Inventory of Henry VIII
The Inventory of Henry VIII compiled in 1547 is a list of the possessions of the crown, now in the British Library as Harley MS 1419.
This indexing solution to the large number of royal possessions has itself a helpful introduction running to three and half pages.
[3] Another manuscript lists the ships of Henry VIII's navy; the three Anthony Rolls are kept by Magdalene College, Cambridge, and the British Library, and were published in 2000.
[7] Another inventory of 1542 lists wardrobe stuff including tapestries and cushions at Windsor Castle in the keeping of William Tildesley, with later notes up to 1562.
[9] Henry VIII owned a "picture of Jacobe kinge of Scottes with an hawke on his fist".
[12] A portrait of Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond, had a curtain of yellow and white sarcenet paned together.
[13] The inventory intended to list all of the late king's jewels, plate, stuff, ordinance, and munition.
[16] The enamelled Royal Gold Cup which survives in the British Museum was listed as "a Cuppe of gold with Imagerie, the knopp a crowne Imperiall and aboute the bordre of the cover and the foote a Crowne garnished with lxii garnishing perles weying lxxix oz", and can be identified by its original number of pearls.
[17] The "knopp, a crowne Imperiall" and "the bordre of the cover" of the cup with its pearls were lost at some point between the 17th and 19th centuries.
Notes in the inventory record diplomatic gifts given and some incidents; in the summer of 1552, Edward VI lost a large pearl pendant from a gold chain while riding between Titchfield and Southampton.
Beyond this general magnificence, the inventory hints at Henry VIII's own interests and activities; at Westminster Palace there was a little study called the New Library, with equipment for writing, drawing, painting and surveying.
Two shelves held patterns for castles and engines of war, and there was a portfolio for plans, noted as 'a case for a platte covered with leather.
In 1906 the historian and tapestry-maker W. G. Thomson commented on the 1547 inventory that the king, "had a perfect mania for acquiring tapestries by any means that presented itself."
[28] The inventory includes notes of bills and invoices paid by Anthony Cope, the chamberlain of Catherine Parr, to her goldsmiths, embroiderers, mercers, saddler, and her silkwoman Mistress Shakerley.
[29] Henry VIII became infirm in old age and was carried between the rooms of his palaces in chairs called "trauewes" or "trammes".
As well as costumes for court Masques for men and women, and bards (decorative trappings for horses), Cawarden was also keeper of the royal tents.
Henry played several instruments, while at Lille in September 1513 with Margaret of Austria before the siege of Tournai, he performed on the lute, harp, lyre, flute, and horn.
Equipment at the Tower of London included some exotic pieces and large numbers of decorated ceremonial hand-arms.
