Historic Tudor garment of one of Henry VIII’s wives to go on display at Ludlow Museum

A item of clothing stitched together from the royal robes of one of Henry VIII’s wives is on display at Ludlow Museum from today (Friday 26 October).

The 500-year-old garment known as The Mawley Hall Chasuble belonged to Catherine of Aragon, and has been donated to the museum by the Catholic Church who have cared for it since 1958.

The Mawley Hall chasuble dates back to the time of the Tudors and appears to have been made as a result of the wishes of Catherine of Aragon.  Remarkably it survived with the Throckmorton family of Coughton Court and then the Blount’s of Mawley Hall for over 400 years before being given to the church.

A chasuble is a garment worn by the clergy for performing certain ceremonies within the church.  Traditionally, certain colours are associated with certain masses, and black or dark blue is most often associated with a mass for the dead. 

Mike Owen, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for tourism and culture, said:

“I am absolutely delighted and honoured that we have been given this fantastic item of such important historical interest, which I am sure both local residents and visitors to Ludlow Museum will be very proud of.”

Rosanna Taylor-Smith, local Shropshire Councillor for Ludlow North, said;

“This really is an incredible donation.  I am sure this wonderful garment will be of enormous interest not only to the local people of Ludlow, but to visitors from Shropshire and beyond.  I encourage many people as possible to view this historic item.  I am sure, like myself, visitors are looking forward to finding out more about the circumstances and history behind this amazing garment.”

The pomegranate motif that appears on the cloth was Catherine’s own personal emblem, and as she was known to embroider the design herself it seems likely that this material and the embroidered pieces were taken from Catherine’s own gowns.

Daniel Lockett, visitor facilities manager at Ludlow Museum, said:

 “The unveiling was last night (25 October).  It will be a fantastic opportunity to give the chasuble a permanent home.”

The Mawley Hall chasuble was successfully restored in the 1990s by seamstress Monica Meek, assisted by Betty Smith of Ludlow. 

Further information 

Catherine of Aragon’s divorce from Henry sparked the English split from the Roman Catholic Church and launched the turbulent years of the Reformation.  In Catherine’s will she asked her garments to be made into vestments for the Catholic Church.

Mary, who shared her mother’s devotion to the Catholic faith and also spent time at Ludlow Castle in her younger years, is believed to have ordered her mother’s gowns to be fashioned into clothing for the clergy, one of which was the Mawley Hall Chasuble.

The Victoria and Albert Museum, who had the chasuble on loan for many years, stated that the embroidered decoration appeared to have been cut from other garments and that the gold cloth, originally from a single larger piece was also applied to the velvet background to form a cross on the back and a single strip on the front.