The More
Encyclopedia
The More was a sixteenth-century castle near Rickmansworth
, Hertfordshire
, where Catherine of Aragon
lived after the annulment of her marriage to Henry VIII of England
. It was previously owned by Cardinal Wolsey, and was at More Park
. The Treaty of the More
was celebrated here by Henry VIII and the French ambassadors. In 1527, the French ambassador, Jean du Bellay
thought the house more splendid than Hampton Court. Nothing now remains.
The house came to Wolsey as a possession of the Abbey of St Albans
in 1515, and passed to Henry VIII in 1531. By the mid-16th century, there was a timber-framed long gallery 15 feet broad and 253 feet in length. Most of the house was made of brick. Catherine of Aragon
came to live at The More in the winter of 1531/32. The house was redecorated by the painter John Hethe with the queen's badges (the ciphers of Anne Boleyn
) in 1534, and in 1541 Hethe painted the king's bedchamber with blue bice
and fine colours. Stained glass was installed by Galyon Hone. Provision was made in 1542 for the king's archery, and two deer-barns were built. There were even two grandstands to watch the hunting. It seems that the building was abandoned after 1556 and may have had inadequate foundations.
The royal inventory of 1547
listed 157 items at The More in the care of Richard Hobbes. Ten of the suites of tapestry had borders with Wolsey's coat-of-arms. Two crimson velvet chairs were embroidered and carved with Anne Boleyn's initials.
Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth is a town in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, England, 4¼ miles west of Watford.The town has a population of around 15,000 people and lies on the Grand Union Canal and the River Colne, at the northern end of the Colne Valley regional park.Rickmansworth is a small town in...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, where Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
lived after the annulment of her marriage to Henry VIII of England
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...
. It was previously owned by Cardinal Wolsey, and was at More Park
Moor Park (house)
Moor Park is a Grade I listed Palladian mansion set within several hundred acres of parkland in Hertfordshire, England. It is called Moor Park Mansion because it is in the old park of the Manor of More. The original house was built in 1678–9 for James, Duke of Monmouth, and inherited by his...
. The Treaty of the More
Treaty of the More
The Treaty of the More was concluded on 30 August 1525 between Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France.England, with Cardinal Wolsey negotiating, agreed to give up some territorial claims on France. England also agreed to try to help secure the release of King Francis, then held by Charles V,...
was celebrated here by Henry VIII and the French ambassadors. In 1527, the French ambassador, Jean du Bellay
Jean du Bellay
Jean du Bellay was a French cardinal and diplomat, younger brother of Guillaume du Bellay, and bishop of Bayonne in 1526, member of the privy council in 1530, and bishop of Paris in 1532.-Biography:...
thought the house more splendid than Hampton Court. Nothing now remains.
The house came to Wolsey as a possession of the Abbey of St Albans
St Albans Cathedral
St Albans Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral church at St Albans, England. At , its nave is the longest of any cathedral in England...
in 1515, and passed to Henry VIII in 1531. By the mid-16th century, there was a timber-framed long gallery 15 feet broad and 253 feet in length. Most of the house was made of brick. Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
came to live at The More in the winter of 1531/32. The house was redecorated by the painter John Hethe with the queen's badges (the ciphers of Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
) in 1534, and in 1541 Hethe painted the king's bedchamber with blue bice
Bice
Bice, from the French bis, a word of doubtful origin, originally meaning dark-coloured, was a term applied in English to particular green or blue pigments. In French the terms vert bis and azur bis mean dark green and dark blue respectively...
and fine colours. Stained glass was installed by Galyon Hone. Provision was made in 1542 for the king's archery, and two deer-barns were built. There were even two grandstands to watch the hunting. It seems that the building was abandoned after 1556 and may have had inadequate foundations.
The royal inventory of 1547
Inventory of Henry VIII of England
The Inventory of Henry VIII of England compiled in 1547 is a list of the possessions of the crown, now in the British Library as Harley Ms. 1419....
listed 157 items at The More in the care of Richard Hobbes. Ten of the suites of tapestry had borders with Wolsey's coat-of-arms. Two crimson velvet chairs were embroidered and carved with Anne Boleyn's initials.