Lady Jane Grey Reference Guide

Books 2014 – On sale now- Inside the Tudor Court by Lauren Mackay

Posted on 28th February 2014 by Tamise

11 February – Inside the Tudor Court: Henry VIII and His Six Wives Through the Writings of the Spanish Ambassador Eustace Chapuys… by Lauren Mackay

‘The reports and despatches of Eustace Chapuys, Spanish Ambassador to Henry VIII’s court from 1529 to 1545, have been instrumental in shaping our modern interpretations of Henry VIII and his wives. Through his personal relationships with several of Henry’s queens, and Henry himself, his writings were filled with colourful anecdotes, salacious gossip, and personal and insightful observations of the key players at court, thus offering the single most continuous portrait of the central decades of Henry’s reign. Beginning with Chapuys’ arrival in England, in the middle of Henry VIII’s divorce from Katherine of Aragon, this book progresses through the episodic reigns of each of Henry’s queens. Chapuys tirelessly defended Katherine and later her daughter, Mary Tudor, the future Mary I. He remained as ambassador through the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, and reported on each and every one of Henry’s subsequent wives – Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Katherine Parr – as well as that most notorious of ministers Thomas Cromwell. He retired in 1545, close to the end of Henry VIII’s reign. In approaching the period through Chapuys’ letters, Lauren Mackay provides a fresh perspective on Henry, his court and the Tudor period in general.’

From Amazon.co.uk

Further details – Amazon.co.uk

Lauren Mackay – Historian

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Events by Place

Posted on 20th February 2014 by Tamise

This gallery contains 14 photos.

Last year I started a series of posts called ‘Events by Place.’ It looked at places linked to Lady Jane that I have visited. Here are all the places so far. I still have to visit Sudeley Castle!

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Events by Place – Tower of London – 19 August 1553

Posted on 19th February 2014 by Tamise

An Event by Place that I missed last summer. On 29th August 1553 the author of ‘The Chronicle of Queen Jane’ dined with Lady Jane.

Find out more here:

Events by Place – Tower of London 29 August 1553

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Remembering Lady Jane – Tower of London – 12 February 2014

Posted on 16th February 2014 by Tamise

Last Wednesday I visited the Tower of London to commemorate the 460th Anniversary of the execution of Lady Jane and Lord Guildford Dudley.

On arrival at the Tower we joined the Yeoman Warder tour. The tour differed slightly in content from the last few I have been on and it was nice to hear some different information.

At the beginning of the tour, our guide mentioned the execution of Guildford Dudley and pointed out the area on Tower Hill where the scaffold had stood.

Our Yeoman Warder

We were also shown the location of the house on Tower Green where Jane was imprisoned. Lady Jane was held in the house of Nathaniel Partridge (the Gentleman Gaoler) which was between the Lieutenant’s Lodging (now the Queen’s House) and the Beauchamp Tower (where the Dudley brothers were held). The current house is a later building.

It was not mentioned on any of my previous tours, so it was nice to finally be sure where it was.

Site of Nathaniel Partridge’s House

Due to the very cold wind, we didn’t spend long at the memorial on Tower Green but were ushered into the Chapel of St Peter Ad Vincula earlier than normal on the tour.

Tower Green memorial

Not that I complained about this! It meant that we spent longer in the Chapel, while the Yeoman Warder told us about the executions of Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard. He also indicated whereabouts under the altar they were both buried along with the possible locations of Jane and Guildford.

Chapel St Peter Ad Vincula

I had a seat in the second pew, so had a clear view of the plaque commemorating Lady Jane and Guildford Dudley.

At the end of the tour, I asked the Yeoman Warder if I could leave my flowers for Lady Jane (and that I had done the same for the 450th anniversary). He very kindly said yes, so I left them with him.

Plaque commemorating Jane, Guildford, Henry, Duke of Suffolk and others in St Peter ad Vincula. (c) Lara Eakins

Plaque commemorating Jane, Guildford, Henry, Duke of Suffolk and others in St Peter ad Vincula.
Photograph by (c) Lara Eakins

After the tour, we visited the Beauchamp Tower. On the ground floor there is an exhibition which features Jane.

Beauchamp Tower

Climbing the steps to the first floor we entered the room where the Dudley brothers and many others were imprisoned over the years.

View from the Beauchamp Tower

There are three carvings that could be related to Lady Jane. There are two separate carvings of the word ‘Jane’ and an elaborate carving of the Dudley coat of arms.

‘Jane’ carving in the Beauchamp Tower

Dudley coat of arms carving

Eric Ives writes, ‘Now, with the hours ticking away, she turned for refuge to the one reality which had given her identity and never let her down. The result was a series of epigrams, the first in Latin, the next in Greek and the last in English.

‘If Justice is done with my body, my soul will find mercy in God
Death will give pain to my body for its sine, but the soul will be justified before God.
If my faults deserve punishment, my youth at lease, and my imprudence were worthy of excuse; God and posterity will show me favour.’

(p. 275, Ives)

Sources

Thanks to Lara Eakins at Tudor History for letting me use her photo of the plaque commemorating Jane and Guildford.

Ives, E. (2009) Lady Jane Grey: A Tudor Mystery, Wiley-Blackwell.