The Tudor Society

  • 26 July – Anne Boleyn and St Anne

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Today, 26th July, is the feast day of St Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ. Happy St Anne’s Day to any Annes or Annas out there! Have a wonderful day!

    St Anne was very important to Queen Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII and mother of Queen Elizabeth I, and a pageant at her coronation procession in 1533 took St Anne, combined with Anne Boleyn’s falcon badge, as its theme.

    Find out more about the pageant at Anne Boleyn’s coronation, and why St Anne was chosen as the theme, in today’s talk.

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  • Late July Tudor Events Quiz

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    As is the same with every month, July was a jam-packed month for important Tudor events, but how much do you know about this month’s Tudor events? Test yourself with this week’s fun quiz – good luck!

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  • 25 July – A fool gets into big trouble

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 25th July 1535, the Feast of St James, t, the imperial ambassador wrote about a furious King Henry VIII who’d apparently been nearly driven to commit murder!

    What had angered the king? Well, it involved Henry VIII’s fool and some foolish name-calling. Find out more in today’s talk.

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  • 24 July – Richard Hesketh and his plot to depose Elizabeth I

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 24th July 1553, merchant and conspirator Richard Hesketh was born in Lancashire. Hesketh is known for the Hesketh Plot of 1593, when he urged Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby, to lead a rebellion to claim the throne of England.

    But who was Richard Hesketh and why did he plot against Queen Elizabeth I? What happened to him and what happened to Ferdinando Stanley? And why did Stanley take bezoar stone and uncorn horn?

    Find out all about Hesketh, his background, his plot, and the aftermath in today’s talk.

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  • Herbs grown in Tudor gardens

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    I love herbs and essential oils and I find it fascinating looking into what Tudor housewives grew in their gardens and why. In this week’s Claire Chats talk, I thought I’d share with you some of the popular herbs of the medieval and Tudor periods and what they were thought to do.

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  • 23 July – Baby Mary, Queen of Scots, escapes with her mother

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 23rd July 1543, or 24th according to some sources, Marie de Guise and her baby daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots, escaped from Linlithgow Palace, helped by Cardinal David Beaton, and taken to Stirling Castle.

    Why? What was going on in Scotland at this time?

    Find out all about Mary’s early months as Queen of Scots, and why Beaton helped her and her mother to move to Stirling, in today’s talk.

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  • 22 July – Playwright Edward Sharpham and his Cupid’s Whirligig

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 22nd July 1576, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, playwright and pamphleteer, Edward Sharpham, was baptised at Colehanger, East Allington, in Devon. Sharpham is thought to have written the plays “The Fleire” and “Cupid’s Whirligig”, and fellow playwright Ben Jonson referred to him as a rogue.

    Find out more about this lesser-known Tudor man and his comedy Cupid’s Whirligig in today’s talk.

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  • 21 July – The arrest of John Dudley

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 21st July, 1553, just days after he’d left London with an army to apprehend Mary, half-sister of the late king, Edward VI, John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland was arrested near Cambridge.

    But how and why did the man who had ruled England on Edward VI’s behalf, as Lord President of his privy council, come to this?

    I explain his role in the accession of Lady Jane Grey as Queen Jane in July 1553 and what happened when Mary overthrew Queen Jane.

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  • 20 July – Queen Claude of France

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in history, 20th July 1524, Queen Claude of France, consort of Francis I, died at the age of just twenty-four at the Royal Chateau of Blois. She was temporarily laid to rest there and then later moved to the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Denis just outside Paris.

    Brantôme declared that Claude’s husband, Francis I, gave her “the pox, which shortened her days”, meaning syphilis, but the cause of her death is not known for certain.

    In today’s talk, I give an overview of Queen Claude’s life, as well as sharing the theories regarding her death.

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  • 19 July – The sinking of the Mary Rose

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 19th July 1545, Henry VIII’s flagship, the Mary Rose, sank right in front of his eyes in the Battle of the Solent between the English and French fleets.

    But why did the Mary Rose sink?

    In today’s talk, I share the various theories on the sinking of the Mary Rose, as well as talking about the salvage operations over time, her raising in 1983, and the work of the Mary Rose Trust.

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  • The Summer of 3 Monarchs Crossword Puzzle

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    The summer of 1553 was very eventful and saw three different Tudor monarchs rule England in just the month of July: King Edward VI, Queen Jane (Lady Jane Grey) and Queen Mary I.

