Notes and Queries, Number 213, November 26, 1853

Оглавление

Various. Notes and Queries, Number 213, November 26, 1853

Notes

THE STATE PRISON IN THE TOWER

INEDITED LETTER FROM HENRY VIII. OF ENGLAND TO JAMES V. OF SCOTLAND

HANDBOOK TO THE LIBRARY OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM

FOLK LORE

RAPPING NO NOVELTY

Minor Notes

Queries

GRAMMAR IN RELATION TO LOGIC

THE CORONET [CROWN] OF LLEWELYN AP GRIFFITH, PRINCE OF WALES

Minor Queries

Minor Queries with Answers

Replies

ALEXANDER CLARK

AMCOTTS PEDIGREE

SIR RALPH WINWOOD

TRENCH ON PROVERBS

ON PALINDROMES

Replies to Minor Queries

Miscellaneous

NOTES ON BOOKS, ETC

BOOKS AND ODD VOLUMES WANTED TO PURCHASE

Notices to Correspondents

WESTERN LIFE ASSURANCE AND ANNUITY SOCIETY

PRIVATELY PRINTED BOOKS, SOLD BY. JOHN RUSSELL SMITH,

36. SOHO SQUARE, LONDON

Отрывок из книги

A paragraph has lately gone the round of the newspapers, in which, after mentioning the alterations recently made in the Beauchamp Tower and the opening of its "written walls" to public inspection, it is stated that this Tower was formerly the place of confinement for state prisoners, and that "Sir William Wallace and Queen Anne Boleyn" were amongst its inmates.

Now, I believe there is no historical authority for saying that "the Scottish hero" was ever confined in the Tower of London; and it seems certain that the unfortunate queen was a prisoner in the royal apartments, which were in a different part of the fortress. But so many illustrious persons are known to have been confined in the Beauchamp Tower, and its walls preserve so many curious inscriptions—the undoubted autographs of many of its unfortunate tenants—that it must always possess great interest.

.....

On May 19, the unfortunate queen was led forth to "the green by the White Tower" and beheaded.

In the record of her trial before the Duke of Norfolk, Lord High Steward (see Report of Deputy Keeper of Public Records), she is ordered to be taken back to "the king's prison within the Tower;" but these are words of form. The oral tradition cannot in this case be relied upon, for it pointed out the Martin Tower as the place of her imprisonment because, as I believe, her name was found rudely inscribed upon the wall. The Beauchamp Tower seems to have been named only because it was the ordinary state prison at the time. The narrative quoted by Speed shows, however, that the place of her imprisonment was the queen's lodging, where the fading honours of royalty still surrounded Anne Boleyn.

.....