Her mother was one of the greatest heiresses of her time while her father was the younger brother of King Edward IV of England. He could now only write to his wife and favorite daughter Margaret with a piece of coal or burnt stick on scraps of paper. It was then discovered that More had written to John Fisher, the bishop of Rochester, who was also imprisoned in the Tower for not taking the oath. Margaret Plantagenet, the daughter of George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence and of his wife, Isabel Neville, was born on 14th August 1473 at Farleigh Castle, near Bath. More was thus in his early thirties, successful, happily married, when the tax collectors Dudley and Empson were beheaded on Tower Hill at the command of the new king, Henry VIII. She held a noble title in her own right, and controlled great wealth, after she was restored to favor during the reign of Henry VIII but she became embroiled in the religious controversy over his split with Rome and was executed on Henrys orders. Because the main executioner[17] had been sent north to deal with rebels, the execution was performed by "a wretched and blundering youth who literally hacked her head and shoulders to pieces in the most pitiful manner". Henry VII had Edward executed, leaving Margaret as the sole survivor of George of Clarence. Please include name, address, and a telephone number. Her London palace, Le Herber, stood in a busy mercantile quarter, approximately where Cannon Street Station is now, and she rented out the tenements around as workshops, stables and an inn. Where is Hans Holbein when you need him? Investigating An Anemometer. The new memorial that has been erected in front of the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula on Tower Green marks the spot 'identified' in the Victorian period as being the . In 1536, Pole sent Henry a treatise which not only opposed Henrys grounds for divorce that he had married his brothers wife and thus the marriage was invalid but also opposing Henrys more recent assertion of Royal Supremacy, power in the church in England above that of Rome. And his patron Morton was infamous as the architect of that kings very successful and subsequently very unpopular tax policy. ThoughtCo. He died young (about 1526) having married the heir of Roger Lewknor. The former Lord Chancellor Sir Thomas More is beheaded for High Treason after refusing to recognise King Henry VIII's religious supremacy. It was his great popularity that saved him. Montagu, Exeter, and Margaret were arrested in November 1538. ODNB, "Reginald Pole"; "Geoffrey Pole". Gender: Male. He was the child Margaret had been carrying when her brother Warwick was executed. Ten years on, her situation was more difficult to negotiate. Margaret Plantagenet, Countess of Salisbury (14 August 1473 - 28 May 1541), also called Margaret Pole, as a result of her marriage to Sir Richard Pole, was the only surviving daughter of George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, a brother of Kings Edward IV and Richard III (all sons of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York ), by his wife Isabel . It was time to be rid of Warwick. And the king did not force the issue. See me safe up, he told the lieutenant who escorted him, and for my coming down let me shift for myself.. Margaret Pole had connections to all manner of visitor attractions, including Farleigh Hungerford Castle, Somerset, where she was born,and the Tower of London. Some stories even claim this was at his own request, having been permitted to choose the manner of his execution. 28 Little Russell Street Margaret Pole was born about four years after her parents had married, and was the first child born after the couple lost their first child on board a ship fleeing to France during the Wars of the Roses. (1) There, she was surrounded by connections of the Boleyn queen. She was now one of the richest people in England. In January 1539 Geoffrey was pardoned, but Margaret's son, Henry, Baron Montagu (and cousin Exeter), were later executed for treason after trial. Susan Higginbothams carefully written book comes with a misleading cover puff: At last, a biography of one of the most fascinating women of the Tudor period, who has too long been overlooked. geralmente . Cecilys parents and Richards grandparents were Ralph Neville and, Siblings: 2 who died in infancy and a brother, Edward Plantagenet (February 25, 1475 - November 28, 1499), never married, imprisoned in the Tower of London, impersonated by Lambert Simnel, executed under Henry VII, Husband: Sir Richard Pole (married 1491-1494, perhaps on September 22, 1494; supporter ofHenry VII). She was more likely arrested simply because of her maternal connection to Henry and Reginald, her sons, and perhaps the symbolism of her family heritage, the last of the Plantagenets. by Susan Higginbotham. It was not a bloodbath, but a selective cull, carried through by process of law. According to the account, she turned her head "every which way", instructing the executioner that, if he wanted her head, he should take it as he could. This phrase has been