Book Review ~ Pirates: Truth and Tales, by Helen Hollick

New on Amazon UK and Amazon US

Helen Hollick's latest release,  Pirates: Truth and Tales is a clever concept, as she uses a non-fiction book to show how her extensive research has led to the success of her popular fiction.

This fun exploration of the history and legends of the world of pirates is packed with interesting facts and fascinating details. Hollywood has, as usual, done it's best to mislead us about what it might have been like to live the life of a pirate.

The truth is much more complicated, as an amazingly wide range of seafarers might be termed pirates - but there are plenty of stories which are supported by historical evidence. Improved technology means that long-lost 'pirate' ships are being discovered, so our knowledge of how the real pirates lived continues to develop.

Illustrations of the 1911 edition of
Treasure Island, by N. C. Wyeth

I was particularly interested in Helen's exploration of the lives of some famous seafaring writers, such as Daniel Defoe, who I knew little about. I enjoyed reading Robinson Crusoe as a child but hadn't realised Defoe is among the founders of the English novel.

We learn it was the Pirates of the Caribbean series that inspired Helen's Sea Witch series, and we sail with her as she looks at the difference between a buccaneer and a corsair, a brigantine and a caravel.

Complete with excerpts from Helen's novels and the words of sea-shanties to sing along to, this is a great book to dip in to - and like any pirate ship has treasure in the hold. Highly recommended.

Tony Riches

# # #

About the Author

Helen moved from London in 2013 and now lives with her family in North Devon, in an eighteenth century farmhouse. First published in 1994, her passion now is her pirate character, Captain Jesamiah Acorne of the nautical adventure series, The Sea Witch Voyages. Helen became a USA Today Bestseller with her historical novel, The Forever Queen (UK title A Hollow Crown) the story of Saxon Queen, Emma of Normandy. Her novel Harold the King (US title I Am The Chosen King) explores the events that led to the 1066 Battle of Hastings. Her Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy, set in the fifth century, is widely praised as a more down-to-earth historical version of the Arthurian legend. She has written three non-fiction books, Pirates: Truth and Tales, Smugglers in Fact and Fiction (to be published 2019) and as a supporter of indie writers, co-wrote Discovering the Diamond with her editor, Jo Field, a short advice guide for new writers. She runs the Discovering Diamonds review blog for historical fiction assisted by a team of enthusiastic reviewers.  Helen is published in various languages. For more information visit Helen's website www.helenhollick.net and blog www.ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com and follow her on Facebook
and Twitter @HelenHollick.

DNA Testing Mary Tudor, Queen of France

When I visited Bury St Edmunds recently to see the tomb of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, I also visited the nearby Moyse's Hall museum, to see the locket containing a lock of Mary Tudor's hair, (pictured above) which was taken when her coffin was moved to its present location. (It was reported that when Mary's coffin was opened her hair was some two feet long and a ‘reddish-gold’ colour.)

I was aware that several other locks of hair were taken, including this one, by historian Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford, and Lady Margaret Bentinck, Duchess of Portland:

I read in The Mythology of the 'Princes in the Tower, by the late John Ashdown-Hill (see review) that attempts were made to study these locks of hair in the quest to solve the mystery of what became of the princes. Dr Ashdown-Hill (whose research helped identify the skeleton of Richard III) had turned his attention to the urn in Westminster Abbey which purports to contain the remains of the princes in the Tower. 

To be technical for a moment, as well as DNA from cells, it is also possible to extract mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from the cushion of cytoplasm which surrounds our cells. Importantly, mtDNA is inherited unchanged down the maternal line, passed from mothers to both sons and daughters, but sons cannot pass along their mothers' mtDNA to their children because mtDNA is transmitted through the female egg.

This means that Mary Tudor, Queen of France, (and her brother King Henry VIII) will have shared mtDNA with the princes through their mother, Elizabeth of York and grandmother, Elizabeth Woodville.

John Ashdown-Hill was able to borrow the specimen of Mary's hair from Moyse's Hall museum - but found the locket was sealed with solder which couldn't be removed without risking damage. He then managed to examine Horace Walpole's locket in January 2009 (now kept at Knowsley Hall, near Liverpool) and two hairs were removed in sterile conditions and taken to Professor Jean-Jacques Cassiman, an mtDNA specialist and professor in the Department of Human Genetics in Leuvenin, Belgium.

Sadly, the results were inconclusive, as it seems the hair was contaminated at the time it was removed, although research in overcoming the problem of contaminated mtDNA by 'cleaning' the samples continues, so one day Mary Tudor might help solve one of our great historical mysteries. I wonder what Mary would have said if she'd known two strands of her hair were receiving so much attention in the twenty-first century?

Tony Riches

My book  Mary - Tudor Princess is available from Amazon in paperback, ebook and audiobook editions, and although it is historical fiction, it is based on years of research to ensure her story is as factually accurate as possible.

See also:

Exploring Westhorpe Hall, Home of Mary Tudor (Queen of France) and Charles Brandon
Visiting the Tomb of Mary Tudor, Queen of France
Visiting St Margaret's Westhorpe - Parish Church of Mary Tudor, Queen of France and Sir Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk
Researching and Writing Mary – Tudor Princess

Book Review: The Mythology of the 'Princes in the Tower', by John Ashdown-Hill

New on Amazon UK and Amazon US

The much-needed spotlight of historical scrutiny is shone into the dark corners of one of our greatest medieval mysteries - the death of the princes in the Tower. This new book is a worthy testament to the long career of the late Dr Ashdown-Hill, and challenges the many myths which surround the disappearance of Edward V and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York, sons of Edward IV.

Part of the 'mythology' of the princes in the Tower of London

Painting by Paul Delaroche in 1830 (Wikimedia)

I was surprised to learn that even the term ‘Princes in the Tower’, which we use so easily, was never used at the time - or by Shakespeare, and only emerges in the nineteenth century.  I also recall  trying to decipher the Latin inscription on the urn purporting to contain the remains of the princes in Westminster Abbey:

The author helpfully provides a full translation:

Here lie the relics of Edward V, King of England and Richard Duke of York. These brothers being confined in the Tower of London, and there stifled with pillows, were privately and meanly buried, by the order of their perfidious uncle Richard the Usurper; whose bones, long enquired after and wished for, after 191 years in the rubbish of the stairs (those lately leading to the Chapel of the White Tower) were on the 17th day of July 1674, by undoubted proofs discovered, being buried deep in that place. Charles II, a most compassionate prince, pitying their most severe fate, ordered these unhappy princes to be laid amongst the monuments of their predecessors, 1678, in the 30th year of his reign.

I've included the translation in full as here lies, not just the bones, but the foundation of much of the mythology.  People could be forgiven for accepting the inscription as fact, yet John Ashdown-Hill challenges almost every word of it.

There simply wasn't the forensic understanding in 1694 (or in 1933 when the urn was opened for 'modern' examination) to claim undoubted proofs discovered. I also hadn't realised that being buried deep in that place meant some ten feet below ground level - into the region where Roman and earlier bones have been found.

As a staunch 'Ricardian' one might expect the author to implicate Henry VII, who had much to lose by the existence of a legitimate Yorkist challenger to his throne. I know suspicion about Richard III's involvement was useful to Henry and Jasper Tudor when they were trying to raise an invasion force in France, but Henry seems to have remained silent about the matter for nineteen years after his victory at Bosworth.

This thought-provoking book raises many questions - and intriguingly points out that we might one day be able to use improved DNA analysis to answer at least some of them.  John Ashdown-Hill was uniquely placed to answer these questions, and will be missed. By working with geneticists and scientists he came tantalisingly close, so it is to be hoped that his book will inspire others to continue his work.

Tony Riches

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In Memory of the Author

John Ashdown-Hill,  a prolific author and a leading historian of the Yorkist dynasty, died on the 18th of May 2018, so never saw the publication of The Mythology of the 'Princes in the Tower'. He completed his MA in Linguistics and PhD in medieval history at Essex, and his research helped lead to the discovery of Richard III’s remains beneath a Leicester car park in 2012. Here is a short video of his acceptance of an honorary degree from the University of Essex in 2014:

Special giveaway of three copies of Owen - Book One of the Tudor Trilogy on the New Bookery App

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England 1422: Owen, a Welsh servant, waits in Windsor Castle to meet his new mistress, the beautiful and lonely Queen Catherine of Valois, widow of the warrior king, Henry V. Her infant son is crowned King of England and France, and while the country simmers on the brink of civil war, Owen becomes her protector.

