The Tudor Society

  • 9 August – Elizabeth I’s words cause horror among her clergy

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 9th August 1561, while on a visit to Ipswich, in Suffolk, Queen Elizabeth I issued a royal mandate forbidding women to reside in cathedrals and colleges.

    Although she wasn’t going as far as banning clerical marriage, her mandate caused concern, and even horror, among her clergy, particularly her married Archbishop of Canterbury, who was a huge supporter of clerical marriage.

    Find out more about what Elizabeth I ordered, the reactions of William Cecil, Matthew Parker and Richard Cox, and why the Protestant Elizabeth may have issued this mandate, in today’s talk.

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  • Early August Tudor People and Places Wordsearch

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Every day I share with you “on this day in Tudor history” events, but how much can you remember about the Tudor people and places connected to early August? Get those little grey cells working with this fun (and hopefully not too hard!) wordsearch.

    Simply click on the link or image below to open and print out the wordsearch.

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  • Teasel’s Tudor Trivia – Tudor Dining

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    In this latest edition of Teasel’s Tudor Trivia, historian Claire RIdgway and rescue dog Teasel share information on dining Tudor-style.

    What did the Tudors eat off?
    Did the Tudors use cutlery?
    Did the Tudors eat at a table?
    What did the Tudors drink out of?

    Find out more about how the Tudors ate their meals in this talk from Claire and Teasel.

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  • 8 August – Edward VI’s Burial

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 8th August 1553, fifteen-year-old King Edward VI was buried in Henry VII’s Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey in a funeral service performed by Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury.

    Although his Catholic half-sister, Mary, was on the throne, Edward was buried with Protestant rites and it was the first time the English Book of Common Prayer was used for the funeral of a monarch.

    Find out more about Edward VI’s funeral, how Mary I marked his passing, and Edward VI’s resting place, in today’s talk.

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  • 7 August – Mary, Queen of Scots sets off for a new life in France

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 7th August 1548, five-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots set sail from Dumbarton in Scotland bound for France.

    A marriage had been agreed between Mary and Francis, the Dauphin, so Mary was going to be brought up at the French court. Mary travelled with her maids of honour, the Four Marys, or the Queen’s Maries: Mary Fleming, Mary Beaton, Mary Seton and Mary Livingston.

    Find out more in today’s talk.

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  • Hatfield House

    4 years ago Author: ADMIN Tim
    1 Comment

    This week’s Claire chats/Roving Reporter takes us to Hatfield house, the place where Elizabeth first heard she was the queen of England. Enjoy this detailed look at the building.

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  • 6 August – Margaret Tudor’s Secret Marriage

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 6th August 1514, Margaret Tudor, sister of Henry VIII and Regent of Scotland, married for a second time.

    The widow of King James IV of Scotland married Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, the most important Scottish magnate, in a secret ceremony at Kinnoull in Perthshire. When news got out, it led to Margaret losing the Regency of Scotland.

    Find out what happened next and how things turned out with Margaret and Angus, and how and why Margaret sought refuge at the English court, in today’s talk.

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  • 5 August – Two brothers killed in suspicious circumstances

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 5th August 1600, John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie, and his brother, Alexander Ruthven, Master of Ruthven, were killed in mysterious circumstances at Gowrie House near Perth in Scotland.

    Why am I talking about a Scottish event? Well, because the brothers were killed as they allegedly tried to kidnap, King James VI of Scotland, who, in 1603, inherited the English throne from Queen Elizabeth I.

    But what happened? Did these men really try to kidnap the king or was there more to the story?

    Find out in today’s talk.

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  • William Blount, 4th Baron Mountjoy (1478-1534)

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    William Blount was one of the premier courtiers in Tudor England and was born in Barton Blount in around 1478 to John Mountjoy, the third Baron Mountjoy. John Mountjoy died in 1485, leaving William the title when he was still a young boy, thus his uncle Sir James Blount was granted custody of his lands and marriage. William himself, therefore, did not enter into his inheritance until 31st January 1500.

    In 1497, Blount was involved in the suppression of the Cornish uprising by Perkin Warbeck, and during the same year, he married Elizabeth Say, and in 1498 he travelled to Paris. Here he met Erasmus, who became his tutor and referred to William as the ‘most learned among nobles’ and when Blount returned to England in 1499, Erasmus accompanied him. Following his return to England, Blount became tutor to Prince Henry, the future King Henry VIII, and introduced him to Thomas More and Erasmus and the work of the two men. Erasmus and Blount had a friendly relationship that lasted the majority of their lives, with the two men visiting each other frequently when time allowed.

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  • 4 August – Rebels fight most valiantly

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 4th August 1549, in the reign of King Edward VI, the Battle of Woodbury Common, part of the Prayer Book Rebellion, took place on Woodbury Common, near the village of Woodbury in East Devon.

    The battle was between the rebels and the crown troops commanded by John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford. Although the rebels fought valiantly, they were defeated.

    Find out more about the battle and what caused the Prayer Book Rebellion of 1549 in today’s talk.

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  • 3 August – A notorious Tudor rake

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 3rd August 1562, Essex magnate and notorious rake, John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford, died at his home, Hedingham Castle in Essex.

