Savoy liberty – Sanctuary Seekers in England, 1394-1557

Murder in the Savoy liberty

In 1501 the Middlesex coroner was summoned to the parish of St Mary le Strand to call an inquest over the body of Laurence Starke, who’d worked in the Savoy liberty prison, where the Savoy hotel is today. The Savoy liberty was an independent jurisdiction belonging to the duchy of Lancaster, which had been foldedContinue reading “Murder in the Savoy liberty”

Sanctuary in the reign of Mary I

There were few seekers in the 1540s – and I’ve found none at all in the short reign of Edward VI. In theory sanctuary was still operating in the sanctuary cities and parliament tweaked the legislation twice, suggesting it was being used. But no actual records of cases. Perhaps unsurprisingly, though, there was a smallContinue reading “Sanctuary in the reign of Mary I”