Claire | April 20, 2021
On this day in Tudor history, on 20th April 1534, in the reign of King Henry VIII, prominent Londoners were called to swear a special oath. Just what was the Oath of the Act of Succession? What were people swearing to? Find out the highlights in this edition of my #TudorHistoryShorts video series, and read […]
Claire | April 20, 2016
On 20th April 1534, prominent citizens of London were required to swear the “Oath of the Act of Succession”. Chronicler and Windsor Herald Charles Wriothesley recorded: “all the craftes in London were called to their halls, and there were sworne on a booke to be true to Queene Anne and to beleeve and take her […]
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 | April 17, 2013
On this day in 1534, Sir Thomas More, Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor, was sent to the Tower of London after refusing to swear the Oath of Succession. On arriving at the Tower, he wrote a letter to his eldest daughter, Margaret Roper, to inform her of events. Here is the letter: “When I was before […]
Claire | July 6, 2010
On the 6th July 1535, Henry VIII’s former friend and Lord Chancellor, Sir Thomas More, was beheaded on Tower Hill. His crime? High treason. But did Sir Thomas More really commit high treason?
Claire | February 7, 2010
On this day in history, on the 7th February 1478, Sir Thomas More was born in Milk Street, London. He is famous as St Thomas More, after being beatified in 1886 and canonised in 1935, and his feast day is celebrated on the 22nd June in the Roman Catholic Church and the 6th July in […]
