English Aristocracy. Born the fourth son of Sir George Throckmorton of Coughton, Warwickshire. He was a member of the household of Queen Katherine Parr, a member of Parliament from 1545 to 1567, and knighted in 1551. By 1553, he had married Anne, daughter of Sir Nicholas Carew The couple had ten sons and three daughters. His daughter Elizabeth became the wife of Sir Walter Raleigh. On the death of Edward VI in 1553, an attempted coup to place Lady Jane Grey on the throne instead of Mary Tudor, failed and while Throckmorton appeared to have played both ends against the middle; he was able to secure Queen Mary's favor upon her accession. Sir Nicholas, however, joined the opposition to the reintroduction of Catholicism, and apparently was against the Queen's betrothal to the Spanish monarch. After the failure of Wyatt's rebellion in 1554, he was committed to the Tower and brought to trial on a charge conspiracy. He was acquitted, but was not released until January 1555. Fearing more charges, he fled to France in June of 1556. In May 1557 the Queen pardoned him for his flight and restored property confiscated during his self imposed exile. Under Elizabeth I he was appointed chamberlain of the exchequer, and from May 1559 to April 1564 he was ambassador in France. In 1565, Sir Nicholas was sent to Scotland to prevent Queen Mary's marriage to Lord Darnley, and although his mission failed, he returned to Scotland in 1567 after the Scottish lords imprisoned their queen, with the charge of securing her release. By 1569 he was suspected of involvement in the Duke of Norfolk's conspiracy in favor of the Scottish queen's usurpation of the English throne, and was imprisoned for a time at Windsor. Although he was eventually released without trial, he never regained the Queen Elizabeth's confidence. At the time of his death at about age 56, he still held the posts of the keeper of Brigstock Park, Northamptonshire; Justice of the Peace in Northamptonshire; and Chief Butler of England and Wales. His name has also been spelled Throgmorton and London's Throgmorton Street is named for him.