The Boleyn Cup

Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry VIII. They married in secret on the 25th January 1533 at Whitehall Palace, after what had seemed a long and passionate (and somewhat drawn out) love affair. According to Edward Hall, the chronicler they had already married in secret previously on the 14th November 1532.

Anne Boleyn, Unknown Artist, NPG, 1533-1536

It is clear that Henry was besotted by her and this can be seen in some of the 17 surviving love letters that he sent to Anne. It is clear to see just how infatuated Henry was from the below letter written in his own hand (we know Henry was not a great fan of writing, and found it tedious) to her on the 21st July 1528:

"The approach of the time which has been delayed so long delights me so much that it seems almost already come. Nevertheless, the entire accomplishment cannot be till the two persons meet; which meeting is more desired on my part than anything in the world, for what joy can be so great as to have the company of her who is my most dear friend, knowing likewise that she does the same. Judge then what will that personage do whose absence has given me the greatest pain in my heart, which neither tongue nor writing can express, and nothing but that can remedy. Tell your father on my part that I beg him to abridge by two days the time appointed that he may be in court before the old term, or at least upon the day prefixed; otherwise I shall think he will not do the lover's turn as he said he would, nor answer my expectation. No more, for want of time. I hope soon to tell you by mouth the rest of the pains I have suffered in your absence. Written by the hand of the secretary, who hopes to be privately with you, &c."

We do not know if Anne was in love with Henry during their initial courtship or whether she was pushed forwards by her family for their advancement as some people have proposed etc. We do know that she managed to prolong his infatuation with her by stating that she would not become his mistress, only his wife and queen. It is believed that Anne took this approach as she had seen her sister Mary Boleyn become a mistress to both King Francis I of France and Henry VIII himself, with them both later discarding her. Also her upbringing in the Burgundian and French Courts under Margaret of Austria and Queen Claude of France provided her with a first hand account of how one's life could be destroyed by becoming a royal mistress.

Mary Boleyn

We know that the couple were fond of giving each other presents (especially on Henry's part). Even when they were married the King still gave Anne gifts, and vice versa. These gifts could be full of symbolism or contain heraldic arms or crests.

We know that a silver and gilt cup was made for Anne Boleyn in 1535 (a year before her execution on the 19th May 1536 at the Tower of London) with her crest on, what we do not is know who gave it to her (if anyone did), or if Henry had it made for her as a gift etc. I however personally believe it was a gift/love-token from Henry.

We do know that the cup survived Anne's legacy (nearly all traces of her existence were erased) and was passed onto her daughter the young princess Elizabeth (later Elizabeth I, queen of England), who in turn later gave it to her physician Richard Master when she was queen. It has always seemed somewhat alien to me that she would have done that, given the fact she kept the Chequers ring that experts think contains her mothers portrait - perhaps it was because she couldn't conceal this connection, and thought it best not to promote it? Who knows. Richard Master, then gave it to St John the Baptist's Parish Church in Cirencester, Gloucestershire where it has resided ever since.

A wall safe (with seven different locks) was provided for the cup (known as the Boleyn cup, because of it's connection with Anne Boleyn, and the fact it displays her crest) in 1968 where it was then put on permanent display to the public. It is said that when our current queen Elizabeth II visited the parish church, she exclaimed that she had the other cup at Windsor Castle. It seems Henry VIII had one made for himself too.

Boleyn Cup, Authors Image

Boleyn Cup, Authors Image 

Boleyn Cup, Authors Image

Boleyn Cup, Authors Image

Boleyn Cup, Authors Image 

Boleyn Cup, Authors Image

I am fortunate that the Boleyn cup resides in my local parish church, and that I can visit it whenever I like. I implore you to visit the church and the see the cup for yourself if you can. It is so beautiful, and intricate. If you are not able to do so, please enjoy the pictures.

Source

• https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/anne-boleyn-treasures-uncovered/ [accessed 20th September 2017]
• https://kateshrewsday.com/2013/02/06/the-other-boleyn-cup/ [accessed 20th September 2017]
• https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/25-january-1533-henry-viii-marries-anne-boleyn-whitehall/ [accessed 20th September 2017]
• http://www.british-history.ac.uk/letters-papers-hen8/vol4/pp1980-1987 [accessed 20th September 2017]
• Cirencester Parish Church Information Poster [accessed 20th September 2017]
• http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw00142/Anne-Boleyn [accessed 20th September 2017]

Ultimate Tudor Dream Guest Blog: Lissa Bryan

I am super excited to introduce you all to my first guest writer on 'The Tudor Bucket List', author, blogger and fellow Tudor enthusiast Lissa Bryan. 

