The Tudor Society

  • 15 January – The death of Catherine Carey (Knollys), daughter of Mary Boleyn

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 15th January 1569, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Catherine Knollys (née Carey), wife of Sir Francis Knollys, daughter of Mary Boleyn, and cousin of the queen, died at Hampton Court Palace. She was about 45 years old.

    Sadly, Queen Elizabeth I had kept Catherine and her beloved husband, Sir Francis Knollys, apart during Catherine’s final day.

    Find out more about Catherine’s final days, the queen’s cruelty, Francis’s frustration, and Catherine’s lavish burial, which was paid for by the queen, in today’s talk.

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  • Trailer – Henry VI, the Shadow King – Lauren Johnson

    4 years ago Author: ADMIN Tim
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  • Trailer – The Places of Mary, Queen of Scots – Gayle Hulme

    4 years ago Author: ADMIN Tim
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  • 14 January – Francis Kett leaps and dances in the fire

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 14th January 1589, physician Francis Kett, was burned for heresy near Norwich Castle.

    A local minister described him as “leaping and dancing” in the fire, clapping his hand and praising God right up to the end. A courageous man.

    But how did Francis Kett come to this awful end?

    Find out more about this doctor, priest and condemned heretic in today’s talk.

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  • Trailer – The Year of Three Kings – Matthew Lewis

    4 years ago Author: ADMIN Tim
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  • Trailer – Katherine Willoughby – Tony Riches

    4 years ago Author: ADMIN Tim
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  • 13 January – The Prince of Poets

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 13th January 1599, Elizabethan poet and administrator in Ireland, Edmund Spenser, died in Westminster. He was described as “the prince of poets in his time” and is best known for his allegorical poem in praise of Elizabeth I, “The Faerie Queene”.

    But, did you know that he also upset William Cecil twice and that his most famous work is actually unfinished?

    Find out more about Edmund Spenser in today’s talk.

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  • 12 January – Elizabeth I goes to the Tower

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, Thursday 12th January 1559, Queen Elizabeth I travelled by barge from Whitehall to the Tower of London to prepare for her coronation, which was due to take place on the 15th January.

    Of course, her journey wasn’t a low key one in a normal river barge, it was a lavish one with decorated barges, music and the usual artillery fire. Find out all about this river procession in today’s talk.

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  • January Tudor Events Quiz

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    This week’s Tudor Society quiz tests your knowledge of events that happened in the month of January in the Tudor period.

    Grab your favourite snack and beverage, make yourself comfortable, and let’s get those little grey cells working! Good luck!

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  • 11 January – A colourful Lord of Misrule

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 11th January 1579, courtier, Member of Parliament, Lord of Misrule and poet, George Ferrers, was buried at Flamstead, Hertfordshire.

    Ferrers was a rather colourful Tudor character. He caused a stir when he was arrested on his way to the House of Commons (the Ferrers’ Case), he was Lord of Misrule on several occasions and led a huge procession into London, and he had a hand in the arrest of John Dee. And that’s not all!

    Find out all about George Ferrers in today’s talk.

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  • A staggering amount of money – the lavish spending of the Tudors

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Today’s Claire Chats talk was inspired by my recent “on this day in Tudor history” video on rebel Sir William Pickering. In his will, Pickering left instructions for a jewel worth 200 marks to be given to Queen Elizabeth I by his executors, and I just became curious as to how much 200 marks was. This sent me on a research journey which also involved looking at the spending of Henry VII and Henry VIII.

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  • 10 January – There never was so obstinate a heretic

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 10th January 1532, Protestant martyr Thomas Dusgate, also known as Thomas Benet, was burned at the stake at Livery Dole in Heavitree, near Exeter.

    Benet was a zealous Reformer and got into trouble when he posted anti-Catholic bills on Exeter Cathedral’s door. He refused to recant, and it was said that “there never was so obstinate a heretic”.

    Find out about this Protestant reformer, who sought advice from Martin Luther regarding his trouble with lust, in today’s talk.

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  • 9 January – A queen twice over!

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 9th January 1514, Anne of Brittany, Queen Consort of King Louis XII of France, died at Château Blois in France. Her corpse was buried in the Cathedral Basilica of Saint-Denis and her heart was buried at Nantes.

    Anne of Brittany was the mother of Queen Claude of France, the wife of a Holy Roman Emperor AND two Kings of France, and had been betrothed to one of the Princes in the Tower. A very interesting lady!

    And then there’s the story of her stolen heart!

    Find out more in today’s talk.

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  • 8 January – Mary Shelton, Anne Boleyn’s cousin and lady

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 8th January 1571, Mary Shelton (married names: Heveningham and Appleyard) was buried at Heveningham Church, Suffolk.

