The Inventory of King Henry VIII: The Transcript: 1 - Hardcover

Ward, Philip; Hawkyard, Alasdair

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1872501893 ISBN 13: 9781872501895

Publisher: Harvey Miller Publishers, 1998

Synopsis

The Inventory is not only a catalogue of magnificence but also a key text for evaluating the successes and failures of the Tudor monarchy. Henry VIII had extravagant ideas of image and authority and loved his possessions, amongst which where over 2,000 pieces of tapestry, 2,028 items of gold and silver plate and 41 growns. Although he left the country with heavy debts and an empty exchequer, he was far from bankrupting the monarchy as some scholars have suggested. Indeed the Inventory allows us to calculate that at the time of his death the contents of his palaces and wardrobes were worth about oe300,000 and the military and naval stores a further oe300,000. Most of what the King owned has unfortunately since disappeared. Yet the Inventory tells us what once existed, enables us to identify surviving objects and also helps once belonged to hem. The transcription of the inventory is accompanied by a historical introduction, a glossary of technical terms, and an exhaustive Index which is a major tool of scholarship in its own right.

About this title

Synopsis

Henry VIII had extravagant ideas of image and authority and loved his possessions. He owned over 2000 pieces of tapestry and 2028 items of gold and silver plate. This work is not only a catalogue, but also a source of information for the study of Tudor society. In its listings the inventory provides information about Henry's personal and declining health problems, for example his bandages for ulcers are listed. The original inventory is in two parts: one in the possession of the Society of Antiquaries and the other in the Harley Collection of the British Library. Volume one is a transcription of the inventory itself. The second and third volumes include explanatory essays by experts together with illustrations. In addition, the authors provide evaluations of the objects in monetary and social terms.

Edition details

• Publisher: Harvey Miller Publishers
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 1872501893
• ISBN 13: 9781872501895
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 544
• Editor: Starkey David