Anne’s World

Portrait of Thomas More from a 17th c. biography by William Roper

This collection of objects looks at the political and religious turmoil of the sixteenth century. Commonly, the English Reformation is often thought to have begun with Anne’s marriage to Henry, who broke with the Catholic Church and established himself the head of the Church of England in order to grant himself a divorce from his previous wife, Catherine of Aragon. Anne was able to assert influence through Henry as well as the patronage and power she had as queen.

Below lies a look at Thomas More’s prayer book. More (1478–1535) was Henry’s Lord High Chancellor of England, yet his opposition to the English Protestant Reformation and to Anne and Henry’s marriage would result in his execution. The book includes his final prayer before his execution, transcribed in his handwriting over the course of 19 pages. The prayer begins on the page pictured below with the words: “Give me thy grace good lord / to set the world at naught”. A full transcription can be found here.

Thomas More’s prayer book includes his final handwritten prayer.

This printed image of “The Imposture of the Holy Maid of Kent,” Elizabeth Barton (1506–1534), is taken from an illustrated history of England. Barton was another objector to the English Reformation and was hanged after prophesying Henry’s death as a result of his marriage to Anne. Elizabeth Barton may have opposed Anne, but their stories serve as foils and showcase the brutal treatment of women in their era. Barton’s placement next to More’s manuscript is a powerful reminder of monarchical tyranny and the religious upheavals of the era.

The Imposture of the Holy Maid of Kent, 1804

Another artifact showcasing Anne’s world is the so-called Bouche of courte manuscript. The manuscript is full of quotidian markers of sixteenth-century life, from lists of Lords to proportions of ale court members would receive. The page it is open to shows a court menu. Amongst the courses offered, one can find familiar dishes, such as butter and eggs, as part of the Secound cource. The manuscript is a reminder that while much has changed over the centuries, some things have not. Historical memory sometimes seems almost fantastical but the Bouche of courte reminds us that it is distinctly human.

A court menu from the Bouche of courte manuscript, 1571