When he died in 1558, Thomas Holcroft had probably been the most hated man in the north west; he had also earned a reputation as ‘The Devourer of Monastic Lands’.

His is the story of a younger brother (of Sir John Holcroft), lacking the privileges of an heir, and we first hear of him acting as a Gentleman Servitor at the court of King Henry VIII. Just how he managed to appear at court at all is not known. However, he was soon appointed a member of the King’s Bodyguard (1540). This position wasn’t sufficiently exalted to bring him within the scope of any dangerous plots, but it is recorded that he eventually came to be trusted by not only Thomas Cromwell but by the king himself. His particular task was to gather information on the monasteries and other religious houses. When Henry took the decision to dissolve these institutions, Thomas was appointed as one of the King’s Commissioners in the north west of England. Through agents such as Holcroft, Henry appropriated all the movable wealth and then sold off or leased the properties and lands involved.

Obviously Thomas Holcroft found himself in a privileged position as regards the purchase of dispossessed lands. At first it was almost impossible to sell off these properties to local people as most of them were staunch Roman Catholics and would not make bids. Holcroft himself, with Henry’s connivance, acquired numerous estates at bargain prices – later re-selling them at very advantageous prices when the scruples of local inhabitants had lessened. He became immensely rich and thus earned his sobriquet ‘The Devourer of Monastic Lands’.

Amongst properties of which you may have heard were friaries at Lancaster, Preston and Warrington; Whalley Abbey; Cartmel and Lytham Priories; estates in Cheshire, at Marton and at Quernmore, and the monastery at Upholland – which he gave to his brother, Sir John. One of Thomas’s important purchases was Vale Royal Abbey in Cheshire, which he made into his residence. It is interesting to note that, for hundreds of years, the site of Preston’s friary has remained in doubt until recent excavations in the Marsh Lane / Ladywell Street area. I myself am particularly interested in Lytham Priory: it had connections with Durham Cathedral – and that’s where I used to work.

Incidentally, inhabitants of leased properties, who objected to paying rent to the king and receiving nothing in return found Thomas Holcroft equal to the situation: those who refused to pay, were carted off to Lancaster Castle and executed!

We next hear of Thomas campaigning in Scotland in 1544 under the Duke of Somerset, Lord Protector of the young King Edward VI. Holcroft’s allegiance to the Tudors, to whom he owed his wealth and position, must have been very strong to make him volunteer for this service. He laid siege to, and captured, Lochmaben Castle and was knighted for his efforts. In 1545 he became an MP, holding the title of Knight Marshal for Lancashire, and two years later he also became Vice-Admiral for Lancashire and Cheshire.

Then followed the most traumatic time of his career: Somerset was disgraced - brought down by envious persons - and executed. Holcroft and his friend William Cecil (who went on to become the great Elizabethan politician and diplomat) were incarcerated in the Tower of London. However, after a couple of months, each of these astute personalities succeeded in obtaining his release before the accession of Queen Mary. Exactly how this was accomplished has not been recorded (perhaps they changed their religion to Roman Catholicism) but it is known that Cecil paid a bond of 1,000 marks (around £100,000 in today’s money!) before his release.

As a matter of interest, Thomas Holcroft was born in 1505 – although it is not known where he was born – married Juliane Jennings of Preston and fathered Thomas and Isobella, plus four illegitimate children.

(Durham)