Lissa Bryan (Owned by Lissa)

She has written about Anne Boleyn previously in her blog (http://www.lissabryan.com), has published nine books altogether, they are: 'Ghostwriter', 'Dominion', 'Tales from the end', 'Under these restless skies', 'The golden arrow and the butterfly', 'The end of all things (1-3)', 'The land of the shadow', 'Shadows have gone' and 'The end of all things', (which can be purchased using the following link: https://www.amazon.com/Lissa-Bryan/e/B009N6CFTQ), and she is a regular contributor on The Tudor Society. Lissa Bryan will be sharing with us all what her ultimate tudor dream would be. So without further ado, over to Lissa...

The crypt below the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London is on my “bucket list.” I was at the Tower in 1999 and paid my respects to Anne at her marble marker, but I wasn’t aware at the time there was a “secret” crypt tourists rarely visit.

The door leading to it is off to the side of the chapel.

Photo of door to crypt: https://maryvictrix.com/2011/03/07/saints-martyrs-and-more/tomb-st-thomas/

The Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula is one that’s on the “bucket list” of many Anne Boleyn fans. It’s where she was laid to rest after her execution in 1536. Today, around the altar at the end of the tiny chapel is an elaborate marble pavement featuring the names of many who were laid to rest beneath its floor. Anne Boleyn may have been buried there, but she’s not there today.

By the Victorian era, the chapel had fallen into disrepair, and the floor was sinking so badly that some feared the chapel might actually collapse. Queen Victoria gave the order for the chapel to be repaired, including laying a new foundation. Knowing that this would disturb the graves of those who were buried there, she ordered that an attempt be made to identify the remains and that they be treated with the greatest respect.

How the chapel looked before restoration:  http://onthetudortrail.com/Blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/anne-boleyn-resting-gallery-300x200.jpg

This proved to be a greater undertaking than the restorers expected. Once they’d pried up the floor and began to dig, they discovered upwards of fifteen hundred burials within the small chapel. Over the years, the residents of the Tower and the surrounding neighbourhood had come to regard the chapel as a parish church, and so multitudes had been buried within its walls. When a new burial occurred, the bones of the grave’s previous occupant were shoved to the side, their coffins broken up, and the newly deceased person buried in that spot. The restorers feared that the graves had been “universally and repeatedly desecrated.”

When they reached the altar area, where many of the famous figures buried during the bloody reign of Henry VIII had been interred, they found a similar situation. In the spot where Anne Boleyn was supposed to rest, they discovered the lead casket of a woman who’d died in 1750. Nearby, a pile of bones lay, representing a partial skeleton of a woman between 25 and 30 years of age, matching Anne’s age if you agree with the 1507 birthdate. (Historian Allison Weir, who claims Anne was 35 when she died, believes they were the bones of Jane Parker, Anne’s sister-in-law.) 

A photo of the restoration work:  http://viewfinder.historicengland.org.uk/search/reference.aspx?uid=80863&index=144&mainQuery=Stepney&searchType=all&form=home

Other graves were discovered, including a tall female of advanced age — Countess Margaret Pole — and the bones the restorers identified as Jane Parker. Katheryn Howard was not located, but the restorers thought that the large quantities of lime in her grave explained why her bones hadn’t survived. Nor was George Boleyn, whose grave appears to have been moved, possibly to an area the restorers hadn’t excavated.

Outside the chapel, others had been buried. Four of the men executed with Anne Boleyn had been placed in two graves. Henry Norris shared his grave with Francis Weston, and Mark Smeaton shared his with William Brereton. Those bones were disinterred when the Waterloo Block was constructed after a fire in 1841. It wasn’t possible to individually identify those burials.

The bones were carefully placed in oak boxes that had name plates affixed to the top when the identity was known. The chapel restoration report says that they were re-buried in their approximate locations, but they were actually placed in a “secret” location to deter ghoulish souvenir hunters. That “secret” place was the crypt.

