The Inventory of Henry VIII compiled in 1547 is a list of the possessions of the crown, now in the British Library as Harley MS 1419.

The inventory was made following a commission of 14 September 1547 during the first year of the reign of Edward VI of England. The surviving manuscripts list the possessions of Henry VIII item by item, by their location in houses. The armaments of ships and forts are also recorded.[1] Altogether there are 17,810 items listed, and some of these entries contain multiple objects. Despite this abundance, only a very small number of objects survive and can be identified. The monetary values of the objects were not recorded, though the weights of many gold and silver items were given.

Manuscripts

The three original manuscripts of the Inventory are; Society of Antiquaries MS 129A & B, and a duplicate copy at British Library Additional MS 46348; and British Library Harley MS 1419A & B. BL Add. MS 46348 was used in the Tower of London after the inventory was compiled to track changes in the royal collections and contains later annotations.[2]

These manuscripts were edited and published in full for the first time in 1998. The published transcription allotted each item an index number to facilitate further study. The team of editors provided a thematic index of generic headings in alphabetical order. Within the index many heading provide short glossaries. This indexing solution to the large number of royal possessions has itself a helpful introduction running to three and half pages.[3]

Another manuscript lists the ships of Henry VIII's navy; the three Anthony Rolls are kept by Magdalene College, Cambridge, and the British Library, and were published in 2000.[4] Partial details of the royal library and other separate inventories of the King's books were also published in 2000.[5] The comparable and shorter inventories of James V of Scotland and Mary, Queen of Scots were published in 1815, 1844, 1863 and 2004, from manuscripts in the National Archives of Scotland and British Library.[6]

The Whitehall Palace inventory of 1542

Over 4000 objects at Whitehall Palace in the keeping of Sir Anthony Denny were recorded in 1542. This inventory survives in manuscript the National Archives at Kew, PRO E315/160 and PRO E101/472/2, and at the British Library, BL Lansdowne Rolls 14 & 15. The Whitehall inventory was published in 2004.[7]

Another inventory of 1542 lists wardrobe stuff including tapestries and cushions at Windsor Castle in the keeping of William Tildesley, with later notes up to 1562.[8]

Henry's collection

The inventory intended to list all of the late king's jewels, plate, stuff, ordinance, and munition. Commissioners were appointed to view the royal mansion houses, stables, and stores of munition. The sections below sketch aspects of this collection.

Gold, silver, and jewels

The Royal Gold Cup, 23.6 cm high, 17.8 cm across at its widest point; weight 1.935 kg of solid gold, enamels and jewels, showing Saint Agnes appearing to her friends in a vision.

The inventory has 3690 entries for precious metals and stones. These include a coffer of Catherine Parr's jewels which remained at the Tower of London, amongst its contents were gold headresses set with pearls and diamonds (habillements); girdles with gold links set with diamonds, rubies and pearls; and two jewels fashioned with the initials "HK", for Henry and Katherine.[9]

One recent acquisition was the Three Brothers, a pendant of balas rubies, diamonds and pearls bought from Anton Fugger:

"A jewell bought by the kinges Majestie of Anthony fulker and his company of Antewarpe in May 1551 and delivered to t'handes of the Earl of willteshere lorde treasurer of England by the kinges Majestie the VIIth day of June 1551.
A fayer flower of golde having sett in the same three table ballaces sett withowte foyle, and between everey ballace a perle, and in the myddes betwene the three ballaces a large pointed Diamounte and a perle pendaunt at one of the ballaces."[10]

Edward VI was obliged to buy this jewel, which he described in his diary, for 100,000 crowns because the English crown owed £60,000 to the Fugger's bank.[11]

The enamelled Royal Gold Cup which survives in the British Museum was listed as "a Cuppe of gold with Imagerie, the knopp a crowne Imperiall and aboute the bordre of the cover and the foote a Crowne garnished with lxii garnishing perles weying lxxix oz", and can be identified by its original number of pearls.[12] The "knopp, a crowne Imperiall" and "the bordre of the cover" of the cup with its pearls were lost at some point between the 17th and 19th centuries. Notes in the inventory record diplomatic gifts given and some incidents; in the summer of 1552, Edward VI lost a large pearl pendant from a gold chain while riding between Titchfield and Southampton. The pearl was found and returned in May 1553. Some jewels were given to the goldsmith Everard Everdyes to be remodelled, and Everdyes made a crown for Edward VI for his coronation.[13]

