Power, Treason and Plot in Tudor England: Margaret Clitherow, an Elizabethan Saint

by Tony Morgan

The Tudor period was notable for religious turmoil. Under Queen Elizabeth I, the slowly reforming Protestant Church of England finally gained a level of stability, but many people, from paupers to Lords, clung to Catholicism. Most crossed their fingers and attended Protestant services. Others, the ‘recusants’, remained defiant and refused to conform. This book takes a fresh look into the life and death of one prominent Catholic recusant, Margaret Clitherow, and the wider events which shaped her story and that of many others. In 1970, Margaret was made a saint, one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. All suffered a similar fate. Elizabeth’s government faced threats from multiple directions - poor harvests, disease, attempts at invasion and plots to replace the Queen with a Catholic monarch. In York, friction was growing between the Council of the North and the city Corporation. But for much of the population, life went on as normal. One well-to-do family in the city celebrated the birth of a daughter. Brought up for a time as a Protestant, Margaret Middleton eventually married a butcher, John Clitherow. They set up home in the Shambles and raised a family. Margaret’s destiny changed when she embraced Catholicism. In 1586, Margaret’s stepfather was elected Lord Mayor of York. A few weeks later, Margaret was arrested for harbouring Catholic priests. Coincidence, or something more sinister? What happened next was sensational. One woman taking on the northern authorities, the Church of England and assizes judiciary. Sentenced to death for refusing to make a plea in court, Margaret received a last-minute reprieve due to claims of her pregnancy, only for these to be rejected. Following Margaret’s brutal execution, Queen Elizbeth is said to have apologised to the people of York. With one martyr and no winner, Margaret’s story is examined as a microcosm of Tudor life, a family tragedy of faith and betrayal, set against a backdrop of political power games, treason and plot.

Genres: Nonfiction

305 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 23, 2022

Reviews

[Michael Bully · Rating 4 out of 5]

Margaret Clitherow is most known for her refusal to plead either guilty of not guilty to a charge of harbouring Jesuit priests at York in 1586. Her sentence was to undergo a punishment known as Peine forte et dure . This entailed being stripped naked, a stone placed behind her back, a door laid across her, then weights were placed on it. . This was all carried out on 25h March 1586 at Toll Booth, Ouse Bridge in York. Margaret Clitherow was declared at saint in 1970. It must be said that this was an exceptional punishment, and that there is no evidence that Elizabeth I was aware that this sentence was due to be carried out.


We are reminded in the book that that there is no contemporary record of the trial, but that one of the priests Margaret harboured , Father John Mush wrote an account of Margaret's life and death A True Report of the Life and Martydom of Mrs Margaret Clitherow . Mr Morgan also points out us that this is not an objective source.

The book emphasises the point that during Elizabeth's reign the harbouring of Jesuits being a criminal offence was just part of a series of sanctions against English Catholics. Only the Protestant Anglican Church was permitted. Those who refused to attend Anglican service, known as recusants risked being fined unless they could justify their absence. It is shown how these penalties reached some quite extortionate amounts or even prison for repeat offenders.

The author summarises all the stages of the English Reformation and the impact it had on Elizabethan legislation. He also recounts how York status as the second city of England in the 15th century began to fail, how both population and economic activity declined. York is shown as being slow to accept the different stages of the Reformation, taking the side of the Catholic rebels during the Pilgrimage of Grace ( 1536). There were no Protestant martyrs during Bloody Mary's reign. However the inhabitants of York stayed out of the Northern Earls Rebellion against Elizabeth in 1569.

Margaret was most likely born in 1553. Her father owned property and in his will, stipulated that Margaret could inherit an inn at Davygate, York. He died when Margaret was a teenager, and her mother soon re-married and started to run the establishment with her second husband Henry Maye, a Protestant who had moved to York from Hampshire. At 18 Margaret married a butcher John Clitherow and converted to Catholicism whilst John remained a church warden in an Anglican church at some point in the 1570's. Margaret was fined and then jailed a number of time for refusing to attend Anglican services, and John, well known as a local Protestant, was also punished by the Courts for her behaviour.

There is a particularly interesting examination of the role of women amongst the 'recusants' . Suggesting that there was quite possibly a Catholic network amongst midwifes. Also that female recusants in prison, free from childcare and their other labours, used the time for religious devotions, leaving custody strengthened in their convictions.

One of the book's strengths is that the author does not shy away from the complexities of Margaret's character. Particularly when, seemingly without John's consent, she used her contacts with to send their son Henry, aged 12 abroad to Jesuit college, with the full knowledge that if Henry ever returned to England, he risked a traitor's death. Also when sentenced, Margaret stated that she wished her children to undergo the same punishment. On the other hand Margaret's refusal to plead meant that many of her family and other associates could not be cajoled into giving evidence against her, and risk implicating themselves.

