Sunday, January 17, 2010

Question from Lovey - Mary I and pardons of Katherine Howard and others

I have a couple of questions that I hope someone can answered for me.

I once read that when Mary 1 came to the throne she issue a pardon for "Katherine Howard". Does anyone know why she would do that? (beside the fact that Katherine Howard was catholic,that is) Considering that there were rumors that she didn't get along with Katherine Howard. When issuing a pardon to someone who is deceased , what exactly do it entail?
Who else had Mary 1 pardon when she came to the throne?

3 comments:

Jacque said...

You are right that Mary I was not fond of Katheryn Howard. I do not know whether this is the same thing as "issuing a pardon" but I did read in Alison Weir's "Six Wives of Henry VIII" that when Mary I came to the throne in 1553 she reversed some Acts of Attainder that did not have the royal signature on them because those were no longer considered legal Acts, so it probably had nothing to do with Mary I liking or not liking Katheryn Howard. The Act of Attainder was never signed by Henry VIII, apparently, because the Privy Council did not want to cause the king more distress so they just put the Great Seal on it to signify that the Act was the king's will.

I suppose Mary I did the same thing for anyone else who had had an Act of Attainder against them, although I do not know who those people were.

Luv said...

Thanks for answering my question. I have another question. When Mary 1 reversed some Acts of Attainder that didn't have the king signature, what was involved? could the body be remove and given a proper burial?

Anonymous said...

If you are asking if the body of Catherine Howard could have been removed and given a proper burial I am fairly certain it could have been. She actually was moved and given a more fitting grave in the Chapel St. Peter ad Vincula in the reign of Queen Victoria along with her cousin Anne Boleyn when Victoria renovated the Chapel. As for Mary I, I doubt she would have taken the necessary time and effort to give Catherine Howard a fitting burial. I agree with Jacque that it was far less personal for her to pardon Catherine Howard than it was political.