interpreted as meaning Edward was of low intelligence; it only means that he was unworldly, and Higginbotham sees this. The Execution of a Duke. Edward IV died in 1483 when Margaret was ten. But Reginald stayed in Italy through the reign of Anne Boleyn supposedly preparing a learned statement on the kings case. Pierces book is thorough and scholarly, and her work is acknowledged in Higginbothams biography, which is less detailed, but serious and judicious. Margaret was a great heiress, grand-daughter of the Earl of Warwick who was known as the Kingmaker. She would have been a widow when the portrait was painted, but she holds a sprig of honeysuckle, symbol of love and marriage. Henry VII also decided, about that time, to marry the 15-year-old Margaret to his half-cousin, Sir Richard Pole. It was the beginning of a fertile new line. Her daughter Ursula married the Duke of Buckingham's son, Henry Stafford, but after the Duke's fall, the couple were given only fragments of his estates. Sir Thomas having continued a Prisoner in the Tower somewhere more than a Twelvemonth, for he was committed about the middle of April 1534, and was brought to his Trial on the 7th of May, 1535. he went into the Court leaning on his Staff, because he was much weakened by his Imprisonment, but appeared with a cheerful and composed Countenance. His home at Chelsea was as close as Tudor England would come to an 18th century French salon. Margaret's loyalty was to Katherine of Aragon and to her daughter Princess Mary to whom she was governess and godmother. But Margaret herself was an ornament to Henry. Family solidarity, the code of survival, did not mean much to Reginald, brought up under an alien roof; if he were to lose his earthly family, he said, he would still have the fellowship of the saints in paradise. Read More. He was a brilliant scholar of the Renaissance who died rather than betray the Catholic church. Her father, already Duke of Clarence, was then created Earl of Salisbury and of Warwick. Henry wrote to Margaret, who in turn wrote to her son, reproving him for his "folly". In 1540, Cromwell fell from favour and was attainted and executed. He grew up cultivated and cosmopolitan, sensitive, lively-minded. Two days later, a four-count indictment charging More with treason was presented to the commission. Because of this, she becomes an unprovoked target for the King's anger. Her father, Duke of Clarence and brother to Edward IV, switched sides several times during that long family battle over the crown of England. He was first appointed a Privy Councilor and accompanied Wolsey to an important diplomatic mission to Europe. Such was his reputation that the the great universities Oxford and Cambridge made him high steward. 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. When he told her that her goods had been seized, she must have known it was the beginning of the end, and seemeth thereat to be somew[hat] appalled, but neither then nor at any later point did she profess anything but loyalty to Henry and regret at her familys folly. In 1504, More was elected to Parliament and one of his first acts was to oppose Henry VIIs request of a grant of three-fifteenths. It is unlikely she had seen him for many years, but in any case, mourning for a traitor was inadvisable. Geoffrey appealed to Thomas Cromwell, who had him arrested and interrogated. The little Earl of Warwick remained alive and shut away. ), St. Marie's Church in New Bilton, Rugby, England. It seems Margaret was questioned about her contacts with Barton, but she came to no harm as a result and, unlike Gertrude, she escaped without grovelling. Thomas More is the "Man For All Seasons" in the title of the play. His father was not supportive, but More was fully prepared to be disowned rather than disobey Gods will. Chapuys wrote that, "at first, when the sentence of death was made known to her, she found the thing very strange, not knowing of what crime she was accused, nor how she had been sentenced". Henry VIII married Catherine of Aragon in 1509 and Margaret was again appointed as one of her ladies-in-waiting. She is a close student of the sources, and careful not to stuff her novels with false excitements. After her husband's death, Margaret acted as regent for her son James V, from 1513-1515. 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. He was sentenced to a traitors death to be drawn, hanged, and quartered but the king changed it to beheading. He died on 8 August 1420. Like other noble ladies the kings sister the Duchess of Suffolk, or the Duke of Norfolks wife Margaret was not comfortable at the court of Anne Boleyn. A Professional theme for architects, construction and interior designers When Arthur died in 1502, the Poles lost that position. And when the English clergy were forced to acknowledge Henry as the supreme head of their church, More attempted to resign his office. He blindfolded himself and exhorted the assembled crowd to witness his end in the faith and for the faith of the Catholic Church, the kings good servant but Gods first. Even Mores Protestant enemies did not believe him a traitor; his death was almost universally held to be nothing less than martyrdom. Although a jury of twelve men would have . After bearing More three daughters (Margaret, Elizabeth, Cicely) and one son (John), Jane died in 1511. Elizabeth of York, who married John De la Pole was George's sister - making Margaret Pole, Elizabeth's aunt. Mary's household was broken up at the end of the year, and Margaret asked to serve Mary at her own cost, but was not permitted. Thomas More: A very brief history June 29, 2017; Henry VIII's Westminster Tournament 1511 June 5, 2017; Wolsey, for all his brilliance and cunning, could not compete with that influence. It states that Margaret refused to lay her head on the block, declaiming, "So should traitors do, and I am none". Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Margaret was perhaps guilty only by association, but at this distance it is impossible to tell. But his older brother perished and the younger brother was crowned at 18 years old, and quickly wed his brothers widow. Nothing worked. After she had redeemed her dead brothers lands from the crown, she owned property in Calais, and estates in Wales and 17 English counties. Her second son, Arthur Pole, had a generally successful career as a courtier, becoming one of the six Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber. In April 1523, he was elected speaker of the House of Commons. By 1527, the king was in his mid-thirties, and his wife six years older. "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). 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. Mores beginnings, however, hardly predicted his spectacular career. It is painted on a dateable oak panel, and the dates suit the presumed subject, but the artist is anonymous. Our Lady of Lourdes in Harpenden, Hertfordshire. Managed all schedules for company and . Jan 2016 - Mar 20226 years 3 months. Thomas More was born on 7 February 1478 in London, the son of a successful lawyer. The hands are the standard-issue long-fingered type; a black ribbon, added later, may conceal damage to the paint. And More determined that their daughters would receive the same education as their son. There was a new king, a handsome, athletic young man who had once been destined for the church. Margaret and Richard Pole had five children, born between about 1492 and 1504: four sons and the youngest a daughter. Certainly Henry wanted Mores support. Born 14 August 1473, Margaret was one of the few Plantagenets who had survived the Wars of the Roses She was the mother of . Birth Year: 1478. On 27th May, in 1541 Margaret Pole, niece of Richard III and Edward IV, was executed at the command of Henry VIII. And "Look," we say, "look, I'm anchored! [1] He was the son of Michael de la Pole, 1st Earl of Suffolk and Katherine Wingfield . His choice was Jane Colt, the eldest daughter of a gentleman farmer. On this date in 1541, 68-year-old Margaret Pole, countess of Salisbury, was beheaded within the confines of the Tower of London, as befitted her rank. Either her sons had not made her aware of their dealings, Fitzwilliam concluded, or she was an adept in brazen deceit. His resignation was at first not accepted. * Thomas Stafford (1531-4 May 1557) who was captured and executed for High Treason in Scarborough. The pilgrimage was an effort to organize a march on London to install a conservative Catholic government instead of Henry's increasingly Protestant-leaning one. His position at court meant that he was to be the kings advocate before parliament. This was partly due to Mores intellectual prominence; he was perhaps the most famous Englishman on the continent, with a wide and varied correspondence. If Margaret played any part in the downfall of Henrys second queen, her role was so far behind the scenes that it has left no trace. The Editor But eventually the break between the king and his chief minister could not be ignored. "Pole, Margaret Plantagenet, Bl." More had already begun writing his History of King Richard III as well; it is considered the first masterpiece of English history and is wholly pro-Tudor. Together, they had five children, but she was widowed in 1505. It gave the king pause, and More was allowed to return home. Stoke was a decisive victory. In 1512, Parliament, with Henrys assent, restored to her some of the lands that had been held by Henry VII for her brother while he was imprisoned, and then had been confiscated when he was executed. [13], In 1537, Reginald (still not ordained) was made a Cardinal. The trial of Sir Thomas More for treason opened in Westminster Hall on July 1, 1535. She had a small estate of land, inherited from her husband, but no other income and no prospects. 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. Get the best results here. When Henry began to poll the European universities about the legality of his annulment, he chose Reginald to visit the Sorbonne, and had no fault to find with the way he carried out his mission. The king added that his lack of a legitimate son was clear proof of Gods displeasure. 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