    How much do you know about the events of summer 1553 and the struggle for the throne?

    Test those little grey cells with this week’s puzzle, a fun crossword puzzle. Simply click on the link or image below to open and print out. Good luck!

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  • 18 July – Queen Jane is betrayed and Queen Mary wins

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 18th July 1553, while her father-in-law and his forces made their way from Cambridge to Bury St Edmunds to stand against the forces of Mary, and Jane was busy writing to men requesting them to muster forces to support her, Jane was being betrayed by members of her council.

    William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, and Henry Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel, called a council meeting and Pembroke was even said to have threatened council members with a sword! They then proclaimed for Mary.

    Find out more about what happened on 18th and 19th July 1553 in today’s talk.

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  • 17 July – Richard Carew, a multi-talented man

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 17th July 1555, Richard Carew, was born at Antony House, Torpoint, in Cornwall.

    As well as serving his county and country in several offices, Carew was also an antiquary, bee-keeper, translator and poet. He is known for his book a “Survey of Cornwall”, which has been reprinted on several occasions over the centuries.

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  • Hunting in Medieval and Tudor times

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Following on from last week’s Claire Chats video on falconry or hawking in the medieval and Tudor periods, I thought that I’d take a look at a pastime enjoyed by the upper classes, that of hunting.

    What did the Tudors hunt? How did they hunt? I explain more about it in this talk.

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  • 16 July – The death of Anne of Cleves, fourth wife of Henry VIII

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 16th July 1557, forty-one-year-old Anne of Cleves, fourth wife of King Henry VIII, died at her home, Chelsea Old Manor. She’d been ill for a few months.

    Anne of Cleves was a warm and generous lady, something which is shown in her last wishes with the bequests to her household, friends and stepdaughters.

    Find out more about her bequests and her funeral arrangements in today’s talk.

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  • 15 July – The Newbury Martyrs

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 15th July 1556, the trial of Julins Palmer, John Gwyn and Thomas Robyns, men now known as the Newbury Martyrs, opened at St Nicholas Church in Newbury. The men were accused of sedition and heresy.

    But how did Julins Palmer, a formerly staunch Catholic end up being executed for heresy in Mary I’s reign?

    Find out more about Palmer, his trial and the executions of the Newbury Martyrs in today’s talk.

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  • 14 July – Richard Taverner and his Bible

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 14th July 1575, evangelical reformer and translator, Richard Taverner, died at Woodeaton in Oxfordshire. He was laid to rest in the parish church at Woodeaton.

    Richard Taverner is mainly known for his Bible translation, “Taverner’s Bible”, but there is far more to him than that, including his time as Thomas Cromwell’s chief propagandist.

    Find out all about Richard Taverner’s life and career in today’s talk.

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  • 13 July – Unease among Queen Jane’s councillors

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 13th July 1553, while John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, was preparing to leave London to apprehend the late Henry VIII’s daughter, Mary, members of the new Queen Jane’s council were meeting with the imperial ambassadors.

    What was the meeting about? What was the news from East Anglia? And why were councillors beginning to feel uneasy?

    Find out what was going on in today’s talk.

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  • 12 July – Men flock to Mary’s cause and Jane makes a mistake

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 12th July 1553, Mary (future Mary I) moved from Kenninghall to Framlingham and set about rallying support. Sir Thomas Cornwallis was able to intercept her on her journey and pledge his loyalty to her. He wasn’t the only one flocking to her cause.

    Meanwhile, back in London, the new queen, Queen Jane (Lady Jane Grey), made a serious mistake by refusing to send her father to go and apprehend Mary.

    Why was this a mistake?

    Find out what was going on back in 1553 in this talk.

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  • Early July Tudor Events Quiz

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    How much do you know about the important events that took place early in the month of July in the Tudor period? Well, lots if you tune into my “on this day” videos regularly!

    Test your Tudor history knowledge with this week’s fun quiz. Good luck!

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  • 11 July – Men change sides from Queen Jane to Mary

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in history, 11th July 1553, in Ipswich, Suffolk, Sir Thomas Cornwallis, sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk, Lord Thomas Wentworth, and some other prominent Suffolk gentlemen declared for Queen Jane (Lady Jane Grey) and publicly proclaimed her the rightful queen. However, the following day, Cornwallis recanted and proclaimed Mary as queen.

