Famous criminals in the elizabethan era
Anne Boleyn (1536) - the mother of Queen Elizabeth IAnne Boleyn was the second wife of King Henry VIII. She was charged with treason, adultery, and incest. Originally, she was ordered to be burned at the stake, but the King commuted her sentence to beheading.
The primary crime was adultery, defined as one who had sexual intercourse with another that they were not married or engaged to. Four men were accused of being her lovers and were also executed because of her crime. Only one man admitted to having sex with Anne, but he only confessed when he went through extreme torture. Anne was also accused of having incest with her brother, which he denied. The true story is unknown, but some believe that Anne was innocent of all charges and the only way for Henry to get rid of her and continue his dalliances with his next wife, Jane Seymour, was through execution. |
Thomas cromwell (1540)Thomas Cromwell was possibly the most disliked in his time. He was arrested with charges of treason, heresy, corruption, and plotting to marry the Princess Mary. He was also well-known for a mission in England to destroy the Catholic church. Thomas was close to King Henry VIII, however, Henry had enough with Thomas and after years of trusting his advice and working alongside with him, he finally put him to death.
|
Henry Howard (1546)Henry Howard was a poet, courtier, solider, Earl of Surrey, and son of Thomas Howard, was executed by beheading on Tower Hill. He was guilty of treason on January 13, 1547, where evidence was given: “which concerned overt conspiracy as well as the usurpation of the royal arms”. It was said that he had displayed in his own heraldry the royal arms and insignia, with three labels silver, therefore threatening the king’s title and to the throne and the prince’s inheritance. Henry’s father, Thomas, was also sentenced for execution, however he escaped it because Henry VIII died before his scheduled execution.
|
Edward seymour (1552)On January 22, 1552, Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset and former Lord Protector, was executed on Tower Hill. He was accused of widespread social unrest in England, such as the Prayer Book Rebellion in the South West in 1549. He was arrested with charges for ambition, vainglory, entering into rash wars in mine youth, negligent looking on Newhaven, enriching himself of treasure, following his own opinion, and doing all by his own authority. As a result, his punishment was beheading for this severe crime.
|
Robert Deverux (1601)
Robert Deverux, second Earl of Essex, was thirty-four years old when he was beheaded. His actions took the worst of him as he was fiercely jealous, easily offended, and impatient of rule by women. One day in 1598 the Queen refused a request of his and he turned his back on her by pulling his sword out and nearly killing her but was stopped by guards. He was forgiven later on, but later on in rage, he plotted to seize the Queen and take control of the government. The Queen found out about this and she got her right hand man, Robert Cecil, to arrest him along with other soldiers. Robert surrendered and was imprisoned in the Tower of London for treason. He begged to not be executed in public, but instead privately, and that wish was granted because of his reputation around London. The beheading process took three strokes and the executioner held up the head of Robert Deverux, saying “God save the Queen!”
|