Henry VII and his life at Court – A Synopsis

The Chamber Books, particularly the five extant payment books of Henry VII’s reign, give insight into virtually every aspect of the king’s life, political and personal. Much of what they contain are regular or cyclical payments, such as the monthly, quarterly, bi-annual and annual lists of salaries paid out of the chamber; annual payments of particular foods for Lent, Maundy pence, offerings on Saints’ and feast days and celebrations attached to those events give a sense of the rhythm of court life. What follows is a thematic survey, rather than an in-depth examination, of court life as reflected in the Chamber Books, with the intention of demonstrating what can be found within the books, and to indicate their potential for further research.