Thomas Lake

Who was Thomas Lake?

Sir Thomas Lake was Secretary of State to James I of England. He was a Member of Parliament in 1604, 1614, 1625 and 1626.

He was an MP for Malmesbury in 1593, New Romney in 1601, Launceston in 1604, Middlesx in 1614 and Wootton Bassett in 1626.

Thomas Lake was born in Southampton in 1567 the son of Almeric Lake. He attended King Edward VI School, Southampton as a day boy. This meant that he did not have the level of French language tuition accorded to boarders by his Belgian schoolmaster Adrian Saravia. He did, however, gain excellent fluency in Latin.

He became the personal secretary of Sir Francis Walsingham, the Secretary of State, and was nicknamed ‘Swiftsure’ for his speed and accuracy. Walsingham brought Lake to the attention of Queen Elizabeth I and he was appointed Clerk of the Signet in 1600. As one of the Queen’s favourites he travelled with her reading Latin texts to her on her progresses around the country.

On 28 March 1603, four days after the death of Elizabeth I of England the Privy Council sent him to Scotland with George Carew to inform James I of the current state of affairs and reiterate their urgent desire that the King should come to England.