Sir Walter Chute [55853]

  General Notes:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~chute/gp690.htm#head1


http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~chute/gp690.htm#head1


SIR WALTER CHUTE was no doubt an interesting character at the height of Elizabethan England. He caused trouble, sent his father into fits, toured Europe and otherwise hung out with John Dunne, raised a ruckus in Parliament and got himself tossed into the Tower of London, offended King James I (which wasn't as difficult as it sounds, really - the man was notoriously foul-tempered and irritable), almost lost his inheritance, went pirating with Sir Walter Raleigh, got into dramatic skirmish with the Spaniards, and helped provide financial backing for the first Virginia Colony in North America.
Sir Walter Raleigh was born around 1554 and was executed in 1618, probably without cause. Colonizing America was one of his greatest ambitions, second only perhaps to capturing the heart of the Virgin Queen Elizabeth, at which he succeeded brilliantly. His half-brother Humphrey Gilbert organized one of the ill-fated earlier voyages; though they didn't make it to North America, it may have whetted his interest.
"Raleigh obtained a patent for founding a North American colony in 1584 and immediately sent out a reconnaissance expedition under the command of Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe. This expedition explored an island, apparently called Windgandcon by the local Native Americans (present day Roanoke, North Carolina) and returned with a cargo of Tobacco and potatoes. Raleigh named the entire area Virginia, in honor of Queen Elizabeth. He subsequently became a favorite of the Queen and received many honors in return for his efforts, including a knighthood in 1585.
That year, Raleigh sent out an expedition under the command of Richard Grenville to establish a settlement on the site he had been permitted to colonize. Within a year the colony had failed and was evacuated by a force led by Sir Francis Drake. A skeleton force was left behind to guard the fort, but Algonquin Indians later wiped out the entire garrison.
This massive failure did nothing to dampen Raleigh's enthusiasm for colonization, however, and in 1587 he sponsored a large group of settlers who hoped to establish another colony, this time in the Chesapeake Bay area. Unfortunately, their pilot, due to a grievous navigational miscalculation, left the colonists at the site of the previous Roanoke colony. This second colony soon disappeared and to this date their fate is still left unknown.
Raleigh fell from the Queen's favor when he secretly wed one of her maids of honor and was imprisoned briefly in the Tower of London in 1592. After buying his release, he set off on an expedition to Guyana (South America) in 1595 and sailed up the Orinoco River looking for El Dorado, the legendary 'City of Gold'. Although he did find a good deal of gold in his travels, he never did find a mythical golden city. He then joined Robert Devereux on an expedition to the Azores in 1597."
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7012/raleigh.html
This 1597 expedition was the one in which Walter Chute served under him as captain of one his vessels. Note the presence of Francis Vere - the "Vere" name connected to the Chutes in the person of Thomas Vere Chute. Also on this expedition was John Dunne, with whom Sir Walter spent a year traveling around Europe.

