Henry Bedingfeld

[19] Although, after her accession to the throne in 1558, Elizabeth used to address Sir Henry at court as "Her Gaoler", most agree that the term was probably applied loosely and in good spirit.

Stone, noting that Elizabeth granted the manor of Caldecott to him, observed that John Strype, Bishop Burnet[22] and Sir Reginald Hennell[23] had followed Foxe's account uncritically.

Many unpleasant episodes passed in the Tower of London during Bedingfield's governance of it, not least the tortures and executions arising from the Henry Dudley conspiracy in 1556, and the enforced recantation of Sir John Cheke a few days after the death of Edward Lewknor.

Yet several prisoners under his charge were permitted to have access to their wives or family members, and in such matters Sir Henry appears to have been the obedient interpreter of Mary's direct commands, rather than the initiator of autocratic or vindictive practises.

[3] With the death of Queen Mary and the accession of Elizabeth in 1558, Sir Henry withdrew from public office and retired to Norfolk, though maintaining connections in court.

However, when she first saw Sir Henry enter the inner court of the Tower with the hundred men-at-arms in their blue coats under his command, she asked in terror "if the Lady Jane's scaffold was removed."

The Lieutenant of the Tower endeavoured to calm her by saying there was no cause for alarm, but his orders were to consign her into the charge of Sir Henry Bedingfeld, to be conveyed to Woodstock.

In Sir Henry's report to the Queen of the journey from the Tower of London to Woodstock, he noted that the people between London and Windsor were not "hoole on matters of Religion" ...that "theye be fullye fyxed to stonde to the late abolyshyng off the byshopp off Romez aucthorite, as heretofore agaynste the order of all charite hath been establyshed by statute lawe within thys Realme.

Next there was written "a remembrance off the journeye made by my Ladye Elizabeth's grace from Wyndsore to Syr Wyllm Dormer's house at West Wyckhm the xxth off maye 1 Marie Regine.

"[32] Then followed a report that "my ladye Elizabeth's grace ys daylye vexed with the swellyng in the face and other parts off hir bodye," and Sir Henry deputed Edmund his brother to declare the same to "my lorde Chamberlayne" and to ask for a doctor.

"Doctour Owen" wrote directions to Sir Henry on the subject: apparently he thought it was not the "tyme off the yere to minster purgacions owing to the distemperaunce of the weather.

"[32] After this, Sir Henry wrote a long letter to the Privy Council relating various conversations between himself and the princess, to which is added the following, "My lords it hath come to my knowledge by dyv'se creditable and wrshipfull p'sons, that the remayneng off Cranmer, Rydleye, and Latimer, at Oxforde, in such sort as theye dooe, hath done nooe smal hurte In theys parts, even amonge thoose that were knowne to be goode afore.

"[32]Soon afterwards, Sir Henry wrote that if "this great Ladye shall remayne in this howse, there must be rep'acons done bothe to the covering of the house in lead and slate, and especially in glass and casemonds, or elles neyther she nor anye yt attendethe uppon hir shal be able to abyde for coulde.

"[32] He wrote to the Bishop of Ely, asking to be released from his responsibility, as he had been for 15 weeks "in care off mynde and some travell of bodye": he begged him to remind the Lord Chancellor (Bishop Gardiner) how he had accepted the custody of the princess at Gardiner's earnest request, in a conversation held "uppon the caulseye (causeway) betwexte the house off saynete Jamys and Charyng Crosse."

This was simply a harassing tactic, for books were being conveyed to Elizabeth, some of which Bedingfield suspected of being seditious, and when Parry sent him two harmless ones he was forced to return them for want of explicit instructions.

Early in July Parry was at the Bull Inn, 'a marvellous colourable place to practise in,' receiving every day as many as 40 men in his own livery, besides Elizabeth's own servants.

"[32] The Council replied that the Queen took great pleasure in the news that the Lady Elizabeth "doth so well conforme hirself in the receyvyng off the most blessed Sacramente off the altar."

Sir Henry wrote to the Queen mentioning Elizabeth's use of the reformed prayer book, etc., and refers to Mary's recent marriage: he expressed the hope of an heir to the throne, which would be a joy to all true Englishmen, "that wee maye as holye Simeon dydde for the byrth of Chryste, prayse Godde for the same.

"[32] Evidently there was some difficulty in getting Elizabeth to give up the reformed prayer book, and in reply to Sir Henry's remonstrance she reminded him that it had been used in "the king my father his dayes."

[32] At length came a letter from the Queen ordering Sir Henry to bring Elizabeth with all speed to Hampton Court, and the good "gaoler" was free to return home.

The chapel is most famous for two tombs made of floriated terracotta components - the finest of their kind, among a series of early 16th century monuments mainly in East Anglia associated with families who intermarried with the Bedingfields.

[37] One of these at Oxborough, a table tomb with a high arching canopy over it, extends across the chapel enclosing its eastern end as the inner sanctum of the Bedingfield memorials.

At the outer ends of the table arise a pair of tall detached grey columns with gilded bases and capitals of the Corinthian order.

These support an elaborately moulded and dentillated horizontal entablature above, and frame a large wall-piece of suffused reddish-veined marble ornamented with gilded fetter-locks (a motif associated with this family) and a bandwork design, interwoven with a glittering thread-like decoration.

All of this encloses a central dark panel with gilt lettering, which bears a Latin inscription: "Casta Bedingfeldo Comes, hic Katharina Marito estLustris Viva decem, quae fuit ante Comes.Prole Virum Conjux, Vir adauxit honoribus illam,Factus post multos Nominis hujus Eques.Inde Satellitium sumpsit, Turrimque regendam,Pars a Consilijs Una, Maria tuis.Privatus Senium, Christoque, Sibique dicavit,Vir pius, et verae Religionis amans.Hospitio largus, miserisque suisque benignus,Ad Mortem et Morbi tædia, fortis erat.

"[16] "Here BEDINGFIELD's chaste consort, KATHARINA lies,Who ten times five years was his living bride.Of worthy stem, he brought her honours moreWhen raised a Knight, like sundry of his Name: Then of the Guards, of the Tower, he took command,One party of thy Counsels, MARIA queen.Retir'd, old age to Christ, to himself, he gave,A pious man, and true Religion's friend.A generous Host, benign to needy Kin,He bore the toils of Sickness, firm till Death."