On this day in Tudor history, 26th June 1535, in the reign of King Henry VIII, a new commission of oyer and terminer was appointed in the case against Sir Thomas More. He would be indicted for high treason.
More had served King Henry VIII loyally as Lord Chancellor and had been a good friend and even a father figure to the king, so how had he come to this?
In this video, I explain why More was being accused of high treason, something which would lead to his death on the scaffold.
Sir Thomas More, humanist scholar man of letters respected at home and abroad, became one of many of Henry V111’s victims, in his case it was his refusal to sign the oath of supremacy that recognised the king as Head of the Church, the quote about castle is Spain is apt because Sir Thomas knew his master well, the king found people useful if they proved expedient to his cause, yet if they failed they were easily replaced, he also tried to advise his fellows, ‘for if the lion knew his strength their would be none to gain say him’, but Henry V111 mourned the death of his one time loyal friend and servant like he never mourned another, except Cromwell, Sir Thomas also said of Anne Boleyn, ‘poor Anne Boleyn, it grieves me to know into what misery she will soon find herself, she dances so much she will use our heads like footballs, but it will not be long ere her head will dance the like dance’, Sir Thomas older and far far wiser than the kings sweetheart knew it was not wise to trust the fickle Henry V111, his trial really was a travesty of justice, they accused him of being malicious and harmful, but he was neither, his death shocked Europe and Henry was well aware he had lost one of the most maybe the only honest and decent man in his kingdom.