The King is Dead Read online

think meet necessary or convenient for the benifit

  honour and suretye or the weale profet or26

  commodytye of our sayd sonne his Realms

  dominions or Subgectz, or discharge of ^our conscience[,]

  And the same thinges devised made or ordeyned

  by them or the more part of them[,] as aforsayd[,]

  shall and may Laufully do execute and accomplishe,

  or cause to be done executed and accomplished

  by their discretions[,] or the discretions of the

  [FOLIO 22]

  more part of them[,] as aforsayde, In as large and ample

  maner as if we had or did expresse unto them by

  a more sp[e]call commission under our great Seale

  of Englande, every particuler cause that may chaunce

  or occurre during the tyme of our sonnes sayde

  minorite[,] and the self same maner of proceding

  which they shall for the tyme think meet to use

  and folowe[;] Willing and charging our sayd

  sonne[,] and all others which shall hereafter be

  Counsaillours to our sayd sonne[,] that they never

  charge molest trouble nor disquyet our forsayde

  Counsaillours[,] nor any of them[,] for the devising or

  doing[,] nor any other personne for the doing of that they

  shall devise[,] or the more part of them devise or

  do assembled as aforesaid; And we do

  charge expressely the same our entierly beloved

  Counsaillours and executours[,] that they shall take

  upon them the rule and charge of our sayd sonne

  and heyre in all his causes and affayres[,] and of

  the hole Realme[,] doing nevertheles all thinges

  as under him and in his name[,] until our sayde

  sonne and heyre shalbe bestowed and maryed

  by their advise[,] and that the eightenth yere be

  expyred[;] Willing and desyring furthermore

  our forsayd trusty Counsaillours[,] and then all our

  [FOLIO 23]

  trusty and assured servauntz[,] and thirdly all other our

  Loving Subgectz to ayde and assist our fornamed

  Counsaillours in th[’]execution of the premisses during

  the forsayd tyme[,] Not doubting but they will

  in all thinges deale so truely and uprightly as

  they shall have cause to think them well chosen

  for the charge committed unto them[;] Straictly

  charging our sayd counsaillours and executours[,]

  and in Goddes name we exhort them, that for the

  singuler trust and special confidence which

  we have and ever had in them[,] to have a due

  and diligent eye[,] perfaict zeale[,] love and affection

  to the honour[,] suretye[,] estate and dignitye of our

  sayd sonne[,] and the good state and prosperite

  of this our Realme[,] And that[,] all delayes sett

  a part[,] they will ayd and assiste our sayd

  Counsaillours and executours to the performaunce

  of this our present Testament and Last Will

  in every part as they will aunswer before God

  at the Daye of judgement[,] Cum venerit Iudicare

  vivos et mortuos[.]

  And furthermore for the sp[ec]iall trust and confidence

  which we have in the Erles of Arundel and

  Essex that nowe be[,] Sir Thomas Cheney Knight[,]

  Treasorer of our household[,] Sir John Gage Knight[,]

  [FOLIO 24]

  Comptroller of our household[,] Sir Anthony Wingfeld

  Knight our Vichambrelayn[,] Sir William Petre Knight[,]

  oon of our twoo principall Secretarys[,] Sir Richard

  Riche Knight[,] Sir John Baker Knight[,] Sir Rafe

  Sadleyr Knight[,] Sir Thomas Seymour Knight,

  Sir Richard Southwell and Sir Edmund Peckham

  Knightes[,] they and every of them shalbe of counsail

  for the ayding and assisting of the fornamed

  Counsaillours and our executours, whenne they or

  any of them shalbe called by our sayd executours

  or the more part of the same[.]

  Item, we bequethe to our doughters Mary and

  Elizabeth[’]s mariages[,] they being maried to any outward

  potentate by th[’]advise of the forsayd Counsaillours[,]

  if we bestowe them not in our lief tyme, ten thousand poundz

  in money plate Iewelz and household stuff for ech

  of them[,] or a Larger somme as to the discretion of

  our executours or the more part of them shalbe

  thought convenient[,] Willing them on my blessing

  to be ordered aswel in mariage as in all other

  Laufull thinges by th[’]advise of our forsayde

  Counsaillours, and in cace they will not[,] thenne

  the somme to be minished at the Counsaillours[’]

  discretion;

  [FOLIO 25]

  Further our Will is that[,] from the furst howre of

  our death until such tyme as the sayde

  Counsaillours canne provide either of them or bothe

  of sum honorable mariages[,] they shall have

  eche of them thre thousand poundes[,] ultra reprisas[,]

  to lyve on[,] willing and charging the forsayde

  Counsaillours to Limite and appoinct to either of them

  such sage officers and ministers for ordering

  thereof[,] as it may be employed both to our honour

  and theirs.

