The Armourer's House

by Rosemary Sutcliff

If only she'd been born a boy, Tamsyn would never have been sent away to Uncle Gideon's - the armourer's - house when her grandmother died. She could have stayed by the wild sea that she loved with her Uncle Martin, the ship merchant.But instead, she is bound for busy, bustling Tudor London, and the armourer's house, far from the coast and far from her beloved ships. Homesick and lonely in the loud family of cousins, it isn't until she meets the strange old Wise Woman that Tamsyn is finally promised her "heart's desire"...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Animals

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1951

About the author

Rosemary Sutcliff, CBE (1920-1992) was a British novelist, best known as a writer of highly acclaimed historical fiction. Although primarily a children's author, the quality and depth of her writing also appeals to adults. She once commented that she wrote "for children of all ages, from nine to ninety."

Born in West Clandon, Surrey, Sutcliff spent her early youth in Malta and other naval bases where her father was stationed as a naval officer. She contracted Still's Disease when she was very young and was confined to a wheelchair for most of her life. Due to her chronic sickness, she spent the majority of her time with her mother, a tireless storyteller, from whom she learned many of the Celtic and Saxon legends that she would later expand into works of historical fiction. Her early schooling being continually interrupted by moving house and her disabling condition, Sutcliff didn't learn to read until she was nine, and left school at fourteen to enter the Bideford Art School, which she attended for three years, graduating from the General Art Course. She then worked as a painter of miniatures.

Rosemary Sutcliff began her career as a writer in 1950 with The Chronicles of Robin Hood. She found her voice when she wrote The Eagle of the Ninth in 1954. In 1959, she won the Carnegie Medal for The Lantern Bearers and was runner-up in 1972 with Tristan and Iseult. In 1974 she was highly commended for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Her The Mark of the Horse Lord won the first Phoenix Award in 1985.

Sutcliff lived for many years in Walberton near Arundel, Sussex. In 1975 she was appointed OBE for services to Children's Literature and promoted to CBE in 1992. She wrote incessantly throughout her life, and was still writing on the morning of her death. She never married.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/rosema...

Reviews

[Christina Baehr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful. My six year old was enchanted by this simple, domestic story about a little girl in Tudor London. Partway through we discussed the absence of illustrations. "I don't need them," she confided in a whisper. "I can see the pictures in my head." And so can I.

Re-read with 9 kids (realistically, 6 of them were listening): This is a lovely book. This time I was more struck my how Sutcliff makes a very believable Tudor word for our senses - textures, colours, smells, flavours - but the manners feel more like people of her time. A loving Tudor father shaking hands with his long-lost son? I don’t think so! Still highly recommend as a family read-aloud.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly and completely loved this. The detail is exquisite and makes the story vivid in its Tudor England setting. The characters are delightful and warm and real and Tamsyn is such a lovely little heroine. I can see myself knocking loudly on the door of the Dolphin House and being dragged up by the Almost-Twins to eat bread-and-raisins and climbing up the winding stairs to Kit’s Castle with Piers, Tamsyn, and Littlest to dream amongst the frosty, glittering stars above London Town. I have a feeling this is going to be a top book of 2022.

[Gina House · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5🌟 What a wonderful book! I've been wanting to read this Rosemary Sutcliff book for a while, especially this beautiful hardcover edition by Manderley Press. Even though it took me longer than I thought to grab a copy, it was totally worth the wait!

This is such a lovely and sweet story about little Tamsyn and her move to her Uncle and Aunt's house in London. Although she is nervous and sad to leave her Uncle Martin, her welcome by the London family is warm and loving.

It was a joy to read about her everyday life and experiences with her cousins - including the food they ate, the atmosphere in their home and quiet and delightful bits of nature. My favorite chapter is the one in which Tamsy and two of her cousins meet a Wise Woman. Loved that part!

Rosemary Sutcliff's writing is lyrical, but also easy to read. Her writing style is very similar to Elizabeth Goudge, which is another reason why I enjoyed this book so much.

