On this day in Tudor history, 12th May 1538, a Franciscan friar obstinately refused to make a public recantation of his allegiance to Rome.
Friar John Forest had been condemned for heresy and was meant to abjure his faith at St Paul’s Cross, but he decided not to. Find out more about what happened:
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On this day in Tudor history, 11th May 1560, royal physician Dr Thomas Wendy, died at his home, the manor of Haslingfield, in Cambridgeshire.
He attended three Tudor monarchs at their death and had a long and loyal service as a royal physician, but what interests Claire, in particular, is his role in saving Queen Catherine Parr, Henry VIII’s sixth wife, from a plot by Catholic conservatives in 1546.
Find out more Dr Thomas Wendy, his life, career, and the plot in today’s talk.
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Today’s Sunday puzzle is a crossword puzzle testing your knowledge of the 1553 voyage to discover a trade route via a Northeast passage.
Don’t know anything about this? Well, you can view today’s “on this day in Tudor history” video or my Claire Chats talk on this
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On this day in Tudor history, 10th May 1553, near the end of King Edward VI’s reign, the first expedition of the Company of Merchant Adventurers, left London in search of a Northeast passage for Asia.
The voyage, with its fleet of three ships, was led by Richard Chancellor, Sebastian Cabot and Sir Hugh Willoughby. It failed in its aim, and Willoughby and his crew died, but Richard Chancellor was able to come to a very beneficial agreement with Ivan the Terrible.
Find out more about the company, the voyage and the resulting trade agreement, and Muscovy Company, in today’s talk.
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On this day in history, in the Stuart period, 9th May 1657, William Bradford died. He is known as the founder of the Plymouth Colony in America and the writer of a chronicle of its early years: ““Of Plimmoth Plantation”.
But how did a Yorkshire man of farming stock become a Puritan and a governor of a colony in North America? What led to him becoming a “pilgrim” and boarding The Mayflower?
Find out in today’s talk.
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I went to see the play, Fallen in Love, when it was performed on 19th May at the Tower of London a few years ago. It was brilliant. The story of Anne Boleyn’s fall is told by just two characters, Anne and George Boleyn, and it’s incredibly moving.
This year, the Red Rose Chain are commemorating the anniversary of Anne Boleyn’s executuion with a live reading of the play. Here is the information they sent me…
The year is 1536. The woman who changed the world forever by capturing the heart of a king faces trial with her brother for adultery, incest and treason.
We are very excited to launch our new digital series for FALLEN IN LOVE, the critically acclaimed play by Joanna Carrick telling the story of the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn.
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On this day in Tudor history, 8th May 1508, herald and chronicler Charles Wriothesley was born in London.
Wriothesley’s chronicle is one of the major primary sources for King Henry VIII’s reign, so let me tell you more about its writer, Charles Wriothesley, Windsor Herald, and what heralds actually are.
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In this week’s Claire Chats video, I talk about Tudor letters and share two of Elizabeth I’s letters, one from her youth and another from the last weeks of her life. Below my talk, you can find links to books of letters and archives where you can read Tudor letters. Enjoy!
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On 7th May 1567, eight days before James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, married Mary, Queen of Scots, the Catholic court granted him a divorce from his wife, Lady Jean Gordon.
Who was Jean Gordon? Why did Bothwell divorce her? And what happened to Jean afterwards?
Find out more about Bothwell and Jean’s marriage, and about Jean’s life, in today’s talk.
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As it’s the anniversary of the “Lady in the Tower” letter today, a letter said to have been written by Queen Anne Boleyn on 6th May 1536, I thought I’d answer this question from member Real Tudor Lady:
“What is your opinion on the authenticity of the last letter of Queen Katherine of Aragon to Henry VIII, and the last letter of Anne Boleyn, ‘The Lady in the Tower ” letter, to Henry VIII? Are they both fake or real?”
The letter said to be from Catherine of Aragon was written in her final days, in January 1536, and reads…
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On this day in Tudor history, 6th May 1502, in the reign of King Henry VII, Sir James Tyrell, former royal councillor, was executed for treason due to his links to a known traitor.
But it’s not for his time as a trusted councillor, or for his links to a claimant to the throne that he is known, but for his alleged involvement in the murders of the Princes in the Tower.
Find out more in today’s talk.
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On this day in Tudor history, 5th May 1543, religious radical, Adam Damplip, also known as George Bucker, was hanged, drawn and quartered in Calais, which was an English territory at the time.
Although it was his heretical preaching that had got him into trouble, he couldn’t be executed as a heretic, so he was condemned as a traitor instead – clever, but nasty!
Let me explain more in today’s talk.
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On this day in Tudor history, 4th May 1535, in the reign of King Henry VIII, three Carthusian monks, a Bridgettine monk and a parish priest were executed at Tyburn.
They were executed for refusing to accept the King as the Supreme Head of the Church and “for writing and giving counsel against the King”, and had to suffer a full traitor’s death, one after the other.
Find out more about them and also London Charterhouse, home to the Carthusian order, in today’s talk.
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On this day in Tudor history, 3rd May 1568, courtier, member of Parliament, and privy councillor, Sir Edward Rogers, died.
Rogers had a long and successful royal career, serving three of the Tudor monarchs, and he managed to keep his head too.
Find out more about him, and how he even survived being implicated in rebellion and opposing Mary I, in today’s talk.
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It’s wonderful that Tudor history inspires novelists the way it does, and it’s wonderful to meet our favourite historical characters in novels that bring them and their world to life, but how much do you know about historical novelists and their works?
Test yourself with this week’s fun quiz…
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On this day in history, 2nd May 1550, Anabaptist Joan Bocher, was burnt to death at Smithfield for her belief in Christ’s celestial flesh.
How did a Protestant end up being executed in Edward VI’s reign and what did she mean by Christ having celestial flesh?
Find out more about Joan Bocher, or Joan of Kent, her beliefs and her links to Protestant martyr Anne Askew, in today’s talk.
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On this day in Tudor history, 1st May 1551, in the reign of King Edward VI, Norfolk landowner and Member of Parliament, Sir Edmund Knyvet, died.
Knyvet had an interesting court career, being helped by his Howard connections, but he was known for his rather hot temper, which nearly led to him losing his right hand.
Find out more about hot-tempered Sir Edmun Knyvet in today’s talk.
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This lockdown is definitely easier when you immerse yourself in Tudor history, and so much better for you than raiding the fridge and cupboards!
A few weeks ago, I shared some suggestions for Tudor movies and I thought it would also be good to share some recommendations for documentaries and non-fiction series. Please feel free to add your recommendations in the comments.
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This month’s expert is Julian Humphrys from The Battlefields Trust and Heritage Tours. Julian has an amazing ability to bring battles to life. This talk is about the Siege of Malta, a battle whose effects were felt right across Europe, including Elizabethan England.
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