April 7th 1471: Palm Sunday Mass in Daventry
St Anne. Mother of Mary
As he went to Mass in the Priory church in Daventry, Edward must have reflected on a Palm Sunday ten years earlier, where his overwhelming victory at Towton Moor confirmed him as undisputed King of England. What happened next must have seemed like a sign to rival the Parhelion that had appeared at Mortimer’s Cross, and an omen of good things to come. The ‘Arrivall’ explains it:
…. the King, with great devotion, heard all divine service upon the morne, Palme-Sunday, in the parish church, where God, and Saint Anne, showed a fair miracle; a good pronostique of good adventure that after should befall unto the King by the hand of God, and mediation of that holy matron Saint Anne. For, so it was, that, afore that time, the King, being out of his realm, in great trouble, thought, and heaviness, for the infortune and adversity that was fallen him, full often, and, specially upon the sea, he prayed to God, our Lady, and Saint George, and, amongst other saints, he specially prayed Saint Anne to help him, where that he promised, that, at the next time that it should happen him to see any image of Saint Anne, he should thereto make his prayers, and give his offering, in the honour and worship of that blessed Saint.
So it fell, that, the same Palme Sunday, the King went in procession, and all the people after, in good devotion, as the service of that day asketh, and, when the procession was comen into the church, and, by order of the service, were comen to that place where the veil should be drawn up afore the Rood, that all the people shall honour the Rood, with the anthem, Ave, three times begun, in a pillar of the church, directly afore the place where King kneeled, and devoutly honoured the Rood, was a little image of Saint Anne, made of alabaster, standing fixed to the pillar, closed and clasped together with four hordes, small, painted, and going round about the image, in manner of a compass, like as it is to see commonly, and all about, whereas such images be wont to be made for to be sold and set up in churches, chapels, crosses, and oratories, in many places. And this image was thus shut, closed, and clasped, according to the rules that, in all the churches of England, be observed, all images to be hid from Ashe Wednesday to Easter day in the morning.
And so the said image had bene from Ash Wednesday to that time. And even suddenly, at that season of the service, the boards compassing the image about gave a great crack, and a little opened, which the King well perceived and all the people about him. And anon, after, the boards drew and closed together again, without any mans’ hand, or touching, and, as though it had bene a thing done with a violence, with a greater might it opened all abroad, and so the image stood, open and discovered, in sight of all the people there being. The King, this seeing, thanked and honoured God, and Saint Anne, taking it for a good sign, and token of good and prosperous adventure that God would send him in that he had to do, and, remembering his promise, he honoured God, and Saint Anne, in that same place, and gave his offerings. All those, also, that were present and saw this worshipped and thanked God and Saint Anne, there, and many offered; taking of this sign, shewed by the power of God, good hope of their good speed for to come.