Nine Famous Prisoners of the Tower of London: From Anne Boleyn to Guy Fawkes
Constructed by William the Conqueror, the Tower of London has functioned as a fortress, a royal residence, and the largest state prison in England, particularly during the Tudor era. It highlights nine notable prisoners spanning the 15th to 18th centuries: Anne Boleyn, who was executed on May 19, 1536; Lady Jane Grey, beheaded on February 12, 1554; Thomas More, executed on July 6, 1535; Catherine Howard, who faced beheading on February 13, 1542; Guy Fawkes, who died in 1606; Sir Walter Raleigh, executed on October 29, 1618; the Princes in the Tower, who vanished in 1483; William Wallace, executed on August 23, 1305; and Henry Laurens, imprisoned from October 1780 until December 1781. The article underscores the Tower's historical importance.
Key facts
- The Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror after his coronation.
- Anne Boleyn was executed on May 19, 1536, and buried in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula.
- Lady Jane Grey was beheaded on February 12, 1554, at age 17.
- Thomas More was executed on July 6, 1535, for refusing to accept royal supremacy.
- Catherine Howard was beheaded on February 13, 1542.
- Guy Fawkes was involved in the Gunpowder Plot and died in 1606.
- Sir Walter Raleigh was executed on October 29, 1618.
- The Princes in the Tower disappeared in 1483.
- William Wallace was executed on August 23, 1305.
- Henry Laurens was the only American prisoner, released in December 1781.
Entities
Artists
- Anne Boleyn
- Henry VIII
- Catherine of Aragon
- Pope Clement VII
- Elizabeth I
- Thomas Cromwell
- Jane Seymour
- Lady Jane Grey
- Edward VI
- Mary Tudor
- John Dudley
- Lady Frances Brandon
- Henry Grey
- Catherine Parr
- Lord Guildford Dudley
- Thomas More
- Cardinal Wolsey
- Margaret Roper
- Catherine Howard
- Anne of Cleves
- Thomas Culpepper
- Francis Dereham
- Guy Fawkes
- King James I
- Sir Walter Raleigh
- Elizabeth Throckmorton
- Edward IV
- Elizabeth Woodville
- Richard, Duke of Gloucester
- Richard III
- William Wallace
- King Edward I of England
- Alexander III
- John de Balliol
- Henry Laurens
- Lemuel Francis Abbott
- Hans Holbein the Younger
- Édouard Cibot
- John Everett Millais
Institutions
- Tower of London
- Roman Catholic Church
- Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula
- Beauchamp Tower
- Parliament
- Continental Congress
- British Museum
- National Portrait Gallery
- Royal Collection
- Historic Royal Palaces
- British Library
- US Senate
- Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum
- Royal Holloway Collection
- University of London
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- England
- Scotland
- Netherlands
- Spain
- North America
- Virginia
- South America
- Isle of Jersey
- Glasgow
- Lanark
- Stirling
- Yorktown
- Holland
- Westminster
- Tower Hill
- Autun
- France