It was constructed after the 1841 fire when the new Waterloo Block was being built. It’s actually part of the old ordinance storage. Interior photos show it to be a vaulted brick room, Gothic in style, with whitewashed walls, and a stone floor.

This photo of the crypt was taken by the Ravenmaster at the Tower.

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13254618_1725853074298292_3720656999056903684_n.jpg?oh=666878880c4fc5052a9e6c0abab48729&oe=5A1B3713

 Lead plaques on the wall identify the people interred within each niche.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Crypt of St Peter ad Vincula. <a href="http://t.co/hHO9MG7LyE">pic.twitter.com/hHO9MG7LyE</a></p>&mdash; Caroline Webb (@CaroLetters) <a href="https://twitter.com/CaroLetters/status/566524144050003969">February 14, 2015</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A cenotaph tomb dedicated to Thomas More is also located there.

http://frcoulter.com/pics/london/tower/IM003258.jpg

A plaque installed after the chapel’s restoration notes that the remains were placed here.

https://www.historyofroyalwomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Anneboleyn11-550x410.jpg

Anne is no longer in the “great obscurity” Henry wished would obscure her memory forever, and her name is recorded with her rightful title of “queen” on her marker. Thousands of visitors pay their respects at her original grave site every year. But it would be especially wonderful to be able to do so near the place she really rests.

Thank you Lissa, what a great article! I can see why you would want to visit the crypt so much, to be so close to the remains of Anne Boleyn would be a truly remarkable experience.

The Tomb of Arthur Tudor, The Kings Brother

Henry VII had won the throne of England from Richard III through right of conquest at the Battle of Bosworth on the 22nd August 1485. He married Elizabeth of York the eldest daughter of Edward IV, King of England and his queen Elizabeth Woodville. Their union brought about the end of the Wars of the Roses as it unified the Houses of York and Lancaster. Henry and Elizabeth were keen to start a family as soon as possible as this only helped strengthen the families claim to the throne.

It wasn't long before their prayers were answered. Their first child Arthur was born on the 20th September 1486 in the Priory of Winchester Cathedral. He was soon joined in the Royal nursery by his younger brother Henry (the future Henry VIII) and two sisters, Margaret and Mary.

Prince Arthur, 16th Century, Private Collection

Arthur was invested as the Prince of Wales and was the heir apparent to the throne of England. He was the apple of his dad's eye (who spent a lot of his time in preparing Arthur on how to become an effective ruler). With four children surviving infancy (Arthur also had another sibling Edmund who died young, a sister called Elizabeth, and a sister called Katherine who died a few days after she was born), Henry VII set about planning on how best to marry each of them off to suit England's dynastic needs (England did not become a super power until Henry VIII's reign) and to help strengthen the Tudors claim and hold on the throne of England. Following discussions with Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile ,'The Catholic Kings' a marriage contract was drawn up between Arthur and their youngest daughter, the Infanta Catherine (Catalina) of Aragon.

Catherine of Aragon, 1520, NPG

Arthur and Catherine were married in a lavish ceremony at St Paul's Cathedral on the 14th November 1501. We know that Arthur was delighted with his new wife, but what we do not know is what exactly happened on their wedding night in regards to consummation (neither of them could have guessed that what did or did not happen on their wedding night would later be used as an argument in the divorce proceedings of Catherine and Arthur's younger brother Henry (later Henry VIII) many years later. We do know that Arthur had mentioned to some fellow courtiers the next morning that he had been in 'the midst of Spain', hinting that they had, had sexual intercourse the night before.

The newly wed couple soon moved to Ludlow Castle in England (which was close to the Welsh border), where Arthur was required to run his own court in miniature. This served as good practice for when Arthur was expected to become King of England following his father's death. But Arthur never outlived his father. Catherine and Arthur had contracted an unknown illness whilst at Ludlow (some believe it to be the sweating sickness) of which Arthur did not recover. He died on the 2nd April 1502. His parents were grief-stricken. Arthur's body was taken from Ludlow Castle to Worcester Cathedral, and following a funeral on the 25th April 1502 he was then entombed within a marble tomb displaying the royal arms.

