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The Tudor Society
  • This week in history 30 November – 6 December

    On this day in history events for week 30 November to 6 December.

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  • William Shakespeare Quiz

    As this week has been the anniversary of William Shakespeare’s marriage I thought I’d test your knowledge of the Bard. Have fun with this quiz and good luck!

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  • Henry Fitzroy and Elizabeth Tailboys video

    In today’s Claire Chats I continue my series on those said to be illegitimate children with a look at Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset, who Henry VIII did acknowledge as his son, and his half-sister (or maybe sister) Elizabeth Tailboys.

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  • December 2015 Tudor Life Magazine

    Happy Christmas Tudor Society Members!

    Unless you’re one of our many Australian or South American members, December can be a very cold month indeed. What better way to keep out the damp and the wind than snuggling up with our December Tudor Life Magazine. It’s full of Christmas and festive themed articles, and this month we also have some food related sections too … all to help you survive the weather, where’er you are.

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  • Coronation of Elizabeth of York – 25 November 1487

    On 25th November 1487, St Catherine’s Day, Elizabeth of York, consort of Henry VII and mother of one-year-old Arthur Tudor, was crowned queen at Westminster Abbey. As Elizabeth’s biographer Amy Licence explains, her coronation had been postponed due to her pregnancy and then unrest in England.

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  • Thomas Tallis c.1505 – 1585

    Today is the anniversary of the death of Thomas Tallis, musician and composer, on 23rd November 1585 at his home in Greenwich. Greenwich. He was buried in St Alfege’s Church, Greenwich, in the chancel and the text on the brass memorial which once marked his tomb read:

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  • This week in history 23 – 29 November

    On this day in history events for week 23 – 29 November.

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  • Perkin Warbeck by Sarah Bryson

    On 23rd November 1499, Perkin Warbeck faced his death at Tyburn. He was sentenced to be hanged until he was dead. His crime was attempting to escape the Tower of London where he was held a prisoner, but his story goes back several years and involves a tale of deception, treason and rumours of a young Prince come back to life!

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  • The Young Elizabeth I Quiz

    As this week has been the anniversary of Elizabeth I’s accession to the throne on 17th November 1558, I thought it was appropriate to test your knowledge of this queen’s early years – good luck!

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  • Transcript of Jane Moulder’s Expert Chat

    Thank you to all who came to our live chat event online yesterday. Jane Moulder really enjoyed answering your questions and we had a great turn out. For all those who missed the event, here is the transcript of our discussion

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  • Tudor Cooking with Claire – Bread and Butter Pudding

    For this week’s Claire Chats video, I decided to do a recipe from the November section of Elinor Fettiplace’s Receipt Book, a compilation of Elizabethan recipes by Lady Elinor Fettiplace. As I say in my video, I didn’t think it would be sweet enough with just sugar scattered over the top, but it actually was. It was a big hit at lunch, disappearing rapidly.

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  • Robert Sidney, Earl of Leicester

    On this day in 1563, Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester, courtier, patron of the arts and poet, was born at Penshurst in Kent. Sidney was the second son of Sir Henry Sidney and his wife, Mary (née Dudley), daughter of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland.

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  • Live Chat with Jane Moulder FRIDAY 20th NOVEMBER

    Jane Moulder will be in the chatroom tomorrow night (FRIDAY 20th NOVEMBER 2015) to chat about Tudor music with our members. The talk will be at 11pm-12pm UK time.

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  • 17 November – Accession Day

    Accession Day was celebrated throughout the reign of Elizabeth I and the reigns of many of her successors, and commemorated the day that Elizabeth I came to the throne on 17th November 1558. As well as Accession Day, it was also known as Queen Elizabeth’s Day or Queen’s Day and was celebrated with the ringing of bells, processions, the burning of an effigy of the Pope, and special tilts in which knights not only jousted but also dressed up and took parts in special pageants involving poetry and theatre.

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  • This week in history 16 – 22 November

    On this day in history events for 16-22 November.

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  • The Fall of Catherine Howard Quiz

    November 1541 was the beginning of the end for Queen Catherine Howard so test your knowledge on her downfall with this fun quiz.

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  • Was Sir John Perrot Henry VIII’s son?

    In today’s Claire Chats video I start a series on the people who are rumoured to have been illegitimate children of Henry VIII. I’m starting with Sir John Perrot, looking at who he was, where the rumours come from and whether there’s any evidence to back them up.

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  • 13 November 1536 – The Murder of Robert Packington

    On 13th November 1536, mercer and member of Parliament Robert Packington (Pakington) was shot to death by an unknown assailant while he was on his way to mass at St Thomas of Acre Chapel. He was shot with a wheellock pistol. Theories regarding his murder include that it was ordered by conservative bishops, or John Stokesley, Bishop of London, or John Incent, Dean of St Paul’s. He was definitely interested in Reform and Rose Hickman, a Protestant, recalled how he “used to bring English bybles from beyond sea”.

