Henry VIII invented the stairlift

Blackleaf

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The stairlift wasn't, as is commonly believed, invented by the American C C Crispen in 1930.

He though up the idea 400 years after King Henry VIII.

The king invented a stairlift in the 1500s to get his gigantic bulk up and down the stairs.

A block and tackle would have been used by servants to lift the huge monarch up the 20 foot stairase.

The king also used an early form of wheelchair - he had three thrones on wheels so he could be pushed around his palace.

It's no wonder the promiscuous monarch could hardly move. He weighed a hefty 30 stones.

Henry VIII used his very own 'stairthrone' when the steps became too much, says Starkey


By Daily Mail Reporter
07th February 2009
Daily Mail




Historian Dr David Starkey has made quite a surprising discovery about Henry VIII


Henry VIII is perhaps best known for his six wives and founding the Church of England.

But a leading academic has revealed that the bloated Tudor monarch has another claim to fame: inventing the stairlift.

David Starkey, well known for his TV documentaries on historical royals, discovered that Henry VIII used a bespoke 'stairthrone' during research.

Described in royal records as 'a chair...that goeth up and down', the stairlift is thought to have been operational at Whitehall Palace in London where it would have hauled the King up a 20ft staircase.

Mr Starkey disclosed that the King owned the mobility aid as well as three wheelchairs - although 'wheelthrones' would be more appropriate - to help transport his vast 30 stone bulk around his royal residences.

Mr Starkey, who found the evidence of the stairlift in a detailed list of the King's possessions drew attention to the stairlift in a battle of words with a fellow historian that Henry VIII was disabled by his 'gross obesity.'

An exhibition, 'Dressed to Kill', at the Tower Of London details how the king's waist
expanded over the years to 52 inches by displaying his suits of armour which keep getting bigger as the King ages.

Mr Starkey has taken exception to remarks made by Graeme Rimer, academic director of the Royal Armouries, who said that armour worn by the King, 'tells us unequivocally that he was 6ft 1in and that he was pretty enormous but still vigorous at the end of his life.'



Dr Starkey believes the rotund king used a 'stairthrone' at Whitehall Palace to avoid walking up and down 20 steps

Mr Starkey said that far from being vigorous, the evidence points to Henry VIII being barely able to walk unaided. 'It was a terribly misleading story to say the King was able-bodied,' Mr Starkey said.

Before an accident at the age of 45, Mr Starkey said the King, 'took an incredible amount of exercise, horseriding around 20 miles a day,' and travelling around the country to various palaces.

But he said, 'it is 90 per cent certain that in January 1536 he had a really bad fall while he was jousting.'


By his 40s the king mostly stayed around London - for example at Hampton Court


The wound in his calf was not properly cleaned, and resulted in an ulcer that periodically erupted, and after that date the King, then in his mid 40s mostly stayed around London.

'Instead of travelling around the country hunting, he stayed mostly at his palaces dotted along the river, Hampton Court, Greenwich and Whitehall,' Mr Starkey said.

The king was so immobile, that 'instead of riding off to hunt, the King's servants would bring deer to him. Henry would be taken to an artificially constructed mound moved in front of him so he could shoot them.'

No picture exists of the stairlift, but Mr Starkey believes that a block and tackle system similar to those used on the king's warship the Mary Rose would have been used, with servants pulling on ropes to lift the monarch's body.

'I think it would be a unique item for Henry who was hugely overweight.'

In Henry VIII's day, a meal would consist of around 30 courses with each course a complete meal by our standards, Mr Starkey said.

In addition to his 'stairlift', Henry had three wheelchairs - 'amazingly luxurious thrones on wheels' - in which he would be wheeled around his palaces.

Mr Starkey added: 'You get the real impression that Henry was like one of these hugely obese people you get on a council estate.'

A spokesman for the Royal Armouries said Mr Rimer would not be responding to Dr Starkey's comments.



The stairlift has come a long way since Henry VIII's day


Until recently the first stairlift was thought to have been made in 1930 in Pennsylvania, by CC Crispen, a self-taught engineer.

The British company Stannah made their first stairlift in 1974.

Patrick Stannah, a relation of the company's founder, said: 'Stannah Stairlifts was surprised but pleased that someone had the inventiveness to make a stairlift for Henry VIII.

We would hope that the stairlifts of today have come along way since then but if he was alive today he’d be pleased to know that we make them for people of all shapes and sizes and can fit any type of staircase – even Royal ones!'

dailymail.co.uk
 
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