Tudor Times is the online repository for all things Tudor and Stewart (1485–1625)

On 17th April 1534, Sir Thomas More, former Lord Chancellor of England, was sent to the Tower of London for refusal to swear to the Oath of Succession. He remained in there for over a year, without either stating his reasons for refusal, or agreeing to sign. He said that, as he had never advised anyone else to refuse, nor criticised it, nor put any scruples into any other man’s head, but left them to their conscience, so ought he to be left to his conscience. More, son of a London lawyer, had been one of Henry VIII’s inner circle of Councillors during the 1510s and 1520s, although he was more of an intellectual companion than a member of Henry’s group of jousting and hunting companions. He worked well with Thomas Wolsey, but he and Cromwell were largely opposed politically – More was a strong supporter of the Common Law, whilst Cromwell used statute to increase the power of the Crown. Read more on their relationship here

On 16th April 1587 Anne Stanhope, Duchess of Somerset, died. Anne was the second wife of Edward Seymour, brother of Queen Jane. Other than with her husband, who seems to have doted on her, and Queen Mary, who despite their religious differences maintained a friendship with her, Anne seems to have been almost universally disliked. She was accused of being 'more presumptuous than Lucifer', and of domineering over her husband. On the remarriage of Katherine Parr, whose Lady-in-Waiting she had been, to Anne’s brother-in-law, Sir Thomas Seymour, Anne demanded to take precedence of the former Queen, even jostling her out of the way, quite against all court etiquette. One of Anne’s ten children, Edward, Earl of Hertford, was disgraced and imprisoned for a secret match with Lady Katherine Grey. Anne is buried in Westminster Abbey.

On 15th April 1565, Elizabeth, or “Bess” Throckmorton was born. The Throckmortons were an influential gentry family from Coughton Court, Warwickshire. Half of the family remained strictly Catholic and were involved in serial plots against Elizabeth I, and half became Protestant, including Bess’ own father, who was Ambassador to Scotland. Bess was appointed as a maid-of-honour to her distant cousin, Elizabeth I, with whom she was in high favour, until her clandestine relationship with Elizabeth’s favourite, Sir Walter Raleigh, was discovered. Initially imprisoned in the Tower of London, and then banished from court, Bess retired to Raleigh’s estates in Dorset where she brought up their children during his voyages to the Americas. Bess long outlived her husband, who was executed in 1618. Whilst in prison, Raleigh wrote her a moving letter which is still preserved at Coughton.

Picture of Elizabeth Throckmorton by Robert Peake the Elder