Dr. Thomas Crompton LLD, of Bennyngton, Bishop Burton and of the Middle Temple ('Auditor' Crompton)
was Comptroller (of finances) to Queen Elizabeth I and Auditor to the Exchequer.
Source: Foster, Pedigrees, iii; English, 'The great landowners of East Yorkshire', p.25; Pevsner Neave, 'York and the East Riding', pp.147, 330; DDHE/6/19

Neither Foster's Alumi Oxonienses nor Venn's Alumi Cantabrigienses mention, in detail, such a distinguished alumni. However, Venn does records one Thomas Crompton as Maric[ulating]. pens. from TRINITY, Easter 1573. Given that scholars went up to University aged 16 or 17 this would suggest that Thomas was born around 1556 and was 46 at the time of his death. (See lease on Little Munden)

The records of The Inner temple show that a Thomas Crompton of Benington, Hertfordshire was admitted to the Inn on 5 December 1595.

The will of Sir Thomas Crompton refers to 'my Mother Margaret Meooy(?)'. In the language of the day this could be Dr Thomas' wife or Sir Thomas' mother-in-law.

At Trinity Robert Devereux, later second Earl of Essex was a contemporary of Thomas Crompton. Robert Devereux entered Trinity, Cambridge, in 1578 when only twelve years of age, but does not appear to have been regular in his residence, though he became a fair scholar.  It is possible that from these early days Essex played a large part in Thomas' life. The Victoria History of the County of Oxfordshire (VCH) records that Elizabeth I granted Thomas Crompton and others, as agents for Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, the reversion of the title to Castle Mill. The mill, thought to originate from the mid-11th century, was then sold to the city of Oxford in 1591. Source: The Victoria County History for Oxfordshire, vol. IV, page 328 Right: Painting of Castle mill beside St George's by J.A. Shuffrey (1859-1939). The mill, Norman in origin, was demolished in the early twentieth century

Thomas at Little Munden, near Benington

The Victoria History of the County of Hertfordshire hints further at Thomas' patronage. It records that on the death of Henry Earl of Essex, on 4 December 1529, the manor of Benington passed, in 1530, to the husband of Sir William Say's second daughter Mary. In 1539 Benington passed to their second daughter Anne and her husband Sir William Parr(e), Marquis of Northampton.

Later, the protestant Duke Northumberland persuaded the sickly Edward VI to declare his sisters Mary and Elizabeth illegitimate and passed the crown to Lady Jane Grey, grand daughter of Henry VII. In 1553, Jane became the nominal Queen of England for just nine days in an unsuccessful bid to prevent the accession of the Catholic Mary Tudor. Once queen, Mary put Jane and her father in the Tower of London. Jane and her husband Lord Guildford Dudley, son of  Northumberland, were tried for high treason in November 1553. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to death. The execution of the sentence was suspended, but the participation of her father in Sir Thomas Wyatt's rebellion in February 1554 sealed her fate. She was beheaded with her husband; her father followed them two days later.                           Right: Lady Jane Grey

Parr, who supported the Pretender, had his lands forfeited to the Crown. After the death of Anne Parr, in 26 January 1571, the land was granted to Walter Devereux, Viscount Hereford, who in 1572 became Earl of Essex. When he died, four years later, the manor of Bennyngton [sic] passed to his widow Lettice Knollys. Their son was Robert, Earl of Essex, whose mistress was Queen Elizabeth I. The manor of Little Munden followed a similar course.

'... William Says [sic] into whose possession [the manor of] Little Mundon [sic] came ... died seised of it in 1529, after which it

descended to his heirs in the same manner of Benington (qv) and came with that manor to the Crown. It was leased to Thomas Crompton in 1594-5 for twenty-one years. In 1602 Thomas Crompton conveyed his lease to Michael Woodcock.'
Source: Victoria History of the County of Hertfordshire, Vol. III, University of London Institute of Historical Research, 1971 page 71 and pages 130-131

Thomas' relinquishing of the lease of Little Munden coincides with the proving of his will. The Manor continued to be Crown property until 1620.

	Left: Lordship Farm, Little Munden, November 2005 Below: An undated sketch of Lordship Farm taken from the VCH of Hertfordshire page 130.

The building is thought to be from the 16th century. It is assumed that the name Lordship Farm derives from the Crown Land or the place of the manorial seat. Both images exhibit the same ground plan, window positions, walls, gates, and out buildings. However, the modern building appears to have been rendered and the chimney stacks modernised from what appear to be four Tudor stacks to three modern brick stacks, built across the ridge.

