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Mary I

Palace of Placentia, 28 Feb 1516 – St James's Palace, 1558

14 facts3 sources

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About Mary I

Mary I: Sovereign Queen and Spanish Consort

AI-assisted · edited

The collection records Mary I’s birth in 1516 at the Palace of Placentia and her death in 1558 at St James’s Palace. Both entries carry a probable confidence rating. 12

She was Queen of England and Ireland from 1553 to 1558. The title evidence dates her tenure as Queen Consort of Spain from 1554 to 1558, although the summary places her Spanish queenship from 1556. 345

Mary was the daughter of Henry VIII of England and Catherine of Aragon. A confirmed event in the record is her coronation as Mary I of England. The summary reports that she made vigorous attempts to reverse the English Reformation, which had begun during her father’s reign. 6785

Drafted with AI and edited against the collection. Open a citation to see the record, its sources and how certain it is.

Facts and their sources

  • Born28 Feb 1516, Palace of PlacentiaRecords disagree1 source
  • TitleMonarch of England, 1553–1558or King of Ireland, 1553–1558 · Queen Consort of Spain, 1554–1558not verified1 source
  • TitleKing of Ireland, 1553–1558or Monarch of England, 1553–1558 · Queen Consort of Spain, 1554–1558not verified1 source
  • TitleQueen Consort of Spain, 1554–1558or Monarch of England, 1553–1558 · King of Ireland, 1553–1558not verified1 source
  • EventCoronation of Mary I of Englandnot verified1 source
  • Died1558, St James's PalaceRecords disagree1 source
  • MotherCatherine of Aragonnot verified1 source
  • FatherHenry VIII of Englandnot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 28 Feb 1516

    Born in Palace of Placentia

  2. 1553–1558

    Monarch of England

  3. 1553–1558

    King of Ireland

  4. 1554–1558

    Queen Consort of Spain

  5. 1558

    Dies in St James's Palace

Family

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Parents

Partner

During her lifetime

She lived through 5 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Palace of Placentia.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1510s · Mary I is born in Palace of Placentia

In the news1513

Battle of Flodden defeat

The Scottish army suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Flodden in 1513, where King James IV was killed.

At the table

Pottage was the staple daily dish

Pottage was the main daily dish for ordinary people, a thick soup made of cereals, pulses, vegetables, and occasionally meat that was cooked in a cauldron over an open fire.

What people wore

Limited wardrobes for the commoners

Many ordinary people owned only one set of clothes for daytime wear and lacked dedicated sleepwear, opting to sleep in their smocks and nightcaps.

Getting around

Carts were for cargo, not people

Carts and wagons were used to transport cargo, not people, and passengers who rode in them sat on the floor among straw or baggage. These vehicles were extremely slow and were widely considered an uncomfortable or shameful way for a person to travel.

What it cost

Earnings of Workers and Servants

Unskilled laborers earned between £5 and £10 per year, while skilled workmen typically earned about 6d per day. Farm workers often earned no more than half a shilling (6d) per day, and many servants were paid as little as six shillings annually plus board.

Music

Paying Minstrels for Parish Festivals

Parish records show that minstrel hire for Whitsuntide festivities was common, with payments reaching up to 8s 4d for a single minstrel in 1533.

Daily life

Inexpensive rushlights versus luxury beeswax

Rushlights, made from dried plant pith dipped in tallow, were a common and inexpensive light source for the poor. In contrast, beeswax candles were luxury items, costing up to six times more than tallow.