His choice was Jane Colt, the eldest daughter of a gentleman farmer. Thomas came from wealthy families, from trade (his father was a wealthy baker) and the law. Birth Country: United Kingdom. Mores eldest daughter Margaret would become the first non-royal Englishwoman to publish a work in translation. Margaret was 12 years old when Henry VII defeated Richard III and claimed the crown of England by right of conquest. But he knew what was coming. Margaret Pole, as she was now styled, was held in the Tower of London for two-and-a-half years. He dictated letter after letter. It is painted on a dateable oak panel, and the dates suit the presumed subject, but the artist is anonymous. Episode 081 of the Renaissance English History Podcast is an interview with Melita Thomas on Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury. Margaret remained in the Tower of London for more than two years. Margaret's relationship with Henry VIII, must have been good. When that daughters father-in-law was executed by Henry VIII, the Pole family fell out of favor briefly, but regained favor. And More determined that their daughters would receive the same education as their son. It was his great popularity that saved him. [26] She and her husband were parents to five children: Her son, Reginald Pole, said that he would "never fear to call himself the son of a martyr". His spirits were high when visited by family and friends, though they were only permitted to see him if they took the Oath which he had refused. This was not due to any dislike of the king. Investigating An Anemometer. He died on 8 August 1420. More essentially argued that communal life is the only way to end the ill effects of self-interest on politics. His decision to become a lay Christian now made, More quickly married. When Richard Pole died in 1504 Margaret had had to borrow money to give him a suitable funeral. (Margarets paternal aunt, Margaret of Burgundy, supported Perkin Warbecks conspiracy, hoping to restore the Yorkists to power.) Margaret was a daughter of George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence and Isabella Neville. In 1487, an imposter, Lambert Simmel, pretended to be her brother Edward, and was used to try to gather a rebellion against Henry VII. Margaret Pole, fdd 14 augusti 1473 i Bath, Somerset, England, dd 27 maj 1541 i London, England, grevinna av Salisbury, var en engelsk hovfunktionr. This conviction meant they lost their titles and their landsmostly in the South of England--conveniently located to assist any invasion. Even special physicians summoned from Spain could not help the queen to conceive again. Now he decided to seriously test his religious convictions. Thick as thieves, More and the king continued to establish a close relationship, with More rising up in the ranks. An Exclusive First Look at Laura Carmichael as Maggie Pole in the Series Finale of The Spanish Princess Watch as she confronts Sir Thomas More. In: Ghosts and Hauntings. He did not share his opinion with the king. Perhaps more than any other courtier of Henrys reign, More embodied the searching, troubled spirit of the early 16th century. Reginald was the most interesting and talented of Margarets children, and the one to whom she was not close. Thomas More worked hard for the king. A pearl necklace is just a shadow now. Anne was the anointed queen. Margaret Pole. Reginald replied to books Henry sent him with his own pamphlet, pro ecclesiasticae unitatis defensione, or de unitate, which denied Henry's position on the marriage of a brother's wife and denied royal supremacy. Likewise, Henry became understandably angry at the papacys refusal to repudiate Charles. Her father, already Duke of Clarence, was then created Earl of Salisbury and of Warwick. The axe hit her shoulder instead of her neck, and she escaped the guards and ran around screaming as the executioner chased her with the axe. More would stand trial for his life. "Sir Thomas More: Biography, Facts and Information" https://englishhistory.net/tudor/citizens/sir-thomas-more/, February 22, 2015, You are here: Home Tudor Citizens Sir Thomas More: Biography, Facts and Information, Copyright 1999-2023 All Rights Reserved.English HistoryOther Sites: Make A Website Hub, The Right to Display Public Domain Images, Author & Reference Information For Students, Sir Thomas More: Biography, Facts and Information, https://englishhistory.net/tudor/citizens/sir-thomas-more/, House Of Tudor Genealogy Chart & Family Tree, Mary, Queen of Scots: Biography, Facts, Portraits & Information, Catherine Howard: Facts, Biography, Portraits & Information, Queen Elizabeth I: Biography, Facts, Portraits & Information, Jane Seymour Facts, Biography, Information & Portraits, Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk and Princess Mary