Mary Lascelles
Encyclopedia
Mary Hall was an English gentlewoman whose report of the 'light' behaviour in her youth of Henry VIII's
fifth Queen, Katherine Howard initiated the process which ended with Queen Katherine's execution.
, Nottinghamshire
(d. 1520), gentleman. She was in the household of the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk
at Lambeth
while Katherine Howard, later the fifth wife of King Henry VIII
, was a young girl there under the lax guardianship of the Duchess, her step-grandmother. After Katherine became Queen, Mary's brother, the religious reformer John Lassells
, suggested that his sister seek a place in her household. Mary refused, giving as a reason Katherine's former 'light' behaviour. John Lassells informed Archbishop Thomas Cranmer
of Mary's comment while King Henry and Queen Katherine were on progress in the fall of 1541. Cranmer questioned Mary, who provided details of the Queen's earlier sexual indiscretions with her music master, Henry Manox, and a Howard kinsman, Francis Dereham
, in the Dowager Duchess's household. On 1 November 1541 Cranmer revealed these indiscretions in a letter to the King, who immediately ordered that Queen Katherine be confined to her apartments, and never saw her again. The Dowager Duchess, hearing reports of what had happened while Katherine had been in her charge, reasoned that 'If there be none offence sithence the marriage, she cannot die for that was done before'. Unfortunately for the Queen and the Dowager Duchess, further investigations by Cranmer and the Council revealed that with the connivance of one of her attendants, Lady Rochford
, Katherine had allegedly had an affair with Thomas Culpeper
, one of the King's favourite gentlemen of the privy chamber, after her marriage to the King.
Dereham, Manox and other members of the Dowager Duchess's household were arrested and interrogated by the Council. On 22 December 1541 the Dowager Duchess's eldest son, William Howard
, his wife, and a number of servants who had been witnesses to the Queen's misconduct were arraigned for misprision of treason
'for concealing the evil demeanour of the Queen, to the slander of the King and his succession'. All were sentenced to life imprisonment and loss of goods, although most were pardoned after Queen Katherine's execution. The Dowager Duchess, although included in the indictment, 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. On 6 February 1542 a bill of attainder
against Queen Katherine and Lady Rochford
received final reading, and on 13 February 1542 the Queen and Lady Rochford were beheaded on Tower Green
. The King was of the view that there was as much reason to convict the Dowager Duchess of treason as there had been to convict Dereham. However the Council urged leniency, and she was eventually released from the Tower on 5 May 1542.
Mary Lassells married a Mr Hall of Lambeth.
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
fifth Queen, Katherine Howard initiated the process which ended with Queen Katherine's execution.
Life
Mary Lassells was the daughter of Richard, or George, Lassells of GatefordGateford
Gateford is a village in Nottinghamshire, England. It is located 1 mile north-west of Worksop. Since 1995 radical changes have developed in Gateford, such as the Celtic Point shopping centre and the Ashes Park Avenue estate. Gateford also has a primary school called Gateford Park Primary School....
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
(d. 1520), gentleman. She was in the household of the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk
Agnes Howard, Duchess of Norfolk
Agnes Howard was the second wife of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk. Two of King Henry VIII's Queens were her step-granddaughters, Anne Boleyn, and Katherine Howard...
at Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
while Katherine Howard, later the fifth wife of King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, was a young girl there under the lax guardianship of the Duchess, her step-grandmother. After Katherine became Queen, Mary's brother, the religious reformer John Lassells
John Lascelles
John Lassells was a sixteenth century courtier and Protestant martyr. His report to Archbishop Thomas Cranmer initiated the investigation which led to the execution of Queen Katherine Howard.-Life:...
, suggested that his sister seek a place in her household. Mary refused, giving as a reason Katherine's former 'light' behaviour. John Lassells informed Archbishop Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build a favourable case for Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon which resulted in the separation of the English Church from...
of Mary's comment while King Henry and Queen Katherine were on progress in the fall of 1541. Cranmer questioned Mary, who provided details of the Queen's earlier sexual indiscretions with her music master, Henry Manox, and a Howard kinsman, Francis Dereham
Francis Dereham
Francis Dereham was a Tudor courtier whose involvement with Henry VIII's fifth Queen, Catherine Howard, in her youth was a principal cause of the Queen's execution.-Life:...
, in the Dowager Duchess's household. On 1 November 1541 Cranmer revealed these indiscretions in a letter to the King, who immediately ordered that Queen Katherine be confined to her apartments, and never saw her again. The Dowager Duchess, hearing reports of what had happened while Katherine had been in her charge, reasoned that 'If there be none offence sithence the marriage, she cannot die for that was done before'. Unfortunately for the Queen and the Dowager Duchess, further investigations by Cranmer and the Council revealed that with the connivance of one of her attendants, Lady Rochford
Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford
Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford was an English noblewoman who lived in the reign of Henry VIII. She was a sister-in-law of Henry's second wife Anne Boleyn and lady-in-waiting to his fifth wife Catherine Howard, with whom she was executed.-Early life:Born Jane Parker, she was the daughter of...
, Katherine had allegedly had an affair with Thomas Culpeper
Thomas Culpeper
Sir Thomas Culpeper was a courtier of Henry VIII and the lover of Henry's fifth queen, Catherine Howard. He was born to Alexander Culpeper of Bedgebury, to the south of Maidstone in Kent, and his second wife, Constance Harper. He was the middle child and his older brother, also named Thomas, was a...
, one of the King's favourite gentlemen of the privy chamber, after her marriage to the King.
Dereham, Manox and other members of the Dowager Duchess's household were arrested and interrogated by the Council. On 22 December 1541 the Dowager Duchess's eldest son, William Howard
William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham
William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham , was the eldest son of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk by his second wife, Agnes Tilney...
, his wife, and a number of servants who had been witnesses to the Queen's misconduct were arraigned for misprision of treason
Misprision of treason
Misprision of treason is an offence found in many common law jurisdictions around the world, having been inherited from English law. It is committed by someone who knows a treason is being or is about to be committed but does not report it to a proper authority...
'for concealing the evil demeanour of the Queen, to the slander of the King and his succession'. All were sentenced to life imprisonment and loss of goods, although most were pardoned after Queen Katherine's execution. The Dowager Duchess, although included in the indictment, 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. On 6 February 1542 a bill of attainder
Bill of attainder
A bill of attainder is an act of a legislature declaring a person or group of persons guilty of some crime and punishing them without benefit of a judicial trial.-English law:...
against Queen Katherine and Lady Rochford
Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford
Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford was an English noblewoman who lived in the reign of Henry VIII. She was a sister-in-law of Henry's second wife Anne Boleyn and lady-in-waiting to his fifth wife Catherine Howard, with whom she was executed.-Early life:Born Jane Parker, she was the daughter of...
received final reading, and on 13 February 1542 the Queen and Lady Rochford were beheaded on Tower Green
Tower Green
Tower Green is a space within the Tower of London where two English Queens consort and five other British nobles were executed by beheading. The Tower Green is located on a space south of the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula...
. The King was of the view that there was as much reason to convict the Dowager Duchess of treason as there had been to convict Dereham. However the Council urged leniency, and she was eventually released from the Tower on 5 May 1542.
Mary Lassells married a Mr Hall of Lambeth.