Claire | April 2, 2018
On Passion Sunday 1536, the fifth Sunday of Lent, which fell on 2nd April, Queen Anne Boleyn’s almoner, John Skip, preached a rather controversial sermon in the presence of King Henry VIII. The sermon’s topic was the Old Testament story of Queen Esther saving the Jews, as told in the Book of Esther. In a […]
Claire | June 29, 2017
On this day in history, 29th June 1540, nineteen days after his arrest, a Bill of Attainder was passed against Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, and King Henry VIII’s former right-hand man. The Journal of the House of Lords records on Tuesday 29th June 1540, day 81 of that parliament, the following: “Item Billa Attincture […]
Claire | May 9, 2017
On this day in history, Tuesday 9th May 1536, King Henry VIII wrote to Thomas Cromwell, his principal secretary and right-hand man, “commanding him to repair to the King to treat of matters relating to the surety of his person, his honor, and the tranquillity of the realm”. A council meeting was also summoned. Meanwhile, […]
Claire | April 28, 2017
On this day in history, 28th April 1536, it was reported that the king’s council was meeting every day, from first thing in the morning 9 or 10 o’clock at night. And not only that! Thomas Cromwell was said to have been meeting with Dr Richard Sampson, a royal chaplain, Dean of Lichfield and an […]
Claire | July 28, 2016
On 28th July 1540, the same day that Henry VIII married his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, the man who had negotiated the King’s fourth marriage, to Anne of Cleves, was executed on Tower Hill having been found guilty by a bill of attainder of the crimes of corruption, heresy and treason. Chronicler Edward Hall recounts […]
Claire | June 29, 2016
As far as “on this day in history” events go, 29th June is a rather busy day in Tudor England. Here are the main events with links to articles you can read to find out more about them… 1509 – Lady Margaret Beaufort, grandmother of Henry VIII, mother of the late Henry VII and a […]
Claire | June 10, 2016
At 3pm on 10th June 1540, Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, Lord Great Chamberlain, Lord Privy Seal and Henry VIII’s former right-hand man, was arrested during a Privy Council meeting at Westminster. Cromwell was then taken to the Tower of London and imprisoned there until his execution on 28th July 1540, the day that Henry […]
Claire | April 28, 2016
On 28th April 1536, it was reported that the king’s council was meeting every day and that Thomas Cromwell had been meeting with Dr Richard Sampson, a royal chaplain, Dean of Lichfield and an expert on canon law, for the past four days “continually”. Just what was going on at Henry VIII’s court? Read more…
