The Tudor Society

13 March – The hangings of conspirators Henry Cuffe and Sir Gelly Meyrick

Back to executions - sorry, not sorry! There aren't many days which are free of executions and today we have two!

On this day in Tudor history, 13th March 1601, Henry Cuffe and Sir Gelly Meyrick were hanged at Tyburn for their part in the disastrous Essex's Rebellion of February 1601.

Who were these men and how did they become involved in the rebellion led by Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, a former favourite of Queen Elizabeth I? Find out in today's video:

You can find out more about Essex and his rebellion in my video "February 25 - The execution of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex" at https://youtu.be/lQ0nFNgD74s.

Also on this day in history:

  • 1540 – Death of Henry Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Essex. He died after falling off a horse, and his title was given to Thomas Cromwell. His daughter, Anne, married Sir William Parr, brother of Queen Catherine Parr.
  • 1543 – Death of Sebastian Giustinian, the Venetian diplomat. He died in Venice at the age of eighty-three. Giustinian served as the Venetian ambassador to England from 1514 to 1519, and wrote 226 letters during his embassy there. He became ambassador to France in 1526 and procurator of St Mark in 1540.
  • 1594 – Death of John Woolton, Bishop of Exeter, from asthma at the bishop's palace in Exeter. He was buried in the cathedral choir.
  • 1619 – Death of Richard Burbage, actor and star of Shakespeare's Lord Chamberlain's Men and the King's Men. He was named in Shakespeare's will of 1616 as a "fellow", meaning a close friend or colleague.

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13 March – The hangings of conspirators Henry Cuffe and Sir Gelly Meyrick