St Mary le Pew

Attached to St Stephen's Chapel was a small chapel called St Mary le Pew that contained a miracle-working image. We are not sure what type; it could have been a statue, or maybe a painting. But we do know that lots of people came to pray in front of it, in the hope that the Virgin Mary would help them. We also know that this image was supposed to be particularly good for women who were pregnant or were hoping to have a child.

Elizabeth of York, whose marriage to Henry VII put an end to the Wars of the Roses, sent money to the image of St Mary le Pew in 1502 because she wanted another son after the death of Prince Arthur that year. Other, less famous, women did the same, coming to St Stephen's to pray for a healthy child.

Discover more about women in St Stephen's Chapel with our further reading suggestions.

Last updated April 2017.