  And for the great love obedyence chastnes of lief

  and wisedom[,] being in our fornamed Wief and Quene[,]

  We bequeth unto her for her proper use, and as

  it shall pleas her to ordre it[,] thre thousand poundes

  in plate Iewelz and Stuff of household[,] besides

  such apparail as it shall pleas her to take

  of such as she hath allredy[;] And further we

  gyve unto her one thousand poundes in money[,] with the

  enioying of her dower and Ioynter accordinge

  to our graunt by Act of Parliament[.]

  Furthermore for the kindnes and good service that

  our sayd executours have shewed unto us[,] we

  gyve and bequethe unto eche of them such somes

  [FOLIO 26]

  of money or the value of the same as hereafter ensuith[;]

  Firste, to Th[’]Archebishop of Cantorbury — V C [500]27 m[ar]ks

  To the lord Wriothesley — V C [500] li 28To the lord

  Seint John — V C [500] li To the Lord Russell

  V C [500]29 li To Th[’]erle of Hertford — V C [500] li

  To the Visconte Lisle — V C [500] li To the bishop

  of Duresme — CCC [300] li To Sir Anthonye

  Broun — CCC [300] li To Sir William Paget CCC [300] li

  To Sir Anthony Denny — CCC [300] li To Sir

  William Herbert — CCC [300] li To Iustice

  Montague — CCC [300] li To Iustice Bromley —

  CCC [300] li To Sir Edward North — CCC [300] li

  To Sir Edward Wootton — CCC [300] li To Mr

  Doctor Wootton — CCC [300] li . Also for

  the sp[ec]iall love and favour that we bear to our trusty

  Counsaillours and other our sayd servaunts herafter folowing[,]

  we gyve and bequeyth unto them such sommes of

  money or the value thereof[,] as it totted upon their hedes[;]

  First to th’erle of Essex — CC [200] li To Sir

  Thomas Cheney — CC [200] li To the lord

  Herberd — CC [200] li To Sir John Gage

  CC [200] li To Sir Thomas Seymour — CC [200] li

  To Sir John Gates Knight — CC [200] li To Sir

  Thomas Darcy Knight — CC [200] li To Sir Thomas

  [FOLIO 27]


  Speke Knight — CC [200] mkes To Sir Philip Hobby Knight CC [200] mkes

  Sir Thomas Paston CC [200] mkes To Sir Maurice Barkley CC [200] mkes

  30To Sir Rafe Sadleyr CC [200] li To Sir Thomas Carden — CC [200] li.

  To Sir Peter Mewtes31 CC [200] mkes To Edward Bellingham CC [200] mkes

  To Thomas Audeley CC [200] mkes To Edmunde Harman CC [200] mkes

  To John Pen C [100] mkes To Henry Nevel C [100] li To

  Symbarde C [100] li To Cooke C [100] li To John

  Osburn C [100] li To David Vincent C [100] li To James

  Rufforth Keper of our hous here C [100] mkes To

  Cecill yoman of our Robes C [100] mkes To Sternhold

  grome of our robes C [100] mkes To John Rouland page

  of our Robes L [50] li To th[’]erle of Arundel

  Lord Chambrelain CC [200] li To Sir Anthony Wingfeld

  Vizchambrelain CC [200] li To Edmund Peckham CC [200] li

  To Sir Richard Riche CC [200] li To Sir John Bak[er]32 [CC [200] li

  To Sir Richard Southwell CC [200] li To Mr D[octor]

  Owen C [100] li To Mr. doctor Wendy C [100] li T[o]

  Mr doctor Cromer C [100] li To Alsopp [C [100] mkes]

  To Patrick C [100] mkes To A[lyliff C [100] mkes]

  To Ferrys C [100] mkes To Henry [C [100] mkes]

  To Hollande C [100] mkes To the four [gentlemen]

  huissers of our chambre being dayly wayters CC [200 li]

  And we will also that our executours[,] or the more part

  of them[,] shall gyve ordre for the payment of such

  Legacyes as they shall think meet to such our

  ordinary servauntes[,] as unto whom we have not

  appoincted any legacye by this our present Testament[:]

  The final folio of Henry VIII’s last will and testament. This last page gives the date of the will’s creation – 30 December 1546 – and is signed by Henry VIII (his dry stamp) and by his ten witnesses as well as his clerk, William Clerk. Contrary to suggestions that the witnesses may have signed a blank sheet into which the concluding text of the will was squeezed, the final page is as consistently spaced as the other folios and the signatures follow immediately underneath.

