#wilkinson tag

[ednyfedfychan]

“Legh’s recall from exile [in March 1540] was, therefore, the earliest indication, albeit a heavily veiled one, of King Henry’s interest in Katherine [Howard]. The next clue was less subtle. It came on 24 April 1540, when Henry granted Katherine the goods and chattels of William Ledbeter, a Sussex yeoman, and his son, who had been indicted for murder the previous February. The following month, ‘twenty-three quilts of quilted sarcenet, bought of Baptist Borowne and Guilliame Latremoylle, [were] given to Mrs Haward’ from the royal wardrobe. Since gifts were a recognised part of the ritual of courtship, much might have been read into these awards to a mere maiden of honour.”

— Josephine Wilkinson, Katherine Howard

[ednyfedfychan]

Katherine Howard: The Tragic Story of Henry VIII's Fifth Queen, Josephine Wilkinson

[machiavellianjanearchive]

“For her part, Katherine brought to Henry’s attention the case of a certain Helen Page, otherwise known as Clerk. A spinster of Kedby in Lynsey, Helen was guilty of certain unspecified felonies committed between 12 September of the previous year and the present day, 10 August. Katherine requested pardon on Helen’s behalf, an appeal her doting husband was only too happy to grant.”

— Josephine Wilkinson, Katherine Howard: The Tragic Story of Henry VIII’s Fifth Queen

“The next morning, the king, accompanied by Catherine, went to inspect Lincoln Castle. The queen learnt of the case of a local spinster called Helen Page who had been condemned for various minor felonies. We do not know what Helen Page’s crimes were, or her sentence, or who brought it to the queen’s attention, but Catherine evidently heard enough to feel moved and she spoke to the king, who agreed to pardon the woman.”

— Gareth Russell, Young and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII

[ednyfedfychan]

Katherine Howard: The Tragic Story of Henry VIII's Fifth Queen, Josephine Wilkinson

[ednyfedfychan]

“Katherine was, at heart, a pragmatist. [...] Katherine had the personality traits nurtured by lifelong popularity among her peers, including an affable bossiness that became tart when defied. Years earlier, Katherine had been quick to rebuke Henry Manox for embarrassing her in his conversations with Mary Lascelles. Her exchange with the Archbishop of York displayed her insistence, perhaps to the point of sensitivity, on respect from those around her, as well as her tendency to back down when presented with a satisfactory explanation. If an argument persisted and no apology was offered, a less pleasant side of Katherine's character revealed itself.”

“Katherine [...] displayed leadership, resourcefulness and independence, which are qualities less commonly found in headstrong young girls.”

“On Katherine's part, she might have been sensitive to an unusually high degree to anything that might be interpreted as a slight. Perhaps there was more than a touch of Howard pride involved. [...] Dereham had failed to notice Katherine's ambition, or else he had not taken it as seriously as he should have done. For Katherine was certain of what she wanted, which was to go to court. Fiercely ambitious, she wanted more than anything else to be taken into the king's favour. Filled 'with the desire for worldly glory', nothing now was going to stop her. [...] An obscure Howard girl fired with ambition.”