Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury 1473-1541

Hazel Pierce

Description

Born in 1473, Margaret Pole was the daughter of George, duke of Clarence, niece of both Edward IV and Richard III, and the only woman, apart from Anne Boleyn, to hold a peerage title in her own right during the sixteenth century. She was restored by Henry VIII to her executed brother's earldom of Salisbury in 1512. In the 1530s, however, her deep Catholic convictions became increasingly out of favour with Henry and she was executed on a charge of treason in 1541 aged sixty-seven. In 1886, Margaret Pole was among sixty-three martyrs beatified by Pope Leo XIII for not hesitating 'to lay down their lives by shedding of their blood' for the dignity of the Holy See.

In this first biography of a significant female figure in the male-dominated world of Tudor politics, Hazel Pierce presents the life and culture of this propertied, titled lady against the social and political background of late Yorkist and early Tudor Britain. Containing important new research on aristocratic life and court politics in the period, and including a complete reappraisal of the so-called 'Exeter conspiracy', Margaret Pole is a major contribution to our understanding of Henry VIII's relationship with the nobility, and the political, social and cultural position of women in sixteenth-century England.

Sujets

• Histoire
• Inglaterra
• England

Informations

• Publié par: University of Wales Press
• Date de parution: 15 février 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780708323618
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, 1473–1541

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Margaret Pole,
Countess of Salisbury,
1473–1541

LOYALTY, LINEAGE AND LEADERSHIP

Hazel Pierce

UNI VERSI TYOF WALES PRESS
CARDI FF
2003

© Hazel Pierce, 2003

First published, 2003
Paperback edition, 2009; reprinted 2010

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any material form
(including photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and
whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication)
without the written permission of the copyright owner except in accordance
with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Applications
for the copyright owner’s written permission to reproduce any part of this
publication should be addressed to The University of Wales Press, 10 Columbus
Walk, Brigantine Place, Cardiff, CF10 4UP.

www.uwp.co.uk

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-0-7083-2189-8
e-ISBN 978-0-7083-2361-8

The right of Hazel Pierce to be identified as author of this work has been
asserted by her in accordance with sections 77, 78 and 79 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Printed by Lightning Source UK Ltd, Milton Keynes

For Brian, Jacob and Andy.

‘I’ve dreamt in my life dreams that have stayed with me ever after,
and changed my ideas; they’ve gone through and through me,
like wine through water, and altered the colour of my mind.’
(Emily Brontë,Wuthering Heights)

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Contents

List of Illustrationsviii
Preface ix
List of Abbreviationsxii
1 Ancestryand Marriage, 1473–15041
2 Widowhoodand Restoration, 1504–151928
3 TheCountess of Salisbury: A Female Magnate56
4 TheBeginning ofthe End, 1519–153885
5 TheFall of the Pole Family, 1538115
6 Assessment141
Epilogue 171
Appendix IGenealogical Tree of Margaret Pole,
Countess of Salisbury184
Appendix IIMap ofthe Lands ofthe Countess ofSalisbury
in 1538186
Appendix IIIThe Lands ofthe Countess ofSalisbury in 1538
and their Descent187
Notes 190
Bibliography 231
Index 253

List of Illustrations

Between pages 84 and 85

George, duke of Clarence
Reginald Pole
Catherine Hastings, countess ofHuntingdon
William Fitzwilliam, earl ofSouthampton
Warblington Castle
The Salisbury Chantry

Preface

The origins of this book can be found in my Ph.D. thesis completed
in 1997. At that time my external examiner, Dr George Bernard,
kindly suggested that the fall ofthe Pole family would make a very
good article. However, I am grateful that the University ofWales
Press has published Margaret as a biography. Although I hope that
the fall ofthe family in 1538 will prove helpful towards an
understanding ofHenry VIII’s relationship with his nobility, the
rest ofMargaret’s life is equally worthy ofattention. In fact, she
has proved to be one ofthe most fascinating, yet elusive of
individuals. Her elusiveness is a result ofthe dearth ofpersonal
letters – only a few survive – and the fact that neither her will nor
that ofher husband are extant. Nevertheless, a considerable
amount ofother material does exist including a full inventory of
her household at Warblington and a complete set ofministers’
accounts for her lands in 1538. The survival ofearlier ministers’
accounts, along with various estate papers, has made it feasible to
investigate the administration ofMargaret’s lands and thus
evaluate her success as a ‘good lord’ and her status as a female
magnate. The fascination lies in the vicissitudes of her life which
were extreme: from royal princess, to knight’s wife, to impecunious
widow, to wealthy and independent peeress and finally to
ignominious death at the age ofsixty-seven, butchered at the hands of
an inexperienced executioner. The challenge ofthis work has been
in trying to discern and understand how Margaret dealt with each
of thesedifferent stages of her life and what that reveals about the
world in which she lived and operated.
I have incurred many debts of gratitude during the writing of this
book and it is a pleasure for me to thank all those individuals whose
help and assistance have been instrumental in the preparation of

