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about Religious Changes, especially in Tudor Reading 


Sir William Essex & Aske's Manifesto - © Nash Ford Publishing
 
 

   

  • After King Henry VIII reformed the Church in England, the people from the North were particularly unhappy. They started a rebellion (a war against the King) called the 'Pilgrimage of Grace'.
  • Their leader, Robert Aske, wrote a list of things they wanted changed, called 'Aske's Manifesto'.
  • The King made it illegal to have a copy. Sir George Throckmorton didn't know this. He took a copy to show his friends in a London pub. Sir William Essex made a copy & brought it back to his home at Lambourn Place in Berkshire.
  • Soon afterwards, copies appeared all over Reading.
  • Sir George went to visit Sir William. He stopped at Coley Park to see Thomas Vachell. He was just off to see the King to tell him what was going on in Reading.
  • Sir George stayed the night with his brother-in-law at Englefield House. He warned him how dangerous it was to have a copy of Aske's Manifesto. So Sir George burnt his one.
  • When Sir George arrived at Lambourn, he found Sir William very worried. It turned out, his servant had stolen Sir William's copy of the manifesto and given it out at the Cardinal's Hat in Reading. That's why it was now all over the town.
  • The servant was sent to the King to be punished. King Henry was very unhappy. Sir George and Sir William were thrown into the Tower of London.
  • Luckily they were released after a few months. They spent the rest of their lives trying to make it up to the King.

  

    © Nash Ford Publishing 2015. All Rights Reserved.