Nicholas Skeres - Skeres and The Earl of Essex

Skeres and The Earl of Essex

It not clear exactly who it was that Skeres was serving when carrying the messages between Essex and the court in 1589, but there is no doubt that he became a servant of the former when he went to France with Essex as a member of his expeditionary force to Normandy in 1591/2. During his appearance in 1593 before the Star Chamber—of which Essex was a new member—he was still referring to the Earl as his "lord and master".

In an undated letter from Skeres to Essex's right hand man Gelly Meyrick, he indicates that he is for some reason no longer in the Earl's good books, and seeks Meyrick's help in returning to the Earl's service. He insists that he intends to amend his previous ways (which seems to refer to his touting for loan sharks) which suggests a date after 1593 and before 1596 (because the "Mr. Meyrick" he wrote to became "Sir Gelly" Meyrick in 1596). In this case, the letter seems to have worked, since (as Hotson puts it) "'Nicholas Kyrse, alias Skeers, servant to the Earl of Essex' was arrested on 13 March 1594/5 by Sir Richard Martin, Alderman, "in a very dangerous company" at the house of one Williamson." Nicholl puts this in context, however. "It is decided 'to discharge all the persons committed that gave us good account of their dealings'. Skeres was among those released" and "Skeres's presence in (Williamson's) house suggests his use of 'brokery' as a cover for political surveillance. Nicholas Williamson had been 'apprehended for treason' a few days earlier."

That Skeres continued to serve the Earl of Essex seems fairly likely, as the last time we hear of him is on 31 July 1601, after the failure of the Essex Rebellion, when Skeres was arrested along with other Essex supporters. The Privy Council issued warrants to the Keeper of the prison at Newgate for "the removal of Nicholas Skiers and --- Farmer, prisoners in his custodie, unto Bridewell". As was so often the case with Bridewell prison's political prisoners, nothing is heard of him after that date.