Jewels of Mary I of England
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An inventory of the jewels of
Mary I of England Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, and as "Bloody Mary" by her Protestant opponents, was Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 and Queen of Spain from January 1556 until her death in 1558. Sh ...
, known as Princess Mary in the years 1542 to 1546, was kept by her lady in waiting
Mary Finch Mary Finch or Fynche (1508-1557) was an English courtier of Mary I of England. She was a daughter of Christopher Kempe (1485-1512) and Mary Guildford (1486-1529), a daughter of Richard Guildford and Anne Pympe. Her mother married secondly William H ...
. The manuscript is now held by the British Library. It was published by Frederic Madden in 1831. Some pieces are listed twice. Two surviving drawings feature a ribbon with the inscription, "MI LADI PRINSIS".


Initial letters

Mary's mother,
Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until their annulment on 23 May 1533. She was previously ...
died in 1536, and bequeathed Mary a gold collar or necklace which she had brought from Spain in 1501. It had a gold cross which contained, according to Eustace Chapuys, a
relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
of the True Cross. Thomas Cromwell ordered that the cross be sent to him. Chapuys reported that Cromwell returned it to Mary after finding its gold content was low and, as a Protestant, he had no use for the relic. Mary owned a letter "M" with three rubies and two diamonds and a large pendant pearl. She also had an "H" with a ruby and a pendant pearl.


Goldsmiths and makers

Mary stored her jewels in a coffer made in 1542 by the craftsman William Green.
John Mabbe John Mabbe was the name of three English goldsmiths working in Tudor London. The senior John Mabbe (died 1582) married Isabell Colley, and was Chamberlain of London. His son John married Martha Denham, and they were the parents of the third John ...
, a London goldsmith, mended her jewelry and made her sets of
aglet An aglet ( ) or aiglet is a small sheath, often made of plastic or metal, attached at each end of a shoelace, a cord, or a drawstring. An aglet keeps the fibers of the lace or cord from unraveling; its firmness and narrow profile make it easier ...
s.
Hans Holbein the Younger Hans Holbein the Younger ( , ; german: Hans Holbein der Jüngere;  – between 7 October and 29 November 1543) was a Germans, German-Swiss people, Swiss painter and printmaker who worked in a Northern Renaissance style, and is considered o ...
designed jewels for her. Two of his surviving drawings feature a ribbon with the inscription, "MI LADI PRINSIS", (My Lady Princess).
Cornelis Hayes Cornelis Hayes or Heys was a Flemish jeweller who settled in London in 1524. Career and works In 1524 uncut diamonds from the wreck of the ''Martyn'' at Chichester were brought to Hayes by the wife of Arnold Stotlz, a brewer of Portsmouth. Hayes r ...
, a Flemish jeweler, may have realised Holbein's designs. Holbeins's friend
Hans of Antwerp Hans of Antwerp ( – after 1 July 1550) was a goldsmith and merchant working in Tudor London. He supplied silver plate and jewels to the court of Henry VIII. Hans (or John) of Antwerp, whose real name was Jan van der Goes, was born about 1497. ...
and Rogier Horton worked for her. Another name that appears in her records is "Raynolds," which may refer to Robert Reynes, who was granted a coat of arms in 1558.


Costume set with pearls

Princess Mary had items of costume embroidered with 581 pearls in total. A lace for her neck had 67 pearls, a "nether abillment" had 33 great pearls, another "nether abillment" had 38 lesser sized pearls, an upper abillment had 40 pearls, and another upper abillment had 80 mean or lesser pearls. A partlet had 108 fair pearls, and a second partlet was sewn with 71 pearls of the same grade. The "abillments" or "billaments" were bands of jewels worn on the coif over the forehead, typically with a French hood. On 20 July 1546, her father
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
gave her an upper abillment set with 10 table diamonds, 9 rock rubies, and 38 small pearls, with another abillment of rock rubies and fair pearls, and a third abillment of diamonds, rock rubies and pearls. He gave other jewels at this time, including a cross set with diamonds and three pendant pearls and a "Jesus" or the initials "IHS" set with diamonds and three pendant pearls, a brooch with the story of Abraham set with a fair table diamond and another Abraham brooch set with 7 diamonds and a ruby, and a tablet or locket with Solomon's temple on one side a portcullis on the other. In July he gave her a brooch with the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, which had a large diamond table and four rubies, and a girdle of gold friar's knots.


