On this day in Tudor history, 21st August 1568, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, antiquary, translator and cartographer Humphrey Llwyd died from a fever.

Llwyd is known as the Inventor of Britain and was a key figure in the Renaissance in Wales, but what exactly did he do to deserve such recognition?

Let me share some facts about this interesting, but little-known, Tudor Welshman…

On this day in Tudor history, 18th August 1587, the first child born to English settlers in the New World was born in the Roanoke Colony.

Her name was Virginia Dare and the colony has gone down in history as the Lost Colony due to all of its 115 colonists disappearing.

On this day in Tudor history, 13th August 1579, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Roman Catholics Friar Conn (Connatius) O’Rourke and Patrick O’Healy, Bishop of Mayo, were hanged just outside Kilmallock, co. Limerick.

So desperate was Sir William Drury, Lord President of Munster, to get rid of these two Catholics, that he used martial law to find them guilty of treason, rather than giving them a trial.

What did Drury do to poor Bishop O’Healey, and what happened to the remains of these religious men afterwards?

On this day in Tudor history, 12th August 1560, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, translator, lawyer, physician and paediatrician Thomas Phaer (Fair) made his will after suffering an accident.

Phaer has become known as the “Father of English Paediatrics” for his works, which include “The Book of Children”.

Find out more about this man and hear about some of his rather interesting remedies for caring for children.

On this day in Tudor history, 11th August 1581, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Maurice Berkeley died.

You may not have heard of Sir Maurice Berkeley, but he had a wonderful court career. He served Henry as a gentleman usher of Henry VIII’s Privy Chamber, and also served Edward VI and Elizabeth I. He proved his loyalty to Mary I by arresting rebel leader, Thomas Wyatt the Younger.

Find out more about this lesser-known Tudor man…

On this day in Tudor history, 10th August 1553, the same day that the new monarch, Queen Mary I, held requiem mass for the soul of her late half-brother, her predecessor King Edward VI, seven men died at London Bridge. They died of drowning.

On this day in history, 1st August 1555, Sir Edward Kelley, apothecary, alchemist and medium, was born in Worcester.

Kelley was a fascinating man. He worked with Dr John Dee and the men believed that they communicated with angels. Kelley also claimed that he was an alchemist and he wrote a treatise on the Philosopher’s Stone.