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.
Also on this day in history:
- 1514 – Thomas Wolsey was appointed Archbishop of York after having been elected in the August. He had already been appointed Bishop of Lincoln in February of that year, and in 1515 he would be elevated to the office of Cardinal.
- 1556 – Charles V departed from Vlissingen in Zeeland bound for Spain following his voluntary abdication of his titles in October 1555. He spent his retirement in the monastery of Yuste in Extremadura.
- 1564 – The final day of Mary, Queen of Scots' fourth progress. The progress had begun on 22nd July 1564, and had included stops at Edinburgh, Linlithgow Palace, Stirling Castle, Kincardine Castle, Perth, Blair Atholl, Glen Tilt, Inverness, Beauly Priory, Redcastle, Dingwall, Gartly Castle, Aberdeen, Dunnotar Castle, Dundee and St Andrews.
- 1589 - The Battle of Arques began. The battle, which was part of the final war of the French Wars of Religion (1562-1598), saw Henry IV defeat the Catholic League led by Charles of Lorraine, Duke of Mayenne. Henry IV was helped by troops sent by Elizabeth I.