Tudor, Anne Boleyn Facts & Biography Of Information, Katherine Parr Facts, Information, Biography & Portraits, King Henry VIII Facts, Information, Biography & Portraits, Thomas Cromwell Facts & Biography Information, Mary Boleyn: Biography, Portrait, Facts & Information, Thomas Wolsey: Biography, Portrait, Facts & Information, Sir Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury (1563 1612). Henrys adult opponents were dead or driven abroad. Mortons tax philosophy was a marvel of inescapable logic: If the subject is seen to live frugally, tell him because he is clearly a money saver of great ability, he can afford to give generously to the King. Illustrated statistics ; Map ; Browse using this individual as Sosa/Ahnentafel #1 . Besides Ursula, four of Margarets children lived to adulthood. The trial of Sir Thomas More for treason opened in Westminster Hall on July 1, 1535. Higginbothams narrative begins with this bungled beheading so either the jacket designer was in the dark about the contents, or someone at her publisher has a mordant sense of humour. There is an apocryphal story that Morton predicted his bright and lively page would grow into a marvelous man. Biography of Anne Neville, Wife and Queen of Richard III of England, Biography of Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of England, Biography of Margaret of Anjou, Henry VI's Queen, Famous Mothers in History: Ancient Through Modern, M.Div., Meadville/Lombard Theological School, Father: George, Duke of Clarence, brother of king Edward IV and of Richard, Duke of Gloucester (later Richard III), Note: Cecily Neville, Margarets paternal grandmother, was a paternal aunt of Margarets maternal grandfather, Richard Neville. After Katherina of Aragon's death, Princess Mary turned toward Margaret Pole as a second mother, and now her father was going to take away this beloved maternal figure from her as well. In May 1539 Henry, Margaret, Exeter and others were attainted, as Margaret's father had been. Answer (1 of 6): Anne Boleyn's death would have been instant and painless - to the extent that we can guess, anyway. Tragedy throws her into poverty and rebellion against the new royal family, luck restores her to her place at court where she becomes the chief lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine and watches the dominance of the Spanish queen over her husband, and her fall. Margaret was born into the England of the Wars of the Roses and was the daughter of George, Duke of Clarence, one of Edward IV 's younger brothers and was of the House of York. But in the meantime, More had eighteen months of seclusion and study at his home in Chelsea. He died young (about 1526) having married the heir of Roger Lewknor. After his death, and for centuries thereafter, Sir Thomas More was known as the most famous victim of Henry VIIIs tyranny. Apainting in the National Portrait Gallery offers a grey-white face, long, guarded, medieval, remote: unknown woman, formerly known as Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury. Get the best results here. It gave the king pause, and More was allowed to return home. In 1535, Englands ambassador began suggesting that Reginald Pole marry Henrys daughter Mary. He moved into the Carthusian monastery adjoining Lincolns Inn and participated in the monks way of life as much as he could, while still pursuing his legal career. Among his guests, in fact, was the king himself. It took the inexperience executioner a grand total of 11 swings to finally sever her head at the neck . It was Gertrude Courtenay, Marchioness of Exeter, who claimed to be brittle and fragile; one of the most persistent of the aristocratic plotters against Henry, she was in trouble in 1533 for her contacts with Elizabeth Barton, the Nun of Kent, whose florid line in prophecy was discomfiting to the regime. But Reginald, it seemed, always got a tip-off. Margaret's own favour at Court varied. by Susan Higginbotham. Ursula Pole, married Henry Stafford, whose title and lands were lost when his father was executed for treason and attainted, restored to a Stafford title under Edward VI. My faithfulness stands fast and so, There was a new king, a handsome, athletic young man who had once been destined for the church. The sons of Edward IV, 11 and 13 years old, had been held in the Tower by their uncle Richard III, and last been seen by Londoners in the summer of 1483. The popular image is of a man principled, steadfast, courageous who placed his own conscience above his kings demands. Margaret Pole ended up becoming a Catholic martyr. (Along with Margaret her sister-in-law Eleanor Pole was also a lady-in-waiting to Katherine. Margaret's loyalty was to Katherine of Aragon and to her daughter Princess Mary to whom she was governess and godmother. Reginald studied in