Palaces and houses

Apart from collections of jewels and the stores of the Royal Wardrobe, items were listed in the houses where they were kept. Henry had 55 different palaces. As well as Henry's major palaces, the contents of his children's homes and wardrobes were listed. These include;

The elaborate furnishing textiles and beds of these houses are listed in detail. Beyond this general magnificence, the inventory hints at Henry VIII's own interests and activities; at Westminster Palace there was a little study called the New Library, with equipment for writing, drawing, painting and surveying. Two shelves held patterns for castles and engines of war, and there was a portfolio for plans, noted as 'a case for a platte covered with leather.'[15]

Tapestry and textiles

The Triumph of Hercules, part of a series of Antiques woven for Henry VIII

In 1906 the historian and tapestry-maker W. G. Thomson commented on the 1547 inventory that the king, "had a perfect mania for acquiring tapestries by any means that presented itself." Thomson was first to print the full list of tapestries but omitted the dimensions. These were given in English yards, or French and Flemish ells. In total, Thomas P. Campbell estimates the inventory list at approximately 2,450 tapestry wall hangings, and 300 other tapestry furnishings.[16] An entry for one of the newer suites listed in the Wardrobe at Westminster reads;

"Item vii peces of fine newe Tapsterie of the Historye of Vulcanus Mars and venus lined withe Canvas whereof one pece conteyneth in Lengthe v yerdes iii quarters di The iide pece conteyneth in lengthe vii yerdes quarter di The iiide pece conteyneth in lengthe vi yerdes di the iiiith in lengthe v yerdes iii quarters The vth in lengthe vii yerdes quarter The vith in length vi yerdes di and the viith in length vii yerdes quarter everye of the saide peces conteyning in depthe iiii yerdes quarter di."[17]

Amongst the many other furnishing textiles of embroidered silk and brocade in the Wardrobe at Hampton Court there was a crimson bed and a pair of crimson satin cushions embroidered with the arms of James V of Scotland.[18] These items may have been seized at Edinburgh in 1544.

Amongst verdure tapestry with "broad blooms" there was a set with birds and apples and another group featuring roses, pomegranates, or pots at the corners. The pomegranate an emblem of Catherine of Aragon.[19] Mary I of England gave some of these tapestries to George Brediman, a groom of the chamber.[20]

A zibellino, a sable fur accessorized with a gold head and muzzle set with emeralds, turquoises and rubies, with a ruby tongue and four gold feet set with turquoises, had belonged to one of his queens,[21] and was given to Lady Jane Grey.[22] Some of the sable fur bought from Christopher Haller for Henry's wardrobe was sold to Katheryne Adlington.[23] The inventory includes notes of bills and invoices paid by Anthony Cope, the chamberlain of Catherine Parr, to her goldsmiths, embroiderers, mercers, saddler, and her silkwoman Mistress Shakerley.[24]

Furniture and furnishings

Mary of Hungary (governor of the Netherlands), Jan Cornelisz Vermeyen

Henry VIII had a collection of portraits including two portraits of King Arthur and one of Mary of Hungary, described as "a table of the Quene of Hungrie nowe Regent of Flaunders her hedde tiered in white". He owned a picture of James IV of Scotland, which was almost certainly the work of Meynnart Wewyck.[25] A lost picture of a "woman having a monkey on her hand" framed with a yellow and white silk curtain may have been the model for the portrait of Margaret Tudor with a common marmoset painted by Daniël Mijtens.[26]

Henry VIII became infirm in old age and was carried between the rooms of his palaces in chairs called "trauewes". The chairs had a step or "half pace" at the front for two stools. Two were upholstered with tanny velvet. Another "trauewe" was finished in russet velvet, and the fourth in purple velvet. The backs of the chairs were embroidered with a rose with Venice gold thread. [27]

Revels

The properties of the Master of Revels, Thomas Cawarden run to 237 items. As well as costumes for court Masques for men and women, and bards (decorative trappings for horses), Cawarden was also keeper of the royal tents. The theatrical props included;

Cawarden's store of tents included lodgings and dining-houses for the King, with furnishings of rich painted and embroidered hangings. Tents from the royal store were issued to the Earl of Warwick for his military campaign to Scotland in the Summer of 1547, including a pavilion and hale (hall tent) of the "King's highness' lesser Lodging," to be used for the commander's field headquarters. (nos.8765-8839) Cawarden had extra expense drying these tents, which came back "from Skotland wetted in the shippe."[31]

