She was a 14th Century “It Girl” and her descendants still don the crown. Elizabeth Woodville, the White Rose of York, married the Lancastrian Edward IV, The Red Rose of Lancaster. They created the Tudor Dynasty, a royal line that passed down for centuries, to King Charles III, as well as Princes: William and Harry. 

Elizabeth Woodville was so much more than accusations against her. It’s been said that she used spells to win the heart of Edward IV, to protect her children from harm, as well as to help her family stay in power. As with all the other women we talked about: there was no evidence of wrongdoing.

Elizabeth was the daughter of Sir Richard Woodville and Jacquetta of Luxembourg. She married Edward IV and together they had ten children. Including Edward V and Richard III. You know where this is going, don’t you?

Like the others, Elizabeth was wealthy in her own right. She owned several estates, when she wasn’t running the royal household, and running after her ten children, she carved out time to be a patron of both art and literature.

She wasn’t actually formally tried for witchcraft. However, she was accused of practicing witchcraft on several occasions. It wasn’t until the death of her beloved Edward died that the accusations reached their peak. Realizing that she and her children were in imminent danger, she was forced to flee the country.

To add insult to injury, it was suggested that she be executed for her witchcraft in her new country. There is no evidence to support the claim. Wow, it’s still flabbergasting to me that one lie, misrepresentation, and gossip could mean death for a woman. Two of her sons disappeared in the Tower of London, while under the care of their uncle, Richard III. All of this horribleness all because of a case of sibling rivalry.  

I overheard the historians saying that she was never executed, but she lived in exile in France until her death in 1492. I’m thinking that France was not a bad place to start a new life.

• The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
• Elizabeth Woodville: The True Story of the White Queen by Alison Weir
• The Lives of the Queens of England by Agnes Strickland

I hope you enjoyed this blog post. And stay tuned for more hauntedly historic gossip.

Jane Boleyn: The Lady Rochford

Jacquetta of Luxembourg was at her peak as far as wealth, power and position went. She was the Jackie O of the 14th Century. She was a great influencer, but she put her husband, Richard Woodville, Earl Rivers, and her children, one of them being the queen of Edward IV. There will be another post about her, and I’m telling you, she really went through it. Now back Jacquetta.

Jaquetta, like all working what is now called working royals, was a patron of the arts, especially literature. She worked tirelessly, running the castles, doing what was required for her duchy, and estates. She also was involved in the running of the Earldom of Rivers.

When you can’t find anything wrong with a Dutchess who conducts herself as one, you accuse them of witchcraft. Am I wrong? 

But again the irony was that a witch (Joan Waterden) testified that she saw Jacquetta with a wax effigy of King Henry VI. She told the court that she saw for herself.  Jacquetta was chanting as she stuck pins into the wax doll. Don’t hold candles on the way to church ladies.

Based on that claim, Jacquetta was sent to the Tower for several months before her release. Jacquetta was tried by a commission of bishops and nobles. She was found not guilty of witchcraft, but she was found guilty of treason for supporting her son-in-law, Edward IV. She was sentenced to life in prison, but as before, she was out again in four months.

This deeply affected Jacquetta. Once released, she chose to live in obscurity, unable to leave the castle, she spent the rest of her life caring for her children and grandchildren. Not realizing that she played a major role in creating the monarchy we see today.

Her story is also a reminder of the political power of witchcraft accusations. In Jacquetta’s case, the allegations were likely used to discredit her son-in-law, Edward IV, and remove him from power. Do you think Jacquetta’s life was hard? Her daughter Elizabeth’s life was a true nightmare.

Here are a number of sources I used to learn more about Jacquetta of Luxembourg. 

• The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory
• Jacquetta of Luxembourg: The Mother of the Princes in the Tower by Alison Weir
• The Lives of the Queens of England by Agnes Strickland

I hope you enjoyed this blog post about Jacquetta of Luxembourg and her witchcraft.

Queens weren’t the only ones being accused of witchcraft, Duchesses were also accused, arrested, and imprisoned.

Eleanor Cobham was a powerful woman in fifteenth-century England. She was the wife of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, and the uncle of King Henry VI. 

In 1441, Eleanor was accused of using witchcraft to kill the king. The accusations were based on the testimony of a witch named Margery Jourdemayne, who claimed that Eleanor had tried to use a wax effigy to kill the king. Eleanor was also accused of consulting with astrologers and other practitioners of magic. Her main crime was that it was rumored that the queen made a poppet, a wax effigy of the king. It is said that she burned the wax figure and chanted a spell as it melted down to nothing. She chanted spells to curse the king. What she was really doing was holding a candle as she headed into the chapel for service, praying the whole way. She was imprisoned in the Tower of London, awaiting her trial. Because of the lies of Margery Jourdemayne, which were of course taken as fact. Sounds like the internet these days.