  [FOLIO 28]

  Finally this present writting in paper we ordeyn and

  make our Last Will and Testament, and will the

  same to be reputed and taken to all ententes and

  purposes for our good strong vaillable moost parfait

  and Last Will and Testament, and do declare

  all other Willes and Testamentes made at any tyme

  by us to be voyd and of non effect[.] In witnes

  whereof we have signed it with our hand in our

  Palays of Westm[inste]r the thirty Day of Decembre

  in the year of our Lord God a thousand fyve hundred

  fourty and six after the computation of the church

  of England, and of our reign the eight and thirty

  yere being present and called to be witnesses

  these personnes which have written their names

  herunder.

  HENRY R.

  John Gates

  George Owen

  Thomas Wendye

  Robert Huycke E. HARMAN

  Wyllyam Sayntbarbe

  Henry Nevell

  Richard Coke

  David Vincent

  Patrec

  W. Clerk.

  [COVERING FOLIO]

  (?) Confirmatus in dors(um) clavis cancellarii domini nostri [regii] Edwardi sexti de anno regni sui [primo]

  The Executors and the Regency Council

  The sixteen executors and regency councillors named by Henry VIII in his last will and testament are as follows:

  THOMAS CRANMER, Archbishop of Canterbury*

  THOMAS WRIOTHESLEY, Lord Chancellor of England* (later Earl of Southampton)

  WILLIAM PAULET, LORD ST JOHN, Great Master of the King’s Household and President of the Privy Council* (later Earl of Wiltshire and Marquess of Winchester)

  JOHN, LORD RUSSELL, the Lord Privy Seal* (later Earl of Bedford)

  EDWARD SEYMOUR, EARL OF HERTFORD, Great Chamberlain of England* (later Duke of Somerset and Lord Protector)

  JOHN DUDLEY, VISCOUNT LISLE, High Admiral of England* (later Earl of Warwick and Duke of Northumberland)

  CUTHBERT TUNSTAL, Bishop of Durham*

  SIR ANTHONY BROWNE, Master of the King’s Horse*

  SIR WILLIAM PAGET, ‘our Chief Secretary’*

  DR NICHOLAS WOTTON, Dean of Canterbury and York*

  SIR ANTHONY DENNY, one of the Chief Gentlemen of the King’s Privy Chamber

  SIR WILLIAM HERBERT, also one of the Chief Gentlemen of the King’s Privy Chamber

  SIR EDWARD NORTH, Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations

  SIR EDWARD MONTAGU, Chief Justice of the Commons Pleas

  SIR THOMAS BROMLEY, a puisne justice of the King’s Bench

  SIR EDWARD WOTTON, Treasurer at Calais*

  * Denotes members of Henry VIII’s Privy Council on 26 December 1546.

  The Assistants

  Those named ‘for the aiding and assisting of the forenamed councillors and executors’ are:

  HENRY FITZALAN, EARL OF ARUNDEL, Lord Chamberlain of the Household*

  WILLIAM PARR, Earl of Essex* (later Marquess of Northampton)

  SIR THOMAS CHENEY, Treasurer of the Household*

  Sir John Gage, Comptroller of the Household*

  SIR ANTHONY WINGFIELD, Vice-Chamberlain*

  SIR WILLIAM PETRE, one of the King’s two principal secretaries*

  SIR RICHARD RICH*

  SIR JOHN BAKER, Chancellor of the Tenths and First Fruits*

  SIR RALPH SADLER*

  SIR THOMAS SEYMOUR**

  SIR RICHARD SOUTHWELL

  SIR EDMUND PECKHAM

  * Denotes members of Henry VIII’s Privy Council on 26 December 1546.

  ** Sir Thomas Seymour was made a member of the Privy Council on 23 January 1547.

  Henry VIII’s Privy Council

  Those who attended at least one meeting of Henry’s Privy Council in 1546, and who therefore can be said to have been Henry VIII’s Privy Councillors, were as follows, minuted in this order:

  THOMAS CRANMER, Archbishop of Canterbury

  THOMAS WRIOTHESLEY, Lord Chancellor of England

  WILLIAM PAULET, LORD ST JOHN, Great Master of the King’s Household and President of the Privy Council

