William Thynne

, otherwise Botevill, was, as it seems, a Solopian born, and educated among the Oxonians for a time. Afterwards retiring to the Court, became through several petite employments, chief Clerk of the Kitchin to K. Hen. 8. and is stiled by Erasmus (l)(l) In Epist. lib. 15. Epist. 14. Thynnus Aulicus. This Person who was poetically given from his Youth, did make a search after all the works of Jeffery Chaucer the Prince of our English Poets, many of which were then in MS. At length having collected all the ancient Copies of that Author, he took great pains to correct and amend them. Which being so done, he put notes and explanations on, and printed them altogether in one Volume in Folio, (not in double columns as they have been since) and dedicated them to K. Hen. 8.Clar. 1542. an. 1542, having been partly and imperfectly done several Years before by Will. Caxton. Afterwards Joh. Stow the Chronologer did correct, increase and publish, them with divers ample notes collected out of several records and monuments. All which he delivering to his Friend Tho. Speght a Cantabrigian, he drew them into good form and method, mixed them with his own, and published them 1597. See more in Franc. Thynne, under the Year 1611, who was, as it seems, descended from him. Whether this Will. Thynne, whom I have mentioned before, be the same with Will. Thynne Esq one of the Clerks of the Green-Cloth, and master of the Houshold of K. Hen. 8. (the same Will. Thynne, I mean, who died 10. Aug. 1546. and was buried in the Church of Allhallowes Barkin in London) I am yet to learn. I find another Will. Thynne Esq Brother to Sir John Thynne Knight, who after he had travell’d through most parts of Europe, return’d an accomplish’d Gentleman, and in the 1. Edw. 6. Dom. 1547. went into Scotland under the command of Edward Duke of Somerset, (to which Duke, his Brother Sir John, was Secretary) where as an Eques catafractus (that is a Chevalier arm’d cap a pee) he performed excellent service in the Battel at Muscelborough against the Scots. This Person I take to be the same, to whom K. Hen. 8. by his Letters Pat. dat. 8. May 38. of his Reign, Dom. 1546. gave the office of general Receiver of two Counties in the Marches of Wales, commonly call’d The Earl of Marches Lands. At length when the infirmities of Age came upon him, he gave himself solely up to devotion, and was a daily Auditor of divine service in the Abbey Church at Westminster. He surrendred up his Soul to him that gave it, 14. March 1584, and was buried in the said Church opposite to the door leading into the Cloister. Over his Grave was soon after erected a Monument of Alabaster, and 100 Years after, was another stately Monument erected near to it Westward, for one descended from Sir Joh. Thynne beformention’d, namely for Tho. Thynne of Langleat in Wilts. Esq sometimes a Gent. Com. of Ch. Ch. who was barbarously murder’d in the Pall-mall by a German, Sweed, and Pole, on Sunday in the Evening 12. Feb. 1681. For whom was a large inscription made, to be engraved on the said Monument, but for certain passages therein, reflecting on Justice and I know not what, was not suffer’d to be put thereon.