Worcester Cathedral - Author's Image

An elaborate chantry was later erected over Arthur's marble tomb. You can see it in the video below. It was planned that the chantry would be painted in bright colours, but following Catherine's later marriage to Henry VIII this plan was soon abandoned as it seemed more political to him not to draw attention to a king that never was, and especially to one that had married his wife beforehand.

Details on the Chantry relating to Catherine and Arthur, Author's Image

I did not think I would be fortunate enough to view Arthur's tomb in the Chantry (I understand that it has been said his body actually lies a few feet away, but they aren't sure where), but I found the door to it open, and the Cathedral were allowing visitor's to look in.

Open door to the Chantry, Author's Image 

And here it is...

Arthur's Tomb, Author's Image

Detail from the arms on Arthur's tomb, Author's Image

If you are in the Worcester area and have time why not pay a visit to Arthur's tomb? I am still awe struck by just how beautiful it is.

Sources

1. http://www.npg.org.uk/research/conservation/henry-and-katherine-reunited-conserving-the-portrait-of-katherine-of-aragon

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur,_Prince_of_Wales#Marriage

3. http://piersperrotgaveston.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/arthur-tudor-prince-of-wales.html

All Hail Hailes Abbey...

The abbey of Hailes based near Winchcombe in Gloucestershire was originally founded in 1246 by Henry III of England's brother, Richard, Earl of Cornwall as a way of him giving thanks for his survival when at sea. It soon became home to a religious order, and housed Cistercian monks, otherwise known as 'white monks'. Cistercian monks lives were based on manual labour and self-sufficiency, with the monks at Hailes Abbey supporting themselves with the charitable donations made by Pilgrims who visited the site, but also through the produce from its vast estates. The abbey had an orchard, which supplied their fruit, and fishponds which supplied the fish for their tables.

Cistercian Monks, English Heritage

In 1270, the monks were provided with a small flask (or vial) made of a fine silver and crystal, which was said to contain the blood of Christ by Edmund, son of Richard, Earl of Cornwall. The relic proved to be highly popular with Pilgrims (attracting thousands to the site from across the country) and was known as the 'Blood of Hailes'. Due to it's popularity the monks built an entire shrine in which to house the relic, and the abbey grew quite profitable because of it.

The abbey and it's inhabitants lived in relative peace and tranquility up until the reign of Henry VIII of England, where it suffered at the hands of the 'Suppression of the Monasteries', otherwise known as the 'Dissolution of the Monasteries' in 1538/1539.

Thomas Cromwell by Hans Holbein the Younger (1532-1533)

In 1535 the Valor Ecclesiasticus was drawn up, which provided a valuation of the wealth of the Church throughout both England and Wales, in which Hailes Abbey would have been listed as one of the more profitable religious houses. The King's commissioners (lead by Thomas Cromwell, Lord Privy Seal, Vicar General, and Vicegerent in Spirituals to Henry VIII) were also instructed to investigate into all of these monasteries searching for evidence of corruption or vice, as it was believed the churches were fooling people with false relics or statues etc. The 'Suppression of the Monasteries' soon followed in 1536, and continued up until 1540. During this time over 800 monasteries (which had been home to over 10,000 monks, nuns, friars and canons) were suppressed, with former monasteries being sold off to landowners, turned into churches, or left to ruin.

Henry VIII in the Valor Ecclesiasticus (1535)

In 1538, the vial (which couldn't have escaped the King's commissioners) said to contain Christ's blood was taken from Hailes Abbey to London, where judgement was passed that it was not Christ's blood at all, but clarified honey that had been coloured using Saffron. The abbey which had put up some resistance then had no choice but to surrender to the King's commissioners, doing so on Christmas Eve in 1539.

The abbey buildings were taken down and dispersed, with the exception of the buildings in the West range. These buildings became the Country home of the Tracey family from Toddington nearby. However, by the mid 18th Century this was all a ruin.

Hailes Abbey Ruins, Author

Hailes Abbey Ruins, Author

The site now belongs to English Heritage and is well worth a visit if you have a spare couple of hours. The museum houses some amazing Tudor finds from the abbey such as Tudor floor tiles, Tudor Spoons, and Tudor Stucco.

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cistercians
• http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/henryviii/passion/wealth.htm
• http://www.bl.uk/learning/timeline/item106122.html
• English Heritage, Hailes Abbey, Notice Boards.