William Paulet, 1st Earl of Wiltshire

The Most Honourable The Marquess of Winchester KG PC
Paulet, holding the white staff as a symbol of the office of Lord High Treasurer
Lord High Steward for the trial of the Duke of Somerset
In office October 1551 – November 1551
Monarch	Edward VI
Chancellor	The Lord Rich
Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
In office 1547–1547
Monarch	Edward VI
Preceded by	The Lord Wriothesley
Succeeded by	The Lord Rich
Lord High Treasurer
In office 3 February 1550 – 10 March 1572
Monarch	Edward VI Mary I Elizabeth I
Chancellor	See The Lord Rich (1550-1551) Thomas Goodrich, Bishop of Ely (1551-1553) Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester (1553-1555) Nicholas Heath, Archbishop of York (1555-1558) Sir Nicholas Bacon (1558-1579) (as Lord Keeper)
Preceded by	The Duke of Somerset
Succeeded by	The Lord Burghley
Lord President of the Council
In office January 1546 – 3 February 1550
Monarch	Henry VIII Edward VI
Chancellor	The Lord Rich
Preceded by	The Duke of Suffolk
Succeeded by	The Duke of Northumberland
Lord Steward of the Household
In office 1544–1551
Monarch	Henry VIII Edward VI
Preceded by	The Duke of Suffolk
Succeeded by	The Duke of Northumberland
Lord Chamberlain of the Household
In office 1543–1555
Monarch	Henry VIII Edward VI Mary I
Preceded by	The Lord Sandys
Succeeded by	Unknown
Treasurer of the Household
In office 1537–1539
Monarch	Henry VIII
Preceded by	The Earl of Southampton
Succeeded by	Sir Thomas Cheney
Comptroller of the Household
In office 1532–1537
Monarch	Henry VIII
Preceded by	Sir Henry Guildford
Succeeded by	The Lord Russell
1st Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire
In office 1551–1553
Monarch	Henry VIII
Preceded by	None (office created)
Succeeded by	Office vacant
High Sheriff of Hampshire
In office 1511–1512
Monarch	Henry VIII
Preceded by	Richard Sands
Succeeded by	Sir William Compton
In office 1518–1519
Monarch	Henry VIII
Preceded by	John Lisley
Succeeded by	John Kaleway
In office 1522–1523
Monarch	Henry VIII
Preceded by	William Giffard
Succeeded by	Robert Wallop
Member of Parliament for Hampshire
In office 1529–1536 Serving with Sir Richard Sandys
Monarch	Henry VIII
Preceded by	Unknown
Succeeded by	Thomas Wriothesley
Constituency	Hampshire
Personal details
Born	William Paulet c.1483 Fisherton Delamere, Wiltshire
Died	10 March 1572(1572-03-10) (aged 88–89) Basing House, Basing
Resting place	St. Mary's Church, Basing, Hampshire 51°16′17″N 1°02′48″W / 51.271389°N 1.046667°W / 51.271389; -1.046667
Nationality	English
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Capel
Children	John Paulet, 2nd Marquess of Winchester Thomas Paulet Chidiok Paulet Giles Paulet Alice Stawell Lady Margaret Berkeley Lady Margery Waller Lady Eleanor Pecksall
Parents	Sir John Paulet (father) Alice Paulet (mother)
Residence	Basing House, Basing
Religion	Roman Catholic prev. Anglican
Awards	Knight of the Order of the Garter Several Hereditary peerages
The 1st Marquess of Winchester Arms of William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester, KG: Sable, three swords pilewise points in base proper pomels and hilts or Title 1st Marquess of Winchester Tenure 11 October 1551 - 10 March 1572 Other titles 1st Earl of Wiltshire 1st Baron St John of Basing Predecessor None (titles created) Successor John Paulet, 2nd Marquess of Winchester

The 1st Marquess of Winchester
Arms of William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester, KG: Sable, three swords pilewise points in base proper pomels and hilts or
Title	1st Marquess of Winchester
Tenure	11 October 1551 - 10 March 1572
Other titles	1st Earl of Wiltshire 1st Baron St John of Basing
Predecessor	None (titles created)
Successor	John Paulet, 2nd Marquess of Winchester

William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester KG PC (c. 1483/1485 – 10 March 1572), styled Lord St John between 1539 and 1550 and Earl of Wiltshire between 1550 and 1551, was an English Lord High Treasurer, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, and statesman.

Paulet was the eldest son of Sir John Paulet (1460 – 5 January 1525) of Basing Castle at Old Basing, near Basingstoke, in Hampshire and Nunney Castle in Somerset. His mother was his father's cousin, Alice, the daughter of Sir William and Elizabeth (formerly Denebaud) Paulet. She survived her husband. William had six siblings, including Sir George Paulet of Crondall Manor in Hampshire and Eleanor Paulet (born 1479), wife of William Giffard of Itchell Manor at Ewshot, also in Hampshire.

There is some disagreement over his date of birth, with different authorities quoting 1483 or 1485. A claim that he was ninety-seven at his death would place his birth in 1474 or 1475. There is also uncertainty about where he was born, but it may have been at Fisherton Delamere in Wiltshire, one of his father's manors.

His father, who had held a command against the Cornish rebels in 1497, was the head of a younger branch of an ancient Somerset family seated in the fourteenth century at Pawlett or Paulet and Road, close to Bridgwater, being the son of John Paulet and Elizabeth Roos. William's great-grandfather John Paulet acquired the Hampshire estates by his marriage with Constance Poynings, granddaughter and coheiress of Thomas Poynings, 5th Baron St John of Basing; his barony became abeyant upon his death in 1428/1429.