Happy Halloween! I’m honoured to be the last stop on Conor Byrne’s virtual book tour for his new book, Katherine Howard: A New History.
Be sure to leave a comment after Conor’s guest post, for your chance to win a copy of ‘Katherine Howard: A New History‘.
Conditions of Entry
For your chance to win a copy of Katherine Howard: A New History you must be subscribed to On the Tudor Trail’s newsletter (if you are not already, sign up on our homepage).
Then simply leave a comment after this post between now and 7 November 2014. Don’t forget to leave your name and a contact email.
This giveaway is open internationally.
A winner will be randomly selected and contacted by email once the competition has ended. Please ensure you’ve added natalie@onthetudortrail.com to your address book to avoid missing my email.
Good luck!
Power and Control: Katherine Howard’s Relationships
By Conor Byrne
It seems safe to say that Katherine Howard was, and remains, best known for her relationships with men. The Catholic chronicler Nicholas Harpsfield, writing during the reign of Mary I, scarcely mentioned her in his history, but did recount her ‘pain and shame’ at being found ‘an harlot before he [Henry VIII] married her, and an adulteress after he married her’. Nicholas Sander, a recusant priest notorious for his attack of Anne Boleyn, like Harpsfield ignored Katherine, but remarked: ‘as the king was faithful neither to God nor to his first wife, so also his wives were not faithful to him’. George Cavendish characterised the queen’s affair with Thomas Culpeper as a romantic liaison. He imagined the queen’s thoughts: ‘Culpeper yong, and I, God wott, but fraylle, we bothe to feeble our lusts for to resist’. All of these writers, as well as resident ambassadors at Henry VIII’s court, viewed Katherine as adulterous, believing that she had sinned both before and after her royal marriage.
None of these writers, however, explored the queen’s liaisons in any great detail, perhaps because they viewed it as a subject too immoral to discuss, or perhaps because they regarded the queen as too insignificant to merit notice. Those who included some study of Katherine’s affairs in their works, including Cavendish and the anonymous Spanish chronicler, believed that her affairs had been romantic, perhaps idyllic; leading to her ruin and that of the men involved with her. The legal documents, including depositions, produced in the wake of the queen’s downfall dealt with her childhood affairs. A range of individuals who had resided in the household of the dowager duchess of Norfolk, including the queen’s former lovers Henry Manox and Francis Dereham, were examined.
Chronicles and literary works provide no detailed discussion of Katherine’s affairs, but the legal records provide some detail, although they need to be examined with care and caution since details were manufactured, embroidered and, perhaps in some cases, invented. Those who were interrogated were aware of the seriousness of the punishments potentially awaiting them, while they knew they were expected to provide convincing evidence. They may have struggled to remember events from as long ago as up to five years before. Some may have feared torture. It has usually been conjectured that Dereham, and perhaps Culpeper, was tortured during his interrogations.
Historians have usually assumed that Katherine’s relationships were consensual. They have differed in the degree of blame they apportion to the queen, although some, including Lacey Baldwin Smith and Tracy Borman, have suggested that Katherine was the motivator in her relationships. Others, including Retha Warnicke, have essentially argued that she was more of a passive participant whose responses were reactionary, motivated by fear or anxiety rather than by love or ambition. Before proceeding to analysis of these relationships, some historical context is essential.
Details of Katherine’s date of birth and childhood are few, although it is possible that she was the fifth child, and second daughter, of Edmund Howard by his first wife Jocasta (or Joyce). I have suggested elsewhere that she was probably born in 1523, most likely in November. It is usually assumed that Katherine was impoverished, but she belonged to one of the premier families in the kingdom. Her grandfather was and her uncle was an earl and, later, duke of Norfolk. When she was an infant, her mother died, and she was shortly afterwards sent to reside with her step-grandmother, the dowager duchess of Norfolk. These facts are well known. In about 1536, when she may have turned thirteen, her step-grandmother arranged for Henry Manox to begin instructing her on the lute and virginals. Possibly the dowager duchess was grooming her relative for a career at court as attendant to the queen.
