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STUCLEY (OR STUKELY), THOMAS (c. 1525...

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Originally appearing in Volume V25, Page 1050 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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STUCLEY (OR STUKELY), See also:THOMAS (c. 1525-1578)  , See also:English adventurer, son of See also:Sir See also:Hugh See also:Stucley, of AfHeton, near See also:Ilfracombe, a See also:knight of the See also:body to See also:King See also:Henry VIII., was supposed by some of his contemporaries to have been an illegitimate son of the king . He was a See also:standard-See also:bearer at See also:Boulogne from r547 to 1550, entered the service of the See also:duke of See also:Somerset, and after his See also:master's 'See also:arrest in 1551 a See also:warrant was issued against him, but he succeeded in escaping to See also:France, where he served in the See also:French See also:army . His military talents brought him under the See also:notice of See also:Montmorency, and he was sent with a See also:letter of recommendation from Henry II. of France to See also:Edward VI . On his arrival he proceeded on the 16th of See also:September 1552 to reveal the French plans for the See also:capture of See also:Calais and for a descent upon See also:England, the furtherance of which had, according to his See also:account, been the See also:object of his See also:mission to England . See also:Northumberland evaded the See also:payment of any See also:reward to Stucley, and sought to gain the friend-See also:ship of the French king by pretending to disbelieve Stucley's statements . Stucley, who may well have been the originator of the plans adopted by the French, was imprisoned in the See also:Tower for some months . A See also:prosecution for See also:debt on his See also:release in See also:August 1553 compelled him to become a soldier of See also:fortune once more, but he returned to England in See also:December 1554 in the See also:train of Philibert, duke of See also:Savoy, after obtaining See also:security against his creditors . He temporarily improved his fortunes by marrying an heiress, See also:Anne See also:Curtis, but in a few months had to return to the duke of Savoy's service . As See also:early as r558 he was summoned before the See also:council on a See also:charge of piracy, but was acquitted on the ground of insufficient See also:evidence . In 1562 he obtained a warrant permitting him to bring French See also:ships into English ports although England and France were nominally at See also:peace . With six ships, one of which was supplied by See also:Queen See also:Elizabeth, he started buccaneering against French, See also:Spanish and Portuguese ships, though his See also:commission was concerned with an expedition to See also:Florida . Repeated remonstrances on the See also:part of the offended See also:powers compelled Elizabeth to disavow Stucley, who surrendered in 1565, but his prosecution was merely formal .

He had met See also:

Shane O'See also:Neill at the English See also:court in the See also:winter of 1561-1562, and was employed in 1566 by Sir Henry See also:Sidney in a vain effort to induce the Irish See also:chief to enter into negotiations with the See also:government . Sidney desired to allow Stucley to See also:purchase the estates and See also:office of Sir See also:Nicholas Bagnall, See also:marshal of See also:Ireland, for £3000, but Elizabeth refused to permit the transaction . Undeterred by this failure, Stucley bought lands and the office.of See also:seneschal of See also:Wexford from Sir Nicholas See also:Heron, but in See also:June 1568 he was dismissed, and in the next See also:year imprisoned in See also:Dublin See also:Castle on a charge of high See also:treason, but was released in See also:October . He now offered his services to See also:Fenelon, the French See also:ambassador in See also:London, and was thenceforward continuously engaged in schemes against Elizabeth . See also:Philip II. invited him to See also:Madrid and loaded him with honours . He was known at the Spanish court by the curious See also:title of " duke of Ireland," and was established with a handsome See also:allowance in a See also:villa near Madrid . He was knighted in 1571, and prepared to become a member of a religious See also:order of See also:knighthood . His See also:credit with See also:Spain was seriously injured by another Irish malcontent, See also:Maurice See also:Gibbon, See also:archbishop of See also:Cassel; but Stucley, who now desired to leave Spain, only obtained his passports after Elizabeth had demanded his dismissal . He commanded three galleys under See also:Don See also:John of See also:Austria at the See also:battle of See also:Lepanto . His exploits restored him to favour at Madrid, and on the and of See also:March 1572 he was at See also:Seville, offering to hold the narrow seas against the English with a See also:fleet of twenty ships . In four years (1570-1574) he is said to have received over 27,000 ducats from Philip II . Wearied by the Spanish king's delays he sought more serious assistance from the new See also:pope, See also:Gregory XIII., who Alcazar in See also:Peele's See also:Works .

End of Article: STUCLEY (OR STUKELY), THOMAS (c. 1525-1578)
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