We do not have an exact timeline of the Knollys’ journey to the continent during Mary I’s reign, but we do have snippets of information regarding specific events. We have a letter from Calvin dated 20th November 1553 describing his visit from Francis and Henry Knollys (the son) and praising Henry’s “holy zeal”. There is no mention of Catherine or any other children and Catherine had only given birth in August so it is unlikely that Francis would have dragged her on such a long journey. Francis and his son would have joined either John á Lasco’s congregation, who sailed from Gravesend on 15th September 1553, or the Glastonbury Weavers, who left from Dover the next day. He resurfaces in June 1555, fulfilling his duties as Constable of Wallingford Castle. It is possible that he was conducting his affairs from across the Channel, but he must have returned at least by October 1554 as Catherine was pregnant with their daughter Anne by that month.
The next time the Knollys resurface on the continent is in Germany in June 1557 when Catherine and five of their children are recorded as living with a John Weller of London in Frankfurt. It is most likely that the children included would have been the five youngest, leaving the whereabouts of Henry, Mary, Lettice, William, Edward and Maude unknown. It can be safely assumed that Henry was continuing his education at Magdalen College, but the whereabouts of the rest can only be guessed. I have placed Lettice in the household of Elizabeth at Hatfield (some historians have posited this same theory), and William and Edward in the home of Ambrose Dudley as we do know that the Dudleys were very close friends of Francis. Ambrose’s home seems a likely place for them to stay during their parents’ exile. There is no adult record of Maude or Mary and no recorded marriages for either of them so, in my story, they died young. Their lifespans are still debated based on the monument constructed at the Knollys’ tomb.
While we have a record of Catherine being in the household of John Weller, I could find no record of Weller’s family other than the fact that he had five sons, so the names of his wife and children are entirely from my imagination. We do know that a man by the name of Thomas Knot was an acquaintance of Francis’s from his time at the University of Basel in 1556, so I have included him in the household. We also have a record of Henry Knollys (Francis’s brother) at Frankfurt and know that he stayed on after Francis and Catherine returned to England, until 1559.
There are several theories for why, exactly, Francis fled England during Mary’s reign, but I tend to believe, based on the evidence, that the original reason for his self-imposed exile was at the urging of William Cecil. There is evidence that Cecil sent Francis to scout out locations for English refugees and sought to strike a deal with the Protestant leaders across the Channel. If they would harbour these refugees, the refugees would, in turn, attend their new religious schools and become educated in the new religion. As the burnings ramped up during Mary’s reign, Francis’s reasons became more personal and he found it necessary to call his wife and children to these newly established settlements in Germany. Once Elizabeth came to the throne, they returned rather quickly. For more information regarding the migration of the exiles and their life on the continent, I recommend Marian Exiles A Study in the Origins of Elizabethan Puritanism by Christina Hallowell Garrett. It includes the most comprehensive records regarding this event.
The death of Amy Robsart Dudley is probably one of the most debated subjects in Elizabethan history and to this day, no historian has rendered a conclusive, provable verdict. For this reason I have kept the circumstances of her death muddled. However, I have kept the timeline of events leading up to and after her death intact. There is a wealth of references available on this subject and I suggest reading several of them for varying viewpoints.
The death of Perotine Massey has been recreated according to the evidence we have for it. There was indeed a woman of that name who was burned at the stake during her pregnancy. She did give birth to a son and the baby was tossed back into the fire by the bailiff. It is unclear whether either the woman or the queen’s agents were aware of her pregnancy.
The miniatures of Anne and Mary that I have described in the novel are not based on any in existence. The collection of these miniature portraits by the nobility is well-recorded and so it is more than likely that both Anne and Mary would have had these portraits made during their time at Court. There may actually be one or two of them in a museum or private collection, but we don’t have enough evidence to conclusively point to the identity of the sitters.
During Elizabeth’s bout with smallpox, the only woman recorded as serving her is Mary Sidney. The inclusion of Catherine during her illness is entirely fiction.
Fairly recently a debate has cropped up as to the identity of the painters Stephen van der Meulen and Stephen van Harwijk. I find this debate quite fascinating and have included it in my narrative. However, it is by no means settled and there is not enough evidence to determine if they are, in fact, the same person.
Henry Carey’s irritation over Elizabeth’s failure to name him as the Earl of Wiltshire comes much later than I have illustrated in my novel. It is said that when Elizabeth attempted to bestow the title upon him at his death, he refused stating that as she never found him worthy of the title in life, he would not be worthy of the title in his death. It is likely, though, that Henry harboured ill-will over the promotion of Robert Dudley as demonstrated by his plotting against him with other members of the nobility. And I am certain that his desire for the title of earl had long been simmering before his death in 1596 and could account for some of his aggrieved behaviour towards Elizabeth’s favourites.
The final point I leave you with regards the Knollys children. Anywhere from twelve to sixteen children have been attributed to the couple, but I have based my narrative on the Latin dictionary that was discovered in the private collection of a Knollys descendent. The inner cover reads exactly as I have described it in the text, only the spellings have been modernised. I have kept the dates of birth intact and because there is no mention of a child name Cecilia, I have not included her, though several other lists have included her. As to the naming of their children, it seems that most of them may have been named for family members and so I have included this in the text. Thomas was most likely named for a family member or friend (possibly Thomas Knot as he was linked with Francis during Catherine’s pregnancy, Francis’s grandfather Thomas Peniston, or Thomas Boleyn), but I have named him after a midwife that did not exist. There is also no record of Catherine suffering from childbed fever. We do not even know if Thomas was born abroad, but it seems unlikely that Catherine would have travelled alone back to England during her pregnancy.
