Friday's Faces From the Past

Agnes Tilney Howard

The Duchess of Norfolk

1477 - May 1545

My 11th great-grandmother

Agnes Tilney was born about 1477. She was the daughter of Hugh Tilney of Skirbeck and Boston, Lincolnshire and  Eleanor, daughter of Walter Tailboys and Alice Stafford Cheyney.  Agnes married her cousin, Elizabeth Tilney Howard's husband following Elizabeth's death. A special dispensation was received in order for the marriage to take place, just four months after Elizabeth's death. . (I am sure the dispensation was made due to the fact that Elizabeth died in childbearing, leaving 10 orphan children behind.)

The Duchess had seven children of her own with the Duke of Norfolk.After her husband's death, the Dowager Duchess became first in the Queen's household, behind only to Mary Tudor, the King's sister. The Duchess was step-grandmother to the King's second wife, Anne Boleyn. She carried Queen Anne's train during her coronation, and was godmother to Anne's daughter, the future Queen Elizabeth (1). And she was step-grandmother to the King's fifth wife, Catherine Howard. (We won't go into the gory details, but somehow the Dowager Duchess had kept favor with the king.)

The Queen Catherine was later accused of vile sexual indiscretions both before and after marriage to the King. She and members of the Howard household were arrested and placed in the Tower of London. The Dowager Duchess's apartments were searched, and although she declared to have known of the indiscretions prior to the marriage, she repeatedly affirmed that she did not know of those after the marriage to the King. Many of the Howard's were arrested and put in the Tower, including the Dowager's eldest son, William, and a daughter, Anne. When brought to trial their charges were brought down from Treason to misconduct of knowledge of the Queen's Treason. Instead of death, they were sentenced to life imprisonment in the Tower, and all of their possessions, titles, and money's forfeited to the King's coffers. Although named in the charges, the Dowager was not brought to trial  as she was 'old and testy', and 'may die out of perversity to defraud the King's Highness of the confiscation of her goods', but like the others she was sentenced to imprisonment and forfeiture of lands and goods.

The King thought the Dowager was as guilty of Treason as Queen Catherine and Lody Rochford, both who were sentenced to beheading. However, the Privy Council urged leniency on the part of the King due to the Dowager's advanced age and health. He eventually pardoned her and she was released. Her step-son, the 2nd Duke of Norfolk , was released and forgiven by the King, and was able to keep his possessions and Title. However, he was never fully favored by the King again.

The Dowager Duchess died in May of 1545. She was first buried at Thetford Abbey, but was later reinterred, at her written request at Lambeth Church in Surrey.

St. Mary at Lambeth Church, Surrey, England

Burial place of Agnes Tilney Howard

Those Places Thursday

Do you recognize this place?

You probably know more about it than you think you do. Just from looking at it, one might think it a lovely castle, with a curiosity fence surrounding it so that well meaning visitors don't come too close.

This is the Tower of London in England.

During the reign of Henry VIII, this particular building, or rather it's grounds, saw many bloody beheadings. And it was only recently that I learned of ancestors who were sent here at old Henry's request!

Lord Thomas Howard, my 10th great grand uncle, son of Sir Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk (my 10th great-grandfather), was imprisoned here in early July 1536. He had secretly become engaged to Lady Margaret, the King's sister, and his successor to the throne after his two daughters. The king became enraged over the secret engagement. Both Sir Thomas Howard and Lady Margaret Tudor were thrown into the Tower of London. On 18 July 1536 an Act of Attainder accusing Lord Howard of attempting to 'interrupt ympedyte and lett the seid Succession of the Crowne' was passed in both houses of Parliament. The Act sentenced Howard to death, and forbade the marriage of any member of the King's family without his permission.

While in the Tower, Lady Margaret came down with a fever. She was moved to Sion Abbey, where she was allowed to recuperate. Howard, however, remained in the Tower. His death sentence was reduced to life imprisonment in the Tower.

On 31 October 1537, Howard died from a "fatal illness", while still in the Tower. His corpse was turned over to his mother (my 10th great grandmother), the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk. She was given strict instructions to bury him most swiftly and "without pomp". (Funerals for the elite were large lavish affairs, and often cost several thousand pounds back then, equivalent to over a million dollars today.) His mother then buried him immediately at Thetford Abbey.

This is all that remains of Thetford Abbey (or Thetford Priory) today. It is here that Sir Thomas Howard lies buried. If there are graves remaining here, there are no stones to mark their place.

Sir Thomas was but one of a few of my ancestors who was held in the Tower. And we'll talk later about beheadings of a few of those! (Oh Henry...you were such a naughty boy!)