On this day in Tudor history, 17th September 1563, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, courtier and soldier Henry Manners, 2nd Earl of Rutland, died during an outbreak of the plague, which was rife in London that year and killed about 24% of London’s citizens.

Manners served King Henry VIII, King Edward VI, Queen Mary I and Queen Elizabeth I, so had a long and interesting career, which also saw him imprisoned at one point.

On this day in Tudor history, 15th September 1500, in the reign of King Henry VII, John Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury, cardinal and Henry’s Lord Chancellor, died at Knole in Kent.

John Morton was not a very popular man with the English people due to his role in Henry VII’s financial policies, although at least he died of plague rather than being executed like his colleagues, Empson and Dudley.

One tax rationale he’s associated with is Morton’s Fork, but was it really down to him?

Find out the answer and find out more about this Tudor taxman in today’s talk.

On this day in history, 6th September 1615, in the reign of King James I, Tudor physician, clergyman and inventor of modern shorthand, Timothy Bright, was buried at St Mary’s Church, Shrewsbury.

Bright is known for works published in Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, including his 1588 “Characterie: an Arte of Shorte, Swifte, and Secrete Writing by Character” in which he explains his invention, a system of straight lines, circles and half circles as shorthand. Bright’s work has, of course, helped people the world over.

In today’s talk, I share some facts about Timothy Bright, an interesting Tudor man.

On this day in Tudor history, 2nd September 1591, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, naval commander and explorer Sir Richard Grenville died at sea from injuries sustained while commanding his ship, The Revenge, in the Battle of Flores in the Azores.

Unfortunately, Grenville’s death was a result of him disobeying orders and doing his own thing.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson, wrote about the battle and the loss of The Revenge in his “The Revenge: A Ballad of the Fleet”, and in today’s talk, Claire Ridgway, founder of the Tudor Society, shares excerpts from Tennyson’s poem and explains what exactly happened at the battle.

On this day in Tudor history, 31st August 1555, in the reign of Queen Mary I, the queen who has gone down in history as “Bloody Mary”, Robert Samuel, a former minister, was burned at the stake in Ipswich, Suffolk.

Robert Samuel was burned as a heretic, a Protestant martyr. He had continued to minister privately, after being deprived of his living, and he had refused to leave his wife. He stayed firm to his Protestant faith and became one of the Ipswich Martyrs as a result.

In today’s talk, I give some details about this Tudor man, his visions, his death, and the women who became connected with him and who also died as a result.