The Tudor Society

  • Did Henry VIII Break His Promise to Robert Aske and Sir Robert Constable?

    1 hour ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Why did Henry VIII execute Robert Aske and Sir Robert Constable after granting them pardons for their involvement in the Pilgrimage of Grace?

    In December 1536, Henry VIII promised to pardon the rebels who had taken part in the Pilgrimage of Grace, the great northern rebellion that had caused him so much trouble that autumn. Robert Aske, one of the rebellion’s principal leaders, was even invited to court, where he met the king and discussed the grievances of the people of the north. Yet, just seven months later, Aske was executed at York, and Sir Robert Constable, another prominent participant in the rebellion, was hanged in chains at Hull.

    So what had happened to Henry VIII’s promise of mercy?

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  • #OTD in Tudor history – 26 October

    1 year ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Sir Thomas More by Holbein

    On this day in Tudor history, 26th October, Sir Thomas More was sworn in as Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor, replacing the fallen Cardinal Thomas Wolsey (1529); and the Pilgrimage of Grace rebels, who outnumbered the Crown’s forces, chose to negotiate rather than fight (1536)…

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  • #OTD in Tudor history – 7 April

    2 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    A still of Robert Aske from The Tudors series, a portrait of Charles VIII of France and a still of Elizabeth Boleyn from The other Boleyn Girl

    On this day in Tudor history, 7th April, Charles VIII of France died after hitting his head on a lintel; Robert Aske and Thomas Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy, were sent to the Tower of London for their parts in the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion; and Elizabeth Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire, was buried…

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  • October 21 – Armed peasants accost a herald

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 21st October 1536, during the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion in the reign of King Henry VIII, a herald was accosted by some armed peasants.

    Lancaster Herald was on his way to Pontefract Castle when he met the peasants. When he got to the castle, he met with Robert Aske, leader of the rebels.

    The meeting didn’t go well for the herald. Aske would not allow him to complete his mission.

    What was going on? Who was Lancaster Herald? What was his mission?

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  • April 7 – Robert Aske and Elizabeth Boleyn

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 7th April 1537, Robert Aske and Thomas Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy, were sent to the Tower of London.

    Both Aske and Darcy had been involved in the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion of 1536, with Aske being “chief captain” of the rebels.

    Even though Henry VIII pardoned the rebels after negotiations in 1536, Darcy and Aske were arrested, imprisoned and executed as traitors.

    Find out more about what happened and more about Robert Aske, the rebel leader…

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  • 26 October – Rain stops rebels going to battleand and Sir Thomas More is sworn in as Lord Chancellor

    4 years ago Author: Joel Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 26th October 1536, the rebels of the Pilgrimage of Grace halted at Scawsby Leys near Doncaster, where they met crown troops. The rebels were said to number around 30,000 and the crown’s army was only a fifth of the size, but the rebel leader, lawyer Robert Aske, chose to negotiate rather than fight.

    Why, when they could well have won?

    Well, one Tudor chronicler puts it down to rain. You can find out more about this meeting, how rain put a stop to the rebels’ plans, and what happened next between the Pilgrimage of Grace rebels and Henry VIII, in this video…

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  • 21 October – A herald, armed peasants and a rebel leader

    6 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 21st October 1536, during the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion, Lancaster Herald had an encounter with armed peasants on his way to Pontefract Castle and then met with rebel leader, Robert Aske, at the castle. The meeting didn’t go well, with Aske putting his foot down and not allowing the herald to complete his mission.

    What was going on? Who was Lancaster Herald? What was his mission?

    Find out more about the situation at Pontefract in today’s talk.

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  • 7 April – Robert Aske, the rebel leader

    6 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 7th April 1537, Robert Aske and Thomas Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy, were sent to the Tower of London.

    Both Aske and Darcy had been involved in the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion of 1536, with Aske being “chief captain” of the rebels. Even though Henry VIII pardoned the rebels after negotiations in 1536, Darcy and Aske were arrested, imprisoned and executed as traitors.

    Find out more about what happened and more about Robert Aske, the rebel leader, in today’s talk.

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  • 30 November – York remembers Robert Aske

    7 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Clifford's Tower, York

    Thank you so much to Kate Cartwright for alerting me to this news. On Friday 30th November, between 11am and 12.30pm, the Bishop of Middlesbrough, the Rt Rev Terence Drainey, is going to be unveiling a plaque in honour of Robert Aske, a lawyer who was one of the leaders of the Pilgrimage of Grace Rebellion of 1536, outside Clifford’s Tower in York.

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  • 12 July 1537 – The execution of Robert Aske

    10 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    54 Comments

    On this day in history, 12th July 1537, Robert Aske, lawyer and rebel, was hanged in chains outside Clifford’s Tower, the keep of York Castle. Aske was one of the leaders of the rebels in the 1536 northern uprising known as the Pilgrimage of Grace – click here to see a Pilgrimage of Grace timeline and here to read an article on the rebellion.

    Being hanged in chains was an awful way to die. Those executed this way were usually hanged alive in chains – rather than being hanged first in the usual manner and then put in chains on display – and took several days to die, being slowly suffocated to death. Horrible!

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