On this day in Tudor history Richard Rouse, official cook for Bishop John Fisher was boiled to death. Rouse, a commoner, admitted to poisoning porridge that was subsequently served to Fisher and several guests visiting him. Because Fisher was virulently against Henry VIII divorce from Catherine of Aragon and his desire to marry Anne Boleyn, many were quick to blame her for the poisoning which resulted in several deaths. The poisoning has been portrayed in Hollywood versions of Anne's story including The Tudors which implied that Thomas Boleyn provided Rouse with the poison. Fortunately, there is no evidence to support this claim and Henry VIII did not belief gossip at the time.
Primary source evidence references the event in several locations, this excerpt is from the Letters and Papers of Henry VIII:
"On the Eighteenth day of February, 1531, one Richard Roose, of Rochester, Cook, also called Richard Cooke, did cast poison into a vessel of yeast to baum, standing in the kitchen of the Bishop of Rochester's Palace, at Lambeth March, by means of which two persons who happened to eat of the pottage made with such yeast died".
Friday, April 5, 2013
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Read of the Week
It has been quite some time since I posted; however I am vowing to be more diligent in my writing from now on. This week I read The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn: Family Politics at the Court of Henry VIII. This book is very interesting; for a woman who has a PhD in history and claims to be a Tudor history expert author Retha Warnicke relies a lot on the mythological view of Anne. Retha contends that George Boleyn was a homosexual, despite the clear lack of evidence to support the claim. She also states that Anne gave birth to a deformed fetus in January 1536, of which there is also no evidence. What I do appreciate about this work is that is explores Anne's early life and gives credible, well argued evidence regarding her birth date. Warnicke's book also gives in-depth information on Anne's religious beliefs, however I tend to disagree with her over-all picture of Anne as a scheming, social climber. It is an interesting read despite the what I view as sketchy research on the part of the author. Pick-it up and draw your own conclusions.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
George Boleyn: More than Collateral Damage
Unfortunately, in most novels, films and other media about Anne Boleyn, her brother George is no more than a side show. A homosexual who probably had sex with his own sister resulting in an malformed fetus which Anne spontaneously aborted in early 1536. These authors, in addition to perpetuating to above mythology about George, completely ignore his religious contributions, remarkable career and the favor/power he wielded in Henry's court. This article will be a short exploration of George's career and his downfall.
By the time Mary came to court and caught the eye of the King, George was already established as a favorite. Records show him playing dice, cards and tennis with his majesty as well as joining the royal hunting party on more than one occasion. He was only 24 or 25 when he was appointed ambassador to France, a great honor. He was popular at Francis' court and was often praised for his witty discourse and intelligence. During this time he was trusted with the delicate task of seeking French scholarly opinion on the King's marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Over the next several years he worked in France to convince Francis to support Henry's new marriage to Anne, he carried the Papal Bull of Excommunication against Henry back to England and negotiated for the betrothal of his niece Elizabeth to Francis' heir.
George had one of the most important tasks in the Reformation Parliament; he argued the case for Kingly supremacy in front of the Convocation in 1531. He also made suggestions to the parliament from 1530 until his death six years later. Many historical sources including Dr. Ives suggest that George was a book smuggler who was responsible for passing the works of Fish and Tyndale into the hands of the English nobility.
George was raised to the peerage in February 1533. He took his role seriously and parliamentary records show that during the 1534 sessions he had the most regular attendance of any member of either house of parliament. During the same year he was assigned the tasks of monitoring all ports and making sure the crown's share of shipping writs were paid into the royal coffers. In this capacity he was also responsible of arresting criminals and serving in an admiral position. In addition to his dynamic career, George was a trusted member of Henry's inner circle. Often giving advice, administering delicate tasks and keeping the King company. He handled incredible amount of crown money, had the favor of foreign governments and more importantly the ear of the King.
His appointments were irrespective of Anne's role and when Cromwell began considering ridding himself of the Boleyn faction, George was only slightly less of a target than Anne was. With George alive, Cromwell knew he could not seek to fully control the King. There was only one way to ensure George's total destruction; his death. There would be no evidence of the George betraying the King politically as his diplomatic record was spotless, so the only other way to incite treason charges was to accuse his of violating the Act of Succession and having sexual relations with the King's wife. Cromwell accused George of saying Elizabeth was not the King's daughter; a charge we now view as ludicrous as George would have greatly benefited from Elizabeth being the King's sole legitimate heir. There is also no evidence to support the claims that he had intercourse with his sister as all the times stated in court documents have been disproven as the Queen and her brother were many miles apart.
George Boleyn was not just collateral damage in the plot to remove Anne from power; it was a carefully calculated move that ensured a new faction could rise without the impediment of Boleyn influence. His power and favor would have limited the Seymours' rise and Cromwell's plan to gain more governmental/religious control. His death was deemed necessary in order to bring their plans to fruition; and with his demise Henry lost not only a skilled, trustworthy politician but probably one of his few friends.
