Thomas Lake

Sir Thomas Lake (1561 – 17 September 1630) was Secretary of State to James I of England. He was a Member of Parliament between 1593 and 1626. Thomas Lake was baptised in Southampton on 11 October 1561, the son of Almeric Lake, a minor customs official: his obscure birth was a source of much unkind comment by his enemies throughout his life. Arthur Lake, Bishop of Bath and Wells, was his older brother. 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, which was a source of regret to him in later life. He did, however, gain excellent fluency in Latin. 2Career He was an MP for Malmesbury in 1593, New Romney in 1601, Launceston in 1604, Middlesex in 1614 and Wootton Bassett in 1626. 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 160