This lady was a remarkable figure in 16th-century England.
She was known for her mysticism and prophetic visions
that garnered attention from the Tudor
court’s ordinary people to high-ranking officials.
Her rise to fame and subsequent downfall
is a story of religious fervour, political intrigue,
and the dangers of speaking truth to power.
But who was this woman, and what led her to become
one of the most controversial figures of her time?
She was known as the renowned Maid of Kent,
a captivating figure in Tudor history.
She is celebrated for her fearless expression of truth
to those in power.
More recently, she gained recognition in popular
culture, appearing in The Tudors and other narratives
recounting the tale of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.
However, these portrayals often focus on the sensational aspects,
neglecting a more in-depth exploration of the woman herself.
So join me as I unravel her prophetic visions’
enigmatic nature and her eventual downfall.
As I now look back on and explore the intriguing life
of Elizabeth Barton.
A mystic and a nun, Elizabeth Barton
was one of the rare women who dared to challenge the King’s authority.
Yet, she began her life as a modest servant girl.
Elizabeth was born around 1506 and entered service
around 1524 when she was approximately 19.
To a farmer named Thomas Cobb, a typical career choice for women then.
Even women destined for greatness were expected to work for a family
of slightly higher social status.
The formidable Bess of Hardwick, a historical figure admired by many,
started her journey similarly and ultimately became the second
wealthiest woman in the country, following Queen Elizabeth.
Hence, there was no dishonour in women pursuing a career in service.
Cobb held significant roles as a bailiff and steward,
managing the Archbishop of Canterbury’s estates in the parish.
As the most senior officer in the manor,
he played a crucial part in the local community.
The town’s priest at the time was Richard Masters,
who had succeeded the renowned Erasmus as rector.
Cobb requested that Priest
Richard Masters and a local man, Edward Thwaites, visit Elizabeth.
From this point, the story takes a mysterious turn.
Some claim that the men conspired to exploit her.
Still, they took her seriously, considering her
a potential prophetess.
Masters reported her case to the Archbishop of Canterbury,
William Warham, who promptly visited Elizabeth.
He found the subject intriguing and instructed Masters
to inform him of any further similar occurrences.
More people from Christ Church, Canterbury, came to see Elizabeth,
who seemed quite ill.
Her trances continued, during which she spoke of visiting Heaven.
At one point, she nearly exposed herself as a fraud
when she claimed
the Virgin had instructed that a bell be rung for a miracle at the nearby
chapel in Court-at-Street, a small hamlet a few miles away.
Cobb pointed out that the chapel had no bells,
which implied she had fabricated the story.
However, Elizabeth recovered and would resume discussing various topics.
As time progressed, Elizabeth Barton’s faith was scrutinized,
and she claimed to have seen
angels and devils battling for the souls of her inquisitors.
She also began using her trances
to criticize the religious reform movement.
Her popularity soared throughout Kent, and on a day when she predicted
a miracle, between 2,000 and 3,000 people gathered to witness it.
For hours, she spoke passionately,
then prostrated herself at the foot of a statue of the Virgin Mary,
proclaiming that she was completely healed.
The event became a sensation,
leading the Archbishop to send a report to King Henry VIII.
The King forwarded the information to Thomas More,
asking for his opinion.
But More remained sceptical, stating that there was nothing extraordinary
about her words; however, he conceded that he would not judge the matter
due to the widespread belief in a miracle taking place
through Elizabeth.
Around this time, King Henry VIII began courting
Anne Boleyn, while Elizabeth Barton’s reputation continued to grow.
She desired to become a nun,
and Archbishop Warham arranged for her to join a convent.
She entered the Benedictine House of St. Sepulchres in Canterbury,
Living a quiet life at the nunnery, Elizabeth appeared virtuous.
Her visions mainly involved angels, martyrs,
and confessors, all typical religious themes.
She also attempted to communicate with the spirits
of the recently deceased on behalf of their families.
Her living quarters were modest, furnished with necessities.
When she received gifts, she often gave them away.
Yet no one expressed concern or apprehension
as long as her visions remained simple and uncontroversial.
In October 1528, Archbishop Warham wrote a letter to Cardinal Wolsey,
the papal legate, who was working on securing Henry VIII’s divorce.
