Book used by Henry VIII to annul marriage and break with Rome found in library

A book that helped Henry VIII build his case against the pope and annul his first marriage has been found in a library at an English country home. The volume, dated 1495, is a summary of works by philosopher and theologian William of Ockham, a major figure in medieval intellectual and political thought. Agents of Henry VIII scoured the country for texts such as Ockham’s, which questioned the authority of the pope and argued for the monarch’s independence. Such evidence was used to annul the king’s marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, his brother’s widow, after she failed to produce a male heir, and ultimately break-up with Rome.

It’s thrilling to discover that the book at Lanhydrock is from the royal library. The book is important not only for its provenance but for the notes entered in it by Henry VIII’s advisers and no doubt intended for him to see.

Professor James Carley, an expert on the libraries of Henry VIII

It is a period of history documented in Hilary Mantel’s novels, produced for TV as Wolf Hall. The book was found at the National Trust’s Lanhydrock in Cornwall. It contains marginal notes and marks made by the king’s secretarial staff to draw his attention to relevant passages. Staff had been aware of the book in the library, which holds 2,500 volumes, but its direct connection to the royal marriage was not known until a visit from Tudor historian Professor James Carley. Monarchy And The Book exhibition will open at Lanhydrock on March 1 and run until the end of November.

To have such an interesting book in the collection is fascinating in itself but to find out that it was once owned by Henry VIII, and played a part in a pivotal moment in British history, is very exciting.

Paul Holden, house and collections manager at Lanhydrock

Europe henry VIII