1530-1569 After the dissolution of the monasteries, Canonbury Tower was occupied by Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex; John Dudley, Earl of Warwick and afterwards Duke of Northumberland; and Thomas, Lord Wentworth. Thomas Cromwell, Lord Privy Seal, lived in Canonbury Tower from 1533. His residency ended abruptly in 1541 when he was beheaded by King Henry VIII. Sir Francis Bacon, King James I’s Lord Chancellor, lived in Canonbury Tower, 1616-1626.
There is a great energy to this building. It’s a spiral on the curve of the square. In the photos the sky bright reflective windows make the surface of the walls appear even darker and more mysterious.
Thomas Cromwell that lived in this tower was a great-uncle of Oliver (1599–1658) who was descended from Thomas Cromwell’s sister Catherine. I sometimes imagine Menasseh Ben Israel, Spinoza’s Rabbi, meetings with Oliver Cromwell, perhaps not in this tower.
Solomon Alexander Hart, R.A. 1806 - 1881. Study for 'Menasseh Ben Israel before Oliver Cromwell'
Images licensed courtesy of Picture Library of the Royal Academy of Arts.
Further Reading:
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