History around September 1511
September 1511 date and days of the week
◄ Aug September Oct ►Sun / Mon / Tue / Wed / Thu / Fri / Sat
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13
14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20
21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27
28 / 29 / 30
Weather
January 1506 (OSP) / Severe frost. Thames frozen throughout January; horse and cart could cross the frozen river. The sea was also frozen at Marseilles. This implies that it must have been bitterly cold (and persistently so) since at least late December. It often needs some period of strong east wind as well to remove the heat from the water. (LWH) / 8,LWH
1510/1511
(Winter) / A cold winter in western Europe / implied parts of Britain. (Easton, in CHMW/Lamb) / 1
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon was the wife of Henry's elder brother Arthur. The marriage between Catherine and Arthur was arranged by Arthur's father Henry VII as part of a campaign of securing peace in Europe. As the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Aragon, the marriage would secure trust between the two countries. Catherine arrived in England in 1501 and in the November was married to Arthur then heir to the English throne. Within months Arthur had fallen ill and died. Arrangements were then made to marry Catherine and Henry, now heir to the English throne. Henry and Catherine were married at Greenwich in 1509 a month before they were both crowned at Westminster Abbey. Catherine was five years older than Henry. She gave birth to a baby boy in January of 1511, but unfortunately the child died a few weeks later. Catherine had several more babies but all died in infancy until Mary was born in February of 1516.
People may have seen or heard about some of the ‘sport and gaiety’ which characterised the first years of Henry VIII. ‘masques and jousts and spectacles followed one another in endless pageantry’.
To celebrate the birth of his son Prince Henry in 1511, the King proclaimed an allegorical tournament of the sort developed in the previous century at the court of the Dukes of Burgundy.
This challenge, issued on 12 February and signed by the King, lists the rules to be followed and explains the background story. Queen ‘Noble Renown’ of the kingdom of ‘Noble Heart’, rejoicing at the happy event, had sent four knights, Ceure Loyall, Vailliaunt Desyre, Bone Voloyr and Joyous Panser, to joust in England against all comers. Their shields appear in the margin. In reality they were Henry and three of his leading courtiers, Sir Thomas Knyvet, Lord William Courtenay and Sir Edward Neville. Other courtiers signed up to answer the challenge.
The tournament that followed was a great spectacle of expensive pageantry. The challengers first arrived inside a movable forest topped by a castle made of golden paper and the Great Wardrobe was ordered to produce all manner of splendid trappings, such as the new banners to hang from the royal trumpeters’ instruments.
The whole occasion was commemorated in a painted roll preserved at the College of Arms, London. Sadly, however, Prince Henry was dead within 10 days.
Tensions with Scotland in 1511
Henry’s sister, Margaret was married (1502 to the King of Scotland. Henry refused to hand over the jewels his father had bequeathed to her. English kings claimed power (suzereignity) over Scotland.
August 1511 naval battle of the Downs led to death of one of King James’ favourite admirals and capture of two ships The Lion and Jenett of Purwyn.
Possible discussion of Foreign policy
Earlier in 1511, Thomas Wolsey – by that time dean of Lincoln - had convinced Henry to join his father-in-law Ferdinand of Aragon in a Holy League that also included Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, the Cantons of Switzerland, and the Republic of Venice.
The Treaty of Westminster was signed in November 1511 by Henry VIII of England and Ferdinand II of Aragon. It was a pledge of mutual aid between the two against France.
Making arrows – possibly preparing for war (against France and/or Scotland)
Indenture, 26 Aug. 1511 3 Hen. VIII., witnessing receipt by Walter Hendy, the King's fletcher, from Sir Sampson Norton, master of the Ordnance, of 60l. towards provision of 10,000 sheaves of livery arrows to be made in Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and other shires of the realm, according to "a bill of proportion thereof made," signed by the King and remaining in the Exchequer. Signed by Norton.
Other dates
1509 / June 24 - Accession of King Henry VIIIJune 11 - King Henry VIII marries Catherine of Aragon
1509 / 11 / The Mary Rose was built in 1509 / 1511 as the first English gunship
1511 / 12 / Henry VIII established Deptford and Woolwich as the Royal Dockyards