Assessing the Lands of the Six Wives of Henry VIII with Particular Focus on Wiltshire

Abstract

This thesis brings a fresh perspective to the well-known wives of Henry VIII and Tudor queenship by examining them through an economic lens. It evaluates the assignment and administration the dower lands of these consorts, with particular focus on their holdings in the county of Wiltshire. By exploring the reigns of Henry’s wives, this study offers an instructive comparison between foreign and native queens, contrasting periods of rule and their reigns admits the tumult of the Henrician Reformation and its impact on land holding practices. As such, this thesis demonstrates continuity in land holding practices to their medieval predecessors: highlighting connections to their families and households and their ability to develop or maintain existing networks across their lands. Wiltshire, the county, has been selected as a case study as it is an area heavily populated with queenly estates. The thesis also focuses on - Chilton Foliat, Savernake Forest and Longbridge Deverell and explores the role of the queen as a landowner and administrator at the beginning of the sixteenth century.

This thesis contributes to a growing pool of knowledge regarding the economic agency of early modern queens. Highlighting the importance of the connections that the Tudor queens held with their dower or jointure lands, this research shows that these lands remained pivotal to the success of their reign and provided a stable source of revenue intended to support a role as consort with a large household during the reign of Henry VIII.

Date of Award	1 Mar 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Winchester
Supervisor	Ellie Woodacre (Supervisor) & Simon Sandall (Supervisor)