Not only is the story itself charming, but the actual book is one of the best I've ever come across. It's the perfect size to hold (I have small hands and big books are a nightmare!), the illustrated cover and end papers are gorgeous, and the text is easy to read with a pleasing font. I need to add more of these books to my book collection. I wish ALL small publishers had this exact type of book!

(My only reason for not giving it 5🌟 is that books about seafaring, sailors and the Tudor period are not my favorite. It should tell you how much I liked the book because I would normally not be very interested in a book like this otherwise.)

Highly recommended!

[Edelweiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is honestly one of my favourite books on my shelves. A delightful conversational tone rather reminiscent of the Chronicles of Narnia (though this book really doesn't need comparison to anything else, it's good enough on its own.) Full of fascinating snippets of life in Tudor times, woven seamlessly into the story; Sutcliff is the master of using accurate historical information to enrich her writing, without it feeling anything like an info-dump.
And the heroine is very appealing: a nine-year old girl, Tamsyn, who goes to live with a large family of cousins she has never met, in London. Incredibly homesick and lonely at first, but she finds her place in the family, and forms a heartwarming friendship with her older cousin Piers.
Actually, 'heartwarming' is a good word to describe the whole book. It's one of those ones that leaves you feeling warm and happy inside.
Basically, Sutcliff takes one into the England of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn and makes it seem real, and living, as though it's happening just around the corner. (Tamsyn actually sees Henry, and Anne, taking a royal trip down the Thames, and has her own thoughts on them - sweet and moving.)
HIGHLY recommended if you have an interest in the human side of history, or just like a great book. Ages five to one hundred; I also personally think this would also make a wonderful read-aloud book.

[Allison Tebo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars!!

RTC.

[Jae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this as a 12 year old child and absolutely loving it. One of those classic children's books that transport you to another time and place in which you inwardly live until the story is finished, and even for a while afterwards.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of Sutcliff's earlier books and it shows. While I enjoyed the book, it was lacking in plot. Tamsy is sent to her Uncle and Aunt's house in London even though she really doesn't want to leave her home in Bideford or her favorite uncle and his ships. The book is a bit precious but other than that and the limping storyline, it was fine. The characters are all well drawn and the real point of the story is a success: to show what everyday life in London was like during the time of Henry VIII. Tamsy is homesick but grows to love the oldest son, Piers, who also loves ships. His dream is to go to sea but instead he is apprenticed to his father, the armourer, one who makes armament from swords to knight's chain and plate mail. He has no choice since the oldest son follows the father's trade and the oldest son had drowned a few years earlier. They go through a year of time and have adventures that will seem rather mild and boring to kids raised on the type of stories told today. Where this excels is in presenting everyday life such as the interesting fact that at that time the English were a nation of singers. The best writing in the book is when the two children are sharing a make believe adventure with each other and is the best description of make believe that I've read in a kid's book. There is no villain in the story unless you count Grandmother who insists on her deathbed on sending Tamsy to her married son's house rather than let her stay with her unmarried son. Since that is the end of Grandmother, she doesn't make for much of a villain. I would recommend this to Sutcliff admirers who want to experience her whole oeuvre. I would hesitate to give this to most kids. Perhaps that bookworm who has read everything or that quiet kid who might feel very comfortable with this sort of book. Otherwise, I think it would be most appreciated by adults even though meant for children.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming story, with the emphasis on beautiful descriptions of Elizabethan London, without the horrors of bear baiting and ordure in the streets. Made me nostalgic for the reading experiences of childhood, when somehow my imagination felt stronger, and I could make a book like this live. A really lovely Christmas book that deserves to be read every Christmas.

[Ness Kingsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sutcliff's descriptions are always so beautiful. And her characters! Oh her characters are so wonderfully drawn.

Not my most favourite, but still very good.

[ambyr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is early Sutcliff that she later felt was apprentice-level work, and she's right that it's rather slight. But if you're sick in bed for twelve days straight and just want a nice book where absolutely nothing bad happens to anyone and there are lots of bits of pretty description about going outside and eating delicious food, it can't be beat.