By the time Mary came to court and caught the eye of the King, George was already established as a favorite. Records show him playing dice, cards and tennis with his majesty as well as joining the royal hunting party on more than one occasion. He was only 24 or 25 when he was appointed ambassador to France, a great honor. He was popular at Francis' court and was often praised for his witty discourse and intelligence. During this time he was trusted with the delicate task of seeking French scholarly opinion on the King's marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Over the next several years he worked in France to convince Francis to support Henry's new marriage to Anne, he carried the Papal Bull of Excommunication against Henry back to England and negotiated for the betrothal of his niece Elizabeth to Francis' heir.
George had one of the most important tasks in the Reformation Parliament; he argued the case for Kingly supremacy in front of the Convocation in 1531. He also made suggestions to the parliament from 1530 until his death six years later. Many historical sources including Dr. Ives suggest that George was a book smuggler who was responsible for passing the works of Fish and Tyndale into the hands of the English nobility.
George was raised to the peerage in February 1533. He took his role seriously and parliamentary records show that during the 1534 sessions he had the most regular attendance of any member of either house of parliament. During the same year he was assigned the tasks of monitoring all ports and making sure the crown's share of shipping writs were paid into the royal coffers. In this capacity he was also responsible of arresting criminals and serving in an admiral position. In addition to his dynamic career, George was a trusted member of Henry's inner circle. Often giving advice, administering delicate tasks and keeping the King company. He handled incredible amount of crown money, had the favor of foreign governments and more importantly the ear of the King.
His appointments were irrespective of Anne's role and when Cromwell began considering ridding himself of the Boleyn faction, George was only slightly less of a target than Anne was. With George alive, Cromwell knew he could not seek to fully control the King. There was only one way to ensure George's total destruction; his death. There would be no evidence of the George betraying the King politically as his diplomatic record was spotless, so the only other way to incite treason charges was to accuse his of violating the Act of Succession and having sexual relations with the King's wife. Cromwell accused George of saying Elizabeth was not the King's daughter; a charge we now view as ludicrous as George would have greatly benefited from Elizabeth being the King's sole legitimate heir. There is also no evidence to support the claims that he had intercourse with his sister as all the times stated in court documents have been disproven as the Queen and her brother were many miles apart.
George Boleyn was not just collateral damage in the plot to remove Anne from power; it was a carefully calculated move that ensured a new faction could rise without the impediment of Boleyn influence. His power and favor would have limited the Seymours' rise and Cromwell's plan to gain more governmental/religious control. His death was deemed necessary in order to bring their plans to fruition; and with his demise Henry lost not only a skilled, trustworthy politician but probably one of his few friends.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Henry VIII: Patron or Plunderer
Hey all,
This is an excellent video by Julia Xharo that explores Henry VIII's relationship with artists such as Holbein and others. It questions whether Henry patronized these forward-thinking renaissance men because he truly admired them or to bolster his own ego and improve the image of his own court. There have long been questions about whether Henry wrote the music attributed to him or not, whether he was as talented as he wanted everyone to believe. Watch this video and draw your own conclusions.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Read of the Week
Hey all you Anne addicts!
This week I dove into another Anne book, this time The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn by Eric Ives. This book is one of my favorites ever written about Anne Boleyn. Ives, though his respect for Anne is evident, never strays from his scholarly, researched approach to his book. He stays away from rumors such as the shrewish wife with a sixth finger and a malformed children, but he also does not paint Anne as an innocent victim, in fact he refers to her as being "absolutely calculating" He reinforces ideas about Anne's interest in religious reformation, not as a means to assist in her own meteoric rise, but as a genuine evangelical with God's will at the forefront of her mind. He also addresses what I have long referred to as the "fight to death" conflict between Anne and Cromwell, including their fights over distribution of Church wealth and official Church liturgy. He disputes many apocryphal claims about Anne, her family and the time period using a plethora of primary and secondary sources. He analyzes every source, making sure that the authors are unbiased in their thoughts and research before using them to support any of his own ideas.
This book is beautifully written and impeccably researched, the most accurate picture we may ever have of Anne Boleyn and a true legacy for one of our time's most respected Tudor historians.
This week I dove into another Anne book, this time The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn by Eric Ives. This book is one of my favorites ever written about Anne Boleyn. Ives, though his respect for Anne is evident, never strays from his scholarly, researched approach to his book. He stays away from rumors such as the shrewish wife with a sixth finger and a malformed children, but he also does not paint Anne as an innocent victim, in fact he refers to her as being "absolutely calculating" He reinforces ideas about Anne's interest in religious reformation, not as a means to assist in her own meteoric rise, but as a genuine evangelical with God's will at the forefront of her mind. He also addresses what I have long referred to as the "fight to death" conflict between Anne and Cromwell, including their fights over distribution of Church wealth and official Church liturgy. He disputes many apocryphal claims about Anne, her family and the time period using a plethora of primary and secondary sources. He analyzes every source, making sure that the authors are unbiased in their thoughts and research before using them to support any of his own ideas.
This book is beautifully written and impeccably researched, the most accurate picture we may ever have of Anne Boleyn and a true legacy for one of our time's most respected Tudor historians.
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