On 27th or 28th July 1553, Sir John Cheke was imprisoned in the Tower of London.
But how had a royal tutor and secretary ended up being thrown in the Tower?
Find out in this edition of #TudorHistoryShorts (transcript below)…
Transcript:
On 27th or 28th July 1553, Edward VI’s former tutor and principal secretary, thirty-nine-year-old Sir John Cheke, was sent to the Tower of London.
Edward VI had died on 6th July 1553 and his council followed his wishes, proclaiming Lady Jane Grey as Queen Jane. However, Henry VIII’s eldest daughter, Mary, wrote to the council asserting that she was the rightful queen. On 10th July, the same day that Jane was proclaimed queen, Cheke replied to Mary on behalf of the council, rejecting her claim.
Mary rallied men to her cause and took the throne on 19th July. It’s not surprising that Cheke was one of those imprisoned by her.
Fortunately for Cheke, he was released in spring 1554 and given licence to go into exile – phew!
Here is a more detailed video on Sir John Cheke:
