INTEROGATION OF THOMAS CROMWELL OVER ANNE OF CLEVES, June-July 1540 (Otho, C. x., 241)
King Henry wrote up these six questions relating to the legality of his marriage of Anna of Cleves. Thomas Wriothesley wrote another copy of the questions out for himself and took them to the Tower for Cromwell to answer. Both versions of the questions have been heavily mutilated.
- First, to declare the difference between sponsalia de presenti and de future (betrothals of the present and future)
- Whether either of them being not first … be a lawful impediment whereby the second marriage may be declared nought with having appearance of consent lacked yet a perfect and hearty consent, as by proof of witness may appear.
- Thirdly, if it may appear by witness quod claustra non aperiebantur (that obstacles were not opened), and so consummation not following, nor intended, with a certain horror in nature thereto appending, be matter sufficient to declare, upon a marriage not heartily consummate as afore, the insufficiency thereof without further process.
- Fourthly, whether the beer pot[1] be a sufficient discharge for the former spousal.
- Fifthly, if it be not a lawful impediment which contracted the second marriage, knowing before of the first spousal, to go together, not having a better discharge to their knowledge of the beer pot.
- Sixthly, to declare what deposition and deponents be sufficient to lack of hearty consent and…
On the bottom of Wriothesley’s copy[2] of the questions, extremely mutilated, reads:
If by witness of relation be meant such witness… depose the Queen’s affirmation that she is not known… by inspection of her body affirm themself by the… that she remains unknown, these witness be… hearing to make faith in the matter. If by witness of relation be meant such witness heard the King’s Majesty declare his misliking before and after, whereby might appear the King… dissent, these witness be to be heard… in that point. If by witness of relation be meant… heard the King’s Majesty open the secret… Queen, and how his Grace could not… her, these witnesses do well enforce the… point more appear if the Queen do not…
The instrument signed with the beer pot contains no manner of discharge at all, but rather ministers matter of much doubt (around whether Anna of Cleves and the Duke of Lorraine had voided their betrothal)
INTEROGATION OF THOMAS CROMWELL OVER ANNE OF CLEVES, June 1540 (Otho, C. x., 246)
Cromwell’s answers to the questions. The answers are in Wriothesley’s handwriting, with the final part written by Cromwell.
- Whether he asked the King, coming from Rochester, how he liked the Queen and was answered, ‘Nothing so well as she was spoken of, and that if his Highness had known so much before, she should not have come hither; but what remedy now?’ Cromwell said he was sorry.
- On her entry to Greenwich, after the King had brought her to her chamber, Cromwell waited upon his Grace in his, who said, ‘How say you, my Lord? Is it not as I told you, say what they will, she is nothing fair; the personage is well and seemly, but nothing else?’ Cromwell replied, ‘By my faith, you say truth, but me thinks she has a queenly manner withal.’ ‘That is truth,’ quote his Highness.
- After this there was communication with the ambassadors of Cleves upon the covenants, in the which, as it is remembered, there was lack found of ample commission for performance of covenants and treaties, which lacks his Majesty commanded the said lord Cromwell to declare; whereof one amongst other was that there did not appear her assent and consent to that commission. On this Cromwell came, the back way, to the King to declare the same, and asked again how he liked her. The King answered, ‘If it were not that she is come so far into England, and for fear of making a ruffle in the world and driving her brother into the Emperor and the French king’s hands, now being together, I would never have her; but now it is too far gone, wherefore I am sorry.’
- The eve of the marriage Cromwell told the King that the ambassadors and commissioners were agreed. His Grace asked, ‘How do you with the assurance which was made by her to the duke of Lorraine?’ and added that she must make a renunciation herself. This Cromwell caused her to do, and returned to tell the King. ‘Then is there no remedy, quote his Majesty, but put my neck in the yoke?’
- The morrow after, Cromwell asked the King if he liked her any better, and his Grace replied, ‘Nay, my Lord, much worse, for by her breasts and belly she should be no maid; which, when I felt them, strake me so to the heart that I had neither will nor courage to prove the rest.’ Doubtless Cromwell remembers how that often, since, the King has said his nature abhorred her.
(In Cromwell’s handwriting) All these articles be true by the death I shall die, and… as more plainly appears a letter written with my own hand, sent by Mr. Secretary (Wriothesley) unto the King’s Highness.
Question six was answered by the separate paperwork Cromwell signed alongside all other Privy Council men on 7 July, and the letter Cromwell refers to here is his letter directly to the king on 30 June 1540, which could be used in lieu of Cromwell needing to write another deposition. The 7 July meeting showed:
The original depositions subscribed with the hands of such as here followeth:
The assertion of the King’s Majesty. The depositions of the lord Chancellor (Thomas Audley), the lord of Canterbury (Thomas Cranmer), the duke of Norfolk (Thomas Howard), the duke of Suffolk (Charles Brandon), the earl of Southampton (William Fitzwilliam), the bishop of Durham (Cuthbert Tunstall), the lord Admiral (John Russell); Sir Anthony Browne, Master of the Horse; Sir Thomas Hennege, Mr. Anthony Denny of the Privy Chamber; lord Cobham (George Brooke), Sir Thomas Wriothesley, one of the King’s principal secretaries, Mr. Dr. (John) Chamber, Mr. Dr. (William) Butts, the ladies Rutland (Eleanor Manners), Rochford (Jane Boleyn) and Edgecomb (Katherine St. John), and the letter of the late lord Cromwell. The Queen’s letter to the King and the Queen’s letter to her brother (Wilhelm of Jülich-Cleves-Berg).
The depositions themselves are all near identical, telling the now-debunked story that has persisted through the ages that Henry could not consummate the marriage because Anne was ugly and that had happened between them. The ladies’ dispositions was joint, the three signing that they all asked the queen her opinion on what had happened in the bedroom, and the doctors had examined Anne for proof of non-consummation (so they claimed).
[1] The beer pot had the notarial certificate of the precontract of Anne of Cleves with the son of Anthony, duke of Lorraine
[2] Otho C. x., 234
CAROLINE ANGUS 