Wyatt was born at Allington near Maidstone, Kent, England in 1503. His father was Henry Wyatt and his mother was named Ann Skinner. Henry Wyatt was loyal to King Henry VII of England. This allowed Henry to have many high-ranking positions in the King's court. Thomas Wyatt went to St John's College, Cambridge, from 1515 to 1522. He was twelve when he first entered the college. At age 17 in 1520, Wyatt married Elizabeth Brooke. His wife was the daughter of Lord Cobham. They had two children, Thomas and Bess. However, the marriage was unhappy. Wyatt once wrote a letter to his son that put blame in both parents for the bad marriage, "but chiefly [mostly] in her." Both Thomas Wyatt and his wife Elizabeth cheated on each other. After his wife had two children, the couple was separated.