Lord John Gray to Sir William Cecil, November 7, 1563.

In this series:

• Catherine Grey Elopes and Honeymoons in The Tower.
• Lord John Gray to Sir William Cecil, November 7, 1563.
• An Anonymous Account of Lady Catherine Grey's Final days.

Tudor politics was a dangerous game. A young woman, like Katherine Grey, who had royal blood that could see her forwarded to replace Elizabeth I on the throne of England, was in way over her head simply by being alive. In fact, John Hales, once a servant of Henry VIII, had secretly written a  text declaring Catherine the true heir to the throne. Of course, it wasn’t secret for long and Catherine took up residence in The Tower.

To elope with the young Earl of Hertford, rather than ask permission of the Queen, was worse than foolish on both of their parts. Katherine soon found herself pregnant, without allies and imprisoned in The Tower where she remained for the rest of her short life, with the exception of about one year and a half when she was released to her Uncle John’s care, at Pirgo.  She died on January 26, 1568, age 27.

Her son Edward was born on September 21, 1561, and remained with her in her apartments. Then followed a truly Tudor turn of events. Her illegitimate husband, the young Earl of Hertford, was also imprisoned in the Tower or given overnight visiting privileges. (Stories vary.) In the words of Davey’s The Tower of London:

Elizabeth's fury may be conceived when she learnt that on February 10, 1563 [O. S. apparently], the young Countess had given birth to another child, in the Bell Tower, who, like his elder brother, was baptized in St. Peter's, two Tower warders acting as godparents. He received the name of Thomas, after his great-uncle, the Lord Admiral. Elizabeth was so fiercely infuriated by this event that she resolved to settle matters once and for all, and Hertford was condemned to pay a fine of 15,000 marks, a mere excuse for the confiscation of his estates.[1]

The children of Hertford and Grey were declared to be the issue of an adulterous relationship.

All of that said, Katherine and the children’s lodgings in the Tower were not dank and clammy. The following is a 1561 list of her furnishings provided to William Cecil, at the time Elizabeth’s Principal Secretary:

five pieces of Tapestry to hang the chamber; three window pieces of the like stuff; a sparver for a bed of changeable silk damask; a silk quilt of red striped with gold ; a bed and boulster of downe with two pillows of downe; one white linnen quilt stuffed with wool ; four pair of fustians, the one of six breadths the others of five ; two carpets of Turkey making; one small window carpet ; one chair of cloth of gold raised with crimson velvet, with two pommels of copper gilt, and the Quenes Arms on the back; one  cushion of purple velvet; two footstools covered with green velvet; one cubbard joined; and one bed, one boulster, and a counterpane for her woman. It must be owned that this List looks royal; but some marginal notes in the hand writing of Sir Edward Warner the Lieutenant of the Tower, declare the whole to have been old, worn, broken, and dilapidated. Sir Edward Warner in a Letter to Sir William Cecill Sept. 8th. 1563, says that the Lady Catherine did further injury to this furniture "with her monkeys and dogs."[2]

Lord John Gray to Sir William Cecil, enclosing the lady Catherine's Petition to the Queen.[3]

[Ms. LANSDOWNE 6. art. 37. Orig.]

My good cousen I have heerin enclosed the coppie of my neyces letter to the Queenes Mageste, wherin I am to crave your fryndly advyes and counsell (before yt be delyvered to my lord Robert,) howe you lyke yt; for yf you wyll have onni thyng amendyd theer I pray you note yt, and my man shaull bryng yt backe to me agayne. For I wold be lothe theer shuld be onni faute found with onni word theerin wrytten. Good cousen Cecill as you may contynew your fryndshipp to the furtherauns of the Queenes Magestys most gracyous favor and merse towardes her, I assure you she hathe emputed no smaulle parte of her well spedyng unto your assured fryndshippe, wyche I am shure nether she nor I neyd not to request the contynuauns therof. Thus besechyng you to make my hearty commendatyons to my good lady my cousen, your wyfe, I take my leve of you for this tyme. From Pyrgo the 7th of November 1563.

by your loving cowsine

and assured frynd

to my smaulle power

JOHN GREY.

 

To my verye lovinge cowsigne

Sir William Cecill knight cheif

Secretarye to the Quenes Majestie.

Lady Catherine's Petition to the Queen.

I dare not presume Most gracious Soveraigne, to crave pardon for my disobedient and rasche matchinge of my selfe, withowt your Highenes consent, I onely most humblye sewe unto your Highenes, to continewe your mercyfull nature towarde me. I knowledge myselfe a most unworthye creature to feale so muchc of your gracious favour as I have don. My just felt miserye and continuall greife dothe teache me dailye, more and more, the greatnes of my faulte, and your princelye pittie encreasethe my sorrowe, that have so forgotton my dewtie towardes your Majestie. This is my great torment of minde. Maye it therefore please your excellent Magestie to licence me to be a most lowlye sutor unto your Highenes to extende towarde my miserable state your Magesties further favour and accustumed mercye, which uppon my knees in all humble wise I crave, with my daylye prayers to God, longe continew and preserve your majesties Raigne over us. From Pirgo the vjth. of November 1563.

Your Majesties most humble bounden

and obedient subjecte.

---

[1] Davey, Richard. The Tower of London (1910). 231.

[2] Ellis, Henry. Original Letters, Illustrative of History (1827). 274.

[3] Ibid. 280-2.

Also at Virtual Grub Street:

A Model for Lady Macbeth.  July 12, 2020.  “In Macbeth, the Lady of the castle would also seem to be her Lord’s indomitable will.  She will see the deeds done that need be done in order for him to pass the daunting tests and wear the crown.”

A Most Curious Account of the Funeral of Queen Elizabeth I: April 28, 1603.  April 28, 2019.  “Once it was clear that James I would face no serious challenges, Cecil and the others could begin to give attention to the matter of the Queen’s funeral.”

Queen Elizabeth I’s Heart and the French Ambassador.  April 3, 2019.  “…the Queen of England, with the permission of her physicians, has been able to come out of her private chamber, she has permitted me… to see her…”

Gossip as History: The Murder of Amy Robsart. February 17, 2020. "The first sudden death Leicester was rumored to have caused was that of his wife, Amy Robsart, in 1560. In that year, it was still not clear whether the Queen would marry. But certainly not her beloved Leicester if he were married."

Check out the English Renaissance Article Index for many more articles and reviews about this fascinating time and about the Shakespeare Authorship Question.

Check out the English Renaissance Letter Index for many letters from this fascinating time, some related to the Shakespeare Authorship Question.