Claire | November 3, 2022
On this day in Tudor history, 3rd November 1534, in the reign of King Henry VIII, the First Act of Supremacy was passed by Parliament. This act established the king’s supremacy of the English church and rejecting the authority of the pope. It was an important act in the break with Rome and the English […]
Claire | June 3, 2022
On this day in Tudor history, 3rd June 1535, Thomas Cromwell, King Henry VIII’s vicar-general, issued orders regarding the royal supremacy to the bishops of the kingdom. But what was the royal supremacy and what were the clergy expected to do? Let me explain… And on that very same day, King Henry VIII’s former Lord […]
Joel | November 3, 2021
On this day in Tudor history, 3rd November 1534, Parliament passed the First Act of Supremacy, establishing King Henry VIII’s supremacy of the English church and rejecting the authority of the pope. In this talk, I share what the act said and I explain that it didn’t actually make him head of the church, just […]
Claire | January 12, 2021
I’m honoured to have been interviewed for this week’s History Channel “HISTORY This Week” podcast on my favourite subject, Anne Boleyn. A big thank you to the History Channel for asking me. The podcast is available now on your favourite podcast platform (in English speaking countries). Here’s the blurb and a few links for you: […]
Claire | January 15, 2016
On this day in history, 15th January 1535, King Henry VIII proclaimed that he was now Supreme Head of the Church of England. Here is the record from Letters and Papers: “Memorandum that the King in his privy chamber, 15 January 26 Hen. VIII., in presence of Sir Thos. Audley, lord Chancellor, Thos. duke of […]
Claire | June 26, 2013
On 26th June 1535, a new commission of oyer and terminer was appointed for the county of Middlesex. The commission ordered the Sheriff of Middlesex to gather the Grand Jury on the 28th June at Westminster Hall. The record in Letters and Papers1 names those called to the commission: “Special commission of oyer and terminer […]
Claire | June 19, 2013
On 19th June 1535, Sebastian Newdigate, William Exmew and Humphrey Middlemore, three Carthusian monks from the London Charterhouse, were hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn for refusing to accept King Henry VIII as the Supreme Head of the Church. Chronicler and Windsor Herald Charles Wriothesley recorded their executions in his chronicle: “The 19th day of […]
Claire | June 3, 2013
On this day in 1535, Thomas Boleyn, Thomas Audley, Thomas Cromwell and the Duke of Suffolk visited Sir Thomas More in the Tower of London to interrogate him regarding his views on the royal supremacy. More wrote the following letter to his daughter, Margaret Roper, about the visit: “Writes, as it is likely she has […]
