On Sunday 7th May 1536, Queen Anne Boleyn’s chaplain, William Latymer, was searched by the Mayor and Jurates of Sandwich on his arrival back in England. He was returning from a business visit to Flanders, a visit he had undertaken on behalf of the Queen. Latymer had often brought Anne religious books back from the Continent, so it was lucky for him that he did not have anything which could have been deemed as heretical in his luggage. Records were made of the books that he was carrying and of those which he was having sent directly to London, but he was allowed to carry on with his journey.

Trivia: William Latymer is best known for his biography or treatise of Anne Boleyn, the Chronickille of Anne Bulleyne, which he wrote in the reign of Anne’s daughter, Elizabeth I.

Also around 7th May, in a letter to Thomas Cromwell, Sir William Kingston wrote of Anne’s requests to the King that “she [might] have the sacrament in the closet by her chamber” and that her almoner, John Skip, should also be permitted to visit her. Anne was in need of spiritual comfort and who can blame her?

2 Responses to “7th May 1536 – The Queen’s Chaplain is Searched”

  1. Baroness Von Reis says:

    Claire ,I thought that Kingston befriened ,Queen Anne,but reading the letters to Cromwell,it does not seem to be so. Aslo Thx for the site on all the letters,as I learnd a wealth of info. THX Baroness

  2. Dawn 1st says:

    There was, obviously, going to be no stone un-turned to condemn Anne on whatever charges they could rake up, or should I say ‘make up’…

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