On this day in Tudor history, 16th (or possibly the 18th) December 1503, George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent, died at Ampthill, Bedfordshire.

The earl served in Henry VII’s reign as a soldier, a member of the king’s council, the Constable of Northampton Castle, and as a judge at the trial of Edward, Earl of Warwick in 1499.

His first wife was Anne Woodville, sister of Queen Elizabeth Woodville.

Grey managed to retain royal favour on Henry VII’s accession even though he’d been rewarded by Richard III.

Find out more about George Grey…

On this day in Tudor history, 15th December 1560, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Thomas Parry died.

Parry served Elizabeth I as Comptroller of the Household and Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire.

The Spanish ambassador claimed that Parry died of “sheer grief”. He was buried at Westminster Abbey.

Parry had served Elizabeth for over 13 years and had been a loyal servant and friend to her. So why did he die of grief?

Find out more about Thomas Parry, his background, life, and why he was so upset in 1560…

On this day in Tudor history, 12th December 1595, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Roger Williams died from a fever with his patron, Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, at his side. The Protestant Welsh soldier and author was buried at St Paul’s Cathedral.

As a soldier, Williams served in the Low Countries and France and in 1588 was second in command of the cavalry under the Earl of Essex at Tilbury Fort. William was also an author and wrote the 1590 “A Briefe Discourse of Warre”.

At one point, Williams had to go into hiding because he incurred Queen Elizabeth I’s wrath.

Find out all about Sir Roger Williams’ life, career and works…

On this day in Tudor history, 10th December 1591, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Edmund Gennings and Swithin Wells were executed on a scaffold set up outside Wells’ house at Holborn.

Gennings, a Roman Catholic priest, had been celebrating mass at Wells’ home when the famous Elizabethan priestfinder and torturer, Richard Topcliffe, found them. Topcliffe had Gennings thrown into the Little Ease.

Find out more about St Edmund Gennings and St Swithin Wells, and their sad ends…

On this day in Tudor history, 6th December 1573, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Hugh Paulet died at his home in Hinton St George in Somerset.

Paulet distinguished himself as a soldier in Henry VIII’s reign, and in Edward VI’s reign he served as Governor of Jersey. Although he was a Protestant, he served as Vice-President of the Welsh Marches in Mary I’s reign, and went on to have a successful career in Elizabeth I’s reign.

Paulet was an important man and a royal servant, but still managed to die a natural death at his home.

Find out more about Sir Hugh Paulet…

On this day in Tudor history, 5th December 1556, in the reign of Queen Mary I, Anne de Vere (née Cecil) was born.

Anne was the daughter of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, and his second wife, Mildred Cooke.

Anne had a relatively short life, dying at just 31 years of age, but she was respected and liked by scholars, had five children, and had a sadly unhappy marriage with Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford.

Oxford did not treat his wife well and even refused to recognise their first daughter as his own, at one point. If only she had married poet Philip Sidney instead!

Find out more about the life of Anne de Vere, Countess of Oxford…

On this day in Tudor history, 3rd December 1600, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Roger North, 2nd Baron North, died at his London home.

The sixty-nine-year-old peer and politician had been a good friend of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. North had accompanied Leicester on trips, he’d witnessed the earl’s secret marriage and had served with him in the Netherlands. It was even said that he’d converted Leicester to Puritanism.

Baron North was also close to Queen Elizabeth I, serving her as privy councillor and Treasurer of the Household.

Find out more about Roger North, 2nd Baron North…

On this day in Tudor history, 2nd December 1586, Queen Elizabeth I finally agreed to sentence Mary, Queen of Scots, to death.

The Houses of Lords and Commons had jointly petitioned the queen to issue a public proclamation of sentence against Mary, that sentence being death.

Mary, Queen of Scots, had been found guilty of high treason in October 1586, but Elizabeth I had stalled in doing anything about it. She did not want to commit regicide. Parliament, however, believed that if Mary was not dealt with, she would continue to plot against Elizabeth and would utterly “ruinate and overthrow the happy State and Common Weal of this most Noble Realm”.

Find out what Parliament said and what happened next…

On this day in Tudor history, 29th November 1528, in the reign of King Henry VIII, Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montagu, was born.

Montagu began his court career with the help of his father in Henry VIII’s reign. He was made a Knight of the Bath when Edward VI became king, served as a privy councillor in Queen Mary I’s reign and died a natural death in Queen Elizabeth I’s reign. Montagu even survived being implicated in a rebellion!

Who was Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montagu, and just how did he manage to not only have an excellent court career, but leave a fortune to his grandson, when he was a Catholic in Elizabeth I’s reign?

On this day in Tudor history, 26th November 1585, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Catholic priest Hugh Taylor and his friend Marmaduke Bowes were hanged at York.

Taylor and Bowes were the first Catholics executed under the new law. Elizabeth I’s 1585 statute made it treason to be a Jesuit or seminary priest in England or to harbour such a priest.

In 1987, Pope John Paul II beatified Taylor and Bowes as two of the 85 Martyrs of England, Scotland and Wales.

Find out more about these men and what this 1585 legislation was all about…

On this day in Tudor history, 24th November 1572, John Knox died at his home in Edinburgh.

The Scottish clergyman, famous Reformer, royal chaplain, and founder of Presbyterianism had a peaceful end, dying as his second wife, Margaret, read aloud from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians.

John Knox is known for bringing the Protestant reformation to the church in Scotland and for his controversial views about women rulers. Knox was also chaplain to King Edward VI and had a very eventful life, being taken prisoner by the French and being forced into service on the galleys of their fleet at one point.

Find out more about John Knox, his life and career…

On this day in Tudor history, 23rd November 1499, in the reign of King Henry VII, Perkin Warbeck was hanged at Tyburn.

Warbeck was executed for allegedly plotting to help another claimant, Edward, Earl of Warwick, escape from the Tower of London.

Perkin Warbeck had been imprisoned in 1497 after he had raised a rebellion claiming to be Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, the younger of the Princes in the Tower. He had even been proclaimed King Richard IV, but his rebellion and claim had failed.

Let me tell you about Perkin Warbeck’s background, explain how he ended up trying to claim the throne of England, and tell you what happened.

On this day in Tudor history, 22nd November 1594, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Tudor explorer Sir Martin Frobisher died at Plymouth.

The naval commander, privateer and explorer died of gangrene after having been shot in the thigh during hand-to-hand combat during a siege.

Sir Martin Frobisher is famous for the three voyages he undertook in search of the Northwest Passage. He was knighted for his naval service during the 1588 Spanish Armada.

Find out all about the life and career of Sir Martin Frobisher…

On this day in Tudor history, 21st November 1495, John Bale was born in Suffolk.

John Bale was a churchman, Protestant playwright, historian and Bishop of Ossory. He wrote twenty-four plays and “Illustrium majoris Britanniae scriptorum, hoc est, Angliae, Cambriae, ac Scotiae Summarium…”, a book on famous British writers, which is his most well-known work. His work on Protestant martyrs was also used by the famous martyrologist John Foxe.

John Bale spent a fair amount of time in exile due to his faith, and he also courted controversy with his attacks on Catholics.

Find out all about this accomplished Tudor man…

On this day in history, 20th November 1612, in the reign of King James I, Sir John Harington died.

Harington was a courtier and author, and also the late Queen Elizabeth I’s godson.

In Elizabeth I’s reign, he had invented the Ajax, or “jakes”, England’s first flush toilet.

Find out more about Sir John Harington and his invention…