Henry VIII and his Six Wives

A Guide to Historic Tudor Sites

Peter Bramley

• Publisher: The History Press
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9780752487557
• eBook ISBN: 9780750957045
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Historical Biographies
• Index: History

A greatly romanticised era of history, the Tudor period kick-started one of the most significant shifts in British culture ever to occur. When the notorious Henry VIII began his hunt for a male heir it led to momentous changes: the British Crown breaking with Rome, the Reformation and the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Of the six wives Henry wed successively, two were executed – a chilling first in English history. From these tumultuous events an incredible number of historic sites linked to the Tudors survive, accessible now through this beautifully illustrated book. Here Peter Bramley has arranged the surviving sites by region, covering England and some of Europe. With directions to each site, along with full details of the Tudor events and personalities linked to them, this guidebook will bring life and colour to the study of history.

FOUR

THE GUIDE BY REGION

VISITING THE SITES

• It is usually better to go in summer since many houses, castles and even churches are often closed to the public in winter.

• Afternoons are best, until 4.30 p.m.

• Access to churches can be difficult, even in summer, because of problems of theft and vandalism. Parish churches in urban or semi-urban environments are often likely to be locked. Churches in very isolated rural environments may also be locked. Cathedrals and large town churches are usually open, with supervision. A phone call or letter before your visit is the best idea. Alternatively, a phone number is usually given on the board in the churchyard or in the church porch, and a key is sometimes available locally.

• Phoning clergy and parish offices in the morning is better.

• Most cathedrals ask for visitors’ donations.

• Most of the sites in this guide are open to the public.

• Directions are given to each site, and are designed for use with modern motoring atlases. Where there is more than one church in a town (tower) or (spire) is indicated.

Ratings System for Sites

*	Standard monuments to an aristocrat/person involved in the drama.
**	More detail known of involvement, or some architectural interest.
***	A significant participant in the period.
****	Outstanding historical interest.
*****	Truly of national importance.

Rating System for Battlefields

+	Site known but little survives.
++	Site known and some interesting survivals.
+++	Plenty to see or key battle with some survivals.
++++	Key battle with much to see.
+++++	Decisive battle with plenty to see.

Pound Symbol

£	Entrance fee charged.
££	Higher entrance fee charged.

Abbreviations

NT	National Trust property.
EH	English Heritage property.
Cadw	Welsh Historic Monuments.
KAL	Key to church available locally (check porch/board).
PO	Parish office phone number.

Underlining

Underlining is used to highlight the person(s) involved in the period being celebrated at a particular site.

Bold Type

Bold type is used in site descriptions in three ways:

1 To highlight locations in a building, e.g. chancel.

2 To indicate a secondary site, e.g. East Barsham.

3 To highlight a memorial at a site to a person who features in Chapter 3, ‘The Main Characters’, where biographical information is given, e.g. Jane Seymour.

Site Categories

Sites are split into primary sites and secondary sites. Secondary sites are conveniently close to primary sites, but do not necessarily warrant a long-distance visit on their own merit. They are ‘while you are in the area do also visit’ sites. Full directions are not necessarily given for secondary sites.

MOST REWARDING SITES TO VISIT

***** Canterbury, the Tower of London, Hampton Court, Westminster Abbey, Hever, Windsor, Ludlow.

**** Framlingham, Peterborough, Haddon Hall, Sudeley Castle, National Portrait Gallery, Worcester, Oxford.

++++ Battle of Flodden.

SOUTH EAST

BATTLE, St Mary’s Church ***

Situated in the town centre, across from the abbey gatehouse but not in the abbey.

Between the Lady Chapel and the altar there is a marvellous, highly coloured tomb chest with effigies celebrating Sir Antony Browne (c. 1500–48) and his first wife, Alice Gage (d. 1540), daughter of Sir John Gage (see West Firle).

Sir Antony was the son of Sir Antony senior and Lucy née Neville, who was the widow of Sir Thomas Fitzwilliam and mother of Sir William Fitzwilliam (therefore Sir Antony’s half-brother – see Midhurst). Lucy was one of the daughters of John Neville, Marquess Montagu, who was the brother of Warwick the Kingmaker.

The fine tomb of Sir Antony Browne at Battle.

Sir Antony junior was multi-talented – as a young man, he excelled in the tiltyard and was famously subject to a furious sword assault by the king at Greenwich in 1524. He was sent on embassies to France, and made ambassador in 1527. Within the royal household, he progressed from Esquire of the Body, in 1525, to Master of the Horse in 1539. He became King’s Standard Bearer, following in the footsteps of his father. Politically, he leaned towards the conservative faction, supporting Jane Seymour. He came under suspicion when an attempt at reconciliation with Princess Mary was being made in 1536, and he was interrogated but survived.

