Documents of Lady Jane Grey: Nine Days Queen of England, 1553

Published information on Lady Jane is scant and contradictory; here, primary sources including Jane's own letters illustrate the drama of a high-born, high-minded and intelligent young lady sacrificed on the pyre of ambition by her kin. The teenaged Lady Jane faced her shocking fate with shocking fortitude; her own performance is inspirational, while some of those around her showed themselves to be the very embodiment of treachery and betrayal. This work is the result of a seven year investigation into the story of Lady Jane. Among the gems that the author uncovered in his research is a collection of letters that William Lane purchased from an unidentified source while he was at the Minerva Press, possibly in 1790 or 1791. Wellrecorded events in history correlate with some of the events indicated in these previously unpublished letters, thus tying them to the figures of the time and providing insight into the turbulent Tudor period. Another tantalizing item is an intimate letter Lady Jane wrote to Queen Mary in August of 1553. Rarely seen and little studied, it is available only in an 1594 Italian translation. Each letter or document has been reviewed at its original source level, translated from another language, or transcribed and presented in that form. The author has indicated the primary source for each document, and noted supporting sources when available. The result is a complete and accurate study of Lady Jane Grey and her short reign, through primary and secondary sources, that will stimulate new questions in the mind of readers and researchers alike. * This is the first in a series of books on Elizabethan figures by James D. Taylor.