X-Nico

10 unusual facts about Stephen Gardiner


1555 in poetry

Mirror for Magistrates, anthology of poems about great historical figures of England, first edition; published by John Weyland, who was apparently denied a license to publish by the Lord Chancellor Stephen Gardiner, effectively suppressing the work and putting Weyland out of business (the book was revived and published in 1559, third edition 1563, fourth edition 1574, another edition 1610)

Edward Crome

Being brought before Bishop Stephen Gardiner and others of the council he was ordered as before to preach in contradiction of what he had said at St Paul's Cross, but his sermon rather hinted that the king's recent abolition of chantries showed that he held the same opinion.

German Gardiner

German Gardiner (Germain, Jermyn) (date of birth unknown; executed at Tyburn, 7 March 1544) was a Roman Catholic layman, nephew to Stephen Gardiner, who became involved in the Prebendaries' Plot against Thomas Cranmer.

Henry Brinklow

Bishop Stephen Gardiner suspected that Mors was a pseudonym, but that it was the creation of George Joye.

James Basset

James Basset (1526–1558) was a gentleman from an ancient Devonshire family who became a servant of Stephen Gardiner (c. 1483-1555), Bishop of Winchester, by whom he was nominated MP for Taunton in 1553, for Downton in 1554, both episcopal boroughs.

In 1538 he entered the household of Stephen Gardiner (c. 1483-1555), Bishop of Winchester, whom he served firstly as a gentleman of the household, remaining in his faithful service for thirteen years.

Jane Dudley, Duchess of Northumberland

The forthright Protestant was burnt at the stake as a heretic in July 1546 on the contrivance of the religiously conservative court party around Bishop Stephen Gardiner.

Jasper Tudor

19th century genealogists mistakenly conflated Thomas Gardiner with Stephen Gardiner, bishop of Winchester.

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

It is also said to be a punning reference to her chief minister, Stephen Gardiner.

Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich

Rich took part in the prosecution of bishops Stephen Gardiner and Edmund Bonner, and had a role in the harsh treatment accorded to the future Mary I of England.


Edward Foxe

In 1528 he was sent with Bishop Stephen Gardiner to Rome to obtain from Pope Clement VII a decretal commission for the trial and decision of the case between King Henry VIII of England and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.

Southwark Cathedral Merbecke Choir

He was tried and convicted of heresy in the retrochoir of Southwark Cathedral in 1543 but received a pardon owing to the intervention of Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester.

The Sixth Wife

Catherine's family play a key role including her sister Anne Parr Herbert, her stepdaughter Elizabeth, niece Jane Grey, doomed friend Anne Askew, rivals Thomas Wriothesley, Stephen Gardiner, Henry Howard, Anne Stanhope, Mary Howard Fitzroy the Dowager Duchess of Richmond and former romantic interest Thomas Seymour.

White Horse Tavern, Cambridge

The group was not confined to those associated with the reform movement of the next two decades, however, and also included future conservatives like Stephen Gardiner, the future Bishop of Winchester.

William Paget, 1st Baron Paget

Probably through the influence of Stephen Gardiner, who had early befriended Paget, he was employed by King Henry VIII in several important diplomatic missions; in 1532 he was appointed Clerk of the Signet and soon afterwards of the privy council.