The heart of this thesis is a very detailed reconstruction of the life of Thomas 3rd Baron Paget of Beau desert, Staffordshire (1544-1590), with particular emphasis between the years 1570 and 1590. A thorough analysis is made of his courtship and marriage to Nazareth Southwell (nee Newton) a member of the queen's privy chamber, as well as that of his household and family, which reveals that whilst his marriage helped advance his noble career, it was ultimately a failure which led to considerable social, religious and political difficulty. An exploration is made of Paget's involvement in Catholic circles in his native Staffordshire and surrounding area, as are his relationships with prominent local and national figures, both Catholic and Protestant. Paget elicited the support and loyalty of the local community and had solid friendships with members of the nobility centred on a shared love of music. In 1580 Paget was confined in a house in Windsor for approximately fourteen weeks, ostensibly because of his Catholicism. Paget indulged in multi-faceted discussions and arguments over the nature of religious and political loyalty; these arguments are analysed and contextualised. His release was secured. only after he agreed to satisfy a number of conflated personal, religious and political concerns, one of which was an apparent agreement to conform in matters of religion. Thomas made a shallow attempt to conform and after his release his Catholic resolve seemed only to harden. In 1583 Paget was drawn into the Throckmorton Plot conspiracy; finding himself implicated he fled abroad and settled for a time in Paris. The extent of his involvement in this plot and his divided loyalties are explored. Whilst abroad, finding himself exiled and ostracised, he worked on behalf of the Queen of Scots. A consideration is made of his motivations and a close exploration is made of his movements and dealings. After the death of the queen of Scots, Paget's loyalty was again in question.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:602812 |
| Date | January 2009 |
| Creators | Thurkettle, David James |
| Publisher | Keele University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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