Right: The 1840 Tythe Map of Lordship Farm, Little Munden The modern layout of the farm appears to follow the same ground plan. Clicking on the map will open a 513Kb map of the wider Tythe area - 1161x1102 pixels. On this map Little Munden is referred to as Great Munden. Today Little Munden is known as Dane End. Source: Hertfordshire Archives and Library Services

1600info1, sheet 3

Above: A modern map locating Benington and Lordship Farm, near Dane End.

The VCH makes no mention of Thomas owning land in or around Benington as early as 1588. That he was 'of Bennyngton, Co. Herts'. suggests that he lived at Benington, rather than being an absentee landlord.

Clearly Thomas was an important person who was able to lease Crown lands. He seems also to have been a wealthy person for an unknown source, dated 9 August 1588, refers to ‘Thomas Crompton, Senr. of Bennyngton, Co. Herts. Esq.' [Benington, Hertfordshire], who held estates in 'Hounslow, Sussex, Middlesex, Skirne Marn(?). This and subsequent records refer to various land sales in Everingham, Overdeanbrigge, Kirkeoswold, Staffhull, Highbanckhill, Scales, Croglinge, Crosfeild, Scatts, Monnoweke alias Mannaweke, Flaggclose, Blowderfeild, Heskew, Parkehedd, Hudderskew alias Heskew, Bulscorigge and Kynner Heughe, in co. Cumberland, the manor of Whalsall alias the Isle of Whalsall and Bygottes Wood in Lockington.'

1600info1, sheet 4

Thomas arrives in Driffield

It is said that Thomas came to Elmswell, the site of an abandoned medieval village, accompanied by Earl of Essex, to an estate granted by Queen Elizabeth 1. The estate was sold to Henry Best in 1597. He owned the manor of Bishop Burton, Cherry Burton, Skerne, Wansford, Skidby and Ruston; owned farms in Beverley, Skerne and Killingwoldgraves; controlled the benefices of Slateborne, Leven and Foxholes; controlled the parsonage of Skidby; controlled the tithes in Skidby. His will was written at Bishop Burton, where he lived at the time. Source: HUMAD DDGE/6/11 He was MP for Beverly between 1597 and 1601. Right: Click on the blue circles for a larger map.

Thomas' death

Thomas died at Bishop Burton on a date before his will was proved on 18th February 1601-02. HUMAD refers his death as being before 10 September 1602 [HUMAD DDGE/6/11]; a short time after the execution of Robert Earl of Essex on 25 February 1601.

Thomas Crompton seals armorial: a fess wavy between three lions rampant; for a crest, a talbot sejant, in dexter a coil of rope. [HUMAD DDEV/9/37]

The content of his will, written after 1591, suggests:

• that though he died at Bishop Burton, where he held the majority of his estates, he was still referred to as Thomas of Bennyngton. Indeed he must have had positive connections with the area because he left £5 to the overseers of the parishes poor;
• the order of birth of first his male his children and then his female children;
• that three of his daughters were married at the time of writing his will: Mary to William Gee and two others, but not Frances, to Roger Raute and John Brewster;
• that he still held extensive lands. In addition to Bishop Burton, Killithorpe, Skerne, Walkington, Leconfield, Frothingham land/property was held in London and Hounslowe (Hounslow, Middlesex?)
• a professional connection with 'Office of Common Pleas, otherwise called the 'Fine Office' land transfers were determined by fines and recoveries, with debt, dower, account, defamation, promise, trespass, waste, ejectment, damage, appeals of murder and mayhem also within its brief; 'letters patent under the Great Seal of England', the 'Court of the Exchequer'; 'lands bought of her majesty [Elizabeth I]'; the gift of a guilt bowl with the cover from Sir Christopher Hatton's, the late Lord Chancellor Office of Cirographer (Chirographer?);
• his wealth manifest in farm products, chains [of office], jewels, seal ring of gold, cups and bowls of various types of silver, tapestries and arrases;
• that Thomas, his eldest son, received most of his wealth, but that provision was made for the other three sons if Thomas Jnr. failed to meet the terms of the will;
• a benevolence to  his servants with pensions of £2 (£312 on British Retail Price Index (BRPI 2004 equivalent)) and lump sums varying between £20, £4 and £1 (£3129, £625 to £156);
• his daughters received the sum of £1000 (£156 500 BRPI) on reaching the age of 21 or being married;
• his cousins Elizabeth Courte and Ann Warriner were the children of his brother John, also mentioned in terms of a debit of £500 (£78 250 BRPI);
• that Thomas or his scribe was literate as many semi-colons were correctly used .

