As 13th July was the anniversary of John Dee’s birth in 1527, I thought I’d give an overview of the life and career of this fascinating Tudor man, a well as recommend some books on him. I hope you find the video interesting and useful.
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Lady Jane Grey had been chosen by Edward VI as his heir and became queen on his death on 6th July 1553. However, Edward’s half-sister Mary believed herself to be Edward’s true heir and so declared herself queen at her home at Kenninghall following news of Edward’s death. On 12th July 1553, Mary moved from Kenninghall to Framlingham Castle, where she began to rally support and between 12th and 15th July Mary’s supporters and forces grew. She was supported by men such as Sir Edward Hastings; Henry Radclyffe, Earl of Sussex; Sir Thomas Cornwallis; Thomas, Lord Wentworth; Sir Henry Bedingfield; John de Vere, Earl of Oxford; and many prominent families of eastern England such as the Rochesters, the Jerninghams and Waldegraves. Mary was proclaimed Queen in various counties and towns.
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On this day in history, 12th July 1537, Robert Aske, lawyer and rebel, was hanged in chains outside Clifford’s Tower, the keep of York Castle. Aske was one of the leaders of the rebels in the 1536 northern uprising known as the Pilgrimage of Grace – click here to see a Pilgrimage of Grace timeline and here to read an article on the rebellion.
Being hanged in chains was an awful way to die. Those executed this way were usually hanged alive in chains – rather than being hanged first in the usual manner and then put in chains on display – and took several days to die, being slowly suffocated to death. Horrible!
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How much do you know about this prominent Tudor man, a man who served King Henry VIII loyally but who ended his days on the block? Test your knowledge with this fun quiz.
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After just over six months of marriage, on 9 July 1540, Anna von Kleve, more commonly known as Anne of Cleves, was divorced from Henry VIII of England. As part of her reward for acquiescing so easily to Henry’s request, she would forever after be known in England as the Daughter of Cleves and Henry’s sister, though she signed letters to her brother as “Anna, born Duchess of Cleves,” or a variation thereof.
Anna was gifted many properties, including Chelsea and Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. Anna maintained a relationship not only with Henry but also with his daughters Mary and Elizabeth. Anna would go on to live the rest of her life in England before dying at the age of 41. She never returned to the Holy Roman Empire, parts of which comprised most of what we know today as Germany.
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In today’s Claire Chats video I take you on a tour through the “Tudor life” section of my bookcase, picking out the books I find useful on everyday life during the period.
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On this day in history, two important Tudors died: Sir Thomas More was beheaded on 6th July 1535 for high treason for denying the King’s supremacy, and fifteen year-old King Edward VI died on 6th July 1553 of natural causes at Greenwich Palace.
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This quiz should be nice and easy if you listened to my recent Claire Chats video on cleaning and doing the washing in Tudor times. Good luck!
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On this day in history, 2nd July 1489, one of my favourite Tudor personalities, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, was born in Aslockton, Nottinghamshire.
Cranmer had a major impact on Tudor England. Not only did he provide Henry VIII with the annulment of his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon, he was also a key player in the English Reformation, and, of course, he was burnt at the stake for his faith in the reign of Queen Mary I.
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In today’s Claire Chats video I look at how the Tudors kept their homes clean and how they did their laundry.
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On this day in 1543, the Treaties of Greenwich were signed. In these treaties between England and Scotland, it was agreed that Prince Edward, the future Edward VI, would marry Mary, Queen of Scots.
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Expert Talk for July – Philip Roberts talks about the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s flagship.
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Interested in the life and reign of Edward VI, the boy king? This magazine is just for you. Also has an exclusive article about artist Levina Teerlinc.
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On Friday 24th June 2016 the majority of British people voted to leave the European Union and this had been compared by some newspapers to Henry VIII’s Break with Rome. So, here you go, a Break with Rome quiz! Have fun and good luck!