The author also looks into theories such as whether or not Margaret was pregnant at the time of her trial. Also the fact that her stepfather Henry Maye, who had remarried after Margaret's mother died, and now became Lord Mayor of York, had a hand in getting Margaret arrested. Possibly hoping to acquire said inn at Davygate if the Courts seized her assets and resold them in lieu of unpaid fines.

Overall the author tackles the various stages of the English Reformation very clearly, and shows how this process impacted on York. He presents the life of Margaret Clitherow fairly , but depicts her as genuinely devout, brave, but not completely above criticism.

[ece karadag · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before reading this book, I actually have no idea who’s she or what’s the book aiming to tell or discuss. But when I dive into this book I got surprised and learned new things about an Elizabethan Saint, Margaret Clitherow.
Margaret Clitherow was an English saint or a martyr of Roman Catholic Church and she known as The Pearl of York. She was pressed to death for refusing to enter a plea to the charge of harbouring Catholic priests. She was canonised in 1970 by Pope Paul VI.
We are reminded in the book that that there is no contemporary record of the trial, but that one of the priests Margaret harboured , Father John Mush wrote an account of Margaret’s life and death A True Report of the Life and Martyrdom of Mrs Margaret Clitherow. The author, Tony Morgan also points out us that this is not an objective source.
The book highlights that the Jesuits, a criminal offense during Elizabeth’s reign, were only part of a series of sanctions against British Catholics. Only the Protestant Anglican Church was accepted. Those who refused to attend Anglican worship, known as Recusant, risked fines unless they could justify their absence. It has been shown that these penalties can lead to very horrific amounts or even imprisonment for repeated offenses.
The author summarises all the stages of the English Reformation and the impact it had on Elizabethan legislation. He also recounts how York status as the second city of England in the 15th century began to fail, how both population and economic activity declined. York is shown as being slow to accept the different stages of the Reformation, taking the side of the Catholic rebels during the Pilgrimage of Grace (1536). There were no Protestant martyrs during Bloody Mary’s reign. However the inhabitants of York stayed out of the Northern Earls Rebellion against Elizabeth in 1569.
Margaret might have been born in 1553. Her father owned property and in her will stated that Margaret could inherit an inn in Davygate, York. Margaret’s father died while she was a teenager, and her mother quickly remarried and took over the business with her second husband, Henry Maye, a Protestant from Hampshire who had relocated to York. Margaret married a butcher named John Clitherow when she was 18 years old and converted to Catholicism, but John remained a church warden in an Anglican church until the 1570s. Margaret was fined and subsequently imprisoned several times for refusing to attend Anglican services, and John, a well-known Protestant in the area, was also penalized by the courts.
The author does not shy away from the complexity of Margaret’s character, which is one of the book’s virtues. Particularly when, ostensibly without John’s approval, she exploited her connections to transfer their 12-year-old son Henry to a Jesuit institution overseas, knowing full well that if Henry ever returned to England, he would be executed as a traitor. Margaret also indicated that she wanted for the same penalty for her children when she was condemned. Margaret’s unwillingness to plead meant that many of her family members and other acquaintances could not be persuaded to testify against her and risk being implicated.
There is a particularly interesting examination of the role of women amongst the ‘recusants’ . Suggesting that there was quite possibly a Catholic network amongst midwifes. Also that female recusants in prison, free from childcare and their other labours, used the time for religious devotions, leaving custody strengthened in their convictions.
The author also investigates hypotheses such as Margaret’s pregnancy at the time of her trial. Margaret’s stepfather Henry Maye, who had remarried after Margaret’s mother died and was now Lord Mayor of York, was also involved in her detention. If the Courts took her assets and auctioned them in lieu of outstanding penalties, she may be expecting to buy mentioned inn at Davygate.
Overall, the author presents the various stages of the English Reformation in a straightforward and concise manner, demonstrating how they influenced York. Margaret Clitherow’s life is fairly depicted by him, yet she is seen as really dedicated, bold, and not wholly beyond reproach.

[Heidi Malagisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tudor dynasty was a time of significant political change, but it was also a time of tremendous religious change. Each Tudor monarch had a different view on the divide between Catholics and Protestants. Although we have an idea of what it might have been like during the reign of Mary I, the way Elizabeth I tackled the issue of religion during her reign. One story of how Catholics were treated in the so-called “Golden Age” of Elizabethan England is the story of Margaret Clitherow. She helped hide a couple of Catholic priests and ended up suffering for her actions by being crushed to death. Tony Morgan tells her story and how she became a Catholic martyr in his book, “Power, Treason, and Plot in Tudor England: Margaret Clitherow, an Elizabethan Saint.”

Thank you, Pen and Sword Books and Casemate, for sending me a copy of this book. I have heard the name Margaret Clitherow mentioned a few times in books about Elizabeth I, but I found out about her tragic tale.