Historians have often interpreted the relationship with Manox as consensual, but this is problematic. As Warnicke clarified in her 2012 study, Manox was in a position of authority, although Katherine was of higher birth. He was her instructor, while she was his pupil. Early modern society privileged the male sex above the female sex in all areas of life, explaining why interrogators later chose to believe Katherine’s lovers. Perhaps Manox was ambitious and hoped to use his favour with Katherine to seek material advantage. He entreated her to meet with him in dark, secluded areas of the dowager duchess’ establishment at Horsham, and continued at Lambeth. Manox asked Katherine if he could fondle her, which she tentatively agreed to. Later, Mary Lascelles, an attendant of the dowager duchess, confronted Manox. She seems to have believed that he was inappropriately and aggressively seducing the young relative of her mistress. As such she may have been seeking to protect Katherine. Katherine was later to recall Manox’s ‘flattering and fair persuasions’. She did not provide details of their other conversations, but when her step-grandmother found her alone with Manox, the dowager duchess punished her by beating her. Significantly, this noblewoman did not expel Manox from the household, a fact which might indicate that she believed that her step-granddaughter, rather than the musician, was to blame. In her eyes, this would have been a reasonable and justifiable belief. As hinted earlier, early modern society characterised women as frail, sexually voracious beings who tended to exercised power in carnal relationships. Young though she was, Katherine may have been, in the eyes of the dowager duchess, the motivator in her affair with Manox.
The Manox affair was significant, but Katherine’s liaison with Francis Dereham was, in her life story, far more important. It is unclear when the two became involved, but by Katherine’s admission, their sexual relationship commenced in late 1538 when she would probably have been approaching her fifteenth birthday. Although girls could legally wed at twelve, Tudor gentlewomen tended to marry in their early twenties. In any analysis of Katherine’s affairs, or that of any early modern female more generally, modern attitudes should not be applied to the past. Martin Ingram, a historian of early modern England, explained in a study that early modern girls aged between eight and fifteen were particularly vulnerable to abuse and manipulation. Surviving fragments of evidence hint at Katherine’s frailty and vulnerability. Aside from her youth when she was initiated into sex, there is some evidence that she had not yet begun menstruation. A comment she made in relation to the Dereham affair has often been interpreted as a snide admission of the use of contraception on her part, but given early modern attitudes to pregnancy and conception, it seems more likely that she was explaining that she would not have fallen pregnant by Dereham because she did not enjoy his sexual advances. It was believed that, for a female to conceive, she should enjoy the sexual act.
Dereham may have been hoping to marry Katherine, perhaps motivated by ambition. He presented her with gifts and called her wife. It has usually been assumed that Katherine consented to his advances, but as Warnicke noted, her interrogators never did ask her if she had consented, most likely because they had assumed she had. She asserted that Dereham, through his many ‘persuasions’, had forced himself upon her. She beseeched her examiners to take into account her ‘youth, ignorance and frailty’. When Katherine was appointed maid of honour in late 1539, she happily left for court. But Dereham continued to pursue her even after she became queen. In the spring of 1541, he openly boasted of his claims on her, and remarked that, were the king to die, he would be sure to marry her. Although it is impossible to understand Dereham’s psychological motives, the impression is less of a tender-hearted, loyal lover than it is of an aggressive and forceful suitor seeking to control the young queen.
Most attention has focused on the queen’s affair with Culpeper. Accounts have usually interpreted her affairs with Manox and Dereham as consensual. An examination of the evidence of these liaisons in a cultural and social context suggests that Katherine’s responses to both men’s advances, given her youth, naivety and inexperience, were essentially reactionary and passive. She did not wield power or control in her affairs. The men did, instead.
Fascinating!
Fingers crossed!! I’d love to win this book, it sounds so interesting!
I admire people who make the effort to thoroughly investigate historical figures, for whom we do noy have many primary sources. Well done!
Would seriously love to read this book. Not too sure what my opinion of Katherine Howard is, so some more information would go a long way to helping me make up me mind.
Would love to win this book.
How very intriguing. This is almost a mystery novel into the young girls life. I enjoy the extensive research. How sad that women were treated so ill and at such a young age and of course they were always in the wrong!!
I will certainly look for this book today! Can’t wait – so little has been written about her.
I would love to win this book because Katherine is the wife of Henry that I know least about.
I will certainly look for this book today – Can’t wait! so little has been written about her
This is the one wife I have not read a lot about so would love to win this
She is so interesting, I want to read so much more about Katherine.
Its going to be a fascinating summer holidays with all the fantastic Tudor books coming out at the moment.Look forward to reading this one.Winning one or two would be helpful on the bank balance too 😉
wow!
Wow! This looks like a really good read and a great addition to my bookcase 🙂
Fingers crossed
I’m looking forward to reading this book…free would make it even better!
This sounds fascinating. Hope to win it!
Great article! Hope to win. Good luck to everyone. 🙂
Marvelous!
I tried to subscribe to the newsletter, but got a page full of html script. Even if I don’t win, I’ll still be buying this book to read. 🙂
This looks like an engaging and fascinating perspective on Katherine.Huge Tudor fan and I look forward to reading this asap.Thanks for the giveaway!!
Wow – As a social worker I read this a a whole bunch of red flags went flying up! A young girl taken advantage by men see as more powerful. And this led to a series of events that ultimately led to her downfall.
would be interesting to read this take on Katherine Howard , everything I’ve read to date paints her as a foolish harlot! If I win this book it would be great.