Acknowledgements
It is not only the writer that deserves credit for the labour of love that is novel writing. For, had it not been for the wonderful supporting players in my life, this book may not ever have come to fruition.
First and foremost, I must thank my family: my husband Kyle and my son Logan. They have very graciously allowed those rascally Tudors to become like members of our own family for nearly a decade. Logan, only five, has never known life without the shadow of the hulking King Henry and his bevy of wives. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to be consumed with the lives and events of five hundred years ago, and for their support and encouragement along the way. They are my heart and soul.
I would like to thank my mother Judy and my sister Michelle for serving as the inspiration for Mary and Lettice. And a special thank you to my mother, father Neil, and stepmother Angela for encouraging my love of books. It built the foundation of my ability to be a storyteller and taught me that there is a whole world outside of my own that I couldn’t even begin to imagine. Just like Catherine, I too have the most amazing and wonderful in-laws, Teri and Steve. Thanks to all of these very special people for all of their support and kindness.
It is not only my blood family that has encouraged and supported my aspirations along the way. A special thank you goes out to Derek Gilbert. How many people out there can call their bos
s their friend? I am lucky enough to be one of those few. Thanks to Derek for the precious gift of time and for always making sure to annoy me with positive comments when I really didn’t want to hear them, but definitely needed to hear them.
I would like to thank Elena Kuhnhenn for her bravery in taking on the task of being the first non-family member to read my work in the early stages of our friendship. Thanks to Elena, not only for taking the time to read my work, but also for not being afraid to give me an honest assessment and to listen patiently to my constant worries during the publishing process. In the words of Harry Potter, “You’re Brilliant!”
Words cannot express my gratitude to the dynamic duo of Tim and Claire Ridgway. Heartfelt thanks to Tim for all of his work in bringing Cor Rotto through the publishing process. He has done an amazing job fine-tuning my story and crafting it into the beautiful work that you, the reader, now hold in your hands. Tim demonstrated much patience, guidance and, above all, faith in me to produce a work worthy of MadeGlobal’s publication. Thanks to Claire for all of her encouragement and support over the years, for bringing Anne Boleyn’s true story to light and for not thinking I was completely mad after reading my first email. She is a true blessing and a fabulous role model.
Thank you to Susan Bordo for giving the world the first inkling of my work by publishing a snippet on the Creation of Anne Boleyn website, and to Susan Higginbotham and Sarah Butterfield for all of their encouragement and support.
Finally, thank you, dear reader, for choosing to read my book. I hope that you have enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
If I have forgotten anyone, I deeply apologize. So many friends and family members have offered nothing but the kindest of words. Their excitement over my work has served as inspiration during the most trying times. Thank you.
This book is dedicated to my guardian angels: MMC, AJS, MAR and AB.
Adrienne
About Adrienne Dillard
Adrienne Dillard, author of “Cor Rotto: A Novel of Catherine Carey” is a graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with emphasis in History from Montana State University-Northern.
Adrienne has been an eager student of history for most of her life and has completed in-depth research on the American Revolutionary War time period in American History and the history and sinking of the Titanic. Her senior university capstone paper was on the discrepancies in passenger lists on the ill-fated liner and Adrienne was able to work with Philip Hind of Encyclopedia Titanica for much of her research on that subject.
MadeGlobal Publishing
Non-Fiction History
• The Fall of Anne Boleyn - Claire Ridgway
• George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier & Diplomat
- Claire Ridgway
• The Anne Boleyn Collection - Claire Ridgway
• The Anne Boleyn Collection II - Claire Ridgway
• On This Day in Tudor History - Claire Ridgway
• Katherine Howard: A New History - Conor Byrne
• Two Gentleman Poets at the Court of Henry VIII
- Edmond Bapst
• A Mountain Road - Douglas Weddell Thompson
MadeGlobal Publishing
Historical Fiction
• The Truth of the Line - Melanie V. Taylor
• Cor Rotto: A Novel of Catherine Carey - Adrienne Dillard
• The Merry Wives of Henry VIII - Ann Nonny
MadeGlobal Publishing
Other Books
• Easy Alternate Day Fasting - Beth Christian
• 100 Under 500 Calorie Meals - Beth Christian
• 100 Under 200 Calorie Desserts - Beth Christian
• 100 Under 500 Calorie Vegetarian Meals
- Beth Christian
• Interviews with Indie Authors - Claire Ridgway
• Popular - Gareth Russell
• The Immaculate Deception - Gareth Russell
• The Walls of Truth - Melanie V. Taylor
• Talia’s Adventures (English|Spanish)- Verity Ridgway
Please Leave a Review
If you enjoyed this book, please leave a review at the book seller where you purchased it. There is no better way to thank the author and it really does make a huge difference! Thank you in advance.
Cor Rotto: A novel of Catherine Carey Page 28