They fall in love, risking Owen’s life and Queen Catherine’s reputation—but how do they found the dynasty which changes British history – the Tudors?

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An Interview With Helen Hollick (and maybe a couple of pirates thrown in for good measure?)

New on Amazon UK and Amazon US

Helen has written a series of nautical Voyages based around her fictional pirate, Captain Jesamiah Acorne and his ship, Sea Witch, but her latest UK release in paperback is a non-fiction book – Pirates: Truth and Tales published by Amberley Press, which explores our fascination with the real pirates and those who are favourites in fiction. Today, Helen drops anchor for another interesting addition to her on-line two-week Voyage around the Blogs and answers a few piratical questions…

Tell us about your latest book

Hello everyone! First of all, thank you Tony for inviting me as a guest on to your blog: I’ve had a look around and you have some very interesting articles here. I’ll try to match the standard!

I’m here to talk about my latest release, a non-fiction light-hearted read: Pirates: Truth and Tales which is due for publication in in paperback by Amberley Press in July 2018 and a little later in the year in the US – but already available for pre-order, I believe.

I usually write fiction, some ‘straight’ historical fiction  – the 1066 era and a trilogy about King Arthur, and a nautical adventure series about – well, pirates. One pirate in particular, a made-up scoundrel of a loveable rogue who gets into all sorts of swashbuckling scrapes – and manages, somehow, to get out of them again. My tag line is: ‘Trouble follows Captain Jesamiah Acorne like a ship’s wake.’

The love of his life is Tiola, a healer, midwife and white witch, but he is often torn between loyalty to her and the pull of the sea and his ship, Sea Witch. I wrote the first in the series (titled Sea Witch) because I enjoyed the fun of the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie and wanted to read something similar. I couldn’t find what I wanted for adults, so wrote my own. I am currently writing the sixth Voyage, Gallows Wake.

Amberley Press, however, approached me to write a non-fiction book about pirates to explore the truth and the tales of these dastardly rogues. Why is it that we adore tales of pirates, dress up like them, have pirate festivals and fun days, when in reality they were the terrorists of their age, the early eighteenth century? Although this ‘Golden Age of Piracy’ only lasted a few short years, those years almost brought the cross-Atlantic trade to its knees.

I was a little hesitant about producing a non-fiction book, having never really written one before. (I did produce a ‘tips on writing a novel’ booklet, but I don’t count that.) Then I figured I had posted quite a few interesting (I hope!) articles on my own blog and as guest posts for other blogs, so why not give it a go? My aim was to be light-hearted, maybe a little tongue-in-cheek and to explore this nautical world of cutlasses, treasure and high-sea Chases with a touch of fun, interspersed with the serious side of pirates. Many of them, despite our romantic view, were not very nice people. To break up the factual sections in the book I also delved into the fiction that we enjoy, including excerpts from some popular fiction. Fingers crossed.

What is your preferred writing routine?

I wish I could say I have one, but I don’t. I try to do the ‘admin’ type work of a morning: Facebook, Twitter, answering emails, and I run an historical novel review site called Discovering Diamonds which primarily supports indie/self-published writers but we also review traditional mainstream and the occasional non-fiction book.

I try to write of an afternoon – if the dogs don’t need walking, the garden doesn’t need weeding, the horses don’t need attending to. I live in an eighteenth century Devonshire farmhouse surrounded by thirteen acres of land, with my study windows overlooking the beautiful Taw Valley. It’s no wonder I get distracted!

What advice do you have for new writers?

Get professionals to edit your work and design your covers. Yes I know it costs money, but you have put a huge amount of effort into getting your book written, doesn’t that effort deserve the best quality when it comes to the final production stage?

What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?

Marketing can be time-consuming, but marketing is essential. Having a fabulous on-line ’shop window’ website, blog, Facebook or Twitter page etc., and encouraging potential readers to ‘come inside and browse’ often seems a hopeless task, but the trick is to be interesting and varied, and don’t keep on and on about your books. I generate most interest through my blog Let Us Talk of Many Things (link below) and I think I draw in the visitors because I vary my own posts and also host guests. Whether anyone actually reads any of it is another matter, *laugh*.

Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research

One of the chapters in Pirates: Truth and Tales relates to the book A General History of the Pyrates by Captain Charles Johnson. It was written circa 1724 and the thing is, we do not know who Charles Johnson actually was, the name is a pseudonym. Usually, the author is assumed to be Daniel Defoe but while researching this section I came to realise that Defoe knew nothing at all about seamanship or pirates, so why would he write this book? And I came up with a very logical, and I’m convinced, correct, conclusion. Except I’m not divulging it here. You’ll have to read the book.

What was the hardest scene you remember writing?

The final scene in my Arthurian Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy. Set in post-Roman era the trilogy is based on the earlier Welsh legends, not the Medieval tales, so there are no knights, no holy grail, no Lancelot, no Merlin, just the story of the boy who became the man, who became the king, who became the legend. Except we all know what happened to Arthur in the end. He dies. And writing his death, after being with that character for something like ten years was very hard to do.

What are you planning to write next?

More of Jesamiah, and I have recently completed a non-fiction about smugglers which is due to be published in early 2019. I’m quite excited about it!

Thank you, again Tony for being one of the hosts on my Virtual Book Tour, I haveenjoyed my visit to your blog.

© Helen Hollick

# # #

About the Author

Helen moved from London in 2013 and now lives with her family in North Devon, in an eighteenth century farmhouse. First published in 1994, her passion now is her pirate character, Captain Jesamiah Acorne of the nautical adventure series, The Sea Witch Voyages. Helen became a USA Today Bestseller with her historical novel, The Forever Queen (UK title A Hollow Crown) the story of Saxon Queen, Emma of Normandy. Her novel Harold the King (US title I Am The Chosen King) explores the events that led to the 1066 Battle of Hastings. Her Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy, set in the fifth century, is widely praised as a more down-to-earth historical version of the Arthurian legend. She has written three non-fiction books, Pirates: Truth and Tales, Smugglers in Fact and Fiction (to be published 2019) and as a supporter of indie writers, co-wrote Discovering the Diamond with her editor, Jo Field, a short advice guide for new writers. She runs the Discovering Diamonds review blog for historical fiction assisted by a team of enthusiastic reviewers.  Helen is published in various languages. For more information visit Helen's website www.helenhollick.net and blog www.ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com and follow her on Facebook
and Twitter @HelenHollick.

Sign up for Helen’s Newsletter and be entered for an annual prize draw. 

One name ‘picked from the hat’ in December will win a £10/$10 Amazon gift voucher.
Subscribe here: http://tinyletter.com/HelenHollick

Follow Helen’s Tour:

These links will take you to the Home Page of each blog host – Helen says thank you for their interest and enthusiasm! For exact URL links to each article go to Helen’s website:  www.helenhollick.net  which will be updated every day of the tour.

30th July: Cryssa Bazos  https://cryssabazos.com/ Dropping Anchor to Talk About Pirates
31st July: Anna Belfrage  https://annabelfrage.wordpress.com/ Ships That Pass…
1st August: Carolyn Hughes https://carolynhughesauthor.com/blog/ Pirates of the Middle Ages
2nd August: Alison Morton   https://alison-morton.com/blog/ From Pirate to Emperor
3rd August: Annie Whitehead https://rwranniewhitehead.blogspot.com/ The Vikings: Raiders or Pirates?
4th August: Tony Riches http://tonyriches.blogspot.co.uk/ An Interview With Helen Hollick (and maybe a couple of pirates thrown in for good measure?)
5th August: Lucienne Boyce http://francesca-scriblerus.blogspot.com/ Anne and Mary. Pirates.
6th August: Laura Pilli http://fieldofbookishdreams.blogspot.co.uk/ Why Pirates?
7th August: Mary Tod https://awriterofhistory.com/ That Essential Element… For A Pirate.
8th August: Pauline Barclay http://paulinembarclay.blogspot.com/ Writing Non-Fiction. How Hard Can It Be? 
9th August: Nicola Smith http://shortbookandscribes.uk/ Pirates: The Tales Mixed With The Truth
10th August: Christoph Fischer https://writerchristophfischer.wordpress.com/ In The Shadow Of The Gallows
11th August: Debdatta http://www.ddsreviews.in/ What Is It About Pirates?
12th August: Discovering Diamonds https://discoveringdiamonds.blogspot.co.uk/ It’s Been An Interesting Voyage…
13th August: Sarah Greenwood https://www.amberley-books.com/blog Pirates: The Truth and the Tales
14th August: Antoine Vanner https://dawlishchronicles.com/dawlish-blog/ The Man Who Knew About Pirates

