Alice More
Alice, Lady More | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Alice More by Hans Holbein | |
| Born | 1474 |
| Died | 1546 or 1551 |
| Spouse(s) | John Middleton Thomas More |
| Children | 3; only 1 survived infancy (Alice) |
Alice, Lady More (née Harpur; 1474–1546 or 1551), also known as Dame Alice Moore, was the second wife of
She was the daughter of Elizabeth (
Her first husband was John Middleton, a merchant, with whom she had a son and two daughters, only one of whom, her daughter also named Alice (1501–1563), survived infancy. John Middleton died in 1509, leaving her a young widow. After her marriage to Thomas More in 1511, he raised her daughter Alice as his own. They did not have children together.[3]
Historians have concluded that Sir Thomas More married Alice so he could have a step-mother for his four children after his first wife, Jane, died in 1511. One of her step-daughters was Margaret More. Alice was also considered wealthy, as her first husband left her all of his estate, and her family owned property. Historians also believe that Thomas More had known Alice and her family long before they were married, which is why the couple married without hesitation within weeks of Jane's death. Alice was seven years older than Sir Thomas. The family lived in London and later at the estate built in Chelsea.[4] She was known for her love of animals, especially her dogs, and her pet monkey.[5]
She was married to Sir Thomas from 1511 until he was executed in 1535 after he was convicted of
Her husband was
In popular culture
Alice is a major role in the stage play A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt. The play has been performed on Broadway on two occasions. She was first played by Carol Goodner and then by Maryann Plunkett.[8]
The play was turned into a film in 1966, in which Alice was portrayed by Dame Wendy Hiller. Hiller was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. The film also won the Academy Award for Best Picture of the Year.
The play
In the Showtime series The Tudors, More was portrayed by Catherine Byrne from 2007-2008.
She also appears in the 2015 BBC series Wolf Hall and is played by Monica Dolan.
References
- ^ More History Archived 27 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine accessed 5/30/2015
- ^ "A Who's Who of Tudor Women (H-He)". Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
- ^ Tudor history accessed 5/30/2015
- ^ Encyclopedia of Tudor England accessed 5/30/2015
- ^ More Family history accessed 5/30/2015
- ^ "Account of trial". Archived from the original on 26 May 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2007.
- ^ Lady Alice biography Archived 13 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine accessed 5/30/2015
- ^ A Man for All Seasons at Internet Broadway Database accessed 5/30/2015