Walsingham, Francis, Sir (1532 -1590)

Sir Francis Walsingham was the only son of William Walsingham, second son of James Walsingham, and Joyce, daughter of Sir Edward Denny. He was educated at King's College, Cambridge, where he matriculated as a Fellow Commoner November 1548, and remained in residence until 1550 but took no degree. He entered Gray's Inn in 1552. During Mary's reign he lived abroad, studying the laws and customs of the continental countries and preparng himself for a diplomatic career. Returning at the beginning of Elizabeth's reign, he was Member of Parliament for Banbury in 1552, and for Lyme Regis 1563 1567, but was soon employed by the British secret service, for which he showed great aptitude, and in diplomatic missions to France. On 20 December 1573 he was made joint Secretary of State with Sir Thomas Smith, and resumed his seat in Parliament, this time as Member for Surrey, a seat which he held until his death. He was knighted 1 December 1577. He married twice, firstly Anne, daughter of Sir George Barnes, by whom he had no children; he married secondly, about 1567, Ursula, daughter of Henry St Barbe, and widow of Sir Richard Worsley of Appuldurcombe. They produced a daughter, Frances. There is a contemporary subject catalogue of his state papers written in 1588 in Stowe MS 162 ff.1 111 in the British Library.