Geoffrey Pole Taken to the Tower

Tower of London

The year 1538 would turn out to be devastating for Margaret Pole, and it all began on August 29th when her youngest son, Geoffrey, was arrested and taken to the Tower of London.

Geoffrey had been born around the time his father, Richard Pole, died. Since the exact dates of Richard's death and Geoffrey's birth are not known, it is impossible to know if the father ever held his youngest child. Was it this lack of a father that caused Geoffrey to grow to be weaker in spirit and character than his mother and older brothers? I cannot say, but I do know that Henry VIII knew just who to target when he looked toward putting his cousin's family back in their place, which was the same as everyone else's: beneath him.

Geoffrey's older brother, Henry Lord Montague, had been arrested and released over a decade earlier in connection with charges against Edward Stafford Duke of Buckingham. He was another royal cousin who fell due to the fact that he made one too many remarks comparing his own bloodline to that of the Tudor king. Henry Pole, however, was released at that time and continued to serve the king in a variety of roles free of scandal. Until his brother's arrest.

The Tudor monarchs were experts at manipulation as demonstrated by Geoffrey's arrest, which was followed by weeks of silence. While his mother and wife begged for information on the charges, his whereabouts, and permission to visit him, Geoffrey was held in a dungeon-like cell, isolated from any who might have given him support and encouragement. Though he was not physically tortured during this time, the emotional turmoil for all involved left them vulnerable.

It was not until October 1538 that Geoffrey was questioned and quite likely underwent some form of torture. Already the weakest branch of the Pole family tree, weeks of fear, hunger, and neglect left him ripe for giving Henry VIII the ammunition he needed to move forward against the entire family.

It was no secret that the Pole family had been supporters of Katherine of Aragon and the Catholic Church. Margaret and Henry were politically savvy and managed to balance these loyalties with that to their cousin and king, Henry VIII. As the king aged and became more temperamental and suspicious, his wrath fell upon this family that he had once raised to the earldom of Salisbury and barony of Montegue. Following the Pilgrimage of Grace and amid rumors that Margaret still held hope that her son, Reginald, would marry and rule at the side of Princess Mary, the king determined that the Poles had become too much of a threat to his supremacy.

Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury

Geoffrey's testimony led to the arrests of his brother, Henry, who was put in the Tower along with his wife and son. Pole cousins, Henry Courtenay Marquess of Exeter and Sir Edward Neville. Many others were taken to the Tower or placed under house arrest, including Margaret Pole, who was sixty-five years old. She had tread the tumultuous waters of the Tudor era for her entire life, only to watch her family sink in the end.

Upon the arrest of his family members, Geoffrey Pole attempted suicide. This was another blow to his mother who would have believed this to be a mortal sin. He was unsuccessful. His punishment continued when he was released while his testimony was used to press charges against others. Several were executed in what has become known as the Exeter Conspiracy, including Geoffrey's oldest brother, Henry.

Modern monument at Tower of London

Shortly following the executions of Montague, Exeter, and Neville, Geoffrey attempted suicide a second time. It is believed that he made this attempt at least one more time before fleeing to another brother for comfort and protection. Reginald Pole, by this time a Cardinal and one of the reasons for the king's anger against the Pole family, looked after his younger bother as they received increasingly crushing news from England. The final blow came in May 1541, when Henry VIII ordered the execution of their elderly mother, without notice or trial.

Geoffrey did not return to England until Reginald did during the reign of Queen Mary I. All three, Geoffrey, Reginald, and Mary, died in 1558 of natural causes.

Historic Places: Tower of London

My readers are probably not surprised to hear that the Tower was my most anticipated stop while we were in London. So much history has been witnessed by these stone walls that I wish I could hear them whisper their story. The Tower is a significant setting in my most recent novel as the place where Elizabeth's brothers disappear and she dies after delivering her last child.

If you have not visited the Tower or other castles, you may not realize that the setting is much more like an enclosed village than a single tower. Our romanticized vision of a castle more closely resembles a standard castle keep than the entire complex.