Her husband Humphrey was a powerful figure who had fallen out of favor with the king. It is possible that the accusations against Eleanor were a way of discrediting her husband and removing him from power. Most likely.

Eleanor was born in 1400. Her parents were Sir Reginald Cobham and Margaret Beauchamp. She became the Duchess of Gloucester in 1428 when she married Humphrey. There were no children between them.

She was a wealthy and powerful woman. She owned several estates and was involved in the running of the Duchy of Gloucester. She was also a patron of the arts and literature. She did her job as a duchess and died an innocent death in the Tower of London. She was exonerated only after her death. 

If you want to read more about her, I have provided my sources below. 

• The Life and Times of Eleanor Cobham by Christine Carpenter
• Eleanor Cobham: The Witch of Eye by Anne O’Brien
• The Duchess of Gloucester: A Study in Political Witchcraft by Alison Weir

I hope you enjoyed this blog post about Eleanor Cobham and her witchcraft. Stay tuned for our next blog post about Jacquetta of Luxembourg. 

As I mentioned before, Joan of Navarre was the second wife of Henry IV of England. In 1419, after her husband’s death, she was immediately accused of practicing witchcraft. Like she didn’t have enough to deal with. Unfortunately for the women of the 15th century, women were merely child-bearers or decorations for the men in power. If you were intelligent, brave, and had power on your own, you must be a witch. Wait, I still get called a witch, but I chose to take it as a compliment. Ok back to Joan, and her life.

She was seen as a threat to the new king. Henry V. Charges were dropped and she was released from prison after several years. Despite there being no evidence that she was actually a witch, they couldn’t even make stuff up

The accusations were based on the testimony of her confessor, Brother John Randolph, who claimed that she tried to use sorcery to kill the king. However, Randolph’s later retracted, and it is believed that he made the accusations under duress. We already know that torture was a thing back then, except for the Iron Maiden. I’ve been haunting the tower on and off for centuries, and I can attest that the only Iron Maidens I’ve ever seen were on the sheaves of young scholars.

It is more likely that Joan of Navarre was accused of witchcraft because she was a powerful woman who had influence in court. Is anyone else shocked by this? No, me either. In the fifteenth century, women who were seen as being too powerful were often accused of witchcraft. This was a way of controlling them and keeping them in their place. Has it changed?

Joan was able to escape the executioner’s blade, but her every move was scrutinized, leaving her vulnerable and in danger.

Seems that women weren’t safe doing anything during that period in history. If you would like to do some further research, check out the sources below. Don’t take my word for it. I’ve been floating around without my body for centuries.

• Joan of Navarre: Queen of England and Witch by Anne O’Brien
• The History of Witchcraft in England by Jeffrey B. Russell
• The Witchcraft Trials of Joan of Navarre by Christine Peters

Stay tuned, as we will be discussing Eleanor Cobham, the Duchess of Gloucester, next time on Jangles with Jane.

Jane, The Lady Rochford.

While floating around the castle, I overheard a group of historians discussing queens and witches. “Oooh, finally,” I said to myself. “Whose a witch? Tell me immediately.”

I admit I was snooping around and reading their papers over their shoulders. Being dead has its upside. However, he turned the pages so dreadfully slow.

So what I gathered, is there were queens that were in fact practicing witches. So let’s spill the beans on these wicked and wondrous women. The historians kept referring to a tome called “Royal Witches” by someone named Gemma Hollman. Apparently, four queens were arrested and accused of witchcraft. “Get ready to hear the juiciest jangles you’ve ever heard.”

Let’s get into it, shall we?

well, Picture it, England 15th Century.

The political climate is abuzz with fear, and women are on edge. There were witches everywhere, well according to people in power. They want queens to conduct themselves as queens, yet they accuse them of witchcraft when they do. Typical really.

So Joan of Navarre, Eleanor Cobham, Jacquetta of Luxembourg, and even Elizabeth Woodville, the woman at the heart of the War of the Roses were all accused of witchcraft.

Let’s look at them as individuals.  

Joan of Navarre was the wife of Henry IV. Shortly after his death in 1419, she was arrested for witchcraft. The accusations were based solely on the fact that she was the Queen Mother to the new king, Henry V. Suddenly found herself in a position where she was no longer respected. She was an obstacle to getting to the new king and sharing her views. They had to get the boy away from his mother, who held influence over him. She was imprisoned for several years but got released when she was no longer a threat to those who advised the king. But was she a witch? 

