It is believed that John Palsgrave, who spelled his name in a variety of ways including Pagrave, was the eldest son of Henry Pagrave of
North Barningham, in
Norfolk. After studying at
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, B.A. 1504, he travelled to France to study in Paris where he qualified as M.A. He became tutor to
Princess Mary Tudor in 1513, receiving the sum of £6-13s-4d per annum. When she married
Louis XII of France, he accompanied her to Paris, but by 1516 he had moved to
Louvain;
Sir Thomas More wrote to
Erasmus to recommend him to study law and classics there. In 1518 he was instituted to the benefices in
Asfordby in
Leicestershire,
Alderton and
Holbrook in
Suffolk, and
Keyston,
Huntingdonshire. In 1525, he was appointed tutor to Henry's illegitimate son
Henry Fitzroy; the programme of studies was ambitious, following lines suggested by More,
Stephen Gardiner and
Thomas Elyot, and including music, visual aids and the company of
William Parr and the younger brothers of the boy's mother
Elizabeth Blount. He was succeeded in the post by
Richard Croke in 1526, for reasons that may include the hostility of
Thomas Wolsey, who had earlier refused to appoint Palsgrave as
Archdeacon of Derby. His past connections meant that Palsgrave was called in by the Duke of Suffolk to write a pamphlet derogatory of Wolsey's career, in 1529. He then continued private tutoring whilst working on his book. In 1533 he was ordained priest by
Thomas Cranmer and instituted to the benefice of
St Dunstan in the East. In 1545 he was presented to the living of
Wadenhoe in
Northamptonshire by
Charles Blount, 5th Baron Mountjoy, one of his former pupils. ==Works==