  JOHN, LORD RUSSELL, Lord Privy Seal

  EDWARD SEYMOUR, EARL OF HERTFORD, Great Chamberlain of England

  JOHN DUDLEY, VISCOUNT LISLE, High Admiral of England

  CUTHBERT TUNSTAL, Bishop of Durham

  SIR ANTHONY BROWNE, Master of the King’s Horse

  SIR WILLIAM PAGET, Secretary

  DR NICHOLAS WOTTON, Dean of Canterbury and York

  HENRY FITZALAN, EARL OF ARUNDEL, Lord Chamberlain of the Household

  WILLIAM PARR, Earl of Essex

  SIR THOMAS CHENEY, Treasurer of the Household

  SIR JOHN GAGE, Comptroller of the Household

  SIR ANTHONY WINGFIELD, Vice-Chamberlain

  SIR WILLIAM PETRE, Secretary

  SIR RICHARD RICH*

  SIR JOHN BAKER, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Under-Treasurer of England

  SIR RALPH SADLER, Master of the Great Wardrobe and Chamberlain of the Court of General Surveyors

  STEPHEN GARDINER, Bishop of Winchester

  THOMAS HOWARD, Duke of Norfolk

  * Sir Richard Rich held no major office at this time – he was essentially a ‘minister without portfolio’.

  Thomas Thirlby, Bishop of Westminster seems – in theory – to have been a member of Henry’s Privy Council, but he did not attend a single meeting in 1546. It may be, however, that the inclusion of the ‘Bishop of Westminster’ in the records refers, instead, to Stephen Gardiner, who, along with the episcopacy of Winchester, technically, by pontifical appointment, held that
of Westminster too.

  Sir Thomas Seymour was made a member of the Privy Council on 23 January 1547.

  Six months after Henry VIII died, instructions were issued for an inventory to be made of his possessions. This mammoth task took eighteen months to complete. There are two huge parts of this inventory: the first part (now Society of Antiquaries MS 129 A), which is 469 folios in length, details his money, jewels, plate, ordnance and munition, ships, and possessions in his armouries, stables, revels and tents; the second part (now British Library Harley MS 1419 A and B), which is 562 folios, details the contents of the king’s principal residences and wardrobes.

  Beyond the 9,150 guns, cannons or other pieces of artillery, over 2,000 pieces of tapestry and 2,028 pieces of plate are mentioned. What follows are a few items selected to illustrate the richness of the royal possessions at the time of Henry VIII’s death, and the extensiveness of the estate that he bequeathed to the new King Edward VI. I have modernized the spelling and added punctuation.

  In an act of scholarship almost equal in impressiveness to the original compilation, Dr David Starkey, with the help of Philip Ward and Alasdair Hawkyard, prepared for publication a comprehensive list of Henry VIII’s possessions. The full inventory of 17,813 itemized entries can be found in Starkey (ed.), The Inventory of King Henry VIII, Vol. 1, The Transcript (London, 1998). As a courtesy to readers wishing to consult the (original-spelling) versions in that volume, these selections are listed in order of the item numbers appearing there.

  The Crown, ‘Jewels of Gold’ and adornments

  [1] the King’s Crown of gold, garnished with 6 balas [rose-coloured spinel rubies], 5 sapphires, 5 pointed diamonds, 20 rubies, 19 pearls and one of the crosses of the same Crown garnished with a great sapphire, an emerald crased, 4 balas and 9 pearls not all of one sort and 3 sapphires… Upon the left side of the same cross a fleur-de-lis set with an image of a king with a great balas whole and a less balas, a pointed diamond, two pearls, a collar with a sapphire and a crampion with a pearl and with 30 small pearls… next that one other cross with a coarse sapphire, 4 coarse balas, a fair little emerald, a lozenged diamond like a heart, a ruby and 9 pearls… next that one other fleur-de-lis set with a Saint George, two balas, a pointed diamond, three pearls, a collar with a sapphire and 25 pearls… next that one other cross with a large round sapphire, four balas, nine pearls, a collar with a sapphire… next that one other fleur-de-lis set with an image of Our Lady and her Child, two balas, a pointed diamond, three pearls and a sapphire and 25 pearls… next that one other cross set with two sapphires, 4 balas, nine pearls… next that one other fleur-de-lis set with an image of a king, 2 balas, a sapphire, a pointed diamond, three pearls and with 20 pearls… next that one other cross set with a coarse sapphire, 4 balas, 9 pearls and a sapphire loop… next that an other fleur-de-lis set with an image of a king with two balas, a small pointed diamond, three pearls and a sapphire with 22 pearls… on the diadem above 12 pointed diamonds some better than other, three triangle diamonds, one table diamond and 32 pearls, two in a troche [lozenge] with a cap of purple velvet lined with black satin, weighing together 98 ounces