1600info1, sheet 5

Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, Thomas' patron

He was early presented at Court, where the Queen did her best to 'spoil' him; and from his twentieth and her own fifty-fourth year she indulged in many flirtations with him, but also in many quarrels, in the course of which his hot temper and jealousy always allowed her to get the better. But the Queen's affection for him was genuine and, at bottom, more of a maternal than of an amatory character. He first attained prominence by fighting bravely against the Spanish in the Netherlands in 1586, and distinguished himself at Zutphen where his cousin, Sir Philip Sidney, fell. Elizabeth was always in anxiety when he went to the wars, which he often did (sometimes against her express command) and in which he always behaved himself with conspicuous daring. Right: Robert, the Earl of Essex, thought to be Thomas' patron

From 1591 Essex spent the next four years resolved to secure 'domestical greatness'. He became a privy councillor, and leader of a forward-thinking faction at court - as against the faction of the entrenched Cecil family. One of the most curious episodes in his life is the friendship he formed with the two Bacons, Francis and Anthony. It seems probable that the former, believing Essex to be the 'coming man,’ deliberately attached himself to the Earl's fortunes and gave him good advice, which Essex was too impetuous to take.

Finally, all Essex's enemies were rejoiced when he teased his fond mistress into giving him command of the great expedition to Ireland in 1599. The Queen was absolutely furious and her favourite made matters worse, when after a disastrous campaign, he deserted his army and hurried to England. He had lost the favour of the Queen for good, and this disgrace was one under which his restless nature could not be quiet. He knew well that Cecil and other courtiers were his sworn enemies and he now entertained the absurd idea of an appeal to force. Essex intrigued with King James VI of Scotland to induce him to support a rising, along with his friend, Lord Mountjoy, who had succeeded to his command in Ireland, whom he implored to land troops in Wales. He was seized and sent to the Tower where he was executed for treason on 25 February 1601.

Vain and rash beyond anyone of his age, lacking any real measure of statesmanship, Robert Devereux had been lifted by the accidents of his birth into a position for which he was wholly unfitted. Yet he possessed, in a marked degree, qualities which endeared him even to those with whom he quarrelled: most utter frankness, warm affection and generosity and, in war, the courage of a Paladin of romance.

One can only speculate about the relationship between Thomas and Essex. Was the learned Thomas an advisor of Essex from their shared time at Trinity? Did he receive favours of land and position in return for his counsel? Was he far enough away in distant Yorkshire not to be involved in Essex's plot or was he not a military man?
Source: Edited from Emery Walker's "Historical Portraits" (1909)

Notes:
Hull University Manuscripts and Archives Database (HUMAD) is references: DDEV/26/12, DDEV/50/114, DDEV/26/15,DDEV/9/37, DDCB/9/1. DDEV/3/34 refers to Thomas Crompton and his son as Sir Thomas Crompton.

Link to Search page at HUMAD.

See also: East Riding Archives, Beverley: Defeasnces bound to Thomas Crompton of London Esq, 12 June 1592 - ref: DDHU/17/37

Great Munden Church contains a plaque 'In Memoriam Johannis Lightfoot Dec 6 AD 1675 æt 72'. At the head of the plaque are two shields, the arms of Lightfoot and Crompton. John Lightfoot married, in 1628, Joyce daughter of William Crompton of Stone Park, Co. Stafford Esq.
Source: Cussans John Edwin, 1881, 'History of Hertfordshire Vol.II' Reprint Hertfordshire County Library 1972

Hertfordshire Archives and Leisure Services hold documents from the early 17th century relating to John Crompton. These are the Rushton Papers references: 73912, 73916, 73917, 73920, 73949-52. Whilst John Crompton's name can be identified the style of writing and the state of the parchment made these documents difficult to read.

York's Borthwick Institute hold 'Deeds relating to properties in Pollington' between John Crompton and Mr Thomas Crompton of Bennington, dated 8 November 1600. Ref YM/D/PO/14. This confirms that John and Thomas were related and that both were alive in 1600.  To be consulted.

The National Archives has a record, dated 41Eliz1 (1599), involving Thomas Crompton of Bennington esquire and Francis Jackson of London gentleman who were grantors to Elizabeth Avenon and Clare Stevens (late Avenon) ref: TNA C147/62

Family records have also been used.

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This page was created by Richard Crompton and maintained by Chris Glass	Version C11 Updated 20 May 2007