Sir Edward Coke, The Selected Writings and Speeches of Sir Edward Coke, ed. Steve Sheppard (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2003). Vol. 1. Chapter: Walter Chute's Case.
Walter Chute's Case. (1614) Easter Term, 12 James I. In Conference in Serjeants' Inn. First Published in the Reports, volume 12, page 116.
Ed.: This is a note of an unusual judicial conference in which they considered the legality of the King's creating a variety of offices, particularly one for Walter Chute to register aliens. The Judges held that it would be illegal for the King to create the office, because it would be more for private gain than for public benefit. This is an important limit imposed by Law on royal patronage and so on royal revenue.
New erected office void. Walter Chute Sewer to the King, did exhibite a Petition to the King, that for the safety of the Realm, and the security of strangers within the Realm, that the King would vouchsafe to erect a new Office of Registering of all strangers within the Realm, except Merchant-strangers, to be kept at London, and to grant the said Office to the Petitioner, with a reasonable Fee, or without a Fee: And that all strangers, except Merchant-strangers, might depart the Realm within a certain convenient time, if they do not repair to the said Register, and take a Billet under the Registers hand: Which Petition the Lords of the Councel did refer to me, by their honourable Letters of the 13. ofNovem. 1613, that I calling to me Counsel learned in the Law, should consider what the Law is in that behalf, and how it may stand with conveniency and policy of State, to put the same in execution, and by whom it ought to be performed: And upon conference had with the Justices of the Common Pleas, and the other Justices and Barons of Serjeants Inne Fleetstreet; It was resolved, that the erections of such new Offices, for the benefit of a private man was against all Law, of what nature soever: And therefore where one Captain Lee did make suit to the King to have a new office to make Inventory of Goods of those who died testate or intestate; It was resolved by the Lord Chancellor and my self, that such Grant shall be utterly void, although no certain person hath it, and that this was against Common Law, and the Statute of 21 Hen. 8. In like manner, another sued |[117] to have the Registering of Birth-dates, and the time of the death of each person within the Realm, and that it might be on Record and authenticall: So Mich. 19 Jac. To make a new Office in the upper Bench, for the only making of all Latitats at the suit of the Lord Daubigny, and after him of the Lord John Hungerford, and others, was resolved to be void. So Littletons suit, to name an Officer to be a generall Register, or rather Tabler or Indexer of all Judgements, for Debts and Damages, Recognizances, Bils, Obligations to the King, Deeds inrolled, Fines upon Offenders in the Star Chamber, and other Courts whatsoever: and this was pretended to be for the benefit of the Purchaser, and the ready finding of Records; and to such purpose was made the Statute of the 27 Eliz. for inrolling of Statutes; but the Suit was rejected by the two chief Justices and others: for every Court shall choose Officers either by Law or Prescription: the Law or Custom may not be changed without a Parliament; and so it was resolved Hil. 12 Jac. Regis; and divers other such inventions were resolved to be against Law and Record.>/P>
As to the second, in the case of Sir Walter Chute, concerning the conveniency or inconveniency of it, it was resolved, that it was inconvenient for divers causes. 1. For a private man to have private ends. 2. The numbring of Strangers by a private man would infer a Terror, and the King and Princes of other Countries will take offence at it, and will do the like to the Kings Subjects. 3. It is to be considered what breach it will be to former Treaties.
As to the third, in the case of Sir Walter Chute, that may be performed without any inconvenience; and so it was devised by the Lord Burleigh, and other Lords of the Councel: An. 37 Eliz. viz. To write Letters to the Mayors, Bayliffs, or other head Officers of every City, Borough, or Town, where any strangers are resident, to certifie how many strangers, and of what quality are in their Cities, &c. the which they are to know in respect of their Inhabitants, and Contributions to the poor, and other charges, and this may be done without any writing.
Which Suit being made to the Lords, was well approved by them, and the Suit utterly disallowed the 3. Dec. An. 3 Hen. 8. Commission granted to divers, to certifie the number of Strangers, Artificers, with the number of their Servants within London, and the Suburbs thereof, &c. according to the Statutes. See Candishs Case, 29 El. for making of all Writs of Supersedeas in the Kings Bench.
Accessed from http://oll.libertyfund.org/title/911/106381 on 2008-01-15


Type: Web Site
Author: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Title: IGI Record: Chute
URL http://www.familysearch.org
Date: 11/23/00


Type: Book
Title: Pedigrees of the Families of the County of Kent
Sub-Title: Collected from the Heraldic Visitations and Other Authentic Manuscripts in the British Museum, and in the Possession of Private Individuals, and from the Information of the Present Resident Families
Primary Pages: 173,491
Author: William Berry, Fifteen Years Registering Clerk in the College of Arms, London
Date of Publication: 1830
Publishers: Sherwood, Gilbert and Piper, Publishers, Paternoster Row, London
Printers: Printed by W. Marchant, Ingram-Covet
GROUP NO: Chute Family Records/Chute Information/P

  Noted events in his life were:

• Military, 1597. "Under the command of Sir Walter Raleigh, attacked and took Fayall from the Spaniards"

• Acceded: Knighted by James I, on the occasion of the king's visit to Belvoir Castle, 23 Apr 1603.

• Document: Received licence to travel for three years, 16 Feb 1604/05.

• Document, 29 Nov 1611. Letter was despatched to George Choute desiring him "to enable his son, Sir Walter, to pursue his course in the king's service by supplying him with means."

• Document: 20 NOV 1613. "We hear that "Sir Walter Chute's requests," whatever they were, "have been fulfilled." (see next entry)

• Document: 1614. Judicial hearing re: Walter Chute's granted petition for an office to register aliens; office voided

• Election: M.P. for borough of Whitchurch in Hants, 1614.

• Document, 16 Jun 1614. Sir Walter Chute, Christopher Neville, Hoskins, and Wentworth are sent to prison for sedition

• Document, 12 Oct 1614. "Sir Walter Chute released, but loses his place, and is restrained within three miles of his father's house."*

• Will, 1615. "Describing himself as " of Bethersden," and mentioning only his " cousin Waller," whom he nominated his executor.