Eleanor Cobham, the most likely innocent wife of Humphrey the Duke of Gloucester. Humphrey fell out of favor with the king and we all know how that goes. This probably won’t make sense to any of you because I’m knackered trying to justify any of this. In the year of our Lord, 1441, a witch by the name of Margery Jourdemayne claimed that Eleanor had tried to kill the king. But did she, really? Again, a queen was imprisoned. Are we seeing a trend here?

Jaquetta of Luxembourg, Elizabeth Woodville’s mother, was accused of witchcraft in 1459 after her son-in-law, Edward IV, was deposed. The testimony of a witch named Joan Waterden sent her to prison for several months. Joan claimed that Jaquette used unnatural means to help Edward claim the throne. The question I have is, how come the witches accusing other witches of being witches didn’t end up in prison themselves?

Elizabeth Woodville, Edward IV’s wife, was also accused of being a witch in 1485 after her husband was killed in battle. A witch (no surprise here) named Alice Kyteler claimed that Elizabeth had tried to kill her husband. Elizabeth was never imprisoned, but was forced to flee the country after the Battle of Bosworth. She was the Yorkist (the white part) of the Tudor Rose.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post. Stay tuned, as we go more in-depth on these incredible women.

If you want to learn the facts behind these jangles. Check out the sources down below. After all, gossip is usually based on facts, a misinterpretation or embellishmentfacts,he facts but they are facts, nonetheless.

• Royal Witches by Gemma Hollman
• The Folklore Podcast episode on Royal Witches
• The History Press website on Royal Witches

Stay tuned for more about these Witchy Queens

Jane, The Lady Rochford.

I wasn’t supposed to be there. I couldn’t let her go through this alone, so I found myself in a servant’s uniform and the rest is history.

We were in the queen’s lodgings at The Tower of London. It was just barely half four in the morning and surrounded by her ladies. They were Elizabeth Boleyn; Queen Anne’s aunt, Anne Shelton; Mary Kingston, the wife of Sir William Kingston, the Lieutenant of the Tower; Margaret Coffin, the wife of Queen Anne’s Master of the Horse; and Elizabeth Stoner, wife of the King’s Sargeant of Arms. They were there, all of them to spy on Anne and none of them, save for Mrs. Kingston, gave her much sympathy. As Anne listened to the Mass, her face softened and for a brief second; it looked like she was beginning to glow. She was at peace. Whether it was because she truly believed that Henry, the king, would go through with it, or because she truly was innocent of wrongdoing. She was going to die, the death of the innocent. 

It was just after that Anne was given her last sacrament by her almoner John Skip. The most gentlemanly of the gentlemen. 

Anne looked up and noticed me. I gave her a look that told her that I was on her side. A softness came over her face. Someone who loved her was there and filled with peace. She was ready to die. I had heard her earlier tell one of her ladies that she hoped that there were no more delays unless, of course, the King came to stop the whole thing. We believed he would. Certainly, all the delays meant something.

It was around 7 in the morning and I brought in a platter with cheese, bread, and cold chicken. There was not a sign of the fruit and berries that Anne was fond of eating, as well as apples. We all knew that this was deliberate, even though the food supplied was of top quality. Anne and her ladies barely picked at the food.

The quiet calm was slowly turning to anxiety when the queen suddenly stood up and announced that it was time to be dressed in the outfit she chose the night before.

I was sent into her dressing chamber to tell her that Sir Kingston was heading towards them. Anne was dressed in a black damask night robe that was lined in fur, underneath she donned a brilliant red kirtle. I helped her pin her netted headpiece in place. It was believed that this would keep her hair from wrapping around thesword, preventing a clean death.

Anne walked towards the door to meet Sir Kingston, looking ethereal in her calmness. I couldn’t hear the whole conversation because I was staying out of my aunt in law’s notice.

“My lady, the hour approaches. I beseech you to make ready.” Kingston said.

  “Acquit yourself of your charge,” she softly chides,  “For I have been long prepared.” 

Kingston gave Anne an apologetic look. “You have a little while before we must depart. Dodo with what you must with your ladies and your priest.”   

 Anne stepped forward and asked if Mister Skip will be allowed to accompany her.

  “Indeed he will, Madam,” Kingston told her. “As I say, there is time, but I must remain with you until the hour.”  

At this point, Anne thanked him profusely for the kindness and respect he had offered her since she was brought to the tower. 