He and his wife are most famous for the role they played when Henry first met Anne of Cleves incognito, at the Bishop’s Palace at Rochester. Lady Browne had been appointed as Mother of the Maids – a rather severe one, as befitted a daughter of the Lieutenant of the Tower of London! They were as unimpressed with Anne as Henry was, unlike some of the other courtiers who did not catch the royal mood early (see Rochester). They accompanied Anne to Blackheath, where she formally met Henry, who was never anything but courteous to her in public.

After Alice’s death, Antony married Elizabeth Fitzgerald, the Earl of Surrey’s ‘Fair Geraldine’ (see Windsor). He was over 40 years old – she was 15, and a noted beauty! Browne inherited Cowdray House from his stepbrother in 1542 (see Midhurst). As Henry’s health declined, Browne became increasingly close to him and he was appointed guardian to Prince Edward and to Princess Elizabeth, and made an executor of Henry’s will. It was he who rode to Hertford to inform Edward of his father’s death in January 1547.

BEDDINGTON, St Mary’s Church *

Situated next to a school in Beddington Park, between Carshalton and Beddington, just north of A232, Carshalton–Croydon road.

The Carew Chapel contains monuments to the Carew family, who lived here in the late Middle Ages. In particular, a tomb chest and brasses to Sir Richard Carew (d. 1520) and his wife, Malyn née Oxenbridge, the parents of Sir Nicholas Carew. Sir Richard was Captain of Calais.

Also here is an alabaster monument to Sir Francis Carew, son of Sir Nicholas, who managed to recover his father’s lands in 1554, after the latter’s execution and attainder.

Immediately next door to the church, on the north side, lies Beddington Place, which now houses a school in a building which survives from the reign of Henry VIII. It was rebuilt in the 1530s by Sir Nicholas Carew (c. 1496–ex. 1539) and rebuilt again in the eighteenth century.

Sir Nicholas was the classic Tudor courtier. At the age of 6, he was picked out to be a member of Henry’s household and shared the prince’s education. He became a renowned jouster, and performed at the Christmas revels in 1514. During that year, he married Elizabeth née Bryan, a noted beauty and daughter of the vice chamberlain to Catherine of Aragon. He was associated with the rakish group dubbed the ‘King’s Minions’. In 1518, he and others were purged from court by Wolsey, but this did not stop the king from staying in Beddington the following year. In 1522, Carew was appointed Master of the Horse. As a member of the Privy Chamber, he was again barred from court by Wolsey as part of the Eltham Ordinances.

Sir Nicholas did have a serious side – he had good French, became ambassador to France and was well-liked by the French king, Francis I. He was also a soldier and attended the king at the Field of the Cloth of Gold. He was restored to favour in 1527/28 because of the rise of his cousin, Anne Boleyn. In fact, he did not care for her and, from 1529, was a supporter of Catherine of Aragon and Princess Mary, perhaps influenced by his old friend, Henry Courtenay, Marquess of Exeter. Despite this, the king and Anne visited Beddington in early 1531 and June 1533. Carew acted as Queen’s Champion at Anne’s coronation.

In April 1536, Cromwell allied with Sir Nicholas and other conservatives in order to bring about the downfall of Anne and the Boleyns. That same month, Carew was, surprisingly, made a Knight of the Garter instead of George Boleyn – an early sign that things were not looking good for Queen Anne.

In May 1536, Jane Seymour stayed here while the trial and execution of Anne Boleyn were taking place. Everything changed around so that, by the spring of 1538, Cromwell had his hooks into the conservative faction. Carew was keen to see Princess Mary restored to court and became implicated in the ‘Exeter Conspiracy’. The first inkling that he was in trouble was when the king made derogatory remarks to Carew during a game of bowls. Carew unfortunately reacted angrily – never a sensible plan with Henry. He was tried and executed in early 1539.

BLETCHINGLEY, St Mary’s Church *

Located in the village centre, just north of A25, Redhill–Godstone road. Access the church by turning north on a minor road to Merstham.

A plain tomb chest in the south chancel arcade commemorates Sir Thomas Cawarden (d. 1559), who was steward to Anne of Cleves at nearby Bletchingley Place. In 1547, Sir Thomas became her tenant there, and then inherited upon her death in 1557. She obviously thought a lot of Cawarden, who had provided her with a loan to buy a house in Dartford.

Thomas Cawarden came from an ordinary background, but he certainly sounds a lively character whose roles included Master of the Revels and Tents – the latter were used for festivals, royal progresses and military expeditions. Given Henry VIII’s love of revels, this position sounds demanding! He must have done a good job because he was knighted by Henry at Boulogne in 1544. He was also keeper of Nonsuch Palace 1553–56. He was a religious reformer, and personally...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Contents
• Preface
• Picture Credits
• One Introduction to the Guide
• Two Historical Background
• Three The Main Characters
• Four The Guide by Region
• Bibliography
• Plates
• Copyright