Historic Environment - Sheffield Manor Lodge Flashcards
What were the Last Words of Mary Queen of Scots?
In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum
(“Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit”)
8th February 1587
Last words of Mary, Queen of Scots, who was imprisoned at Sheffield for 14 years
Where and When was Sheffield Manor Lodge Built?
Built around 1516, Sheffield Manor Lodge, or Sheffield Manor Castle, was a prominent Tudor estate located in the southeast of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.
Who was the First ‘Lord of the Manor’?
George Talbot, the 4th Earl of Shrewsbury, served as the first lord of the manor and overseer of the manor’s expansion.
Who was the first VIP (Very Important Person) to stay at the Lodge?
In November 1530, Cardinal Wolsey stayed at Sheffield Manor House on his way to London.
Having had failed to solve King Henry VIII’s ‘great matter’ (his divorce from Catherine of Aragon), he fell out of favour and was charged with high treason.
What are some of the key features?
In addition to long galleries, Talbot remodelled the manor lodge by adding a brick wing and the Turret House in the 1570s.
It is believed that the Turret House, the only building still standing today, was specifically built to accommodate Mary, Queen of Scots during her imprisonment in England.
Three Other Key Features were:
1. Red Bricks - To make it stand out (Red was also associated with Catholics)
2. Turret House (Queen Marys Tower as a Nickname) was added in 1574
3. Mary Queen of Scots spent 14 of her 19 years improned there
Who was Lord of the Manor in the 1570s?
(At the time MQOS was held there)
George Talbot, Grandon of the 4th Earl, inherited the title as Lord of the Manor in 1560 and quickly became one of the wealthiest and most influential nobles at the court of Elizabeth I: George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury
How was Mary treated and was it Expensive to Hold MQOS at Sheffield Manor Lodge?
Read this answer THOROUGHLY
George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury one of the wealthiest and most influential nobles at the court of Elizabeth I (the Queen referred to him as “My Goode Old Manne”). He married the second-richest woman in the country, Elizabeth “Bess” of Hardwick, in 1568
The stresses imposed on George’s and Bess’s partnership by the pressures and worries of maintaining a vigilant watch on this important prisoner for 14 years took their toll.
Mary was guarded “so strictly … that unless she could transform herself into a mouse or a flea it was impossible that she could escape”, as Gilbert Gifford wrote in 1573. However, Mary was still to be kept in the manner of a Queen, being allowed an entourage of 41 people who took up ten rooms or receiving two barrels of wine per months which she not only drank but also bathed in.
When Mary left, the couple lived apart, George had lost all his chances of further political advancement and the strain of caring for Mary had bankrupted him.
Who or what was MQOS?
READ THIS THOROUGHLY
Also known as Mary Stuart, the Queen of Scots was the only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise.
She reigned from 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567 when she fled Scotland and arrived in England in 1568.
She was the closest living relative of Elizabeth I and her closest living Heir.
After 19 years as a prisoner of her cousin, Elizabeth I of England, Mary was executed on 8 February 1587.
What were THREE REASONS to house MQOS at Sheffield Manor Lodge?
- As George Talbot 6th Earl of Shrewsberry was paying for it, it would save Elizabeth I money - but eventually BANKRUPT the Earl himself
- The location was far from any sea ports and away from London, making it difficult for English or overseas Catholics to reach her and put her on the throne in London
- By housing MQOS at a ‘prestigious’ estate it was possibke to surround Mary Queen of Scots with spies and uncover any plans against Elizabeth such as the The Ridolfi Plot 1571, The Throckmorton Plot 1583 and finally The Babington Plot 1586
How many Letters did MQOS write whilst held at the Lodge and why was she moved?
Mary allegedly wrote about 2,000 letters that were smuggled to France and Spain. These were likely read by the Spies of Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeths Spymaster.
When George Talbot’s health declined, he arranged the transfer of Mary in 1584.
