her houshold, and employed him in matters of concern beyond the Seas. In 1566. he was actually created Master of Arts, being then chief Steward of the City of Oxon, Captain of the Halbertiers, and about that time (†)(†) Ib. in Ca [•] d. an. 1566. Treasurer of the Queens Chamber in the place of Sir John Mason deceased. Afterwards he was trusted with the custody of Mary Qu. of Scots, while she was a prisoner in Bolton-castle in Yorkshire, and in the 29. Elizab. being then a Knight, he was one of those, who by commission sate in judgment upon the said Queen at Foderingey. At length he was made Treasurer of her Majesties Houshold, and Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter, being always by many accounted a faithful subject, an honest and learned man, and a person of great prudence and wisdom; and by others so a great a friend to Calvin in his heart (whose principles he embraced while he lived at Geneva) that he was never a cordial friend to Episcopacy, but rather a patron of the Non-conformists, which appeared by several of his actions while he was a privy Counsellour. His writings are these.

Treatise against the usurpation of Papal Bishops—Printed 1608. in oct. some attribute it to Jo. Rainolds the famous Divine.

A General Survey of the Isle of Wight, with all the Castles and Fortresses near adjoining—This is a MS. in fol. and was sometimes in the Lib. of Arthur E. of Anglesey: From whence we may suppose that the author had some office in, or relating to, the said Isle, but what, in truth I cannot tell. I have seen also several of his speeches spoken in Parliaments, letters of state, and letters written by him to the said Jo. Rainolds, between whom there was great amity and intercourse, but few or none, of those letters or speeches, I think, are printed. At length paying his last debt to nature in the Summer time (before Septemb.) 1595 in fifteen hundred ninety and six, was, as I presume, buried at Grays before mentioned. By his Wife Catherine daughter of Will. Cary Esꝫ by Mary his Wife, daughter of Thom. Bolein Earl of Wiltshire, as also Sister to the Lady Anne Bolein second Wife to K. Hen. 8. he had issue Henry his Eldest Son, bred in the Free-School joyning to Maga. College under the care, as it (*)(*) Vide Pi [•] s. De illustr. Angl. Script. aet. 16. nu. 9 [•] 6. p. [•] 32 seems, of Tho. Robertson. Afterwards he went with his Father and others into Germany, and at his return, if not happily before, became a Commoner of the said College, where he obtained so much literature as afterwards to gain the character by a learned (†)(†) [〈…〉] in Vita & morte Jo. Juelli, edit. [〈◊〉] p. 87, 88. Author of homo virtute & animi dotibus non infimus, and of homo religionis studiosissimus & liberalissima literatura egregic ditatus, &c. But he dying without issue, the estate went to the next Son called William, afterwards Earl of Ba [•] bury, He had another Son named Francis, 2 Knight, whom I shall mention elsewhere, as also a fourth, who was a member of the said College; and all four admired by some, and envied by others, for their great vertue and towardliness.