Henry VII

king of England. He was the first of the house of Tudor. He ruled 1485-1509. By marriage, he united the houses of Lancaster and York, bringing the Wars of the Roses to a close. His reign covers a period of activity in exploration. The voyages of the Cabots laid the foundation for English territorial claims in the New World. Henry was an avaricious king. His private fortune, it is said, amounted to $10,000,000, most of which was amassed by injustice and extortion. He was surrounded by corrupt favorites.

Henry VIII (1491-1547), king of England, the greatest, or, at least, the most notorious, of the name. He was born at Greenwich, June 28, 1491, and died at Westminster, January 28, 1547. He was the son of the preceding Henry. He ascended the throne in 1509. He is famous in history for numerous marriages, and for his scurvy treatment of the able ministers by whom he was served. June 11th, 1509, he married Catharine of Aragon, widow of his brother Arthur; January 25, 1533, he married Anne Boleyn; May 30, 1536, Jane Seymour; January 5, 1540, Anne of Cleves; a few months later, Catharine Howard; July 12, 1543, Catharine Parr. Of these wives, Catharine of Aragon and Anne of Cleves were divorced; Anne Boleyn and Catharine Howard were sent to the block; Jane Seymour died; and Catharine Parr survived him. A small volume of this amorous king's love letters to Anne Boleyn is preserved in the Vatican Library at Rome. For an account of his divorce, see ANNE BOLEYN. Henry's reign is noted for the secession of the English Church from the Roman Catholic fold. See Wolsey; Cromwell; Thomas; Cranmer; Catharine; Reformation