Italy in 1521 through 1526, financed in part by Henry VIII, then returned and was offered by Henry the choice of several high offices in the church if he would support Henrys divorce from Catherine. It was perfectly clear to any objective observer that the marriage was unlawful before God! For Mores part, he undoubtedly appreciated his second wifes superb housekeeping skills for they allowed him the freedom to pursue his increasingly successful career. The Editor Pierces book is thorough and scholarly, and her work is acknowledged in Higginbothams biography, which is less detailed, but serious and judicious. He later studied at . Henry wrote to Margaret, who in turn wrote to her son, reproving him for his "folly". [15][16], On the morning of 28 May 1541, Margaret was told she was to die within the hour. The relationship between the King and Margaret wavered a bit in 1518 when Henry repossessed some of her Salisbury lands saying they belonged to the duchy of Somerset. Thomas More and Catherine herself were wise enough to steer clear of the nun. His lands and titles were thereby forfeited. (Scientists aren't absolutely sure that people register no pain when the head is removed or that they lose consciousness instantaneously.) She was by necessity hostile to the Catholic church. He collected books and rare objects, but he gave away his possessions freely as well. Both men were enthusiastic Humanist scholars, but they parted ways with regard to the kings prerogative. In the spring of 1536 the Boleyn family were destroyed, and the Pole family and other English grandees grouped themselves about the incoming queen, Jane Seymour. The next year, the late king's marriage was declared invalid by the statute Titulus Regius of 1484, making his children illegitimate. Henry Courtenay och Margaret Pole och fngslades i Towern. Henry VII had controlled them first while her brother was a minor and then during his imprisonment; he later confiscated them after his trial. However, we should not assume that Mortons politics had any profound impact upon More. Henry still hoped for Mores support. Chapuys also communicated with Reginald through his brother, Geoffrey. But his older brother perished and the younger brother was crowned at 18 years old, and quickly wed his brothers widow. Elizabeth Darrell, later Thomas Wyatts mistress, refused the oath; Lady Hussey, wife of one of Marys household, was imprisoned because she would not accept Marys exclusion from the succession and insisted on addressing her as a princess. He wore many hats: chief diplomat, speechwriter, advisor. (We should note, however, that More brilliant and perceptive was never especially comfortable in his kings good graces. Biography. May 28, 2015. Her son Arthur joined them, dying young, probably in the sweating sickness epidemic of 1528. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/margaret-pole-tudor-matriarch-and-martyr-3530618. Yet if you were to ask Mores contemporaries to describe him, their words would be as conflicted and contradictory as the man himself. More also engaged in a public war of words on the kings behalf with Martin Luther, the father of the Reformation. He was keenly interested in theology, but he was not ordained; he was free to marry if he wished, and propagate a Plantagenet family. Some stories even claim this was at his own request, having been permitted to choose the manner of his execution. For Maid star Margaret Qualley, her job was all about building a relationship with child actor Rylea Nevaeh Whittet and making her feel safe on the set of the Netflix series that delves into . The king added that his lack of a legitimate son was clear proof of Gods displeasure. Put a different hood on her, and she could be a man one of her own Plantagenet relations. I am no traitor, no, not I! In The Kings Curse (2014) she was ground up by the great fictionalising machine that is Philippa Gregory, and in 2003 she was the subject of a major biography by Hazel Pierce: Margaret Pole: Loyalty, Lineage and Leadership. This blatant disrespect could not be tolerated and Mores name was included in a Bill of Attainder against Elizabeth Barton, the Holy Maid of Kent, who had prophesized against the kings annulment. As part of his 'Random Histo. She was the Spanish princess, Katharine of Aragon, one of the daughters of the Catholic rulers of Spain. She was no longer, though, the sort of influence Henry wished for his daughter. Sir Thomas de la Pole was born circa 1378. On 18 February 1478, aged 28, George, Duke of Clarence, brother to the King of England, was executed. We know her, as we know so many of her contemporaries, through her inventories, through legal documents and official letters. Born 14 August 1473, Margaret was one of the few Plantagenets who had survived the Wars of