Elizabeth Barton facts for kids
Elizabeth Barton (1506 – 20 April 1534) was an English Catholic nun. She was known by many names, including "The Nun of Kent" and "The Holy Maid of Kent." She became famous for her prophecies, which she said came from God. However, she was executed because her prophecies went against King Henry VIII of England's plans to marry Anne Boleyn.
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Her Early Life
Elizabeth Barton was born in 1506 in a village called Aldington in Kent, England. This was about 12 miles from Canterbury. She came from a poor family. In 1525, when she was 19, she was working as a servant. This is when she said her special visions began.
Her Visions Begin
In 1525, Elizabeth was working for a farmer named Thomas Cobb. She started having very clear visions. She believed these were messages from God. Her visions often predicted events, like the death of a child. More often, they told people to stay true to the Catholic Church. She encouraged everyone to pray to the Virgin Mary and go on special religious journeys called pilgrimages.
Thousands of people believed in her prophecies. Important church leaders, like Archbishop William Warham and Bishop John Fisher, said she lived a very religious life. When some of the things Elizabeth predicted seemed to come true, her fame grew.
Archbishop Warham heard about her revelations. He set up a group to check if her prophecies matched Catholic teachings. This group was led by Edward Bocking, a monk who became Elizabeth's spiritual guide. The group decided her visions were real and good. So, Warham arranged for Elizabeth to join a group of nuns called the Benedictines in Canterbury.
Elizabeth became very well-known. People believed she was even healed by the Virgin Mary at a place called Court-at-Street. This made her and the local shrine to Mary even more famous. In 1527, a book was published about her "miracles, revelations, and prophecies."
Meeting Important People
In 1528, Elizabeth met with Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. He was the second most powerful person in England after King Henry VIII. Soon after, she met King Henry himself two times. At first, King Henry accepted Elizabeth because her prophecies supported the way things were. She also met with Richard Reynolds, a monk. He arranged a meeting between Elizabeth and Thomas More, who was impressed by her strong faith.
Her prophecies warned against new religious ideas and spoke against rebellion. At this time, King Henry was trying to stop new ideas like Lutheranism. He was also worried about people rising up against him.
Speaking Out Against the King
However, things changed when King Henry VIII wanted to end his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. He also wanted to take control of the Church in England away from Rome. Elizabeth Barton strongly disagreed with these changes. Around 1532, she began to prophesy that if Henry remarried, he would die within a few months. She even claimed she had seen the place in Hell where he would go.
It's important to know that King Henry actually lived for another 15 years after this. Thomas More thought that many prophecies were wrongly said to be from her. Even though she spoke out against the King, Elizabeth was not punished for almost a year. This was probably because she was so popular. Thomas More, Richard Reynolds, and John Fisher all warned her not to make "political" statements. They also started to distance themselves from her.
Arrest and Sad End
With her reputation damaged, the King's government arrested Elizabeth Barton in 1533. They forced her to say that she had made up her visions. What we know about her confession comes from Thomas Cromwell, who worked for the King, and other people connected to the King.
Elizabeth was accused of treason. This meant she was accused of going against the King. The government said she had purposely opposed King Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon. They also said she had prophesied that the King would lose his kingdom. Even though Elizabeth said God had told her that he no longer recognized Henry VIII as king, the government argued she was part of a plan against the King. They saw her as a false prophet who was encouraged to make up fake revelations to turn people against the King.
On 20 April 1534, Elizabeth Barton was hanged at Tyburn for treason. She was 28 years old. Five of her main supporters were executed with her:
- Edward Bocking, a monk
- John Dering, a monk
- Henry Gold, a priest
- Hugh Rich, a friar
- Richard Risby, a friar
Elizabeth Barton was buried at Greyfriars Church in Newgate. However, her head was placed on a spike on London Bridge. She is the only woman in history to have received this dishonor.
Legacy
Some churches, like the Anglican Catholic Church of St Augustine of Canterbury, still honor Elizabeth Barton today.
In Books and TV
Elizabeth Barton's story is told in the 2009 historical novel Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. She also appears in the TV show based on the book, where she is played by Aimee-Ffion Edwards. Her prophecies are also mentioned in Philippa Gregory’s 2014 novel The King's Curse.
Elizabeth Barton is questioned by Thomas Cromwell, Thomas Cranmer, and Nicòla Frescobaldi in the book Shaking the Throne by Caroline Angus.
In the play A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt, Elizabeth Barton is mentioned during the questioning of Thomas More. She was executed about 15 months before Thomas More.
