On this day in Tudor history, 24th January 1503, the foundation stone of King Henry VII’s chapel, a large Lady Chapel, at Westminster Abbey, was laid.

At the time, Henry VII planned for the chapel to be a shrine to King Henry VI, who was expected to be canonised, but this never happened.

The chapel was completed in 1516, in the reign of Henry VII’s son, King Henry VIII, and became the burial place of fifteen kings and queens, including Henry VII and his wife, Elizabeth of York, who have beautiful gilt-bronze effigies, and their grandchildren Edward VI, Elizabeth I and Mary I, and great-granddaughter, Mary, Queen of Scots. Others buried there in the Tudor period include, Lady Margaret Beaufort, Henry VII’s mother, and Lady Margaret Douglas, his granddaughter.

On this day in Tudor history, 22nd January 1561, Francis Bacon, Viscount St Alban, was born at York House in the Strand, London.

On this day in Tudor history, 19th January 1561, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Edward Carne died in Rome. He was about sixty-five years of age.

The administrator and diplomat, who came from Glamorgan in Wales originally, carried out diplomatic missions for King Henry VIII, was a royal commissioner during the dissolution of the monasteries, negotiated for a fourth marriage for Henry VIII after the death of Jane Seymour, was Mary I’s English ambassador to Rome, and claimed descent from the Kings of Gwent! An interesting man.

On this day in Tudor history, 18th January 1543, composer, court musician and perhaps spy Alfonso Ferrabosco was baptised at the Cathedral of San Petronio, in Bologna, Italy.

Why am I talking about an Italian composer and musician?

Well, because he worked at Queen Elizabeth I’s court and is said to have been responsible for the growth of the madrigal at the royal court.

Here are some facts about this Italian composer and musician…

On this day in Tudor history, 17th January 1587, Bartholomew Newsam (Newsum, Newsham), died. He was buried in the church of St Mary-le-Strand, the parish in which he lived and worked. He was in his fifties at his death.

Bartholomew Newsam, who is thought to have come from the York area, was a famous clockmaker, sundial maker and scientific instrument maker. He worked for Queen Elizabeth I, repairing clocks and perhaps even making them for her.

On this day in Tudor history, 16th January 1501, in the reign of King Henry VII, Sir Anthony Denny was born at Cheshunt in Hertfordshire. He was the second son of Sir Edmund Denny, Baron of the Exchequer to Henry VIII, and his wife, Mary Troutbeck.

The courtier and good friend of Henry VIII was educated at St Paul’s School, London, before moving on to St John’s College, Cambridge.

Following employment in the service of Sir Francis Bryan, a man known as the Vicar of Hell, Denny joined King Henry VIII’s privy chamber in 1533 and was made a yeoman of the wardrobe in 1536.

On 13th January 1593, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Henry Neville died. He was buried at Waltham St Lawrence in Berkshire.

Sir Henry Neville was a groom of Henry VIII’s Privy Chamber and a gentleman of Edward VI’s Privy chamber.

On 12th January 1573, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham, died at Hampton Court Palace.

The diplomat, soldier and naval commander was buried at Reigate Church.

Howard had served four Tudor monarchs: Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I, and had been Lord Admiral and Lord Chamberlain of the Household. At one point, he was convicted of misprision of treason, but was fortunately pardoned.

On or around 10th January 1603, Arthur Dent died of a fever. The religious writer, Puritan and clergyman had made his will three days earlier.

Arthur Dent’s works included his “Sermon of Repentance”, “The Ruine of Rome, or, An Exposition upon the Whole Revelation”, and “The Plaine-Mans Pathway to Heaven”, which was very popular and had reached its 25th edition by 1640 and its 41st by 1831. It influenced John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress” and Richard Baxter’s “The Poor Man’s Family Book”.

On this day in Tudor history, 9th January 1587, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Clement Adams died. He was laid to rest at St. Alphege Church, Greenwich

The Warwickshire schoolmaster and map engraver was about sixty-eight at his death, having been born in around 1519.

On 8th January 1570, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Henry Clifford, 2nd Earl of Cumberland, died at his home, Brougham Castle. He was buried at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton.

According to a family story, Clifford was so devastated at the death of his first wife, Lady Eleanor Brandon, that he could only be brought back from a certain death by suckling from a woman’s breasts!

