Thomas Smith

was born of sufficient Parents in a Town called Abendon in B [•] rkshire, educated in Grammar learning there, (in the Free School founded by Joh. Royse, Citizen and Mercer of London, an. 1563.) became a Student of Ch. Ch. in 1570. took the degrees in Arts, that of Master being compleated in 78. and six years after was elected one of the Proctors of the University. About that time, he being esteemed a religious and a discreet Gentleman, was made Secretary to that popular Count Robert Earl of Essex, who had an especial respect for him. So that being thereupon introduced into the Court, raised himself meerly by his own merits to considerable eminency, as first to be Clerk to the High Court of Parliament, afterwards to be one of the Clerks of the Council, a Knight in 1603. Secretary of the Latin Tongue, and one of the Masters of the Requests. ’Tis supposed by some, and confidently reported by others that are learned, that tho he lived not to publish any thing, yet several matters he left behind him fit for the Press, but of what Subject or Faculty they treat, I could never learn. He deceased in the prime of his years (whereby a stop was given to his father promotion) at his house called Parsons Green near to London, 28. Nov. in sixteen hundred and nine; 1609 whereupon his body was buried in the Parish Church of Fulham in Middlesex on the 7. of Dec. following. Over his grave was soon after erected a comely monument by his disconsolate Widdow Frances the Daughter of William Lord Chandois, (afterwards the Wife of Thom. Earl of Exeter,) by whom he had a Son named Robert, who was entred a Gent. Com. of Ch. Ch. in Mich. Term, an. 1620. aged 15. and became an Inheritor for a time several Lands which his Father left to him, particularly the Mannor of Barwick upon Tease in Yorks. The said Sir Thomas (a)(a) Reg. Dorse [•] in Oss. c. prorog. Cant. [〈◊〉] . 113. bequeathed a considerable sum of Money to this University to buy books for the new or East part of the Publick Library, as also a Mathematical instrument gilt, besides 100 l. to the poor of Abenaon for their relief. All which was accordingly done and setled by his younger Brother Rich. Smith, sometimes a Member of Ch. Ch. also, who had been prime Mourner at his Brothers Funeral.

I find another Sir Tho. Smyth to have been of Bidborough in Kent, second Son of Tho. Smith of Ostenhanger in the same County Esq (who dying (b)(b) Lib. Certif. in Offic. Arm. [〈◊〉] . 10. fol. 33. 7. June 1591. was buried in the Church of Ashsord adjoyning) Son of John Smith of Corsham in Wilts, Gent. Which Sir Thomas (who had (c)(c) Vid. Camd. in Annal. Reg. Elizab. an. 1590. sarmed the Customs in the Reign of Q. Elizabeth, and therefore by some called Customer Smith) was so much in favour with K. James that he sent him Embassador (d)(d) Idem Camd. in Annal. Reg. Jac. 1. MS. sub an. 1604. to the Emperour of Russia 19. Mar. 1604. From whence returning he was made Governour of the Society of Merchants trading to the East-Indies, Mus [••] ie, the French and Summer Islands, and Treasurer for the Colonies and Companies of Virginia. There goes under this Man’s name a book intit. Sir Thomas Smith’s voyage and entertainment in Russia, with the tragical ends of two Emperours, and one Empress, within one Month, during his being there, &c. Lond. 1605. qu. But him I take not to be the author, because it was published unknown to him, and without his consent. What else I find of him is, that his fair and magnificent house at Deptford near to London was burnt (e)(e) lb. sub. an. 1619. on 30. Jan. 1618. and that upon several complaints against him for certain frauds used by him, in withdrawing sums of Money in his Rectorship, and place of Treasurer, before mentioned, he was (f)(f) Ib. eod. an. removed from those imployments, in Apr. 1619. His eldest Son, Sir Joh. Smith, married Isabel Daughter of Rob. Earl of Warwick, and another the Natural Daughter of Charles Blount Lord Mountjoy, without the consent of his Father, in Nov. 1618. but in the middle of July following, he, upon some discontent, left (g)(g) Ibid. England without taking leave of his Father or Wife.

Besides these two, I find another famous Sir Tho. Smith, who went before them, not only in time, but eminence. His native place was Saffron-Walden in Essex, his Parents John Smith of the same place, and Agnes the Daughter and Heir of one Charnock Gent. and the place of Academical education, Queens coll. in Cambridge, where at riper years he was made choice of (such was his proficiency in learning) to be sent into Italy at the King’s charges, and there to be educated in certain kinds of learning, which our Universities at home could not then yield, or rather for the compleat polishing of his parts and studies. After his return he became so eminent for his acquired learning, that he was not only made the publick Orator of Cambridge, but also the King’s Professor of the Greek Tongue, and at length the King’s Professor of the Civil Law, in which Faculty he was incorporated Doctor at Cambridge, in 1542. and afterwards at Oxon, but the particular time when, it appears not, through the imperfectness of the Registers of that time. In the Reign of Ed. 6. he found so much favour with the Duke of Somerset, that he was made one of the Secretaries (Sir Will. Cecill being the other) to that King, a Knight, Steward of the Stanneries, and Dean of Carlile in the place of one Lancelot Salkeld then ejected. About the same time also he (h)(h) Camd. in Annal. Reg. Eliz. sub an. 1577, became Provost of Eaton coll. whereof he had very well merited, but when Q. Mary came to the Crown she deprived him of those dignities, assigning him an 100 l. per an. Pension for his Life, howbeit on condition that he should not depart the Realm. In the beginning of Q. Elizabeth, he was called again to the service of the Commonwealth, was restored to his Deanery, was present with the Divines at the correcting of the English Liturgy, and afterwards with great commendations performed several Embassies. At length being one of the Secretaries of State again, and Chancellour of the Order of the Garter, and several times a Parliament-man, became very beneficial to the Commonwealth of learning, by procuring the Laws concerning Corn for the colleges of Students in both the Universities. This person who was a noted Orator, Grecian, and Civilian, and worthy to be remembred for other learning, hath written, (1) The Commonwealth of England, and the manner and government thereof, in 3 books. Printed in an old Engl. character at Lond. 1583. 94. in qu. and several times in oct. notwithstanding it was left unfinished by the author. Translated into Lat. by Dr. Jo. Budden, who caused it to be printed at Lond. in oct. ’Twas also published in Lat. by Joh. Laet of Antwerp, at Leyden 1630. in tw. (2) De recta & emendata linguae Graecae pronuntiatione, ad Gardinerum Ep. Winton, Epistola. Lutet. 1568. qu. (3) De recta & emendata linguae Anglicae scriptione. Printed dialogue ways with the former book. (4) De re nummaria. (5) The Authority, form and manner of holding Parliaments. This book being lately (1685.) published, may be doubted whether Sir Tho. Smith was the author of it. He hath also extant Many Letters in the Compleat Embassador, &c. collected by Sir Dudley Digges. He departed this mortal life in the climecterical year of his age, in the month of July 1577. and was buried in the Church of Theydon-Mount, or Theydon at Mount in Essex. All his Latin and Greek books he gave to Queens coll. in Cambridge, as also a great Globe of his own making, besides maintenance for two Scholars to come from Saffron-Walden to that house. There was a very fair monument ordered to be put over the bodies of him and his Wife, and no doubt there is but that it was done accordingly, yet what the Inscription on it is, I cannot yet learn, not any thing else of him, only that Jo. L [••] and doth highly extol him, in his (i)(i) In Princicum ac illustrium aliquct & eruditorum Anglia vir orum encomiis, &c. Lond. 1589. qu. p. 87. Encomiae of illustrious and learned men of England.