I'm not thrilled with the Manderley Press edition, which replaces C. Walter Hodges's original gorgeous illustrations with what I'll charitably refer to as tiny thumbnail sketches by a modern illustrator done in a primitive style. But I am glad it's back in print again.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lovely read aloud with my kids (12, 9, 6, 3) about what living in Renaissance London with one family looked like. Enjoyed by all of us!

[Betty-Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

A happy story. Beautifully descriptive.

[SBF · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a sweet little book. One of Sutcliff's stories for a juvenile audience, it's a slice of life in Tudor England, under the reign of Henry VIII and his second queen, Anne Boleyn (they have a brief cameo in the story). Pre-teen Tamsyn has been sent to London to live with relatives after her grandmother's death, and the story covers her trying to find her place in her new family and new surroundings. Unlike so many of these type of stories with tiresome "we hate you and treat you badly" families picking on the poor cousin, Tamsyn's aunt and uncle welcome her and her cousins are good to her, but it's hard to find a place in a loving family that seems complete without you. I liked how that part of the plot progressed. Sutcliff's descriptions of 1500s England make you feel like you are there seeing it. The story progresses through a year, covering different seasons and events (May Day--I loved the description of the Morris dancers; Halloween, Christmas). I particularly enjoyed Sutcliff's chapter on the tale of Tam Lin. It wouldn't make a whole novel on its own, but putting it as a story told by Aunt Deborah to the children on Halloween night was perfect. Many historical stories for children put young characters into major world events, meeting famous people, but I think a story like this, just about life at the time, captures the historical feeling much better. This book was a pleasant discovery.

[Kaela Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bless Manderley Press for reissuing this gem of a book by Rosemary Sutcliff in 2022, first published in 1951 and out of print for years. It’s just wonderful—effortless historical fiction for all ages, beautifully written, with a sense of magic and mystery, and terrific characters who feel of their time yet completely real and compelling. I can’t recommend it highly enough, especially for a family read aloud. It deserves to be a classic. And this edition is so beautifully made it’s just a joy to hold and read!

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how older books just have this JOY to them, a sort of swooping in your chest and tickle at the back of your throat from the wonder of the world through a child’s eyes and the utter certainty that no matter how bad it gets everything will be all right. The descriptions in this were simply marvelous and I knew all along what the ending would be but that didn’t make me choke up any less when it arrived.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is really a book for children. I didn't like it as much as her Roman Britain series 'The Eagle of the Ninth' etc. I thought it gave a very idealised view of Tudor England, there wasn't much realism, it was all too cosy, even for children! My main reason for reading it was because it was published in the year of my birth so I can tick off one of the Reading Challenge categories!!!

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story about a young girl living with her Aunt and Uncle in London during the reign of Henry VIII. The author's tone was a bit schoolmarmish, but tells the story in a kind voice that does seem right for the 1950s in England.

A Book Riot Read Harder Challenge trifecta for me: middle grade YA novel, historical fiction set before 1900, and a book published in the decade in which I was born.

[Katharine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very early and minor Sutcliff but delightful to read again after a very long time. It was like discovering old friends again as I revisited Tamsyn and the Caunter family in an idealised version of Tudor London, full of colour and fantasy. A gentle story for Christmas.

[Jennifer Heise · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great period piece! I picked this up because people had recommended Sutcliff to me, but I'm not much on pitched battles. I'm glad that I know Sutcliff always did her homework, because for me this time in history will always evoke the house and the activities in this book.

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Orphaned Tamsyn goes to live with her uncle, an armourer in Henry VIII's England, where she finds much in common with her cousin Piers, who longs to voyage to the Indies.

[Mckinley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked (a bit more than her Roman fighting books).

[Phil Syphe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those children’s books that adults can also enjoy. This one did, anyway.

Set in the 1530s, Tamsyn leaves one uncle’s house to move in with another. This new (to Tamsyn) uncle also has a wife, four children, and a dog living with him, so it’s a hard adjustment for Tamsyn, who’s eight when we first meet her.

We get to see how Tamsyn interacts with her ‘unknown’ relatives. She grows closest to the eldest child, Piers, who’s quiet but kind.