    Why? What happened to make this sheriff change his mind so soon?

    Find out more about the situation in July 1553 in today’s talk.

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  • Ladies-in-waiting and Maids of Honour

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    In this edition of Teasel’s Tudor Trivia, rescue dog Teasel and historian Claire Ridgway share information on ladies-in-waiting, the girls and women who served queens consort and queens regnant in the Tudor period.

    What was the difference between a lady-in-waiting and a maid of honour? What did ladies-in-waiting do? Did they get paid or rewarded?

    Find out all about Tudor ladies-in-waiting from Claire and Teasel.

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  • 10 July – The Throckmorton Plot against Elizabeth I

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 10th July 1584, Catholic conspirator, Francis Throckmorton, was executed at Tyburn for high treason after the Throckmorton Plot had been discovered.

    The Throckmorton Plot was a plot to depose Elizabeth I and to replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots, but why did Francis Throckmorton plot against his queen? Who did he plot with and how was the plot discovered?

    Find out more about Francis Throckmorton and his plot in today’s talk.

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  • Medieval and Tudor Falconry or Hawking

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Falconry was a popular sport among the upper classes in the medieval and Tudor periods, and was also quite a status symbol. Find out more about the sport in this week’s Claire Chats talk.

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  • 9 July – Mary wants to avoid bloodshed and vengeance

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 9th July 1553, three days after the death of her half-brother, King Edward VI, and the day after she’d proclaimed herself queen at her estate at Kenninghall, Mary (future Mary I), daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, wrote to the late king’s privy council regarding “some evil” that she’d heard.

    But what was going on? What had Mary heard and what was she going to do about it?

    Find out more about the situation and Mary’s letter in today’s talk.

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  • Our 2021 historical tours – The Anne Boleyn Experience and Elizabeth I Experience – BOOK NOW!

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    2020 has been a bit of a year so far, hasn’t it? So I’m very much looking forward to 2021 as I get to co-lead no less than five luxury history tours featuring my two very favourite Tudor women, Queen Anne Boleyn and her daughter, Queen Elizabeth I.

    Three of the five tours are already sold out, but my co-leader and organisational whizz, Philippa Lacey Brewell of British History Tours, has just launched two new ones: The Elizabeth I Experience July 2021 tour and the Anne Boleyn Experience September 2021 tour.

    If past years are anything to go on, places will sell out quickly, so do act quickly.

    You can find out all about these fabulous tours, the places we visit, the luxury accommodation, and the excellent speakers, by visiting the following links:

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  • 8 July – Thomas Boleyn’s important duty

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, on 8th July 1503, during the reign of King Henry VII, Thomas Boleyn, father of Anne Boleyn, left Collyweston in Northamptonshire to undertake an important job for the king.

    He was to be part of a retinue escorting King Henry VII’s eldest daughter, Margaret Tudor, to Scotland, for her marriage to King James IV.

    Find out more about the retinue and journey in today’s talk.

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  • 7 July – William Turner, Father of English botany

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 7th July 1568, naturalist, herbalist, ornithologist, reformer and physician, William Turner, died. Turner is known as “the father of English botany and of ornithology”, but why and who exactly was he?

    In today’s talk, I give an overview of Turner’s life and career, including his attacks on Bishop Gardiner and his time in exile, plus a bit of trivia about the training of his little dog.

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  • 6 July – The execution of Sir Thomas More

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, Tuesday 6th July 1535, Henry VIII’s former friend and Lord Chancellor, Sir Thomas More, was beheaded on Tower Hill as a traitor.

    In today’s talk, I share accounts of his execution, including one that gives real insight into More’s personality, with his black humour on the scaffold.

    I also give details on the fate of Sir Thomas More’s head and what his daughter, Margaret Roper, did with it.

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  • 5 July – Sir Thomas More’s last letter

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 5th July 1535, Henry VIII’s former Lord Chancellor and good friend, Sir Thomas More, wrote his final letter.

    More’s last letter was addressed to his beloved daughter Margaret (Meg) Roper and it was written in coal. It is a touching letter and includes instructions and messages for other members of the family.

    In today’s talk, I share Sir Thomas More’s letter and give details on the people mentioned, along with explaining the meaning of the algorism stone.

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