Claire | May 5, 2015
By 5th May 1536, two other men had been imprisoned in the Tower of London and another courtier had been ordered to London for questioning. In 1538, Robert Hobbes, Abbot of Woburn, made a declaration “as touching the accusations of his adversaries proposed against him unto the King’s most honourable Council” and mentioned Sir Francis […]
Claire | May 4, 2015
Mark Smeaton, Sir Henry Norris, Queen Anne Boleyn and her brother George Boleyn, Lord Rochford, were already imprisoned in the Tower of London and this day in history, 4th May 1536, saw two others being apprehended and added to their number: Sir Francis Weston and William Brereton. Francis Weston was the son of Sir Richard […]
Claire | April 28, 2015
Let’s set the scene a little before I tell you about today’s news from 1536. Queen Anne Boleyn’s brother lost out to Nicholas Carew for an appointment to the Order of the Garter, commissions of oyer and terminer (legal commissions used to investigate and try serious criminal offences like treason) have been set up, Anne […]
Claire | April 27, 2015
On 27th April 1536, writs were issued summoning Parliament to meet on 8th June 1536 and a letter written to Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, asking him to attend the Parliament: “Summons to the archbishop of Canterbury to attend the Parliament which is to meet at Westminster, 8 June; and to warn the prior and […]
Claire | May 11, 2014
On 11th May 1536, the Grand Jury of Kent met at Deptford in front of Sir John Baldwin (Chief Justice of the Common Pleas), Sir Walter Luke and five other Justices to rule on the alleged crimes of Queen Anne Boleyn, Sir Henry Norris, Sir William Brereton, Sir Francis Weston, George Boleyn (Lord Rochford) and […]
Claire | May 5, 2014
On 5th May 1536, Sir Thomas Wyatt, the Elder, the renowned court poet, and Sir Richard Page, a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber, were arrested and imprsoned in the Tower of London. There were now 8 prisoners in the Tower of London in the coup against the Boleyns: Anne Boleyn, George Boleyn, Mark Smeaton, Sir […]
Claire | May 3, 2014
After hearing the news of Queen Anne Boleyn’s arrest, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer wrote a letter to Henry VIII. In it, he was very diplomatic; he expressed his shock at the news of his patroness anf friend, but also expressed his full support of the King: “Have come to Lambeth, according to Mr. Secretary’s letters, to […]
Claire | April 29, 2014
On 29th April 1536, Queen Anne Boleyn had two encounters which would be twisted and used as evidence against her. The first involved musician Mark Smeaton. According to Mrs Stonor, one of the ladies chosen to attend Anne Boleyn during her imprisonment in the Tower, Anne said of Smeaton: “I never spake with him since, […]
