POLITICAL HISTORY 



the queen, they were both met at Hornsey Park by sheriffs, with the 

 mayor and principal commoners of London. 163 Under Henry VIII 

 Middlesex became very popular with the royal family, both as a 

 nursery for the younger members and as a place of recreation for 

 those whom affairs of state kept within a day's journey from West- 

 minster. In 1514 Wolsey obtained a ninety-nine years' lease of Hampton 

 Manor from the priory of St. John of Jerusalem, 163 and began to build 

 his magnificent palace, so magnificent that he found it prudent to offer 

 it as a present to the king a year after it was completed. Wolsey was 

 still allowed to use the palace himself on occasions, and in 1527, by the 

 king's desire, he entertained Montmorenci, the French ambassador, in 

 gorgeous state. 16 * Three years later the cardinal passed through the 

 county on his way to York, in deep disgrace and in comparative poverty. 

 Nevertheless his train numbered a hundred and threescore persons, and 

 he had twelve carts to carry ' his stuffe of his owne ' and three score other 

 carts for his ' daily carriage of necessities.' Coming from Richmond at the 

 beginning of Passion Week he stayed for a night at the abbot of West- 

 minster's house at Hendon, 165 and passed on the next day to a ' place 

 where my lady Parry lay, called the Rye,' never to journey so far south 

 again. Very different was the exit from our stage of Wolsey's successor to 

 the chancellorship. Sir Thomas More passed the period after his retire- 

 ment from public life at Chelsea on the estate which he had bought 

 about I52O. 168 Very soon after the passing of the Act of Supremacy, he 

 was summoned to take the oath at Lambeth. 167 Before setting out he 

 went to Chelsea parish church ' to be confessed, to heare masse, and to 

 be housed,' and then with forboding in his heart, bade farewell to his 

 wife and family. Accompanied by his son-in-law, Roper, and his four 

 servants, he took boat for Lambeth ' wherein sitting still sadly awhile, at 

 the last he suddenly sounded me in the ear and said " Son Roper, I thank 

 my God the field is won."' 168 Henry VIII spent much of his time at 

 Hampton Court after Wolsey's death. Here Edward was born, 169 and 

 here twelve days later Jane Seymour died. Here Catherine Howard was 

 disgraced, and here Henry married his sixth wife. The unfortunate 

 Catherine Howard was confined at Syon House 160 from 14 November 

 until three days before her execution, where she was ' kept very strict, 

 but served as a queen.' 161 In 1547, Henry's corpse rested at Syon as the 

 magnificent funeral procession was on its way to Windsor. 163 The heir 

 to the throne was at Hertford when Henry died, whence he was brought 



ls> Stow, Anvals, 473. IM Lysons, Environs of Lend. (1800), v, 52. 



154 Cavendish, Life ofWobey (ed. Holmes), 110-15; Harl - MSS - No - 4*8- 



'" Cavendish, Life of 'Wolscy (ed. Holmes), 209. 



156 Faulkner, Chelsea, 92 ; Roper, Life of Sir Thomas More, 61-70. 



'" Gairdner, L. and P. Hen. Vlll, vii, 112. 



49 Roper, Life of Sir Tbomai More, 80-7. ISS 12 Oct. 1537. 



M The monastery of Syon is erroneously said by Burnet to have been suppressed in 1532 for 

 harbouring the king's enemies, and of being in league with the Maid of Kent. (Hist, of the Reformation, 

 ii, 340.) It was dissolved in 1539 and remained in the hands of the crown until the end of the reign. 



61 Holinshed, CAron. iii, 1582. 



168 Lysons, Environs of Land. (1795), iii, 87. 



29 



