Letter 6
Pine Tapestries: No Oxford
Tapestry hangings woven in the early seventeenth century to celebrate the Armada victory hung in the House of Lords prior to its destruction by fire in 1834. The hangings were engraved and published by John Pine, The Tapestry Hangings of the House of Lords: Representing the several Engagements between the English and Spanish Fleets, in the ever memorable Year [1588] (London, 1739). In their surviving form, the illustrations are inserted into two different borders. Each border contains medallions with portraits of Armada heros identified by name:
- Sir Martin Forbisher
The Lord Admiral
Sir John Hawkins
Sir Tho{mas} Garrat
Sir Roger Townsand
Sir Will{iam} Winter in the Vangard
Earl of Northumberland
Sir Robert Cary
- Cap{tain} Fenton
S{i}r Robert Southwell in the Elizabeth Jonas
The Lo{rd} Sheffeyld in the Beare
The Lord Admiral in the Arke
The Earle of Cumberland
The Lo{rd} Thomas Howard in the Lyon
S{i}r Francis Drake Vice Admiral in the Revenge
Thomas Vavasir
S{i}r Charles Blunt
Thomas Sycill
Mr Knevet
S{i}r George Becton in the Dreadnought
Cap{tain} Christopher Baker
S{i}r John Hawkins Rear Admiral in the Victory
Cap{tain} Benjamin Gonson
The Lo{rd} Henry Seymor in the Raynbow
Cap{tain} George Fennar
S{i}r Horatio Palvosini
Cap{tain} Crosse in the Hope
S{i}r Edward Hobye
S{i}r Martin Forbisher in the Trivmphe
Mr Willoughby
Self-evidently, Edward de Vere, earl of Oxford, is not among the Armada heros celebrated in the memorial tapestries. Among those celebrated are Oxford’s peers the earls of Northumberland and Cumberland.