As you can see from the first picture, some of the stone shows its age more than others. The famous White Tower, built by William the Conqueror from stone that he had transported from Normandy looks amazing for being almost a millennium old. The White Tower is the central stone keep of the fortress, built by the first of England's Norman kings to establish his dominance in the capital of his new kingdom. The rest of the castle grounds would grow up around this impressive, white-washed stronghold. Through the centuries since William's 1066 invasion, this tower has served primarily as a stronghold but also as a prison and storage facility.

The White Tower was an archaeological wonder of its day at a height of 90' with walls that are 25' thick at their base.

Plantagenet kings of medieval times continued to increase the sprawling fortress' size and uses. The 12th-14th centuries saw the Tower of London become much of the structure that is seen today surrounding the White Tower. During the reign of Edward I, the Tower was recognized as an ideally secure place to store jewels, records, and the royal mint.

During the 15th century Wars of the Roses, possession of the Tower was a strong indication of possession of the kingdom. A strange combination of a palace and a prison, the Tower was where monarchs spent the night before their coronation, but it was also where they housed their worst enemies - just not in the same tower.


Though the castle is known as the Tower of London, it is truly made up of several towers, which may lead to some confusion. We have already discussed the original White Tower which stands at the center of the castles concentric design. Smaller towers surround it, including the Beauchamp Tower, famous for housing Tudor era criminals. The Bloody Tower is a relatively small tower where the sons of Edward IV were staying when they famously disappeared...were murdered? That's a discussion for another day.

Inside any of these towers, you can feel the atmosphere of history prickling at your senses. I could not resist running my fingers along the stone walls within the narrow staircases, hoping that I just might find a spot that Elizabeth's hand touched over 500 years ago. Admittedly, the feeling is somewhat reduced by the rather modern radiators that give the structure warmth while the large fireplaces lie dormant, but I did not mind as much that there were wooden stairs outside to save me from climbing a ladder.

Strolling through the Tower Green, the architecture and beauty of the place can almost make one forget that the grass has been fed with much blood. It is a beautiful setting filled with smiling tourists and friendly Yeoman Warders.

Within the ring made up by these and several other towers, visitors could easily walk by the Execution Site without realizing what it is. Memorializing multiple political prisoners of the crown, the spot is now home to a frosted glass and granite monument in place of the bloody scaffold. At this site, three of England's queens were beheaded. Each has their name etched into the edge of the glass: Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, and Jane Grey. Others who had their last view of the Tower from this spot include Margaret Pole, William Lord Hastings, Jane Boleyn, and Robert Devereux. Each of these deaths demonstrate just how quickly fortune's wheel could turn in the 15th and 16th centuries.


Thankfully, Henry VIII did more than execute people at the Tower, though he did plenty of that. To walk through the Tower gift shop, one would think that he was the only king England had ever had, but I digress.

Henry enjoyed building projects almost as much as the hunt for a new wife. His contribution to the Tower grounds, besides noble blood, includes the timber structure - very recognizable as Tudor era - that was designed as a royal residence for Anne Boleyn.

One of the most popular exhibits at the Tower is the Crown Jewels. This includes an education on the English Civil War of the 17th century, a time when the crown jewels were melted down and torn apart. Sometimes for their value, sometimes out of spite. There is a vast amount of elaborate jewelry and accessories to be viewed, but they cannot be photographed.

The 19th century saw the Tower's evolution from a practical fortress to a historical monument. With the moat drained and the mint removed to another location, the Tower began to enjoy a peaceful retirement. It was not completely out of commission until after Britain's involvement in the World Wars. The last executions to take place on Tower ground were those of World War I & II spies.

One element remains constant as the Tower has become a tourist destination rather than a place to inspire the kind of fear that made Anne Boleyn collapse and cry out as she was escorted through Traitor's Gate. It is the ravens. According to legend, "If the ravens leave the Tower, the kingdom will fall." In the interest of the empire, the Tower is home to ravens with clipped wings and luxurious lodgings. The Yeomen Warders have little else to guard these days than their black feathered friends.

During our visit, the White Tower was home to a special 600th anniversary exhibit for the Battle of Agincourt. A large battle map was set up in the center of one room. As we approached it, my husband said, "So, tell me what is going on here." Ah, to have someone request to be regaled with medieval knowledge! It was great fun, and we enjoyed each of the informative displays that are located throughout the various buildings and towers.

Have you visited the Tower of London? There is so much to see within this single stop! What did you enjoy the most?