Clearly, Sir Kingston was uncomfortable with her compliments because he was aware of what was going on behind the scenes. This, however, we will leave for a different time.

He handed Anne a velvet purse that contained twenty pounds for alms for the poor. Anne passed the coins to Lady Bolyen, my executed husband’s aunt. Anne’s aunt. 

Anne asked if there was a purse for the swordsman.

“That has already been taken care of.” Kingston assured her.

Without another word, Sir Kingston led her out of the luxurious apartments of a queen to the scaffold that would give her a traitor’s death. Her only solace was the ermine lined cloak that was put over her shoulders. Ermine was only worn by queens, and Anne knew that she was rightfully one.

There is so much more to this story, and at another time, I will give you more of the story. But right now, my tea has gone cold and I want to toss some crockery at a certain duke’s head. Being a ghost does have it’s perks.

Grab a mug of mead and sit, and I will fill you in.  

There was a 19-year-old domestic servant named Elizabeth Barton, who predicted the future. Her followers referred her to as the Nun of Kent or the Holy Maid of London. And she had many. Elizabeth would go before groups of commoners. She would go before the commoners and give them a divine message. She would tell these predictions to the people. One of her first predictions, was that a baby would die, and with the infant mortality rates, the fact that the baby died shouldn’t have been a shock, but it was. 

News of her soothsaying spread around and she began to climb up the social ladder. Elizabeth was on her way to becoming a wealthy woman in her own right.

It was when Cardinal Worsley took notice of her that Elizabeth’s life took a rapid and drastic turn. As her practice picked up, Worsley became more and more impressed with her, so much so that he eventually introduced her to the king. Elizabeth felt the need to be dramatic when she was in a trance. She would flail around and act strangely, and the king loved it, especially since her predictions suited him, his wants, his needs, and his political beliefs. 

Unfortunately, Elizabeth Barton made the mistake of prophesying that if Henry Viii married Anne Boleyn, he the king, would be dead within months. 

We all know that didn’t go well. The Nun of Kent suddenly became known as the Mad Maid of Kent. So as events unfolded within the Tudor dynasty, Elizabeth was arrested, tried, and convicted of giving false prophecies and conspiracy to kill the king. They hung her at Tyburn on April 20th, 1534.

Rumor has it she was hung, drawn, and quartered as a witch. But was she?

Volume 6

As you all know, Henry VIII was a lech, a libertine, and the worst example of what a king should be. We know this because of his past relationships. Henry divorced his wife, Catherine of Aragon, after 23 years of marriage. His reasoning? She could not deliver him a son. Their only living child was the future Mary I. A girl, which was unacceptable to him. Catherine of Aragon died alone and destitute. This treatment of her mother warped Mary’s young mind. Yet, a story for another Jangles.

His second wife, Anne Boleyn, is the sister of the disgraced Mary Boleyn, one of Henry’s mistresses. The poor girl is referred to as the “Great Whore” by her fellow courtiers. Unlike her sister, Anne refused to be the king’s mistress. I mean, can you blame her? To marry Anne, Henry VIII broke with the Vatican and created the Church of England. Not only did he upend the country’s religious beliefs, but he also beheaded half of his friends. All because he believed Anne would give him the son he wanted.

Anne gave him a healthy baby girl, whom she named Elizabeth. The child that would grow up to be one of England’s greatest queens was a disappointment to Henry.

After Elizabeth was born, Henry and Anne tried for sons. Anne miscarried a boy and Henry VIII convinced himself that Anne was the problem. So he took matters into his own hands and had her arrested for adultery. Anne, her brother George, and four other men were found guilty of treason and executed.

Yet less than a day later, Henry VIII announces his betrothal to Jane Seymour. A simple woman from a family with a high fertility rate was exactly what Henry wanted. Sure enough, Jane gave him the long-awaited son but died within a week of his birth from childbed sickness.

For the first time in Henry’s life, it devastated him. And became angry when his courtiers were nagging at him to marry again. After all, the king needed an heir and a spare. Mary and Elizabeth were both declared illegitimate and could not sit on the throne.

This left Henry looking for his fourth wife. He sent his ministers and painters to various royal houses looking for a new queen. Unfortunately for him, his reputation preceded him. Potential brides turned him down left and right. Can you blame them?

One of the most famous refusals came from the 16-year-old Christina of Denmark. Before we can talk about her humorous reply to the king’s proposal, we need to talk about her.

