KNOLLYS (nolz), name of an English family descended from Sir Thomas Knollys (d. 1435), lord mayor of London. The first distinguished member of the family was Sir Francis Knollys (c. 1514-96), English statesman, son of Robert Knollys, or Knolles (d. 1521), a courtier in the service and favour of Henry VII. and Henry VIII. Robert had also a younger son, Henry, who took part in public life during the reign of Elizabeth and who died in 1583.
Sir Francis Knollys.—Francis Knollys, who entered the serv ice of Henry VIII. before 1540, became M.P. in 1542 and was knighted in 1547 while serving with the English army in Scot land. A strong supporter of the reformed doctrines, he retired to Germany of ter Mary's accession, returning to England to become a privy councillor, vice-chamberlain of the royal house hold and a member of parliament under Queen Elizabeth, whose cousin Catherine (d. 1569), daughter of William Carey and niece of Anne Boleyn, was his wife. Knollys was sent in 1566 to Ire land, his mission being to obtain for the queen confidential reports on the lord-deputy Sir Henry Sidney, of whose conduct of affairs he gave a good report. In 1568 he was sent to Carlisle to take charge of Mary Queen of Scots ; he was afterwards in charge of the queen at Bolton castle and then at Tutbury castle. He gave up the position of guardian just after his wife's death in January 1569. He was treasurer of the royal household from 1572 until his death on July 19, 1596. His monument may still be seen in the church of Rotherfield Grays, Oxfordshire. Knollys was Elizabeth's commissioner on such important occasions as the trials of Mary Queen of Scots, of Philip Howard earl of Arundel, and of Anthony Babington.
Sir Francis's eldest son Henry (d. 1583), and his sons Edward (d. c. 1580), Robert (d. 1625), Richard (d. 1596), Francis (d. c. 1648), and Thomas, were all courtiers and served the queen in parliament or in the field. His daughter Lettice married Walter Devereux, earl of Essex, and then Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester ; she was the mother of Elizabeth's favourite, the 2nd earl of Essex.
few of his manuscripts are still in existence. A speech which Knollys delivered in parliament against some claims made by the bishops was printed in 16o8 and again in W. Stoughton's Assertion for True and Christian Church Policie (London, 1642).
Sir William Knollys.—Sir Francis Knollys's second son William (c. 1547-1632) served as a member of parliament and a soldier during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, being knighted in 1586. William became in 1596 a privy councillor and comp troller of the royal household; in 16o2 he was made treasurer of the household. James I. created him Baron Knollys in 1603 and Viscount Wallingford in 1616. Through his second wife Elizabeth (1586-1658), daughter of Thomas Howard, earl of Suffolk, Knollys was related to Frances, countess of Somerset, and when this lady was tried for the murder of Sir Thomas Over bury her relatives were regarded with suspicion. Wallingford had to resign his appointments, but he regained the royal favour, and was created earl of Banbury in 1626. He died in London on May 25, 1632.
For the controversy over the Banbury peerage in the i 7th and i8th centuries see Sir H. N. Nicolas, Treatise in the Law of Adulterine Bastardy (5833) .
Sir W. T. Knollys.—His descendant, Sir William Thomas Knollys (1797-1883), entered the army and served with the Guards during the Peninsular War. Remaining in the army after the conclusion of the peace of 1815 he rose high in his profession. From 1855 to 186o he was in charge of the military camp at Aldershot, then in its infancy, and in 1861 he was made president of the council of military education. From 1862 to 1877 he was comptroller of the household of the prince of Wales, afterwards King Edward VII. From 1877 until his death on June 23, 1883, he was gentleman usher of the black rod ; he was also a privy councillor and colonel of the Scots Guards.
Another son. Sir Henry Knollys (184o-193o), was private secre tary to King Edward's daughter Maud, queen of Norway until 1919.