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Anne Boleyn’s Falcon? At first glance, this looks to be another piece of evidence telling of #ElizabethI’s love & respect for her mother, #AnneBoleyn. After all here, proudly emblazoned on this 1597 bible from, is Anne Boleyn’s falcon, which Elizabeth drew upon during her reign.
The falcon Anne adopted derived from the Butler crest & the Earldom of Ormonde. Thomas Boleyn had been recognised as the heir in 1529. Thomas’ claim had been made through his mother, Lady Margaret Butler: the co-heiress of Thomas Butler, the 7th Earl.
Anne adapted this emblem during her own remarkable elevation. It was placed on a barren stock with fertile red & white roses springing from it. In the claw was placed a sceptre to symbolise gods authority & an imperial crown was added to recognise Henry’s authority as an emperor.
All of these elements - the stump, sceptre & crown - are shown with the falcon on the cover of this bible. Indeed, inside it is a cutting from a bookseller's catalogue on the front pastedown which states that the book was "probably specially printed & bound for Queen Elizabeth”
This isn’t a forgery but a misattribution, for Anne’s emblem was also adopted by a bibulous binder called Vincent Williamson, who was apprenticed to a stationer, George Singleton in 1584. Williamson then took a position at Eton College where he also took private commissions.
Williamson's time working as a bookbinder at Eton coincided with Sir Henry Savile, Greek tutor to Queen Elizabeth, acting as Provost. Could it be this connection that led Vincent Williamson to adopt Anne Boleyn’s falcon, as Elizabeth had? This Bible is one of his works.
This may also be another example of his works, held in the Royal Collections Trust. Beautiful artisanship. https://www.rct.uk/collection/1081208/epistolae-familiares-diligentius-quam-quae-hactenus-exierunt-emendatae-by-m