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In this week’s Claire Chats, I talk about something we’ll be adding to the site in September, and, yes, I am going to be working hard in July and August!
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Here in my area of rural Spain, the feast of St John, or San Juan as he is called here, is a special time. People gather on the night of 23rd at our local natural thermal pool and at midnight they all jump in (or get pushed in!). Like the baptisms that John the Baptist did, this is seen as symbolising the washing away of sins. Then, sardines are cooked on open fires. In coastal areas, sardines are cooked on bonfires on the beach, people jump over the fires for luck and then run into the sea at midnight.
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Today marks the 440th anniversary of the death of Levina Teerlinc, painter and miniaturist, at Stepney. Originally from Bruges, Teerlinc, who was the daughter of Simon Benninck, a master illuminator, travelled to England in the 1540s. Teerlinc was court painter to Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I, and produced many paintings and miniatures.
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On this day in history, 22nd June 1559, Queen Elizabeth I’s Prayer Book was issued. This version of the Book of Common Prayer “was a conservative revision of the 1552 edition, with the effect of making it somewhat less “Protestant”.”
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On 21st June 1553, letters patent were issued stating that King Edward VI’s heir was Lady Jane Grey, eldest daughter of the king’s cousin, Frances Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk.
Edward VI was dying, having been ill for a few months, and in the original draft of his “Devise for the Succession” he stipulated that the Crown would descend through the male heirs of Frances, Duchess of Suffolk, if Edward died childless. The problem was that there were no male heirs yet, so when Edward made a turn for the worse he decided to change the document to read: “To the Lady Fraunceses heirs males, if she have any such issue before my death to the Lady Jane and her heirs males.”
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Henry VIII’s six wives are as popular as ever. In the 2016 History Hot 100 recently compiled by BBC History Magazine, no less than four of the notorious Tudor king’s consorts featured. Perhaps, unsurprisingly, wife number two Anne Boleyn finished highest, at number 4. Katherine Parr came in at number 31, Katherine of Aragon at 36, and Anne of Cleves at 38.
Tudormania, as coined by a Guardian article, is pervasive. The general public and historians alike cannot get enough of the Tudors. But our obsession with this colourful dynasty, by and large, centres on a handful of characters that dominate films, novels and articles. This confinement of our focus is starkly revealed in the Hot 100: the top Tudor figures are, unsurprisingly, Elizabeth I, Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell.
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Here’s the valuable transcript from our live chat with Conor Byrne. This was an amazing evening, and we’ve captured it all for you…
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How much do you know about the consorts of Plantagenet and Tudor kings and queens? Test your knowledge with this fun quiz.
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19th June 2016 marks the 450th birthday of King James I and VI of England and Scotland. Unification between the two countries, though at times strained, was brought about by James ascending the throne of England in 1603. The unification was the result of one hundred years of Tudor politics.
Back in 1503, Henry VII arranged for his eldest daughter, Margaret Tudor, to marry James IV of Scotland. Margaret during the course of the marriage gave birth to the future James V in 1512. Fighting between Scotland and England resumed. In 1523, Henry VIII attempted to unite the thrones of Scotland and England by offering his daughter, Princess Mary, as a bride for James V. This proposal was rejected. Moving forward several years, James V married the French Mary of Guise in 1538. Henry VIII had lost his third wife in October 1537 and was seeking a new bride. James V beat his uncle, Henry VIII, who was also trying to marry Mary of Guise. In 1541, James V’s mother and Henry VIII’s sister, Margaret Tudor, passed away; this effectively ended the nearly thirty-year truce between Scotland and England. A war broke out, which saw the death of James V due to illness and depression of the current state of war in December 1542.
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Following on from last week’s video on haircare in medieval and Tudor times, today I’m talking about how Tudor people kept their faces and bodies clean.
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On this day in history, 17th June 1567, Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned at Loch Leven Castle following her surrender to the Protestant nobles at the Battle of Carberry Hill on 15th June.
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