Wiston House, Sussex: the story of its Elizabethan owner Sir Thomas Sherley

Dr Janet Pennington SpeakerNet Sponsor


Regions:
West Sussex, East Sussex, Surrey, Kent
Notice Period:
Emergency (maybe less than one week's notice)
Type:
Professional
Fee:
Paid: £75 - £125
Category:
History
Updated:
7th March 2021

Sir Thomas Sherley of Wiston was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1573. His raised social status soon had him thinking about a new stone house to replace the medieval timber-framed home of his ancestors. Sherley was appointed Sheriff of Surrey and Sussex for a year in 1577 and ten years later he was Treasurer-at-War in the Netherlands, reckoned to be the most lucrative in the Army due to the 'perks' available. Fraud and corruption were rife and Sherley was spending at a great rate, particularly on luxurious possessions for his newly-built house. The story of his fall from grace is a fascinating one that will be illustrated with photographs of Wiston House, portraits and contemporary quotations. As a Member of Parliament for Steyning in 1604, Sherley played a role in constitutional history, and this, unfortunately, has had echoes in the behaviour of some of our MPs earlier in the present century. Wiston House is leased to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office as a Conference Centre. see www.sussexhistorytalks.co.uk

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About Dr Janet Pennington

I am an independent historian, giving illustrated talks in Sussex (sometimes nipping into Surrey and Kent) for 35 years. I have a PhD in early-modern Sussex inn and tavern history and give more general talks about the history of English inn signs as well as those in Sussex. I am at present looking at the art of the inn sign. My MA dissertation is about Elizabethan courtier (or con-man!) Sir Thomas Sherley of Wiston House (West Sussex). I worked as Archivist at Lancing College, also teaching local history and palaeography in adult education at the University of Sussex. I am President of the Brighton & Hove Archaeological Society. I am a member of the Wealden Buildings Study Group, and am particularly interested in the ritual protection of the home. I hold a Diploma in English Local History and speak on a variety of subjects connected with Sussex and the South-East, some covering other parts of England - see the variety of talks listed on my website - www.sussexhistorytalks.co.uk - I have given many talks using ZOOM and can also host sessions. Due to my interest in and knowledge of inns, taverns and alehouses and all manner of drinking establishments in England, I have been in more pubs than most people - mainly for research purposes...


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