'''William Featherstone''' or '''Fetherstone''' (died 1557) was an imposter who claimed to be Edward VI of England.
Chronicle accounts of the reign of Mary I of England and the diary of Henry Machyn mention an imposter, William Featherstone, the 18-year-old son of a miller and a servant of Peter Meutas.<ref>Tobias B. Hug, 'Outwitting Power: Bogus KIngs and Officials in Early Modern England', Beat Kümin, ''Political Space in Pre-industrial Europe'' (Ashgate, 2009), p. 219.</ref> He claimed to be Edward VI in February 1555; the real Edward had died in July 1553.<ref>Carole Levin, ''The Heart and Stomach of a King: Elizabeth I and the Politics of Sex and Power'' (University of Pennsylvania, 2013), pp. 98–100.</ref> Featherstone was arrested in Southwark and questioned at Hampton Court by the Privy Council. He claimed to have been directed by others, but was disbelieved and sent to the Marshalsea prison as a "lunatic fool".<ref>Richard Grafton, ''Chronicle at Large'', vol. 2 (London, 1809), p. 552.</ref>
He was shown to the people in Westminster Hall in May 1555, whipped and released. Subsequently he claimed that Edward VI was still alive and he had spoken to him. Featherstone was convicted of high treason, and hanged and quartered at Tyburn on 13 March 1557.<ref>Richard Grafton, ''Chronicle at Large'', vol. 2 (London, 1809), p. 552.</ref> His head was placed on London Bridge.<ref>John Gough Nichols, [https://archive.org/details/henrymachyncit00camduoft/page/100/mode/2up ''The Diary of Henry Machyn'' (London: Camden Society, 1848), p. 101]</ref>
==See also== *''The Prince and the Pauper''
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Featherstone, William}} Category:1557 deaths Category:16th-century English people Category:Inmates of the Marshalsea Category:People executed by the House of Tudor Category:People executed by the Kingdom of England by hanging, drawing and quartering Category:Impostor pretenders Category:Pretenders to the English throne