Richard Key of Aragon came as a free yeoman with Catherine of Aragon. He was given the Abby at Oxfordshire by Henry VIII. He was GateKeeper to Henry VIIl.

From The Sergeant-Porter: Thomas KEYES.

Richard KEYES, of Brockley, Lewisham, & of St Radigund's, Kent, was recorded in 1520 as owing rental to the Lord of Lewisham on a croft called Mabellforde, which had belonged to his father Thomas KAYS (died 1525). He served first in Calais; then as Yeoman to Queen Catherine of Aragon, in 1523; & was appointed Sergeant-at-Arms to Henry VIII in 1528. He was of Folkestone, Kent, when granted, 10 May 1538, the lease of the house, site & certain lands of the dissolved Monastery of St Radigund, Co Kent, for 21 years at a yearly rental of £13 10s. & 8d. He was appointed Commissioner for Works, Master of Works, & Paymaster, for the building of Sandgate Castle, 1539-43. He was succeeded as Captain of Sandgate Castle, on his death in Dec 1545, by his son Thomas.

Thomas was, according to BURKE ["Peerage & Baronetage," 1949, pp.1115-17], born in 1523. His mother was one of Richard's two wives, and probably the first - Agnes, daur of Sir William SAUNDERS, Treasurer of Calais & after Cofferer to Queen Mary. Richard re-married, before 1531, to Mildred, widow of John DIGGES or Berham, & daur of Sir John SCOTT of Scott's Hall, Smythe Parish, Co Kent.

Some historians have said that Thomas KEYES was a distant cousin of Queen Elizabeth; Richard KEYES' 2nd wife shared a common descent with Elizabeth from the WOODVILLEs; but BURKE [Op. Cit.] recorded Thomas as a son of the earlier marriage.

Among his siblings, some or all of whom may have been half-siblings, were:

• 1. William KEYES, the 2nd son, named in his father's will, 1546.
• 2. Sybell KEYES; named in her father's will.
• 3. Bennett KEYES; named in a Visitation pedigree, & in a 1914 pedigree by William Jackson PIGOTT of Dundrum, Co Down.
• 4. Edward KEYES; present at his brother's 2nd marriage in London, 1564.
• 5. Reginald KEYES; Lieutenant, Sandgate Castle, 1564; in the Army, 1588.

notes

From KEYS, Thomas (by 1524-71), of St. Radigund's, near Dover, Kent.

By his father’s will, made on 15 Nov. 1545 and proved 13 months later, Thomas Keys was given lodging for himself, his wife and his servants in the dissolved house of St. Radigund’s during his mother’s lifetime, and after her death the lease of that property as well as his father’s house at Lewisham, Kent. At the same time Keys succeeded to his father’s captaincy of Sandgate castle, with the command of an under captain, eight gunners, six soldiers and two porters; his service there was to be rewarded ten years later by an annuity of £40.3

From The Sergeant-Porter: Thomas KEYES.

Richard KEYES, of Brockley, Lewisham, & of St Radigund's, Kent, was recorded in 1520 as owing rental to the Lord of Lewisham on a croft called Mabellforde, which had belonged to his father Thomas KAYS (died 1525). He served first in Calais; then as Yeoman to Queen Catherine of Aragon, in 1523; & was appointed Sergeant-at-Arms to Henry VIII in 1528. He was of Folkestone, Kent, when granted, 10 May 1538, the lease of the house, site & certain lands of the dissolved Monastery of St Radigund, Co Kent, for 21 years at a yearly rental of £13 10s. & 8d. He was appointed Commissioner for Works, Master of Works, & Paymaster, for the building of Sandgate Castle, 1539-43. He was succeeded as Captain of Sandgate Castle, on his death in Dec 1545, by his son Thomas.

Thomas was, according to BURKE ["Peerage & Baronetage," 1949, pp.1115-17], born in 1523. His mother was one of Richard's two wives, and probably the first - Agnes, daur of Sir William SAUNDERS, Treasurer of Calais & after Cofferer to Queen Mary. Richard re-married, before 1531, to Mildred, widow of John DIGGES or Berham, & daur of Sir John SCOTT of Scott's Hall, Smythe Parish, Co Kent.

Some historians have said that Thomas KEYES was a distant cousin of Queen Elizabeth; Richard KEYES' 2nd wife shared a common descent with Elizabeth from the WOODVILLEs; but BURKE [Op. Cit.] recorded Thomas as a son of the earlier marriage.

Among his siblings, some or all of whom may have been half-siblings, were:

1. William KEYES, the 2nd son, named in his father's will, 1546.
2. Sybell KEYES; named in her father's will. 3. Bennett KEYES; named in a Visitation pedigree, & in a 1914 pedigree by William Jackson PIGOTT of Dundrum, Co Down. 4. Edward KEYES; present at his brother's 2nd marriage in London, 1564. 5. Reginald KEYES; Lieutenant, Sandgate Castle, 1564; in the Army, 1588. notes From KEYS, Thomas (by 1524-71), of St. Radigund's, near Dover, Kent.

By his father’s will, made on 15 Nov. 1545 and proved 13 months later, Thomas Keys was given lodging for himself, his wife and his servants in the dissolved house of St. Radigund’s during his mother’s lifetime, and after her death the lease of that property as well as his father’s house at Lewisham, Kent. At the same time Keys succeeded to his father’s captaincy of Sandgate castle, with the command of an under captain, eight gunners, six soldiers and two porters; his service there was to be rewarded ten years later by an annuity of £40.3