Hanged in Chains: The Fate of Sir Robert Constable
On July 6, 1537, Sir Robert Constable was executed at Beverley’s Gate in Hull, bringing a grim end to a turbulent political and religious career during the reign of Henry VIII. Constable had previously been a leading figure in the Pilgrimage of Grace, the large northern rebellion against Henry VIII’s break with Rome and the dissolution of the monasteries. Although he initially opposed the Crown’s religious reforms, he later submitted and even assisted royal forces in suppressing Bigod’s Rebellion in 1537. Despite having received a royal pardon, Constable was later arrested during Henry VIII’s broader crackdown on former rebels and suspected dissidents in northern England. Brought to London, he was tried and condemned to death. Returned north once more, he was hanged in chains at Hull, a stark demonstration of the Crown’s determination to crush any remaining resistance in the aftermath of the northern uprisings.