Brooches and pendants

The brooches and ensigns worn in England at this time mostly depicted
Old Testament The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...
subjects. A list of jewels requested by
Lady Jane Grey Lady Jane Grey ( 1537 – 12 February 1554), later known as Lady Jane Dudley (after her marriage) and as the "Nine Days' Queen", was an English noblewoman who claimed the throne of England and Ireland from 10 July until 19 July 1553. Jane was ...
as Queen on 14 July 1553 includes a tablet, made book fashion, with the story of David and three sapphires on the other side. There were two diamond set brooches with story of David and Goliath in the Jewel House in 1559. According to the Venetian ambassador, Giacomo Soranzo, Mary's costume as queen involved,
arraying herself elegantly and magnificently, and her garments are of two sorts; the one, a gown such as men wear, but fitting very close, with an under-petticoat which has a very long train; and this is her ordinary costume, being also that of the gentlewomen of England. The other garment is a gown and bodice, with wide hanging sleeves (''con lo maniche larghe rovesciate'') in the French fashion, which she wears on state occasions. She also wears much embroidery, and gowns and mantles (''sopravesti'') of cloth of gold and cloth of silver, of great value, and changes every day. She also makes great use of jewels, wearing them both on her chaperon (her hood) and around her neck, and as trimming for her gowns.
In addition to the inventory of jewels requested by Lady Jane Grey held by
New College, Oxford New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at th ...
and related items in the British Library and Cecil papers, the British Library has an inventory of jewels received by Mary in the first years of her reign, with some items received from
Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset (née Stanhope; before 1512 – 16 April 1587) was the second wife of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (c. 1500–1552), who held the office of lord protector during the first part of the reign of their ...
. Mary's jewels included, an "H and K" with a large emerald and a large pearl pendant, a gold whistle in the form of a mermaid, her torso enameled white and her tail of mother-of-pearl, with bracelets and "habiliments". Mary received another whistle from the Jewel House on 3 December 1554 which was joined to a dragon set with emeralds.


Wedding at Winchester

Mary went to her coronation at Westminster Abbey in September 1553 wearing a caul or cap of tinsel fabric set with pearls and precious stones, with a newly-made gold circlet or coronet like a "hooped garland" also set with precious stones. She had to hold these heavy items on her head with her hands. When Mary married
Philip II of Spain Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...
at Winchester Cathedral on 25 July 1554, she wore a "diamond mounted on a setting in the form of a rose, with a huge pearl hanging down onto the chest". This jewel may be represented in her portraits by Hans Eworth and Anthonis Mor. Mary's pearl is perhaps confused with the Spanish royal
La Peregrina pearl La Peregrina is one of the most famous pearls in the world. Once owned by several Spanish monarchs, its history spans almost 500 years and recently belonged to actress Elizabeth Taylor. The jewel is now in private ownership. Origin of name '' ...
. A gown of Mary's described in a later royal inventory may have been the one worn on her wedding day; a French gown of rich gold tissue, with a border of purple satin, all over embroidered with purls of damask gold and pearls, lined with purple taffeta. Elizabeth I's tailors unpicked the small pearls from this garment for re-use. The pearls from the gown seem to be those appraised for sale by the goldsmiths
Hugh Kayle Hugh Kayle or Keale or Keall (died by 1598) was a London goldsmith who served Elizabeth I. He was a son of John Keale, also a goldsmith. Hugh Kayle was a churchwarden of St Mary Woolnoth in 1574 and 1575. Kayle marked silverware supplied to the ...
, John Spilman, and Leonard Bushe in October 1600, including 250 oriental pearls worth £206 and "meaner" sized pearls worth £40.


A collar of P and M

Mary is sometimes said to have worn a gold collar set with diamonds and pearls and the initials "P" and "M" at her wedding, but her will states this piece was Philip's gift to her at
Epiphany Epiphany may refer to: * Epiphany (feeling), an experience of sudden and striking insight Religion * Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday celebrating the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ ** Epiphany season, or Epiph ...
. There were nine ciphers of "P & M" with nine large diamonds set in gold, and each piece had a pendant pearl. It was inherited by Elizabeth I and was in the secret Jewel House at the Tower of London in 1605, then featuring eight pointed diamonds and a table diamond. It was worn by Anne of Denmark in January 1608 at '' The Masque of Beauty''. It appears in Anne of Denmark's jewellery inventory as:
Item a rich coller of 18 pieces, whereof 9 with Cyphers of the letters P: M: and 9. of diamonds, 8 of them poynted and one a table; which was brought out of the Tower by his Majesties direction and geven to her Majestie, agaynst the maske at twelfnyght 1607. every piece havinge a pearl pende


Legacy jewels

In her will, Mary mentioned as bequests to Philip II: * the table diamond that Charles V had sent her by the Count of Egmont * a table diamond brought by the Pedro Dávila y Zúñiga, Marquis de las Navas, presented at Guildford Castle, this was a diamond ring which Charles V had given his wife,
Isabella of Portugal Isabella of Portugal (24 October 1503 – 1 May 1539) was the empress consort and queen consort of her cousin Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain, Archduke of Austria, and Duke of Burgundy. She was Queen of Spain and Germany, and La ...
. * the collar of gold with nine diamonds (presumably the collar of "P" and "M"), which Philip II had given her at Epiphany after their marriage * a ruby set in gold ring brought by the
Count of Feria Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
. Jane Dormer, Duchess of Feria, Mary's former lady in waiting, delivered jewels to Elizabeth I in 1559, some of which had been Mary's. The list includes a tablet with an Imperial spread eagle of diamonds on one side and two diamond pillars and the Emperor's word on the other, with a closed crown and the '' toison d'or'', with three pendant pearls; with a "picture of Queen Marie in golde with a boxe of wood"; and a "little tablet of ten pearls which was one of the Queen's majesty's that now is (Elizabeth's), as Mistress Parry says". Blanche Parry, Lady Knollys and Margery Norris scrutinised the returned jewels for defects and losses. Philip II subsequently received his English garter jewels. Another item in Elizabeth's collection in 1587 was a miniature case, "a tablet with a story on the one side and a table balas ruby in the midst, and on the other side a city having in the top thereof five little diamonds and nineteen little rubies and a great square diamond underneath and within the tablet is the picture of King Philip". Mary's abillments or billiments for wearing on her headdress seem to have still been in the Secret Jewel House at the Tower of London in 1605 when
Francis Gofton Sir Francis Gofton (died 1628) was an English courtier and administrator. He was an auditor of royal accounts and jewels, Chief Auditor of the Imprest from 1597 and Auditor of Mint from August 1603. Gofton acquired the manor of Heathrow, and house ...
made an inventory for James VI and I. Amongst her jewels in 1606, Anne of Denmark had a jewel of gold with a square emerald and a greyhound on the back, with the half rose and pomegranate, the emblems of Catherine of Aragon.


