May 10 – Henry VIII’s annulment is nearly done, Ivan the Terrible, and the suicide of John Clerk

On this day in Tudor history, 10th May 1533, the Great Matter, Henry VIII's quest for an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, neared its conclusion.

Find out what happened on this day in 1533, and what happened next...

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...

“The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques & discoveries of the English nation” - https://archive.org/details/principalnaviga23haklgoog/page/n242/mode/2up

Also on this day in 1552, author John Clerk, who had served Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, as his secretary, avoided public shame with a very final act in the Tower of London.

What happened? What led Clerk to this end? How had he ended up in the Tower of London?

Find out: