Monday, March 23, 2009
Question from Elizabeth M - Anne Boleyn's supposed burial at Salle Church
There is a story that Anne Boleyn's body might have been spirited (no pun intended) out of the Tower of London grounds by supporters after her execution and secretly buried under the pavement of the Salle Church. I have Norah Loft's book on Anne, and she mentions she once asked for her book if there had ever been a plan to lift the plain marble slab under which Anne is reputed to lie, and was told that the warden of the church did not wish to do so. This book is over 30 years old. Admittedly, Lofts's biography is not in the same calibre as Ives's comprehensive study of Anne's life, but it has a place in my collection of books on Anne. Since Lofts's book was published,I was wondering if anybody else has ever tried to have the slab lifted since then?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
Elizabeth - I just realized after I posted this that I should have clarified this with you - you want to know if anyone has lifted the slab at the Salle Church, right?
Yes. Has the church warden ever given permission? And if they did, what was found, if anything?
I do not know the answer to your question, but I once was thouroughly interested in this matter, too.
Here is a link to an site that shows people other than Norah Lofts who buy into the Salle Church Burial Theory.
http://www.reephambenefice.org.uk/anneboleynsburial.html
I have never heard this before.i have always thought and known of anne Boleyn to have been buried in the chapel that is ajacent to the Tower of London which is called the chapel of st Peter ad vincula.
In 'googling' Salle Church, a very interesting web-site appeared which actually looks at this question.
I found it interesting, altho IMO Anne is buried in the tower chapel. She was a 'hot potato', and I don't see supporters, being in a busy place like The Tower, being able to help Anne make her escape.
Elizabeth M...I have Norah Loft's book also. Yes, it is old, but still quite a great read. My version is the 'picture book'. Love the illustrations and portraits provided :)
The Reepham Benefice and Salle Church entries are very interesting. I can't help hoping Anne was buried at Salle and that her brother George is there too. By any chance is Thomas Wyatt or any of his family at Salle?
Yes, I have the picture book version--the pictures are wonderful. Lofts states that it might have been easy to get Anne's body out of the Tower precincts, as after her execution and the dispersal of the crowd, security would have been relaxed, she had been placed in an old arrow chest instead of a coffin, and what with merchants in and out of the tower grounds, no one would have paid much heed if an old arrow chest was carried off. I hope she is actually at Salle, as she deserves a nice, peaceful resting place, rather than having her bones jumbled up with goodness who knows how many others.
Couldn't agree with Elizabeth MORE! Waiting for them to OFFICIALLY (not in some back room of the Tower Chapel) find her bones and lay them to rest. Why won't this happen?!?!
Post a Comment