Elizabeth Barton sought an audience with the Cardinal,
and Warham was eager to facilitate the meeting.
But her growing interest in politics became apparent
as she publicly opposed Henry’s divorce.
Later, Thomas Cranmer, who succeeded Warham as Archbishop,
believed that both Wolsey and Warham feared Barton.
Consequently, they gave Elizabeth access to Wolsey
and had several meetings with Henry VIII.
Barton consistently condemned the King’s marriage to Anne Boleyn
during each meeting.
Although, the monks did not doubt her holiness,
and she was pretty outspoken.
While speaking directly to Henry,
Barton claimed that God had threatened his life
if he married Anne Boleyn, stating he would not live seven months
or reign as King for a month after the marriage.
Ignoring her warnings, Henry proceeded with the divorce process,
and by 1530, Barton had become a political force.
She even corresponded with the Pope, warning of plagues
if he favoured Anne Boleyn and predicting the Pope’s destruction
if he did not support Catherine of Aragon.
Thomas More eventually met Barton,
and while he seemed impressed by her,
he advised her to refrain from discussing the King and the divorce.
More believed she was speaking for God,
but he did not want to see her harmed because of it.
But her dangerous words were taking her down a road of
no return.
In 1532, it appeared that Henry and Anne’s
marriage would proceed, but Elizabeth continued to protest.
When Henry and Anne passed through Canterbury on their way to Calais,
they attempted to silence her.
Henry offered her an abbess position in exchange for her silence.
At the same time, Anne Boleyn’s
mother invited her to join Anne’s service.
Elizabeth rejected both offers.
Despite marrying Anne secretly, Henry did not succumb to Barton’s
prophesied fate.
Although people initially did not doubt her, Henry had survived
her predictions by July grew increasingly enraged with the nun.
He instructed his new minister, Thomas Cromwell, to have Cranmer
launch an investigation.
Elizabeth was taken
to see Cranmer, where she faced an unexpected interrogation.
She maintained that her visions
were genuine, requested more time to interpret them correctly,
and asked to return after her next trance.
Cranmer played along, allowing Elizabeth to believe
she had succeeded.
Still, he intended to extract as much information
as possible before sending her to Cromwell.
Although Barton had written to
Catherine of Aragon, Catherine wisely refused to meet her.
Catherine’s chaplain conversed with Elizabeth, but he would later
be charged with misprision of treason for their interaction.
Cromwell sought to make Elizabeth confess
to a relationship with Catherine, but she did not comply.
Once Cranmer had obtained
the necessary information, Elizabeth was sent to the Tower of London.
Under intense interrogation, she told Cromwell that she had
never experienced any visions and that her claims were fabricated
to appease her followers and gain worldly recognition.
However, she later wavered, writing to her supporters
that she still stood by her visions.
Time was running out
for Elizabeth, as Cromwell arrested everyone connected to her
and destroyed all pamphlets
and books about her prophecies in the autumn of 1533.
The main issue was the need for more evidence of treason.
Since Elizabeth had informed
Henry of all her prophecies, there was no element of secrecy.
Cromwell ultimately argued that she intended to incite rebellion against the King.
He passionately spoke of her betrayal,
which roused the crowd to chant, “To the stake!”
The monks and nuns pleaded for Henry’s
forgiveness, and everyone began distancing themselves from Elizabeth.
In November 1533, she performed public penance,
reading a brief confession and admitting to being a “miserable
and wretched person” responsible for all the trouble and deception.
And everyone involved had to undergo a similar process in Canterbury.
By January 1534,
Parliament brought up the attainders against Elizabeth.
When sentenced by Parliament, a person could be condemned
without a trial.
She was sentenced to death and hanged on
April 20th, 1534.
Before her execution, she acknowledged her guilt and
the harm she caused.
She also blamed the learned men who praised her
and led her to believe her actions were divinely inspired.
After her execution, Elizabeth’s head was displayed on London Bridge.
At the same time,
her headless body was allowed burial in the Grey Friars church in London.
Elizabeth’s story is captivating
because she managed to garner the attention of influential figures,
even causing concern for King Henry and Anne Boleyn.
As for Elizabeth Barton’s
visions, whether they were legitimate or fabricated by her imagination
remains a subject of debate even to this day.