Guest Interview With Catherine Meyrick, Author of Forsaking All Other

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Today I'm pleased to welcome author Catherine Meyrick:

Please tell us about your latest book

Forsaking All Other is my first published novel. It is set in England in the 1580s and follows the struggles of a young widow and waiting woman, Bess Stoughton, who discovers that her father is arranging for her to marry an elderly neighbour. Normally obedient Bess rebels and manages to convince her father to allow her a year to find a husband with whom she has some hope of happiness. Bess’s domestic concerns are set against the background of simmering Catholic plots to unseat Queen Elizabeth, and the involvement of English forces under the Earl of Leicester in the Netherlands in support of Dutch resistance to Spanish rule. 

These larger matters are of little concern to Bess until she meets Edmund Wyard, a veteran of England’s campaign in Ireland, who is preparing to join the Earl of Leicester’s army; he too is trying to avoid his family’s marriage plans for him. The major characters in the novel are fictional but the historical timeline and background are as accurate as I could make them. Forsaking All Other does not revolve around the Elizabethan Court but is essentially the story of ordinary people in a time of suspicion and war. 

By making my characters conventional, I hoped to show something of the reality of lives in the past, the lack of freedom that women. and men too, had in determining their own lives and even their choice of spouse, and the difficulties that a could arise when they stepped outside the boundaries of a far more rigidly structured society than our own.

What is your preferred writing routine?

My preferred writing routine bears no relation to my actual routine. 

Because of work and family commitments, I have to fit writing in where I can. Most weeks I manage to write six days a week, usually around three hours in the afternoon and a couple of hours in the evening. Though, when I am particularly inspired, or have a deadline, I use every spare minute and let the non-essential domestic routine go (my mother used to say housework will always be there tomorrow). I can’t afford to be fussy about my writing environment, most of the time I can sit down anywhere and write. I find that once I concentrate, extraneous noise fades away.

My preferred writing routine would be to take a brisk walk or swim every morning and sit down around 8 am with a strong cup of coffee and write for the next four hours. I find I often untangle problems while swimming or on a walk around our local lake but I only manage that about once a week.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Read, read, read. Read classics, read what is popular, read in your chosen genre and read outside it. Take a few reputable writing courses. And revise and redraft, as many times as is needed even if you end up completing a dozen drafts like I do. If you can, find a couple of readers, or other writers you can share with, who you can try your new story out on and who are willing to give you their honest opinion. Listen to any professional advice you are given and think especially seriously about those things they say that you hate the most–they are probably right. Most of all, keep faith in yourself and don’t give up. 

What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?

I am still learning what works best through trial and error. I started with a blog tour with Amy Bruno’s Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. Amy was incredibly supportive, helping me with things I never expected, like setting up my GoodReads page. She organized a fortnight of reviews, interviews and book spotlights with enthusiastic bloggers who have a love of historical fiction. 

The wonderful thing is that now, if a reader is not convinced by the cover and the blurb, there are a number of reviews out there that hopefully will convince her that Forsaking All Other really is worth reading. I use both Facebook and Twitter to regularly promote the book using snippets from the reviews with links to my website or to Amazon. I am now considering Amazon advertising which I have been told is quite effective – we shall see!

Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research

Despite my many years of reading about 16th century England, I had the idea that widows had a fair degree of freedom, especially when choosing a second husband. I suspect this came partly because we know it wasn’t unusual for a widow to manage her deceased husband business and we like to concentrate on the lives of women whose experiences were extraordinary. We tend to think of parents whose main concern was wealth and position forcing marriages on unwilling daughters but I was surprised to see that even those with their daughters’ best interest at heart did the same. Young windows with property had little say in the choice of a second spouse. 

Margaret Dakins (1571-1633), the author of the earliest known diary written by a woman in English, was the only daughter of a wealthy well-connected Yorkshire family and was educated in the household of Henry Hastings, third Earl of Huntingdon and his countess, Catherine. When Margaret’s first husband, Walter Devereaux, was killed at the siege of Rouen in 1591, her parents and the Huntingdons as her guardians hoped to protect her from fortune hunters, so they began negotiations within a fortnight of Devereaux’ death, before his body had even been returned to England for burial. Three months later Margaret married Thomas Sidney, the younger brother of Sir Philip Sidney, the hero of Zutphen. Sidney died three and a half years later in June 1595. Just two months on, Sir Thomas Posthumous Hoby was pressing his suit. Hoby was not the most prepossessing of men, described by his mother, Lady Russell, as ‘wanting in stature, learning and otherwise’ and possibly the inspiration for Malvolio in Twelfth Night. 

Margaret was encouraged to entertain him although she was initially resistant. Her marriage to Thomas Sidney appears to have been happy yet, although ‘the tender love she bare to him that was dead, made yt grevous to her to hear of any newe’ husband, negotiations went ahead and Margaret agreed to marry Hoby. This was largely due to his connection to William Cecil, Lord Burghley and the influence that could be used to settle a property dispute involving Margaret’s much loved manor at Hackness that had been part of her original marriage settlement. Even as late as July 1596 Margaret described herself as ‘she that is nothing but grefe and misery’, but, as dutiful as her later diary shows her, on 9 August 1596 she married Sir Thomas Hoby at his mother’s house in Blackfriars. 

What was the hardest scene you remember writing?

Most definitely the Battle of Zutphen(1586). Even in well-written fiction, I skim through battle scenes; they are, for me, the least interesting part of any story. With the Battle of Zutphen I had a great deal of information on what happened and needed to distil that to its essentials and then place my fictional characters in the middle of it and have it all sound plausible. I had the added difficulty of describing a situation that was, fortunately, completely beyond my experience. Reading diaries and memoirs that touched on the experience of war helped me to get a sense both of battle and the anxiety of waiting beforehand.

What are you planning to write next?

I am currently revising a novel called The Bridled Tongue set in England a couple of years later than Forsaking All Other with an entirely new set of characters. Once again, it deals with the making of marriages in this period, this time an arranged marriage that the young woman goes along with it, as so many did. Alys Bradley unenthusiastically enters into such a marriage with Thomas Granville, a privateer, not only because of pressure from her father but to escape a suitor she considers a worse prospect. 

I want to explore the way a relationship could develop where the partners to it are not ‘in love’. ‘The Bridled Tongue’ touches on other issues such as sibling rivalry and jealousy, the dangers of gossip, witchcraft accusations and the way the past can reach out and affect the present. The backdrop is the threat of immanent invasion by the Spanish in 1588 – the Spanish Armada.

Catherine Meyrick

# # #

About the Author

Catherine Meyrick is a librarian with a love of history. She has a Master of Arts in history and is also a family history obsessive. Although she grew up in regional Victoria, Catherine has lived her adult life in Melbourne, Australia. Find out more at Catherine’s website https://catherinemeyrick.com/ and follow her on Facebook and Twitter @cameyrick1.

Visiting St Margaret's Westhorpe - Parish Church of Mary Tudor, Queen of France and Sir Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk

While in Suffolk researching for my new book on Charles Brandon I tracked down their parish church in Westhorpe. At the far end of the tranquil village St Margaret's is where Mary Tudor and her husband Charles Brandon had worshipped for eighteen years, as although they had a private chapel at their nearby manor house, it was important to be seen by the people.