Gifts given by Mary

Princess Mary gave a number of jewels from her collection as gifts, some recorded as marginal notes in Mary Finch's inventory in her own handwriting. Mary gave Jane Seymour (died 1561), her maid of honor, a balas ruby with a little diamond and three small pendant pearls.
Lady Jane Grey Lady Jane Grey ( 1537 – 12 February 1554), later known as Lady Jane Dudley (after her marriage) and as the "Nine Days' Queen", was an English noblewoman who claimed the throne of England and Ireland from 10 July until 19 July 1553. Jane was ...
received a "lace for the neck of goldsmith's work". Mary sent her brother New Year's Day gifts, and in 1546 he received a locket from
Catherine Parr Catherine Parr (sometimes alternatively spelled Katherine, Katheryn, Kateryn, or Katharine; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen of England and Ireland as the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 12 July 1543 until ...
with miniature portraits of herself and Henry VIII.


Princess Elizabeth

Princess Elizabeth received a gold pomander with a dial or clock set in it, and on 21 September 1553, Mary gave Elizabeth the brooch of Pyramus and Thisbe and a pair of white coral prayer beads.
Katherine Howard Catherine Howard ( – 13 February 1542), also spelled Katheryn Howard, was Queen of England from 1540 until 1542 as the fifth wife of Henry VIII. She was the daughter of Lord Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpeper, a cousin to Anne Boleyn (the se ...
had given Mary the pomander when she was at Pontefract Castle. Mary hoped that Elizabeth would wear these jewels at her coronation, though the French ambassador Antoine de Noailles reported that Elizabeth (who supposedly preferred somber clothing) refused.


Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox

Gifts were given to
Margaret Douglas Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox (8 October 1515 – 7 March 1578), was the daughter of the Scottish queen dowager Margaret Tudor and her second husband Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus. In her youth she was high in the favour of her unc ...
, including a brooch made especially to be a New Year's Day gift by John Busshe, a goldsmith in the parish of St Katherine Coleman. When she married the Earl of Lennox in 1544, Mary's gifts included; a balas ruby with a table cut diamond and three mean (smaller) pendant pearls; a gold brooch with a large sapphire; a brooch of gold with a balas ruby and the History of Susanne, and a gold brooch with the History of David. In the
Bute Bute or BUTE may refer to: People * Marquess of Bute, a title in the Peerage of Great Britain; includes lists of baronets, earls and marquesses of Bute * Lord of Bute, a title in medieval Scotland, including a list of lords * Lucian Bute (born ...
portrait of Margaret Tudor, the mother of Margaret Douglas, currently displayed at the National Gallery of Scotland, she is depicted wearing a medallion or circular brooch at her girdle with an image and text from the story of Susannah and the Elders. The executor of the Countess of Lennox, Thomas Fowler brought some of her jewels to Scotland, the inheritance of Arbella Stuart, possibly including gifts from Mary, and they were obtained by the
Earl of Bothwell Earl of Bothwell was a title that was created twice in the Peerage of Scotland. It was first created for Patrick Hepburn in 1488, and was forfeited in 1567. Subsequently, the earldom was re-created for the 4th Earl's nephew and heir of line, F ...
in 1590. The Countess of Shrewsbury wrote to William Cecil for help recovering Arbella's jewels. A list of 21 jewels in a casket bequeathed Arbella by Margaret Douglas, and kept by Thomas Fowler was made in April 1590. It includes an "H" of gold set with a rock ruby, and a gold sable head set with diamonds for a zibellino, but the items cannot be clearly identified as gifts from Mary Tudor. Another list of Arbella's jewels was made in 1607.Llewellyn Jewitt ''The Reliquary and Illustrated Archaelogist'' (London, 1861), pp. 118-9.


See also

*
Jewels of James V of Scotland The jewellery and jewels owned by James V of Scotland are mainly known from the royal treasurer's accounts and inventories. James V reinforced his authority by lavish display. Although James V would have inherited jewels from his father James IV ...
* Jewels of Mary, Queen of Scots * Jewels of Anne of Denmark


References


External links


Medal of Mary, Jacopo Nizzola da Trezzo, V&A
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jewels of Mary I of England Mary I of England 16th century in England 16th-century fashion Early Modern England Jewellery Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom Material culture of royal courts