The Shirleys

Famous in history are the three Shirleys, who began their lives of great adventure at Wiston House. Here they were born; Sir Thomas built the house we see.

Has any English family produced a more remarkable trio of brothers than Sir Thomas, Sir Anthony, and Sir Robert Shirley? It is said that their story suggested one of his books to Disraeli.

The chief Shirley, Anthony, was born in 1565, and was present at Zutphen when Sir Philip Sidney received his fatal wound. He served under Essex, to whom he was related by an unhappy marriage, and for his services against the Spaniards received a French knighthood.

His acceptance of this angered Queen Elizabeth, who said:

 

"I will not have my sheep marked with a strange brand, nor suffer them to follow the pipe of another shepherd " ,

and clapped him into prison. Released, he sailed with six ships on a buccaneering expedition against the Portuguese possessions in West Africa, seized Santiago in the Cape Verde Islands, and held it with 280 men against 3000 Portuguese. Then he altered his mind and his course, and, steering across the world, calmly took possession of Jamaica.

A mutiny at Havana left him with only one ship and after peril and privation it was reported that

 

" Anthony Shirley is home - alive but poor ."

 

Then expeditions with Essex brought him to the long trail from which he never returned. In 1598, accompanied by his brother Robert and 23 companions, he set out for Persia, an unofficial ambassador, self-charged to bring the Shah into union with the princes of Europe against the Turks, and to open up trade.

After a hazardous journey he was received with distinction by Shah Abbas, who made him a Persian prince, the first Christian to receive an oriental title, and agreed to European trading with his dominions. Then the English ambassador to Persia left as Persian ambassador to Europe, charged to confederate all rulers with Persia against the Turks.

At last he passed into the service of Spain, admiral of an armada against the Moors, Turks, and Dutch trading in the Mediterranean; but he was not successful and lost his command, was nearly killed by treachery, fell into debt, and was imprisoned. He wrote an astonishing autobiography, became an industrious plotter, and died in Madrid, an impoverished alien.

Sir Robert Shirley remained in Persia after Anthony's departure, and married a Circassian princess who accompanied him when, garbed as a Persian, he came to England as the ambassador of Shah Abbas in 1608. Everywhere received with honour, on reaching England in 1611 they were entertained by James.

But Robert came back to find the family estates wasted, and returned to Persia, made a second ambassadorial tour of Europe, on which he and his wife sat to Vandyck for a now famous portrait, and died at Kazveen, where he was buried under his own threshold.

Sir Thomas, the eldest brother, served in Flanders, reached the Court of Elizabeth, and was imprisoned by her for secretly marrying. Released, he returned to the Low Countries war, and, the family estate demanding funds, embarked as a privateer, but was captured by Turks and imprisoned for two years at Constantinople.

At last he reached England after wandering afoot through Europe, beggared. Happiness still eluded him, for he was sent to the Tower on a charge of conspiracy in connection with trade in the Levant, and, retiring to the Isle of Wight, died there overwhelmed with debt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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