It’s mainly harmonious, but when conflict arises between Tamsyn and the only other girl, we see the heroine stand up for herself in no uncertain terms:

“‘If you say another word, Beatrix Caunter,’ shrieked Tamsyn, suddenly turning bright pink with fury, ‘I’ll hit you with my sugar pig – and it’s all sticky.’”

Think twice, therefore, before messing with Tamsyn.

She’s a delightful character. She and the rest of the cast are all vividly portrayed.

Only downside to the novel is the excess detail when plenty of opportunity was at hand to include drama and dialogue. I know it’s for children, but when I was a boy, I wanted things to happen and to hear characters talking, same as I do now, and now as then, I get bored with lengthy narration. It took me a while to get into the book because drama, dialogue, and action were absent. I would’ve given up reading except I’ve read this author’s works before and knew it’d be worth continuing.

Overall, it’s a pleasant tale that's well worth reading.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was in high school my school library had many books by Rosemary Sutcliff and I devoured them all. Maybe that's where I got my love of British history. Of British everything.

This book was more childish than the ones I remember but still well written, and depicting the dress and customs vividly. Set in the time of King Henry VIII (when he was married to Anne Boleyn), the orphan, Tamsyn, must go live with her Uncle Gideon's family when her grandmother dies. She feels an affinity with ships and the sea but a girl can't cast her eyes toward such a career. Uncle Gideon is an armourer, a man who makes armor for knights. He has a lively family of 5 children. The eldest son, Piers, destined to become an armourer like his father, also loves ships and the sea and he bonds with the much younger Tamsyn. He can never go to sea, though, because his eldest brother, Kit, was drowned and now Piers is obligated to take up the father's trade. But perhaps Christmas wishes can come true.

There's a surprise ending.

[Janis Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wonder if I had read this book as a child I would have loved it as much as I do this day. I’ve often wanted to know what the streets of London looked like in Tudor times, particularly as I spent many adult years on its outskirts.

As a child, references to London would have had little resonance for me but as an adult I am delighted to picture Tudor life on familiar urban streets, now spoiled with modern traffic and modern shops and offices.

It’s a feast of a book, filled with vivid descriptions on every page. I’m sure the seamier side has been overlooked in the interest of a good wholesome tale, but there are poignant hints painted carefully, such as the difficult smile on the Laughing Lady and the ambiguous feeling the Almost Twins have about the woman in the woods.

I wonder if there was a sequel. I so want to know what became of Piers and Tamsyn.

A lovely read.

[Oldjoanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story follows 9 year old Tamsyn from Devon to her Uncles house in Tudor London.
She is gradually taken to the heart of her Uncles family, her 4 cousins, the dog and cook,. The house is in Blackfriars and the house backs onto the River, which reminds Tamsyn of her home in Biddeford. London is described so well: the various festivals such as midsummers eve, including customs associated with them are painted vividly. It is easy to picture the house, children and times.
I would loved to have read this as a child, but anyone could enjoy it.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the fact that this is most definitely a book for children, it is written with Rosemary Sutcliff's signature magic, and I haven't enjoyed anything so wholeheartedly in a long time.
It is a wholesome but engrossing tale of a little girl, set in the early 1500s, during the reign of old Henry the Pervert, and it is a rather beautiful look into a time before their monarchy utterly ruined England.

[Ann Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this children's book off the family bookcase when I wanted a quick, easy read. It's a pleasant tale set in London during the time of Henry the VIII. There's not much plot, but the details of life in a well-off but not noble family during peacetime were interesting. The author has a reputation for historical research, so I hope I can trust her descriptions.

[Lisa Houlihan]

Holy shit, the unconscious racism. A child has to play the villain in make-believe, her red-headed cousins tell her, because her (white) coloring is dark of skin, hair, and eye. People in Europe are curious about the New World because "no one" lives there. 1951.

[Taff Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

History through a rose coloured veil, but high in atmosphere and sentimentality. The hardships of life for ordinary people are inferred but the sweetness, hope and magic of childhood are brought right to the fore. A great one for Christmas.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction for children! A very sweet little book that would probably make a great read-aloud.