#OTD in Tudor History – 23 January

On this day in Tudor history, 23rd January, King Ferdinand II of Aragon died, the half-brother of Mary, Queen of Scots, was assassinated, and Elizabeth I opened the Royal Exchange in London...

• 1516 – Death of Ferdinand II of Aragon in Madrigalejo, Extremadura. He was laid to rest in la Capilla Real, the Royal Chapel of Granada. Ferdinand was the husband of Isabella I of Castile and the father of Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first wife. Ferdinand was succeeded by his daughter, Juana (Joanna), who ruled jointly with her son, Charles, who became King Charles I of Spain. See the video below.
• 1540 – Birth of Thomas Egerton, 1st Viscount Brackley and Lord Chancellor to James I. Egerton was the illegitimate son of Sir Richard Egerton, a landowner from Cheshire, by a servant girl.
• 1552 – Parliament met to discuss the revision of the 1549 “Book of Common Prayer”.

• 1554 – Baptism of Richard Edes, Dean of Worcester, at Newport on the Isle of Wight. He became Dean of Worcester in June 1597. Edes was also chaplain and court preacher to Elizabeth I and James I.
• 1570 – Assassination of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, illegitimate son of James V and Regent for James VI between 1567 and 1570. He was shot in Linlithgow by assassin James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh. The hit was ordered by the Hamilton family, supporters of Mary, Queen of Scots. Click here to find out more.
• 1571 – Official opening of the Royal Exchange in London by Queen Elizabeth I. It had been founded in 1565 by mercer and merchant, Sir Thomas Gresham. See the video below.
• 1576 – Death of James Pilkington, Bishop of Durham. He was buried at the church of St Andrew, Bishop Auckland, but then moved later that year to Durham Cathedral.
• 1584 – Death of John Watson, Bishop of Winchester, in Winchester. He was buried in Winchester Cathedral.
• 1600 – Death of John Case, writer and philosopher. He was buried in the chapel of St John's College, Oxford. Case is known for his commentaries on the works of Aristotle.
• 1620 – Death of Sir John Croke, Judge and Speaker of the House of Commons, in Holborn, London. He was buried at Chilton, Buckinghamshire. He was elected as Speaker of the House of Commons in October 1601.