the Roses She was the mother of . And as his own reputation grew in London, he attracted the notice of the all-powerful Cardinal Wolsey. The following poem was found carved on the wall of her cell: For traitors on the block should die; [11], In 1531, Reginald Pole warned of the dangers of the Boleyn marriage. He later characterized this as abandonment by his mother, and bitterly resented it for much of his life, although he became an important figure in the church. But Margaret Pole, one of the great magnates of Tudor England, is not overlooked. Henry VII paid for Richard's funeral. He worked eight years as undersheriff and proved himself an impartial judge and able administrator. After several months, he was visited by Cromwell, but More refused to engage him in debate and merely declared himself a faithful subject of the king. Her father was Shakespeares false, fleeting, perjured Clarence, who died in the Tower of London at the age of 29, attainted for treason and supposedly drowned in a butt of malmsey. These are not consistent; and ifas he claimed at one pointPole rejected the Divorce in 1526 and refused the Oath of Supremacy in 1531, he received benefits from Henry for a course of action for which others were sentenced to death. We come now to the great event of Henrys reign. Edward IV died in 1483 when Margaret was ten. But if the great Sir Thomas More believed the king to be wrong? So yes, the Pole family were cousins to de la Pole family. After his marriage to Anne Boleyn and the birth of their daughter, Elizabeth, Mary was sent to join the household of the infant princess. It proved to be another happy marriage, though Mores friends remarked upon Alices sharp tongue and occasionally brusque ways. [6] She remained there until she returned to favour when Henry VIII came to the throne in 1509. After Richard was killed, Margaret came to court under the new regime, and in September 1486 she attended the christening of Arthur, the first Tudor prince. ODNB, "Reginald Pole"; "Geoffrey Pole". He had several other livings, although he had not been ordained a priest. Perhaps his earlier justification for the annulment had been a matter of self-interest, a selective interpretation of opaque text. A Bill of Attainder disinherited Margaret and her younger brother, Edward, and removed them from the line of succession. The alleged plot between the earl and Warbeck was flimsy and perhaps government-sponsored, but both men were tried and executed. Buckingham was alleged to have said that the lack of sons to carry on the Tudor line was Gods punishment for the imprisonment and death of the young Earl of Warwick. With the accession of the young king uxorious, beautiful and benign England seemed to have entered a golden age: and at his coronation, all the spectators, and presumably Margaret Pole with them, with great reverence, love and desire, said and cried: Yea, yea!. Arthur Pole suffered a setback when his patron Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, was convicted of treason in 1521, but he was soon restored to favour. It was granted, and the wealthy widow became stepmother to his four children, and More stepfather to her daughter and son. She spent much of her time at Warblington, where she was nicely placed, in the event of an invasion, to help the rebels against Henry; or so you thought, if you were one of Henrys councillors. As a young man, he seriously contemplated joining the priesthood, only to become one of the most successful politicians of his time. The main character is Joanna Stafford, a Dominican novice. In January 1539 Geoffrey was pardoned, but Margaret's son, Henry, Baron Montagu (and cousin Exeter), were later executed for treason after trial. It states that Margaret refused to lay her head on the block, declaiming, "So should traitors do, and I am none". She served later as a governess to Mary. Ironically, it was his own honesty and probity which ensured his continued service to Henry. In 1512, an Act of Parliament restored to Margaret the Earldom of Salisbury and some of her brother's land which had belonged to it, for which she paid 5000 marks (2666.13s.4d), equivalent to 2,164,602 in 2021. But not before Lina imparted . As part of the investigations into the so-called Exeter Conspiracy, Geoffrey Pole was arrested in August 1538. This More was fully prepared to do. But polite prevarications only worked for so long and soon More was a genuine courtier, with all its attendant duties and benefits. Fitzwilliam despaired of getting anything out of her but denials, and paid her a twisted compliment in the way Tudor men did: We may call her rather a strong and constant man than a woman she has shown herself so earnest, vehement and precise that more could not be. 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