Sunday, April 05, 2009

Ushaw throws light on Henry VIII

Another Telegraph story. A prayer roll, kept as Ushaw since the mid-nineteenth century and unknown to Tudor historians, is going on loan to the British Library. It reveals the sincerity of the young King`s Catholic faith. Here`s an extract from the article:

Dr Starkey said: "I knew nothing of its existence until I began my research for the exhibition, so it has been a very exciting discovery.

"Many academic historians have long argued that Henry was sceptical of religion from his youth, and that this scepticism ultimately led to the break with Rome and the Reformation.


"But what we have here, for the very first time, is absolute concrete evidence to the contrary. The Ushaw roll shows just how conservative and pious he was as a young man and how he was, in fact, two very different men before and after his divorce.

8 comments:

Rebecca said...

wot no posting on the appointment of Vin Nichols?

FrankE said...

I do hope that Ushaw get this roll back from the British Library, who seem to have a habit of nicking things for themselves.
Mind, you, I'm surprised that it wasn't chucked out years ago in the spirit of VII.

Seeker said...

Lots of comments in other places, so why join the crowd? I find this post on Henry VIII far more interesting, and locally relevant. Thanks for this Father, it's fascinating.

Augustine said...

Fascinating! The historian in me would kill to see that...

1569 Rising said...

I am fascinated, and wonder what other gems are lurking in the Big Library. I spent 5 of the happiest days of my life in Ushaw (pre V2), and was only allowed into Barney Payne's sanctum once. It was as recent as 5 years ago that I discovered they have all those wonderful artifacts of the blessed Earls of Derwenwater. What else, Cardinal Merry del Val's
Biretta?, a 1960's style Spam Fritter? a cat stick? Charlie Lynch's tractor or Ted Stone's hair clippers? We should be told.

Fr Michael Brown said...

1569 might that not be 5 years rather than 5 days at Ushaw!?

Can`t say my time at Ushaw was that happy but we did get to see the Derwentwater stuff (now at Dilston)and had the odd trip into the Big Library.

Hope you can make it through to Ushaw for some of the Masses in April for the training week. To see the High Altar in use will certainly be very emotional.

Anonymous said...

1569 used to tell me "Ushaw College Stories" every night when I was jung and there were only about 5 good stories which he recycled all the time, so maybe they are the 5 happiest days? Of course, I was much more interested in hearing "bad stories" about naughty boys playing tricks so there could actually be more than 5 good stories!

1569 Rising said...

Oops!! That's what happens when the keyboard runs at a faster pace than the brain. Yes, they were 5 of the happiest YEARS of my life. Had another thought, have they preserved the old Reading Up books? We could have a ceremomial burning, and a clandestine walk to the snack bar in Langley Moor for egg & chips to celebrate. Yes I'll be there in April.