APPENDIX A

BOROUGH OF BROXBOURNE ROYAL CONNECTIONS

Plantagenets (1154-1485)

Edward 1 had erected 12 crosses between 1291 and 1294 in memory of his wife Queen Eleanor of Castille, to mark the overnight resting stops of the funeral cortege on route to Westminster Abbey. Today, only three of the twelve Eleanor Crosses survive, one is within the Borough’s town of Waltham Cross. The cross was the work of Senior Royal mason Roger of Crundale and leading sculptor Alexander of Abingdon.

The Lancastrians

The Yorkists

Sir John Say was Speaker of the House of Commons and former member of the Royal Household, including King’s Sergeant, Yeoman of the Chamber and Keeper of the Privy Palace of Westminster. His great-grand-daughter was Jane Seymour, third wife of Henry VIII (and so Sir John Say was the great-great-grand-father of King Edward VI). Sir John Say held the manor of Baas, Mareons and Halles in Broxbourne and Perers in Cheshunt. He and his wife Elizabeth are buried in St Augustines Church, Broxbourne.

Tudors (1485-1603)

Queen Elizabeth lived for a time at Sir Anthony Denny's house at Cheshunt (former advisor to King Henry VIII) before she came to the throne. Here she was tutored by Roger Ascham. Henry VIII and ’s closest political advisors, including Cardinal Wolsey, Sir Anthony Denny and William Cecil, Lord Burghley owned important estates in the area.

The former magnificent Royal Palace, Theobalds Palace was built by William Cecil in the 1500s. William Cecil, Later Lord Burghley, was Secretary of State to Queen Elizabeth I. Cecil also held the manors of Broxbourne and Hoddesdon and the queen visited him at Theobalds at least 14 times before his death in 1598.

John Borrell was Sergeant-at-Arms to Henry VIII, John owned The Star in Hoddesdon later known as The Salisbury Arms. (Borrell Close in Broxbourne may be named after him?)

John Cock who had been acting as bailiff for the Broxbornebury estate died in 1557 and his son who succeeded him was appointed Keeper of the Wardrobe to Queen Elizabeth I, by whom he was later knighted. He held his appointment after the accession of King James I.

Stuarts (1603-1714)

A favoured residence of James I was Theobalds Palace (the remains located in Cedars Park, Cheshunt). By the early 1620s, James had enclosed the estate of Theobalds within a ten mile brick wall encompassing a menagerie for his collection of wild animals, including falcons, an elephant and five camels. Five years later, James fell violently ill whilst staying at Theobalds. He died at the palace on the morning of Sunday 27 March, 1625.

Following the death of James I, his son received the nobles in audience and was immediately proclaimed at the gates of the Palace as Charles the First King of England. Although Charles I generally preferred London or Windsor he often visited Theobalds. Since the country was run from wherever the King and the court was Theobalds was often the centre of power in England for over 20 years.

King James I visited Marmaduke Rawdon of Rawdon House Hoddesdon on several occasions and also Broxbournebury on his journey from Scotland to London in 1603. In 1683, Rye House Gatehouse became the centre of a notorious plot to assassinate King Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York (later James II). The plotters were Protestant members of the Whig party, many of whom still had republican sympathies from the time of Oliver Cromwell. They were alarmed at Charles’ support for France and other Catholic monarchies, as well as James’ recent conversion to Catholicism.

Hanoverians (1714-1901)

Landscape Designers James Pulham & Son were based in Broxbourne. The firm was awarded its first Royal Warrant for the work they did on Sandringham Royal Estate in 1868. The boathouse and rock cliffs overlooking the upper lake at Sandringham was one of his most important commissions.

Saxe-Coburg Gotha (1901-1917) Windsor (1917-present)

James Pulham & Son received their second Royal Warrant in 1903-04 for the rockwork they did on ‘The Mound’ and around the lake at Buckingham Palace.

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother visited Rochford’s Nurseries in 1959 and had tea at Rochford’s sports ground at Turnford.

Bishops College celebrated its golden jubilee in 1959 and Princess Margaret was guest of honour. Princess Margaret then returned again in 1977 the year of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, this time to visit Goffs Oak School.