Claire | February 7, 2014
It is not known exactly when Sir Thomas More was born but it is thought to be 6th or 7th February 1477 or 1478. He was born in Milk Street, London, which now bears a plaque saying “Sir Thomas More was born in a house near this site 7 February 1478”. His parents were Sir […]
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 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 […]
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, 2012
Today we remember two very different Tudor characters, and two very different deaths: the execution of Sir Thomas More, Henry VIII’s former Lord Chancellor, for treason, and the natural death of King Edward VI. You can read more about the deaths of these two men in the following articles: The Execution of Sir Thomas More […]
Claire | July 5, 2012
On the 5th July 1535, Sir Thomas More, who was imprisoned in the Tower of London and awaiting execution, wrote his final letter. It was to his beloved daughter, Margaret Roper, and it was written in coal. Here it is: “Our Lord bless you good daughter and your good husband and your little boy and […]
Claire | October 26, 2011
On this day in history, 26th October… 1529 – Thomas More took his oath as Chancellor 1536 – The rebels of the Pilgrimage of Grace halted at Scawsby Leys, near Doncaster, where they met troops captained by the Duke of Norfolk. The rebels were said to number around 30,000 and Norfolk’s army only a fifth […]
Claire | July 6, 2011
Also on this day in history, on the 6th July 1535, Sir Thomas More was executed on Tower Hill. According to the Chronicler, Edward Hall, as Thomas More stumbled on climbing the scaffold, he said “merrily” to the Lieutenant: “Pray, Sir, see me safe up; and as to my coming down, let me shift for […]
