Michael Stanhope (died 1552)

Sir Michael Stanhope (before 1508 – 26 February 1552) of Shelford in Nottinghamshire, was an influential courtier who was beheaded on Tower Hill, having been convicted of conspiring to assassinate John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, and others.

[5] His responsibilities as lieutenant, and later as governor, included the supply of provisions, men and ships for Berwick and for English campaigns on the Scottish border and into Scotland itself.

On 17 October 1551 he was again sent to the Tower, this time on a charge of involvement with Somerset in a conspiracy to assassinate John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, and others.

[8] Somerset was beheaded on Tower Hill on 22 January 1552, and on 27 January Stanhope was put on trial for having "feloniously instigated Somerset to insurrection", and for "holding rebellious assemblies, for the purpose of taking, imprisoning and murdering" John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton, and William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke,[1] 'apparently under the act passed by Northumberland's influence in the parliament of 1549–50'.

[8] According to Pollard, "Stanhope was no doubt implicated in Somerset's endeavours to supplant Northumberland, but there is no evidence that he aimed at taking the Duke's life".

However the sentence of hanging was commuted to a more honourable form of execution and he was beheaded on Tower Hill on 26 February 1552, "stoutly maintaining his innocence".

[8] The attainder was reversed early in the reign of Queen Mary, at which time his eldest son and heir, Sir Thomas Stanhope, recovered possession of his paternal estates.

Portrait of Sir Michael Stanhope
Arms of Stanhope: Quarterly ermine and gules
Anne Stanhope , half sister of Sir Michael Stanhope and wife of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland , whom Sir Michael Stanhope was convicted of conspiring to kill
Chest tomb and effigy of Anne Rawson, wife of Sir Michael Stanhope, in the Stanhope Chapel in St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Shelford , Nottinghamshire
Drawing of heraldic shield at end of chest tomb of Anne Rawson, showing arms of Stanhope (of four quarters) impaling Rawson: Gules, a four square castle in perspective with as many towers and cupolas one at each angle or standing in water azure [ 11 ]