    Oxford served four Tudor monarchs and was great chamberlain at the height of his career, but he had a rather colourful reputation. Find out more about the life of this Earl of Oxford and what gave him his reputation in today’s talk.

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  • 2 August – Spaniards land in Cornwall and cause trouble

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On 2nd August 1595, as part of the Anglo-Spanish War of 1585-1604, four galleys containing somewhere between 200 and 400 Spanish soldiers landed at Mount’s Bay on the coast of western Cornwall.

    The local militia fled and so the Spaniards went on to cause devastation in the area.

    Find out exactly what the Spaniards did in Cornwall in today’s talk.

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  • Queen Jane or Lady Jane Grey True or False Quiz

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    1 Comment

    The month of July has just come to an end, but July was an important month for Queen Jane, or Lady Jane Grey, as she was Queen of England for a short time.

    But how much do you know about this ill-fated Tudor queen?

    Test your knowledge with this fun Lady Jane Grey Quiz.

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  • 1 August – A young blind woman is burnt for heresy

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    2 Comments

    On this day in Tudor history, 1st August 1556, a blind woman named Joan Waste was burnt in Derby for heresy after she refused to recant her Protestant faith.

    Joan was just twenty-two when she died and had learnt the New Testament by having people read it to her.

    Find out more about Protestant martyr, Joan Waste, her short life and her sad end, in today’s talk.

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  • Elizabeth I and the French – Estelle Paranque – Expert Talk

    4 years ago Author: ADMIN Tim
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    Elizabeth I is arguably the most successful and well known Tudor monarchs. In this talk, Estelle looks at Elizabeth from a different perspective – how she was seen by the French and how it shows her in a very different light.

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  • 31 July – Henry Grey, father of Lady Jane Grey, is released from the Tower

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 31st July 1553, Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk, was “discharged out of the Tower by the Earle of Arundell and had the Quenes pardon.”

    Suffolk had, of course, been imprisoned after Mary I had overthrown his daughter, Queen Jane, or Lady Jane Grey, and his release was down to his wife, Frances, interceding with the queen and begging for mercy.

    But who was Henry Grey and how did he go from being pardoned to being executed in 1554?

    Find out in today’s talk.

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  • Poisons in the medieval and Tudor periods

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    1 Comment

    This week’s Claire Chats has been inspired by the recent video I did on Richard Hesketh and the Hesketh plot, in which I mentioned Ferdinando Stanley and his belief that he’d been poisoned, so he took bezoar stone and unicorn’s horn to try and counteract the poison. It made me want to dig a bit deeper into poisoning in the medieval and Tudor period, and find out what poisons were used to do away with people.

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  • August 2020 – Tudor Life – Tudor Cousins

    4 years ago Author: ADMIN Tim
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    In this month’s 88-page magazine we’ve packed every page with articles about Tudor Cousins and the problems or benefits that it gave! We also have a wonderful article from Elizabeth Timms about the Bayne Tower at Hampton Court Palace and another on the hidden Tudor gem Harvington Hall by Phil Downing. It’s a wonderful magazine as always!

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  • 30 July – Elizabeth leaves Somerset House to meet Mary

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 30th July 1553, Elizabeth, daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, left her new home, Somerset House, to ride to Wanstead and greet her half-sister, Mary, who’d been officially proclaimed queen on 19th July.

    Somerset House was Elizabeth’s new London residence and you can find out more about how Elizabeth acquired it and who built it originally in today’s talk.

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  • 29 July – England’s clever tactics against the Spanish Armada

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 29th July 1588, the English naval fleet attacked the Spanish Armada in a battle known as the Battle of Gravelines.

    England defeated Spain and it was down to the new tactics they’d learned from previous encounters with the Armada and from capturing a Spanish ship, as well as weather conditions.

    What were these new and successful tactics and what happened at the Battle of Gravelines?

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  • 28 July – A botched execution for Thomas Cromwell

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 28th July 1540, the same day that Henry VIII married Catherine Howard, Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, the king’s former chief advisor, was beheaded on Tower Hill having been found guilty of corruption, heresy and treason.

    Find out about Cromwell’s botched execution and his execution speech in today’s talk.

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  • Transcript of live chat with Gayle Hulme

    4 years ago Author: ADMIN Tim
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    We had a wide-ranging chat all about Arbella Stuart, with Gayle Hulme and it was great fun to learn even more about this lesser-known Tudor figure. Here’s the transcript.

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  • 27 July – A Welshman comes to a sticky end on Anglesey

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 27th July 1593, Roman Catholic priest and martyr, Blessed William Davies, was hanged, drawn and quartered at Beaumaris Castle on the Island of Anglesey.

    You may not have heard of William Davies, but he is believed to have been involved in the printing of “Y Drych Christianogawl”, or The Christian Mirror, an important early Welsh Catholic book and the first book to be printed on Welsh soil, while he was hiding in cave!

    Find out more about Davies, how he came to be hiding in a cave in North Wales, and why he was executed, in today’s talk.

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  • 26 July – Anne Boleyn and St Anne

    4 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

    4 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

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    2 Comments

    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

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    2 Comments

    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

    4 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

    4 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

    4 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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