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The title appears with a horizontal arrow between the words 'Black Londoners' and 'through time'.

|Year: 1511|

John Blanke

Henry VIII arranged a great celebration when his first wife gave birth to a son. It's shown in the painting below.

This painting was made to commemorate the celebrations held in honour of King Henry VIII’s first son with Queen Katherine of Aragon. It shows the jousts, processions and pageantry arranged as part of the celebrations and highlights the power of Henry VIII.

Westminster Tournament Roll, 1511

College of Arms MS Westminster Tournament Roll, 1511. Reproduced by permission of the Kings, Heralds and Pursuivants of Arms.

A trumpeter for kings

The large image above shows part of the 'Westminster Tournament Roll', painted in 1511. It was made of 36 animal skins and measures over 18 metres long – the length of a bowling lane!

In the centre is John Blanke, an African trumpet player who played music in the court of Henry VII and Henry VIII.

Click the triangular play button below to hear how his trumpet might have sounded:

This trumpet was likely used on board a ship as a signalling trumpet and may have been dropped overboard.

Trumpet from the 1300s

Found in the River Thames, it was likely used to signal passing ships.

John Blanke may have come to England from Spain with the court of Katherine of Aragon in 1501. Records show that there were many people of African descent living in Spain and Portugal at this time.

He was probably born into a musical family, as trades were passed from parents to their children.

  • Are there any jobs, skills or talents in your family that have been passed on?

Galas, gifts and garments

Music played an important role in special ceremonies such as weddings and funerals.

Knitted caps were worn by men in London's business and working communities in Tudor times. A range of styles and qualities were available to suit the taste and budget of the customer.

Woollen cap from the 1500s

The slashes on the brim were the height of Tudor fashion!

When Henry VII died, John Blanke and other trumpeters were given new black clothes for the funeral. They played in a funeral procession and marched around London in honour of the king.

Henry VIII was crowned king alongside his first wife, Katherine. John Blanke played at the coronation, wearing a scarlet uniform – this red cloth was only worn by very special high-ranking servants.

When John married in 1512, the king gave him a violet gown, bonnet and hat as a wedding gift. Henry VIII didn’t give gifts like this to everyone who worked for him.

  • What clothes do you wear for special occasions?

‘A true and faithful servant’

In this petition (a document that asks for something) John requests that Henry VIII raise his wages from 8 to 16 pence a day as he felt this was fair pay. He asks that the king sign this letter to prove that he is happy to say yes.

This petition was likely written by a scribe. You can find the king’s signature, showing that he agreed to the request, in the top left corner.

John Blanke’s petition to Henry VIII

Credit: The National Archives, ref. E101/417/2 (105)

  • Can you find Henry’s signature on the letter?
  • Would you feel comfortable asking the ruler of your country to pay you more money?

The king agreed, so he must have loved John’s music!


The title 'Black Londoners through time' sits above an image of a woman dancing in colourful dress at the Notting Hill Carnival, a smart soldier in uniform, a statue of a woman's face and an ink illustration of Ignatius Sancho.

Black Londoners through time

Keep on discovering London’s Black history from the Roman era to the present day in our timeline.

To the timeline!

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