Claire | July 6, 2022
On this day in Tudor history, Tuesday 6th July 1535, in the reign of King Henry VIII, the king’s former Lord Chancellor and advisor, Sir Thomas More, was beheaded on Tower Hill for high treason. In the video (or transcript) below, I share contemporary accounts of his execution, one of which gives us real insight […]
Claire | July 5, 2022
On this day in Tudor history, 5th July 1535, in the reign of King Henry VIII, the king’s former Lord Chancellor and good friend, Sir Thomas More, wrote his final letter. He wrote it to his beloved daughter Meg (Margaret Roper) and he used coal as his writing implement. It is a touching letter and […]
Claire | July 1, 2022
On this day in Tudor history, 1st July 1535, in the reign of King Henry VIII, the king’s former Lord Chancellor and friend, Sir Thomas More, was tried for high treason. More was tried by a special commission of oyer and terminer, who found him guilty. He was sentenced to death and executed on 6th […]
Claire | June 26, 2022
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 […]
Joel Ridgway | February 7, 2022
On this day in history, 7th February 1477 or 1478, Sir Thomas More, Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor, was born in London. More had once wanted to be a monk but ended up being one of the most well-known statesmen of the Tudor period. Unfortunately, Sir Thomas More came to a sticky end after refusing to […]
Claire | February 7, 2017
Today is the anniversary of the birth of Sir Thomas More, lawyer, philosopher, humanist, scholar and Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor, on 7th February 1477 (or 1478). More was born in Milk Street, London, and was the son of Sir John More, lawyer and judge on the King’s Bench, and Agnes Graunger, daughter of Thomas Graunger, […]
Claire | July 6, 2016
On this day in history, 6th July 1535, Henry VIII’s former friend and Lord Chancellor, Sir Thomas More, was beheaded on Tower Hill as a traitor. He had been found guilty of high treason under the Treason Act of 1534 for denying the King’s supremacy and refusing to take the Oath of Succession. Chronicler Charles […]
Claire | July 5, 2016
Most people know about Sir Thomas More’s final letter to his beloved daughter, Margaret (Meg) Roper – click here – but he also wrote a letter in Latin, and again written in coal, to his dear friend Anthony Bonvyse (Bonvisi), a merchant. Here is the record, an English transcription of the letter, from Letters and […]