Christina of Denmark’s father was having trouble holding onto his kingdoms. Soon he lost Denmark, Sweden, and Norway and before Christina was two, he had lost his throne. By the time she was 4 years old, Christina would lose her 24-year-old mother. As a result, her brother, sister, and herself were sent to live in the court of Mary of Hungary, their aunt.

Christina grew up in courts where women ruled.

Under the guidance of her aunt, Christina learned to rule and make important decisions. Her devout Catholicism was a matter of pride and family loyalty. Henry’s Church of England was not a good fit.

She already had many reasons to tell Henry to bugger off.

What she said when presented with the proposal will go down in history as one of the best retorts to come out of the Tudor Era.

Christina spoke these words to the King’s emissaries.

“If I had two heads, one should be at the King of England’s disposal!”

Unlike the women of England, Christina of Denmark was in charge of her own destiny.

Just more Jangles from the Court of Henry VIII

Cheers,

Jane Boleyn The Lady Rochford.

Did you know that there were numerous attempts on Queen Elizabeth’s life (this would be the first Queen Elizabeth) Anne Boleyn’s daughter, my niece?  

Let’s chat about one such plot.

In 1558, William Parry was convicted of treason and attempting to assassinate the queen. Can you imagine the gall? This incident became known as Dr. Parry’s Plot. Bring it up at any tavern and opinions fly around faster than any gossip about Jeffree Star.  

Now, here is why there is so much to talk about. First Dr. Parry managed to not only get away with attacking one of his creditors, but he also got a royal pardon and a seat in Parliament. 

Can you even believe that?

Working as a spy and a double agent, he was paid enough to relieve a bit of his considerable debt, which was a lot considering he made the coins of a spy but lived like a duke.  It became quite profitable to inform on fake Catholic plots against the queen. He was walking on thin ice. At any time it could be found out that he was double-dipping with his espionage against the crown. 

Now, there are a few versions of the attempt against Her Majesty. In one story, Parry attempted to engage Sir Edmund Neville in a supposed plot to kill Elizabeth, only so that he could rat out Neville and become a well-paid hero to Queen and Country.  Others say that Neville ratted out Parry. A few other people thought Parry was going to plant a blade in the queen’s heart, but he backed out at the last moment. Either way, Dr. Parry was finally tried and convicted, 

Unfortunately for the doctor, his argument—that he had never really meant to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I—fell on deaf ears. He was hung, drawn, and quartered at Westminster within a fortnight.

Talk about dead on arrival…

Next time we will discuss another such plot that was meant to take down Queen Elizabeth, The Virgin Queen. (As if anyone really believes that, the way she carried on with Robert Dudley)

-Jane, The Lady Rochford

It’s common knowledge that Anne Boleyn wore a yellow dress in celebration of Queen Katherine’s (Katherine of Aragon) death. But did she? Did she really?

Let’s take a look at the facts. 

The queen did pass away on January 7th, 1536, while in residence at Kimbolton Castle. It’s believed that Queen Katherine’s heart was black, as a result of it being broken by Henry. We’ll go into this at another time. 

Henry, the ass that he was, was terrified that he would go too far and land himself in a war he couldn’t win. This war would have been against the Holy Roman Emperor, France, Spain, and England. Katherine’s nephew, as you know, was the Holy Roman Emperor, who was powerful enough to gather his forces and rain down on Henry like a Georgia thunderstorm. With Katherine’s death, Henry was now free of any threat. Henry may not have been celebrating Katherine’s death per se, but he sure was celebrating the fact that he now had an advantage over France.

Henry was also so elated because he believed that now his future son with Anne would be the uncontested heir to the throne, that he threw a great celebration. It’s said that Eustace Chapuys, the Imperial Ambassador, reported to King Charles V that the king wore head-to-toe yellow with a white feather bobbing in his bonnet as he paraded Princess Elizabeth through Mass with much fanfare. Chapuys went on to describe the whole event. 

What makes Eustace’s account of the event a bit suspect is his feeling for Anne Boleyn. He held her with cold hard hatred. He referred to her as the Whore, The Concubine, as well as other colorful names. Yet his account to King Charles only mentioned Anne Boleyn in the last, added as an afterthought.  If Anne had been there and worn yellow, there would have been paragraphs of vitriol directed right at her.  So, when looking at “eye witness” accounts and other historical documents, it’s quite possible that Anne wasn’t even in London at the time.

Knowing Anne Boleyn and the highly religious person that she was, it’s highly unlikely that she would have celebrated another queen’s death.

At any rate, I do not believe that Anne was happy with Katherine’s death. I believe her feelings were more akin to relief. 

Henry sure was happy though.

-Jane, The Lady Rochford