PICKERING, THOMAS (d. 1475), genealogist, was presumably a native of Pickering in Yorkshire. In 1458 he was precentor of St. Hilda's monastery, Whitby, and on 16 March 1462 he was chosen abbot. His successor was elected on 17 Oct. 1475 (Burton, Mon. Ebor. p. 80, citing the ‘Register’ of W. Booth, p. 72; but Tanner, Bibliotheca, says he occurs as abbot in 1481, and cites Dodsworth MS. 131, f. 74).
Pickering compiled accounts of the family of the Tysons, lords of Bridlington, and the family of Ralph Eure. The latter was written in 1458 by Pickering at Eure's request. A copy of portions of these works was made by Francis Thynne, and this now forms part of the Cotton MS. Cleop. c. iii. f. 318. The same portion of the genealogies is found in a manuscript belonging to the Gurney family (cf. Hist. MSS. Comm. 12th Rep. pt. ix.). In both manuscripts Pickering's genealogies are bound up with a list of the bishops of Hereford 1066–1458; but Tanner's theory that this is also Pickering's work is not established. A third copy of Pickering's genealogies is in Harleian MS. 3648, f. 5.
[Tanner's Bibliotheca; Monasticon Anglicanum, i. 408.]
PICKERING, Sir WILLIAM (1516–1575), courtier and diplomatist, born in 1516, was the son of Sir William Pickering (d. 1542), by his wife, Eleanor, daughter of William Fairfax. The father was knight-marshal to Henry VIII, from whom he received various grants, including a lease of lands belonging to the monastery of Valle Crucis in Wales. The son was educated at Cambridge, but does not seem to have graduated, though he is mentioned as one of the eminent scholars who adopted Cheke's new method of pronouncing Greek. In 1538 he was suggested as one of those ‘most mete to be daily waiters on’ Henry VIII, and ‘allowed in his house.’ On 1 April 1543, with Henry Howard, earl of Surrey [q. v.], he was brought before the council charged with eating flesh in Lent and walking about the streets of London at night ‘breaking the windows of the houses with stones shot from cross-bows.’ After some denials he confessed to these charges, and was imprisoned in the Tower; he was released on 3 May on entering into recognisances for 200l. He is also stated to have served Henry VIII in the wars, probably at Calais with Anthony Pickering, who was possibly a relative (Chron. of Calais, passim).
At the accession of Edward VI he was dubbed a knight of the carpet, and on 20 Oct. following was elected M.P. for Warwick. In February 1550–1 he was sent on a special embassy to the king of France, to ascertain the possibility of making an alliance between the two kingdoms. He arrived at Blois on 26 Feb., and had an interview with the king at Vendôme on 3 March. Three weeks later he returned to England on the plea of urgent private affairs, in spite of the remonstrances of Sir John Mason [q. v.], who was anxious to be relieved of the cares of ambassador. He promised to be back within a fortnight or three weeks, but was retained by the council to deal with the Scottish negotiations and other matters. He was appointed resident ambassador in France in April, but it was not until 30 June that Pickering was finally despatched and Mason recalled.
As ambassador, Pickering acquitted himself with credit; he gained the favour of the French king, and his correspondence gives a valuable account of continental politics. But he was soon weary of the work; his allowance was seven crowns a day, but he had to spend fourteen; he was required to accompany the king on his campaigns; and his treatment in the camp was injurious to his dignity. His health suffered so that he was ‘more than half wasted.’ Moreover, he could extract nothing from the king but ‘words, words, words;’ and the specific objects of his embassy, like the marriage project between the French princess Elizabeth and Edward VI, came to nothing. In May 1552 he begged to be recalled, and repeated the request without success in October and February 1553. At length Wotton and Sir Thomas Chaloner [q. v.] were appointed to assist him, and a month after Mary's accession he was summoned home.
Despite his complaints, Pickering was evidently displeased by his recall, which may have been due to suspicions of his loyalty. He now joined the opponents of the Spanish marriage, and was apparently implicated in the plot to marry Edward Courtenay, earl of Devonshire [q. v.], to Elizabeth. In March 1554 he joined Sir Peter Carew [q. v.] and others who were collecting ships with hostile intent at Caen. The French king, in answer to Wotton's demands, promised that he should be arrested, a promise that was not fulfilled. On 7 April he was indicted for treason with Sir Nicholas Throckmorton [q. v.] and others. On the 17th Wotton wrote asking what measures were to be taken, as Pickering was then in Paris and was acquainted with the cipher Wotton used in his correspondence. But, alarmed by the proceedings against him, or won over by Wotton, Pickering now began to inform against his fellow-conspirators. The latter
