On the 8th of February the Imperial Ambassador sent the Emperor further details about the capture of Jane’s father and uncle, ‘The Duke was found in a hollow tree and John buried under some hay; and the Duke was discovered by a dog.’ And also noted the capture of the remaining the other Grey brother. He also revealed that the Queen had ordered Jane and Guildford’s executions on the previous Tuesday (6th February) but ‘I am not certain that the deed had yet been done.’ (1)
As the bells of London rang out as commanded by the Queen ‘for the good vyctory that the quen(‘s) grace had aganst Wyatt and the rebellyous of Kent (2), could Jane hear them from the Tower? Although Mary could no longer save Jane’s life, Jane and Guildford’s executions had been set for the next day, Mary was determined to try and save Jane’s soul. So Dr Feckenham, Mary’s personal chaplain was sent to the Tower to try and convert Jane to Catholicism. Dr Feckenham left Jane and sort an audience with the Queen to ask for a delay to the executions.
Sources
1. ‘Spain: February 1554, 6-10’, in Calendar of State Papers, Spain, Volume 12, 1554, ed. Royall Tyler (London, 1949), pp. 82-93. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/spain/vol12/pp82-93 [accessed 7 February 2022].
2. ‘Diary: 1554 (Jan – June)’, in The Diary of Henry Machyn, Citizen and Merchant-Taylor of London, 1550-1563, ed. J G Nichols (London, 1848), pp. 50-66. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/camden-record-soc/vol42/pp50-66 [accessed 7 February 2022].
