Complete State Trials of the Tudor Era

This book presents the documentation of all known recorded capital trials within the Tudor dynasty, each encapsulating the drama and intrigue of real history as Tudor law evolved from following the monarch’s will to following clearly-established law. While capital punishment was common, several individuals accused of treason skillfully and successfully defended themselves.

The names of many of the subjects will be familiar to those who are interested in Tudor history, as they were prominent enough to be mentioned in books about the rulers they served. Biographies have been published about some of these individuals, including the events that led up to their trials, but all too often the trials themselves have been left out or have been included only by way of a few excerpts, so that this volume is the first to include as many as presented here.

Some books about the period include the word ‘Trial of’ was in the title, but still only short excerpts of the actual trial are included. Other books on Tudor personalities are more about entertainment than factual history, enhanced by embellishing a few facts and rather skillfully weaving them into a great story that totally excludes the trials.

The inducement to put together this book is two-fold. First, it is my opinion that the trials are an integral part of the individual’s biographical story and of history; secondly, some readers of my past publications have asked for a book just about the trials of those best known to readers interested in English Tudor history.

The trials included in this edition are accumulated from many sources. Only a very few have been left out because actual trial records were not found, only a conglomeration of notes from many sources that give the reader a basic account of the legal proceeding. During the reign of Elizabeth I, record keeping and trial transcripts became more frequent and regular.