Musical instruments

Most of the listed musical instruments were kept at Westminster Palace by Philip van Wilder.[32] The decoration distinguished some of the larger pieces. Some were painted in the 'antique manner', decoration in renaissance character incorporating Italianate grotesques. Henry played several instruments, while at Lille in September 1513 with Margaret of Austria before the siege of Tournai, he performed on the lute, harp, lyre, flute, and horn.[33] The inventory included;[34]

Ships

The galley Salamander, in the Anthony Roll

The ship lists includes those at sea and those docked. There are separate entries for munitions and crew. The munitions list records cannon, hand-arms, powder and shot. Crews are numbered as mariners and gunners. Two ships had been captured at Leith in 1544 from the Royal Scots Navy. The listed ships include:

Forts and armouries

The guns of English coastal fortifications and forts in France are noted. At major establishments the armaments are noted by bulwark and blockhouse. The list was compiled from December 1547 to March 1548 during the war of the Rough Wooing so a number of outposts in the Scottish Borders are recorded; as were some of the Scottish guns captured at the battle of Pinkie. The inventory details body armour supplied from the Hampton Court armoury for the Scottish expedition. There was also iron shot for captured Scottish guns stored at Calais.[35]

Shot, powder, gunnery tools, and other equipment was recorded. Some cannon were old, dangerous, broken, or un-mounted, and the lists noted broken firing chambers for breech-loaders. Some of these broken cannon had burst when firing salutes. The Ordnance house at Calais had accumulated quantities of iron shot of redundant calibre. Equipment at the Tower of London included some exotic pieces and large numbers of decorated ceremonial hand-arms. Most garrisons held Moorish pikes, bills and bows. Armouries and fortified places with royal cannon listed included;[36]

London armouries

An Italian armour of Henry VIII, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
One of Henry's shield and gun combinations, now in the Walters Art Museum
Henry VIII's three shot breech-loader, Royal Armouries