There is a local story that when Mary Tudor died in 1533, her internal organs were removed and buried near the altar of Westhorpe church. In the early years of the 17th century a Royal Herald named Henry Chitting visited St Margaret's and recorded in his diary that in the chancel:

 'By lyes under a little stone the bowells of the French Queen Mary, wife of Charles Brandon, D of Suffolk'. 

Perhaps the story is true, but if so, I saw no sign of the 'little stone' mentioned by Henry Chitting.

A Grade I listed building, St Margaret's church is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, and has Norman stone, carved with the distinctive zigzag pattern, in the south doorway.  The south chapel has a parclose screen, dating between 1350-1400 which is one of the earliest painted screens in England, and the original decorative pattern is still visible in several places.

The pew contained within the screen is referred to as the 'royal pew' and is likely to have been used by Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon. Inside the Barrow Chapel is a simple plaque which I'd come to see, in memory of Mary:

Although the church has been extensively modified over the centuries, the original Tudor 'embattlement' still survives at the rear, and could have been paid for by Charles Brandon as Duke of Suffolk:

Here is a short extract from my book Mary - Tudor Princess, which describes one of her many visits to St Margaret's church:

- April 1519 -

A hush fell over the waiting congregation as Mary made her way to their pew, the hem of her satin gown swishing on the tiled floor. Behind her followed Anne and little Mary Brandon, carrying their prayer books, with her ladies-in-waiting, Lady Anne and Lady Elizabeth Grey, all in their best Sunday gowns.
   Mary enjoyed her role as lady of the manor and her regular attendances at the parish church were her most visible commitment. A short walk from Westhorpe Hall, these services and the summer fairs provided her main contact with real people, the merchants and farmers of her adopted county of Suffolk.
   Her royal pew was one of Brandon’s more astute investments of their limited funds. He’d ordered it to be made from local oak, finely carved with red-and-white painted Tudor roses and Mary’s gilded fleur-de-lis of France. It was good to see and be seen by the people of the village, and helped pass the weeks when Brandon was away at court and on estate business, as he was much of the time. Mary missed him but knew her duty was to raise the children as well as she could.
   The village priest, a portly man with a rich local accent, waited until they were seated then led them all in a prayer of thanks to God, his deep voice echoing from the high vaulted roof.
   ‘Gloria in excelsis Deo et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Laudamus te. Benedicimus te. Adoramus te. Glorificamus te. Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam...’
   Mary clasped her hands together and bowed her head. She had much to give thanks for. Little Harry, now three years old, grew stronger and was learning to ride a pony, with patient tuition from his father. Frances had the red-gold hair of the Tudors and delighted visitors as she tottered around in her blue silk gown, trimmed with gold lace, like a miniature version of Mary.
   Her mind wandered as the priest continued with his sermon. She prayed for Queen Catherine, who had not been so fortunate. The nation mourned when the queen lost her infant daughter the previous November, the baby so weak she died before she could be christened.
   Brandon told her the king’s pregnant mistress had been moved to the Priory of St Lawrence near Ingatestone and Henry prayed for a son. Little her brother did surprised Mary. She’d said how unbearable the news must be for Catherine, particularly as Bessie Blount had been her maid of honour, but had been shocked at Brandon’s reply.
   ‘Queen Catherine is not getting any younger.’ He made it sound like an accusation.
   Mary found herself springing to her friend’s defence. ‘She could not have done more to provide my brother with an heir—’
   Brandon interrupted her with a knowing look. ‘There’s talk at court of an annulment.’ His words hung in the air like a threat.
   ‘Henry would never do such a thing to Catherine.’ She gave him a scornful look.
   Brandon shrugged. ‘All I can tell you is what I heard.’
   She suspected there was more he’d chosen to keep from her, for fear she would feel obliged to share it with Queen Catherine. In her heart, Mary knew her friend was doomed. It angered her but Brandon was right. Catherine was in her mid-thirties. With every passing year her chances of a healthy son were reduced, which meant her own little Henry could one day become king.

Tony Riches

See also:

Exploring Westhorpe Hall, Home of Mary Tudor (Queen of France) and Charles Brandon
Visiting the Tomb of Mary Tudor, Queen of France
Researching and Writing Mary – Tudor Princess