Portrait study of Cecily Heron at 20-years-old, pregnant with her first child, drawn by Hans Holbein the Younger, c.1527
Thomas More is a prominent figure in English history; infamous for his historical and utopian literature, notorious for shifting from King Henry VIII’s right-hand man and councillor, to being accused of treason and executed by the very same individual. When More was executed on the 6th of July 1535 for refusing to accept Henry as the head of The Church of England, he left behind a large and devasted family. One such member of this family was Cecily Heron; More’s youngest daughter and third born child. Following in her father’s footsteps, Cecily would grow up to be an intelligent and accomplished young woman, surrounding her life in education. Let’s explore her fascinating life.
Born in 1507, to Thomas More and Jane Colte, Cecily began her life in Bucklersbury, St Stephen Walbrook Parish, London. Whilst growing up, Cecily would have been immersed in her father’s successful and intellectual lifestyle; by this time More was a lawyer, and a deeply spiritual man. Her time under his roof would have allowed her to have a religious upbringing, and quite possibly given her a pious and faithful nature. Cecily would also have had plenty of siblings to enjoy her childhood with; two sisters Margaret and Elizabeth, and a brother named John. One can assume that Cecily was never bored during her youth, having plenty of company of her own age to laugh and play with, and raised by her loving parents; educated by her father in later years, who would become a large advocate for women’s education. Unfortunately, Cecily’s childhood would not last. In 1511, her mother Jane tragically passed away; leaving More widowed and four children completely devasted. Cecily would have been just five years old at the time of her mother’s death; losing a parent is an absolutely awful thing to go through at all, let alone at such a young age.
Cecily’s father soon went on to marry again, to ensure his children were raised and well looked after. More married a woman named Alice Middleton, and soon Cecily’s family expanded to include Alice’s daughter, Alice, and two adopted daughters, Margaret Giggs and Anne Crescare. Again, Cecily would have grown up with a great deal of company and family surrounding her and once reaching the later years of her youth, alongside her siblings, she was educated by William Gunnell; a humanist tutor and supporter of her father’s ideologies. Notable and intellectual scholars frequented the More household; Cecily’s life and home became a centre of intellectual and scholarly activity. This upbringing would have certainly moulded Cecily into a remarkable young woman, fluent in languages and excelling at reading and writing. According to contemporaries, “she was a perfect mistress of Latin tongue”.
This wasn’t particularly unusual for a woman to be raised in such a way, yet her father insisted his daughters were educated in the same way as his sons and men should be, which makes her education and upbringing quite remarkable; immersed in studies not usually allocated for women. More stated that girls “were equally suited for those studied by which reason is cultivated and becomes fruitful like a ploughed land on which the seed of good lessons has been sown”. Cecily was incredibly lucky to have been raised by a man who supported the education of women and acknowledged how intelligent they were; Cecily was living in a time engraved with patriarchy and misogynistic ideologies, the chance to be able to learn and use her mind in such a way was exceptional and Cecily must have excelled at her studies. It’s noted that Cecily was so intellectual and successful at her studies, she was part of a circle of sixteenth-century women known as the “learned ladies”. This is absolutely fascinating and incredible to hear a story of women excelling at education and being able to use their mind in such a restrictive society for them.
Cecily’s sister Margaret, was known as one of the most intelligent and educated women of the sixteenth century; sadly, it’s not known how Cecily got on with her sisters, but it would be wonderful to imagine their relationships thriving and full of learning and shared knowledge. However, her father still supported the notion that women should remain in the private sphere and his ideas on female education did not counteract the gender roles of sixteenth century society. This means women were to remain separate from men, living privately and not at the forefront of society; who knows what Cecily, and many other women at this time may have accomplished if they were given the chance to go to university or become notable authors and scholars.
On the 29th of September 1525, Cecily married Giles Heron; son of a wealthy nobleman and landowner Sir John Heron. Her husband’s wealth and inheritance would have pushed Cecily into a secure and successful marriage and placed her in an excellent position in sixteenth century society; her future was safe and any future children would be well looked after. Giles was actually under the wardship of Cecily’s father and this can be assumed how the couple may have met. Cecily and Giles ended up having two sons and a daughter; no records state how the couple’s relationship went, but hopefully this was a loving relationship and a household filled with laughter. If it was, however, this would not last. Giles was a Member of Parliament for Thetford, Suffolk, as well as being a wealthy landowner, this made him a noble and prominent figure in Tudor politics.
But this would be his downfall.
Giles became involved in land disputes with his brothers, tenants and relatives. One particular dispute with a man named Lyons, who was expelled by Heron from his own lands, led to Giles’s execution. Thomas Cromwell, one of the most influential men in the Tudor court, helped with the case. Giles was accused of using treasonable words and deeds by Lyons, and Giles was eventually sent to the Tower of London as a suspected traitor. In 1540, Giles was hanged at Tyburn. One can imagine how devasted Cecily was at her husband’s death. This would have placed her in a very precarious position ; without her husband or his land’s, she would have been unsafe and potentially destitute. Not much is known about what happened to Cecily during or after this time, her son Thomas, was able to reclaim the estate later in his life, which may have helped the family. This was an awful situation to be in; no one can imagine the stress and upset that Cecily and her children would have gone through.
Not only this, but Cecily would have experienced the pain and loss of her father’s own execution in 1535. It’s known that Thomas’s daughter Margaret was heartbroken at her father’s imprisonment and accusations; writing to him and even visiting him. Again, it’s not known what Cecily did during this time, but it can be imagined that she was just as devasted and grief stricken as her siblings were. Perhaps she spent much of her time with her family during this period to mourn the loss of their supportive and influential father, who adored his family. Cecily had experienced the tragic death of two important and close individuals in her life and this must have left a mark on her.
With little known about Cecily, it is hard to determine everything about her or know about the rest of her life after marriage. However, she was a fascinating figure and a woman who very luckily got to study a variety of subjects and excel at education. If only we could read more about her remarkable life, we might be able to discover more about the daughter of such an influential historical figure and an intellectual woman in her own right.
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