England

France, Pale of Calais

Scotland

Notes

  1. ^ Starkey, David, (1998), xix.
  2. ^ Starkey, David, (1998), xx, the later annotations were not published in 1998.
  3. ^ Starkey, David, ed., The Inventory of Henry VIII, vol. 1, (1998), 441-444.
  4. ^ Knighton, C.S., & Loades, D.M., ed., The Anthony Roll of Henry VIII's navy, (2000): Pepys Library 2991 and British Library Add. MS 22047.
  5. ^ Carley, James P., ed., The libraries of King Henry VIII, British Library/British Academy (2000):
  6. ^ see external links for publications of the Scottish manuscripts.
  7. ^ Hayward, Maria, ed., vol. 1, (2004).
  8. ^ Catalogue of the books, manuscripts, autograph letters, and engravings, of the late Sir William Tite, sold by auction, Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge (London, 1874), p. 93: See also TNA E315/60.
  9. ^ David Starkey, Inventory (London, 1998), pp. 77-80 nos. 2619-2741.
  10. ^ David Starkey, Inventory, vol. 1 (London, 1998), p. 98, no 3686.
  11. ^ W. K. Jordan, The Chronicle and Political Papers of Edward VI (George Allen & Unwin, 1966), p. 60, 25 April 1551.
  12. ^ David Starkey, Inventory of Henry VIII, vol. 1 (London, 1998), no. 42: Elizabeth Cleland, The Tudors: Art and Majesty in Renaissance England (New York, 2023), p. 104 fig. 34.
  13. ^ Starkey, David, ed., The Inventory of Henry VIII, vol. 1 (London, 1998), no. 2209.
  14. ^ Madden, Frederick, Privy Purse Expenses of Princess Mary, William Pickering, London, (1831), cvi-cvii.
  15. ^ Starkey, David, ed., The Inventory of Henry VIII, vol. 1 (1998), nos. 17479-17522.
  16. ^ Campbell, Thomas P., Henry VIII and the Art of Majesty, Yale, (2007), ix, xi: Thomson, W. G., A History of Tapestry, 3rd ed., (London, 1930), 242, 245-262.
  17. ^ Starkey, David, The Inventory, vol. 1 (London, 1998), p. 209 no. 9729.
  18. ^ Starkey, David, ed., The Inventory, vol. 1 (London, 1998), p. 278 nos. 12136, 12174.
  19. ^ David Starkey, Inventory of Henry VIII (London, 1998), p. 295 nos. 12626-12628.
  20. ^ HMC 9th Report (London, 1883), p. 416.
  21. ^ Tawny Sherrill, 'Zibellini as Luxury Accessories', Robin Netherton & Gale R. Owen-Crocker, Medieval Clothing and Textiles, vol. 2 (Boydell, 2006), pp. 134-9, 143: David Starkey, Inventory of Henry VIII (London, 1998), pp. 256 no. 11536, 430 no. 17535.
  22. ^ HMC Salisbury Hatfield, vol. 1 (London, 1883), p. 128.
  23. ^ David Starkey, Inventory of Henry VIII (London, 1998), p. 256 no. 11533-4.
  24. ^ David Starkey, Inventory of Henry VIII (London, 1998), p. 437.
  25. ^ David Starkey, Inventory of Henry VIII (London, 1998), pp. 384-5 nos. 15383, 15410.
  26. ^ Lorne Campbell, 'Scottish Patrons and Netherlandish Painters', Grant G. Simpson, Scotland and the Low Countries 1124–1994 (Tuckwell, 1996): Inventory of Henry VIII (London, 1998), p. 237 no. 10594.
  27. ^ David Starkey, Inventory of Henry VIII(London, 1998), p. 263 nos. 11798-800.
  28. ^ Ian Smith, 'White Skin, Black Masks', Jeffrey Masten & Wendy Wall, Renaissance Drama 32 (Evanson, 2003), p. 44.
  29. ^ David Starkey, Inventory of Henry VIII (London, 1998), p. 168 no. 8663.
  30. ^ Albert Feuillerat, Documents relating to the revels of Edward VI and Mary (Louvain, 1914), p. 31.
  31. ^ Kempe, A.J., ed., Loseley Manuscripts (London, 1836), p. 104.
  32. ^ Starkey, David, ed., The Inventory of Henry VIII, (1998), 265-267.
  33. ^ Calendar State Papers, Venice, vol. 2 (1867), no. 328: instruments identified, see Dumitrescu, Theodor, Early Modern Court and International Musical Relations, Ashgate, (2007), p. 37, citing Helms, Dietrich, Heinrich VIII. und die Musik
  34. ^ Maggie Lyndon-Jones provides a useful comparison with the 1542 inventory Bulletin of the Fellowship of Makers and Researchers of Historical Instruments, no. 92, Oxford (1998), 11-13.
  35. ^ Patten, William, The Expedition in Scotland, 1547, London (1548), for 11 Sept. 1547: Starkey, David, ed., Inventory of Henry VIII, vol. 1 (1998), p.102, nos. 3707-3712, 4919; p.162 nos. 8424-5, p. 163, 8476.
  36. ^ Starkey, David, ed., The Inventory of Henry VIII, vol. 1, Society of Antiquaries, (1998), 105-144.
  37. ^ For an introduction to the Greenwich Armoury, see Karen Watts in Starkey, David, ed., Henry VIII, a European Court in England, (1991), 42-46.
  38. ^ Starkey, David, ed., Inventory, vol. 1 (1998), pp.162-163, the manuscript has two returns for the Hampton Court armoury with some overlap.
  39. ^ Investigation of Henry VIII's Target Gun shields at the V&A museum Archived 20 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  40. ^ Awty & Whittick, (2002), 71-81.
  41. ^ see external links)
  42. ^ Description of Cowes Castle by the Royal Yacht Squadron
  43. ^ Colvin, Howard, ed., HKW, vol. 4, 764-768, the four bulwarks at Dover Harbour.
  44. ^ Higham and Milton bulwarks were demolished for stone for the Tower of London in 1578; Colvin, Howard, ed., History of the King's Works, vol.3 part 1 (1975), 270.
  45. ^ Guns burst during the salute for Claude d'Annebaut, Baron de Hunaudaye, Admiral of France, who visited England 20–30 August 1546, Letters & Papers Henry VIII, vol. 21, part 1, (1908), no. 1384, no. 1530.
  46. ^ The earth bulwarks near Walmer were designed by Stefan von Haschenperg, Colvin, HKW, vol. 4, pt. 2, (1982), 462, 465.
  47. ^ A port piece from Hull's South blockhouse was discovered in 1997, see external links.
  48. ^ Howard, Colvin, ed., The History of the King's Works, vol. 4 part 2, HMSO (1982), 376.
  49. ^ Starkey, David, Inventory, ed., vol. 1 (1998), 132, no. 6170-6188.
  50. ^ Colvin, Howard, ed., History of the King's Works, vol. 3 part 1 (1975), 388-9.
  51. ^ Some guns at the Western Scottish houses were inventoried as items of the Carlisle armoury, Starkey, David, ed., Inventory, vol. 1, (1998), 134
  52. ^ Inventory, (1998), p.139, Ordinance delivered to Scotland in January 1548, nos. 6706-6732.

References

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