Sounds like a fascinating book …
Nice of you to gift this to some lucky one of us.
This book sounds intriguing, and I can’t wait to read it! Most books that I’ve read about Henry VIII only have one chapter, at most, about Katherine Howard. I’d love to learn more about her.
This sounds like a fascinating book. I love the balanced perspective so far.
The Katherine/Manox affair brings to mind Elizabeth’s relationship with Thomas Seymour, and how Elizabeth and Katherine were about the same age when they were pursued by these older men. At 13, Katherine could have been more innocent than history paints her. In both cases I think these men wrongly took advantage, but society blamed the victim.
It would be wonderful if I couldvget a copy of this book. As someone who loves to write Im always looking for new things to learn about the Tudorsband the wives of Henry VIII. Sadly, i dont have luck with winning much
i’d love to have this book too, looks very interesting
Ooo I would love to know more about Katherine Howard, this book sounds a fascinating read.
This has opened up so much more about this young woman who I always thought of as just an idealized sexual plaything for Henry and a bit of a flibbertigibbet. Thank you.
I know nothing about Katherine Howard so would love to read this book.
It’s refreshing to read a different take on Katherine, your writings are very persuasive and telling. I would be an eye opener to read the complete book, as by just by reading the articles I am being to see this young lady in a very different light. Thanks for the chance.
This is a prime example of a young girl, used, abused and then abandoned by those who should have taken care of her. I always felt sorry for her, she was a lamb led to the slaughter
This sounds like a fascinating book about one of the Queens of England I don’t know too much about. It will definitely be on my letter to Father Christmas this year!
I really need a good book! I am willing to make time and read this one! So I hope I get it. I’ve always been fascinated with this kind of stuff. And I would love to get some takes on Katherine Howard. I’ve only read fictional and watched fictional accounts and it only made me want to dig more into her life, motives, aspirations, etc. and not just stopping to exaggerate or focus primarily on her notorious affairs with men. I want to know her deeper than that and I think this book can make that happen. So I hope I get it 🙂
I absolutely cannot wait to read this!
I can not wait to read this, there is so little information out there about Katherine Howard that I have found.
I have always thought the poor girl was out of her depth.
My passion for tudor history is second to none. To win this book would just be amazing
Although there has been very little written about this girl, I have always felt her to be the least likable of Henry’s wives. She was undoubtedly used by the men around her – either for personal or political pleasure or gain. One cannot fail to admire her courage in the end and a fascinating character for sure!
I would like to learn more about this period in history and this book gives us insight into the life of an important historical figure. Can’t wait to read iy.
i would be SO delighted to win a copy of this book! Thanks for the chance and for making this an easy entry. I am a long time follower…
Great excerpt! I’m really interested to read this account of Katherine Howard’s short reign as I feel I know so little about her in comparison to the other wives. I have always felt quite sorry for her and it sounds like the author may offer a more refreshing view of her than the existing ones out there.
Katherine Howard has deserved attention for quite some time, and I am thrilled that you have given her the fair treatment she deserves.Historical fiction has been particularly unkind to Katherine, I hope that your book goes a long way to restore some dignity to a queen whose story is more complex, and interesting, than her one dimensional portrayal in novels.
I am most interested in how the English people felt about having such a young lady as queen after all of the drama that had taken place. They adored Katherine of Aragon, reviled Anne Boleyn…loved Jane Seymour…I have never read anything about how Katherine Howard was accepted as queen.
Thank you so much Natalie for the giveaways! such a great chance to get to read new authors!
Katherine Howard is one of Henry’s more interesting wives. She was so young, and Henry was old and unattractive when they married. What could possibly go wrong? Though she may not have been innocent, I think she was very naive. She probably had little choice in the matter, at any rate, having been pushed forward for the advancement of more powerful relatives, who cared nothing for her happiness or well-being.
I think, young as she was, she tried to make the best of it and failed. Her tragic story is one that inspires curiosity as to how she felt, what her motives were, how much freedom of choice did she have. This book promises to provide those insights and more. I’d love to read it.
It would be nice to find out that Katherine wasn’t the person history made her out to be. Would love to read the book.
I find her interesting because she was by far the youngest of henry’s wife, and I don’t think she was totally prepared for what she was getting herself into. And also very interested in the relationship she had with the king´s children, would love to learn more about her!
Thank you so much Conor, and to Natalie too!
Sounds like a fascinating read about a woman very little is known about. Thank you for this chance to win!
The book sound like it would be very interesting to read
Such a sad life, trusting the wrong people
I’m in!
I’m fascinated by the untold story of this girl. I suppose she was Henry’s last grasp at youth, no pun intended.