Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury

Between the years of 1483 and 1601, the Tower of London bore witness to the executions of seven famous prisoners: Lord Hastings in 1483, Queen Anne Boleyn in 1536, Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury in 1541, Queen Katherine Howard in 1542, Jane Parker, Lady Rochford in 1542, Lady Jane Grey in 1554 and Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex in 1601.

Over time a number of stories emerged about the manner in which these ‘traitors’ lost their heads, perhaps none quite so gruesome – and embellished – as the story surrounding the execution of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury.

Background

Portrait of an unknown woman traditionally thought to be Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury

Margaret was born in 1473, the daughter of George of Clarence, the younger brother of King Edward IV, and Isabella Neville. Her childhood was marred by tragedy. In 1476, her mother died in childbirth and in 1478 Edward IV ordered the execution of his own brother, Margaret’s father, for treason.

Margaret and her brother Edward, Earl of Warwick were sent to Sheen Palace and brought up with King Edward IV’s children. This arrangement ended in 1483 when King Edward died and Richard III seized power.

Richard’s only son and heir died in 1484 but he did not name Margaret’s brother as heir. Instead he kept a close eye on him, as he knew that he had a good claim to the throne.

The situation changed again in 1485, when Henry Tudor defeated King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth and claimed the throne for himself. King Henry VII then married Margaret’s cousin, Elizabeth of York and locked her brother, Warwick, in the Tower and there he remained for almost 15 years until his execution for plotting treason with the ‘pretender’ Perkin Warbeck.

Margaret survived all the upheaval of the Wars of the Roses and married Sir Richard Pole, the king’s cousin, in 1494. Sir Richard served Henry VII well and was rewarded with high offices at court and in Wales. Margaret and Richard had five children, four boys and a girl before Richard’s death in 1505.

Upon Henry VIII’s accesson to the throne, things improved for Margaret. Although he feared those of royal blood, Henry believed her loyal and called her ‘the most saintly woman in England’ (Weir, Pg. 26). He gave her a good income and in 1513 made her Countess of Salisbury, a title that was previously held by her father. He also paid for her son, Reginald, to attend Oxford University.

Margaret was now wealthy and owned vast lands and would eventually become one of the wealthiest peers in England.

She was a good friend of Catherine of Aragon and in 1519 served as governess to Catherine’s daughter, the Princess Mary. She was also Mary’s godmother.

Things became complicated for Margaret when Henry VIII made his feelings for Anne Boleyn known. Margaret stood by her mistress and showed much kindness to the Princess Mary.

Cardinal Reginald Pole

Margaret fell out of favour during Queen Anne Boleyn’s reign and matters became dangerous for Margaret in 1536 when her son Reginald Pole (from the safety of his home in Italy) wrote a book, Pro ecclesiasticae unitatis defensione, denouncing the king’s policies and  stating exactly what he thought of the king’s marriage to Anne Boleyn. The king was deeply offended and outraged – treason in Henry’s eyes.

Margaret did her best to avoid the king questioning her loyalty and spoke out against her son’s book. She wrote a letter to him damning his actions and saying that she wished she’d never given birth to such a traitor.

In 1538, Margaret’s son, Geoffrey, was sent to the Tower for aiding his exiled brother, Reginald. Later that year, Henry Pole was arrested along with his cousin, the Marquess of Exeter. Both men were executed.

According to Alison Weir, ‘there was a round-up of other family members, and even the children were sent to prison in the Tower’ (Pg. 29).

Margaret survived the tumultuous years of the Wars of the Roses and later stood by her mistress Queen Catherine of Aragon and emerged fairly unscathed.

She was though, unable to survive this attack on her family. Henry feared that she might become the focus of a revolt and in March 1539 sent 65 year old Margaret Pole to the Tower.

Margaret was not given the opportunity to defend herself and in May 1539, an act of attainder was passed against her for aiding her sons.

The conviction meant that Margaret would be stripped of her titles and lands but even then, the King did not send her to the scaffold. Perhaps he thought that due to her age she would die soon enough.

This was not the case. Margaret Pole spent two long years in her cold cell in the Tower of London.

In March 1541, Katherine Howard took pity on her and sent her ‘a furred nightgown, shoes, slippers and other items of warm clothing’.

These were her last comforts in this world. A few weeks later a revolt in Yorkshire against Henry’s rule reignited his wrath and sealed Margaret’s fate. Although she’d had nothing to do with this uprising, he chose to see her as a threat and ordered that her execution be carried out.

The execution of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury

On the morning of May 27 1541, the Constable of the Tower informed Margaret that she was to die that day. She responded by saying that she was guilty of no crime but neither her words, nor her advanced age, could save her now.

She was given a short time to prepare herself and was then led out to Tower Green where she was met by the Lord Mayor of London and other witnesses.

Contrary to the story that is so often told, ‘Margaret walked bravely to her death, commended her soul to God, and asked all present to pray for the King, the Queen and her god-daughter Mary’ (Weir, Pg. 31).

Margaret then laid her head on the block and awaited her end.

She is often depicted as running around the scaffold with the headsman chasing her, axe raised above his head but this is simply not true.

Her gruesome end was not of her own doing, rather that of an inexperienced headsman.  He hacked at her head, neck and shoulders until eventually she was dead.

Christchurch Priory, Dorset

News of her pitiful and cruel death shocked the Tudor court but Henry showed no remorse.

She was buried in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London and not in the magnificent tomb she had built for herself in Christchurch Priory, Dorset.

After such a grisly death, it is no wonder that the Tower of London lays claim to the ghost of Margaret Pole. It is said that her tormented spectre returns to the site of her execution to re-enact her final terrifying moments.