On this day in history, 7th January 1619, the famous Elizabethan and Jacobean goldsmith and miniaturist Nicholas Hilliard was laid to rest at the parish church of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London.

Hilliard’s exact date of death is not known but he was around 72 years of age when he died.

On this day in Tudor history, 6th January 1538, in the reign of King Henry VIII, Jane Dormer, Duchess of Feria, was born at Eythrope in Buckinghamshire.

Jane was a favourite of Queen Mary I, and was the one Mary trusted on her deathbed to deliver her jewels to her successor and half-sister, Elizabeth I. She married Gómez Suarez de Figueroa, Count of Feria, later Duke of Feria, in December 1558.

On this day in Tudor history, Sunday 5th January 1511, the lavish christening of Henry, Duke of Cornwall, took place in the Chapel of Observant Friars at Richmond, in Surrey.

The little duke had been born on New Year’s Day at Richmond Palace on New Year’s Day. He was the son of King Henry VIII by his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and news of the prince’s birth had been met with bonfires, wine being given out to the citizens of London, and processions.

On this day in Tudor history, 4th January 1569 author, scholar and royal tutor Roger Ascham was buried in St Stephen’s Chapel at St Sepulchre-without-Newgate, London.

Ascham, who had served as a tutor to Queen Elizabeth I in her youth, had died on 30th December 1568.

You can find out more about Ascham in the video I did on the anniversary of his death…

On this day in Tudor history, 3rd January 1541, in the reign of King Henry VIII, John Clerk, Bishop of Bath and Wells, died.

Before becoming Bishop of Bath and Wells, Clerk had served as a chaplain to Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and had been Archdeacon of Colchester, Dean of Windsor and Master of the Rolls.

On this day in Tudor history, 31st December 1559, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Bishop Owen Oglethorpe died while under house arrest in London. The Bishop of Carlisle was buried at St Dunstan-in-the-West on 6th January 1560.

Oglethorpe officiated at Elizabeth I’s coronation in 1559 but had angered the queen at Christmas 1558 by disobeying her instructions at Mass.

What did Oglethorpe do and why did he end his days under house arrest?

On this day in Tudor history, 30th December 1568, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Roger Ascham died. He was laid to rest in the St Stephen’s chapel of St Sepulchre without Newgate, London.

Ascham was a scholar and royal tutor. He taught Elizabeth I in her youth, and he was responsible for the idea that Lady Jane Grey’s parents treated her harshly.

Find out more about Roger Ascham, his life and career…

On this day in history, 29th (or 30th) December 1605, in the reign of King James I, 55-year-old John Davis died near Bintang, off the coast of Borneo, after being attacked by Japanese pirates.

Davis (also spelt Davys) was an Elizabethan navigator and explorer. He is known for his voyages, for being the first Englishman to document a sighting of the Falkland Islands, for his 1594 “The Seaman’s Secrets” and 1595 “The World’s Hydrographical Description”, and for his invention, the Davis Quadrant, or the backstaff.

Find out more about him, his final voyage and death…

On this day in Tudor history, 28th December 1510, in the reign of King Henry VIII, Sir Nicholas Bacon, was born.

Bacon was a lawyer, administrator and Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, and also the father of the famous philosopher, statesman, scientist and author, Sir Francis Bacon

Bacon was also very concerned with the education of the young, and did much to support it.

Find out all about Sir Nicholas Bacon, his life and career, and how he was banished from court at one point…

On this day in Tudor history, 27th December 1583, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Katherine Killigrew died after giving birth to a stillborn child.

scholar and Puritan Katherine Killigrew was the daughter of renowned humanist and scholar Sir Anthony Cooke.

Katherine was a very accomplished woman, being known for her ability at writing poetry and her knowledge of languages, including Hebrew, Latin and Greek.

Find out more about Katherine, and hear the epitaphs that were written in her honour…

On this day in Tudor history, 26th December 1526, in the reign of King Henry VIII, Rose Lok was born.

Rose was a fascinating lady. She was the daughter of mercer William Lok, who not only supplied the royal family with fabric but who also supplied Anne Boleyn with religious books. Rose was also a Protestant exile and a businesswoman in her own right. She even had a ship named after her! She lived into her 80s.

Find out all about Rose Lok…