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  • 12 November 1537 – Jane Seymour’s remains moved to Windsor

    On 12th November 15371, Jane Seymour’s body was taken by chariot from Hampton Court Palace to Windsor Castle. The chariot was followed by a procession led by the Duke of Suffolk and the Marquis of Dorset. Jane’s stepdaughter, the Lady Mary, acted as chief mourner in the procession and the service, which was held at St George’s Chapel on arrival at Windsor. A solemn watch was kept that night, and then Jane was buried on the morning of the 13th November. Queen Jane had died on 24th October, probably from puerperal (childbed) fever, just twelve days after the birth of her son, the future Edward VI.

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  • The Diary of Henry Machyn

    Today is the anniversary of the burial of chronicler and merchant-taylor Henry Machyn in London in 1563. He died after contracting the plague. Machyn is best known for his chronicle The Diary of Henry Machyn, Citizen and Merchant-Taylor of London, from A.D. 1550 to A.D. 1563 which is a wonderful primary source for the reigns of Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey, Mary I and the beginning of Elizabeth I’s reign.

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  • 11 November – Martinmas

    Happy Martinmas!

    Martinmas was the feast day of St Martin of Tours. One story about him tells of how, when he was about eighteen years of age, he cut his woollen cloak in half with his sword and gave half to a beggar to keep him warm. He then had a dream where he saw Christ surrounded by angels and wearing the half of the cloak that Martin had given to the beggar. Christ then turned to his angels and said, “Martin, as yet only a catechumen, has covered me with his cloak.” This dream caused Martin to be baptised and to give his life to God as a monk.

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  • Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex

    Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, was born on this day in history, 10th November 1565, at Netherwood, Herefordshire. Devereux was the eldest son of Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex, and Lettice Knollys, granddaughter of Mary Boleyn, and was a favourite of Elizabeth I. After his father’s death in 1576, William Cecil, Lord Burghley, was made his guardian, and in 1578 his mother married his godfather, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.

    Essex first caught the Queen’s attention in 1584 when his stepfather, Leicester, brought him to court, and he was appointed Master of the Horse on his return to court after successful military service in the Netherlands with his stepfather. He was just twenty-one, and the Queen was fifty-three.

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  • Martin Luther’s Influence on the German Language by Heather R. Darsie

    Today is the anniversary of Martin Luther’s birth in 1483, so regular contributor Heather R. Darsie joins us today with an article on this fascinating man and his influence on the German language.

    “When you go to bed in the evening, take something from the Holy Scripture with you to bed, in order to consider it in your heart and – the same as an animal – ruminate over it and gently fall asleep. It should not be much, but rather a little, but a good thing to go through and understand. And when you get up in the morning, you will find your profits from the previous day.”

    These were Luther’s feelings about the meaning of the Bible, and perhaps also a glimpse into his feelings about a person’s relationship with God.

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  • Watch The Welshman Who Killed Richard III Now!

    You can watch last night’s programme “Y Cymro a Laddodd Richard III” (The Welshman Who Killed Richard III) on the S4C website.

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  • This week in history 9 – 15 November

    On this day in history events for 9 – 15 November.

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  • The King of Carmarthen – Expert Talk from Susan Fern Part TWO

    Susan Fern finishes her two part talk about the life of Rhys ap Thomas, from the Battle of Bosworth through the Field of the Cloth of Gold to his death in Carmarthen. Rhys was a fascinating character who has been largely forgotten yet was key to many of the successes of the Tudors.

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  • The Pregnancies of Katherine of Aragon by Sarah Bryson

    Sadly, on this day in history, on the 9th of November 1518, Katherine of Aragon, first wife of King Henry VIII, gave birth to a stillborn girl.

    There are very few surviving details of Katherine’s pregnancy but Venetian Ambassador Sebastian Giustinian wrote that “This night the Queen was delivered of a daughter, to the vexation of as many as know it;—the entire nation looked for a prince.” A later report in the Venetian archives stated that: “The Queen had been delivered in her eighth month of a stillborn daughter, to the great sorrow of the nation at large”.

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  • Gunpowder Plot Quiz

    This week was the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, which actually had its roots in the reign of Elizabeth I, but how much do you know about the plot?

    Test yourself with this fun quiz.

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  • Was Richard III Killed by a Welshman?

    If you have access to Welsh channel S4C then do tune in tomorrow night, Sunday 8th, at 8pm for Y Cymro a Laddodd Richard III (The Welshman Who Killed Richard III). Dr Susan Fern, who spoke to us last month about this very subject, was involved with the filming and it looks like it will be a very interesting programme.

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  • 7 November 1485 – Richard III and supporters attainted

    On 7th November 1485, at King Henry VII’s first Parliament, the late King Richard III and twenty-eight of his supporters were attainted, i.e. declared guilty of treason by bill of attainder.

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