x

Preface

this work. Gratitude is due to the staffof theSchool of History
and Welsh History at the University ofWales, Bangor, Dr Anthony
Claydon, Dr Alan Dyer and, most especially, Professor Anthony Carr
for all his help over the years. I should also like to thank Duncan
Campbell at the University of Wales Press, Dr David Starkey, Peter
and Carolyn Hammond and the late Dr Jennifer Loach. I am very
grateful to Dr David Joyner for his diligent proof- reading and
enlightening suggestions, Professor Michael Hicks for his helpful
advice regarding the duke ofClarence, Dr Bev Murphy for all the
thought-provoking conversations we have enjoyed and Professor
Colin Richmond for his invaluable encouragement.
I am grateful to the archivists at the various record offices I have
approached, to Mr James Collett-White ofBedfordshire Record
Office concerning Edith St John, Mr C. D. Webster and Ms Sue
Oatley at the Isle ofWight Record Office, Kenneth Tullett, archivist
at Christchurch Priory, Father Ian Dickie, archivist at the Westminster
Diocesan Archives and in particular to Mrs Helen Poole, director
of theSussex Archaeological Society, for her tireless provision of
information regarding the Lewknor and Pakenham families. Thanks
are also due to the staffof thePublic Record Office, especially
Mrs Karen Grannum, to the staffof themanuscripts room in the
British Library and to the staffof Havant Museum, Hampshirefor
their advice concerning Warblington Castle. I should like to thank
all those who have provided help regarding the illustrations for this
book, in particular Mr Geoffrey Wheeler for his photographs of
the duke ofClarence and the Salisbury Chantry, Mrs Gill Steedman
for helpfully arranging our visit to photograph the Hastings Tomb
in St Helen’s Church, Ashby de la Zouch, Mrs Diana Bishop for kindly
allowing me to photograph Warblington Castle, Miss Karen Lawson
at The Royal Collection and the staffof theNational Portrait
Gallery.
I should like to pay tribute to my late friend and fellow historian,
Andy Downham, whose love ofhistory and encouragement ofmy
work remains a compelling stimulus, and to his parents, Peter and
Jean Downham, for their continuing friendship and support. Also
to friends and family whose help has been valued: Julie Bowker,
Gillian Galston, Robert Lewis, Terry Jones, Terry Williams and my
late aunt, Mrs Rosemary Williams. I owe a debt ofgratitude to my
mother Shirley and son Jacob for the sacrifices that enabled me to
undertake the initial research for this project. In particular, I wish

Preface

xi

to thank my Ph.D. supervisor, Professor David Loades, whose lectures
and tutorials fostered my fascination with this period while I was
an undergraduate student. I am indebted to him for the advice and
unstinting help he has continued to give me over the years, which
have been intrinsic to the development ofthis work, and for
the constructive comments he made on an earlier version ofthis
manuscript. Most especially I wish to thank my husband, Brian,
for his invaluable help with formatting, for his preparation ofthe
family tree and map and for providing one ofthe photographs for
this book. Without his constant support, and tolerance ofthis
other woman who has, by now, become as much a part of his life as
mine, this project would never have come to fruition.

Add. MS
APC

List of Abbreviations

BL
CAD
CCR
CPR
CSP, Domestic
CSP,Spain
CSP,Venetian
DKR
DNB
EHR
Excerpta Historica

HMC
L&P

LL

PRO
SAC
TRHS
VCH
WHR

Additional Manuscripts
J. Dasent (ed.),Acts of the Privy Council of
England, 1550–1552,vol. 3 (London, 1891)
British Library
Catalogue of Ancient Deeds
Calendar of the Close Rolls
Calendar of the Patent Rolls
Calendar of State Papers,Domestic Series
Calendar of State Papers, Spanish
Calendar of State Papers, Venetian
Deputy Keepers Report
Dictionary of National Biography
English Historical Review
S. Bentley (ed.),Excerpta Historica or,
Illustrations of English History(London,
1831)
Historical Manuscripts Commission
J. S. Brewer, J. Gairdner and R. H. Brodie
(eds),Letters and Papers, Foreign and
Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII,
1509–47(21 vols, London, 1862–1910)
M. S. C. Byrne (ed.),The Lisle Letters(6 vols,
London, 1981)
Public Record Office
Sussex Archaeological Collections
Transactions of the Royal Historical Society
Victoria County History
Welsh History Review

1
Ancestry andMarriage, 1473–1504

^

1
‘my LadyMClaraunce’argaret Pole Doughter to the Duc of

Margaret Plantagenet was born on 14 August 1473 at Farleigh
2
Castle near Bath.She was a royal princess ofYorkthe House of
whose father, George, duke ofClarence, stood thirdin line to the
throne ofEngland.Her mother, Isabel Neville, was the daughter of
Richard Neville, earl of Warwick (the kingmaker) and co-heiress to
one ofthe greatest landed estatesin England.Tewkesbury Abbey
wasin the patronage ofthe duke and duchess ofClarence, and
3
Margaret’s birth was proudly recordedin the abbey’s chronicle.
Thisis hardly surprising, for the arrival of a new member of the
royal house, especially a royal house that had taken possession of
the crown by force a mere twelve years earlier, was a significant
event. Margaret’s uncle, Edward IV, had ascended the thronein
1461 during the dynastic struggle known to history as the Wars of
the Roses. Having deposed the Lancastrian king, Henry VI,
Edward ruled for eight years before a rebellion placed his adversary
once again upon the throne.By this time Henry VI’s fragile mental
condition had deteriorated further and the prime movers behind
his readeption were none other than RiWarwchard, earl ofick,
Edward’s erstwhile supporter andMa