A 1544 Latin parchment containing a historically significant document signed by Henry VIII is on the market with a British collectibles dealer.
Paul Fraser Collectibles are selling the large document, 22.5 by 15 inches, which gives royal permission for a will passing some land in Sussex.
It’s notable, because it grants ownership to a woman.
Paul Fraser, the chairman of Paul Fraser Collectibles, said: “This is a truly magnificent Tudor Royal manuscript.
“It is superbly signed by King Henry VIII and dated February 1544, just four years before his death.
“The manuscript is beautifully written on parchment in Latin, and has been professionally restored to a museum-quality standard.
“On a visual level, this is a showstopper of the highest order.”
Henry has signed above the text, putting the stamp of royal and state approval on a land transfer. Image courtesy of Paul Fraser Collectibles.
Henry VIII is perhaps the most famous of all British kings. His pivotal role in the foundation of the modern British state, largely because of a dispute over divorce with the Catholic church, and his compelling dramatic private life mean his story has been told countless times.
Items associated with him are highly collectible and all examples of his signature are very valuable. Back in 2018, a signature cut from a larger document sold for nearly £3,000. Larger, significant documents are much more valuable, though many are out of the hands of private collectors in museums and archives.
This document was signed at a particularly key moment in Henry’s reign. He had joined a coalition of states invading France – British possession of Boulogne would be the reward.
But, he was near the end of his life, though just 51 years old. He was married to Catherine Parr, and fresh from reconciliation with his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, whose own reigns would be so impactful.
This state paper is in Latin. Henry’s signature, “Henry R” sits boldly in the top, right-hand corner, putting a personal approval to a document that opens: “Henry the Eighth, by the grace of God, King of England, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith and supreme head in the land of the Church of England and Ireland.”
This is the might of the newly confident Tudor state making its wishes known.