With each monarch came dramatic changes, and by the time Elizabeth was on the throne, Protestants were safe, and Catholics were on the run. Morgan breaks each chapter into sections: how England was changing, how York was dealing with the changes, and how the changes in York affected Margaret Clitherow and her family. It is a great way to give the audience an understanding of why these changes involved a family of business owners like the Middletons and her husband, John Clitherow, a butcher. Margaret was raised to be a Protestant, but in her heart, she would always be a Catholic recusant.

Margaret Clitherow was no stranger to prison, as she had landed behind bars several times before her last case. In it, she was convicted of hiding a couple of Catholic priests, which was against the act of 1585 known as the “Act Against Jesuits, Seminary Priests and Such Other Like Disobedient Persons.” When brought to court, Margaret refused to plead either guilty or not guilty, creating a dilemma; the court ultimately decided she was guilty and sentenced her to death by being crushed by large rocks. What we know of the trial and execution is due to the book by Father John Mush called “A True Report of the Life and Martyrdom of Mrs. Margaret Clitherow.”

I found some parts of the book a tad dry, but that was because it dealt with religious politics and new laws. When it came to the actual story of Margaret Clitherow and her family drama, Morgan did an excellent job of introducing his audience to a new figure who fought for what she believed was right until the bitter end. If you want a book that teaches you about the Catholic resistance during the Elizabethan era and wants to know about Margaret Clitherow, “Power, Treason, and Plot in Tudor England: Margaret Clitherow, an Elizabethan Saint” by Tony Morgan should be on your list of books to read.

[Jamie Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love to read about European history, specifically anything to do with Queen Elizabeth I. This book dives into the life of Margaret Clitherow, a well-known Catholic recusant. Under the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the Protestant church became more stable but many of her people still held onto Catholic beliefs. A lot of people embraced Protestant beliefs, or at least pretended to. The people who refused to do so were known as "recusants". Margaret was one of them, and this book explores her life and the events that happened to her as well as many others. In 1586, she was arrested for harboring Catholic priests, and sentenced to death. She did not go quietly and was granted a reprieve from death due to her claim of pregnancy. This was later rejected as it was a false claim and she was executed in a brutal manner. Afterwards, allegedly the Queen apologized to the people of York, where Margaret lived. This was a great read and an interesting look into Margaret's life and death. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Love the cover. If you love anything Tudor's like myself you will love this novel.

[Robert Neil Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

It might seem a bit odd that a Sixteenth century butcher’s wife could become one of the forty Catholic martyrs of England and Wales. But Margaret Clitherow was no ordinary woman; she was a person of resolute faith in a time of religious paranoia and persecution, and she paid the ultimate price for her devotion. In this book, Tony Morgan takes you into Elizabethan England and inside the provincial city of York to tell Clitherow’s extraordinary tale.
Morgan structures most of his book in three layers. The first is at the national level, beginning in Henry VIII’s reign and the cleaving of the English church from Roman Catholicism. The political turbulence that produced ran through the reigns of Edward VI and Mary I then into the long reign of Elizabeth I. Morgan narrows his focus to a Tudor history of York, where the religious turmoil at the national level rippled through local politics. The third level of the story is that of Margaret Clitherow and her family, which was intertwined with city politics – her stepfather at the time of her death was the Mayor. Morgan slices those corresponding stories chronologically with the theme of religious oppression and persecution binding them. He draws them together into a single narrative with the culminating story of Margaret’s arrest, trial, and dreadful execution – she was pressed to death, in March 1586, for refusing to enter a plea to the court.
Margaret Clitherow deserves to have her story told by someone as steeped in local knowledge as Tony Morgan. He is particularly good at explaining the machinations of York politics and the dynamics of religious practice in the city. No matter how the reader views fanaticism and martyrdom, no one deserves Clitherow’s fate, and Morgan brings out the all too human emotional struggle she must have endured. On the wider level, Morgan explores many of the political, economic, and social themes of the Elizabethan period that still resonate. This is a dry read, though, with Morgan offering some commentary but rarely wandering too far from his sources, leaving unanswered some of the big questions that Clitherow’s story elicits. The tiered structure doesn’t help in that regard, with the chapters becoming somewhat repetitive until Morgan unifies the narratives upon Clitherow’s arrest. Nevertheless, students of Elizabethan and religious history, in particular, will enjoy Morgan’s book.

[Kate Mull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its s hard to understand the motivations of the martyrs from a modern perspective. This book gave me some understanding and gave a detailed and compelling insight into the religious issues of the time. It certainly increased my understanding and helped explain Elizabeth 1st move from initial ‘tolerance’. The Catholic Church shot itself in the foot, but times were different then and people were more certain that theirs was the only true way.
As for Margaret Clitherow, my goodness how brave and how foolhardy. She was betrayed in many ways by others’ greed and ambition, but must have quite a woman to have kept her husband’s loyalty. Although it’s difficult to understand how people could be so fervent in their devotion to the catholic religion, one cannot help but admire their courage in continuing their struggle to support Catholicism for which so many paid the ultimate sacrifice.