    Mary Shelton was Queen Anne Boleyn’s cousin and lady-in-waiting, and may also have been King Henry VIII’s mistress. She also contributed to the Devonshire Manuscript with the likes of Mary Howard, Lady Margaret Douglas and Lord Thomas Howard.

    Find out more about Mary Shelton in today’s talk.

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  • 7 January – “You shall find Calais lying in my heart”

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 7th January 1558, in the reign of Queen Mary I, England lost Calais to the French.

    It was a devastating blow as Calais had been held by England for over 200 years and was an important port for English wool exports. Mary I was said to have exclaimed ““When I am dead and opened, you shall find ‘Philip’ and ‘Calais’ lying in my heart”.

    Find out exactly what happened in today’s talk.

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  • 6 January – Epiphany fun and feasting

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Happy Epiphany! Happy Kings’ Day! Yes, today is the Feast of the Epiphany, the day that commemorated the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child.

    Following on from yesterday’s Teasel’s Tudor Trivia about Epiphany Eve and Twelfth Night Cake, I thought I’d share with you some examples of how Epiphany was celebrated at the royal court. Find out what those Tudor people got up to on Twelfth Night in today’s talk.

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  • Teasel’s Tudor Trivia – Twelfth Night and a yummy treat

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Teasel is busy ironing out her contract with Claire and Tim for future videos, but, in the meantime, she decided that she would allow this one to be filmed.

    In this talk, Claire and Teasel share the traditions they enjoy at Epiphany in Spain, and how these relate to Tudor England and the celebrations Tudor people enjoyed on Twelfth Night.

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  • 5 January – Richard Willes – A quirky Tudor man

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 5th January 1546, in the reign of King Henry VIII, geographer and poet, Richard Willes, was born in Pulham, Dorset.

    Richard Willes has been described as “One of the quirkier figures in the literary history not only of the college but of the Elizabethan period as a whole”, and he certainly was an interesting Tudor man. Find out about his literary accomplishments, and what exactly made him so “quirky”, in today’s talk.

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  • Tudor Rebels Wordsearch

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    This week’s Sunday puzzle is a wordsearch which tests your knowledge of Tudor rebels, those men who caused problems for the Tudor monarchs and their governments.

    You can print out the wordsearch by clicking on the link or image below. Beware: the words can go in any direction. Good luck!

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  • 4 January – A rebel keeps his head

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 4th January 1575, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, courtier, diplomat and former rebel, Sir William Pickering, died at his home, Pickering House, in London.

    He died a wealthy man and died a natural death, a miraculous feat seeing as he was a friend of the Earl of Surrey and the Duke or Northumberland, both of whom ended up on the scaffold, AND he was one of the men involved in planning Wyatt’s Rebellion in 1554. Wyatt lost his head, but Pickering kept his.

    How? What happened? Find out more about Sir William Pickering in today’s talk.

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  • 3 January – Martin Luther is excommunicated

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 3rd January 1521, Pope Leo X excommunicated Reformer, German priest and professor of theology Martin Luther from the Catholic Church.

    In today’s talk, I explain what led to Luther’s excommunication, what happened when Luther was called to the Diet of Worms, and what happened next to this famous Reformer.

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  • St Laurence’s, Ludlow – Roving Reporter

    4 years ago Author: ADMIN Tim
    4 Comments

    This month our intrepid roving reporter has gone to St Laurence’s, Ludlow, the church where the heart of Prince Arthur is buried. It’s a very large church with a fascinating history…

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  • 2 January – A visit for the dying Catherine of Aragon

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 2nd January 1536, imperial ambassador, Eustace Chapuys, visited his good friend, Catherine of Aragon, first wife of King Henry VIII and a woman who was now officially called the Dowager Princess of Wales.

    Catherine was seriously ill, in fact, she was dying, and this would be the last time that Chapuys saw her.

    Find out from Chapuys’ own account what happened in the four days he spent with Catherine of Aragon.

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  • 1 January – Henry VIII’s disastrous meeting with Anne of Cleves

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    1 Comment

    In today’s “on this day in Tudor history talk”, Claire Ridgway, author of several Tudor history books, puts you out of your misery from the cliffhanger she left you with on 27th December, by telling you all about Henry VIII’s first meeting with his bride-to-be, Anne of Cleves, on 1st January 1540.

    This meeting between King Henry VIII and the woman who would soon become his fourth wife, was a bit of a disaster, but exactly how much of a disaster was it? The accounts differ and in the video I share two slightly different contemporary accounts, one given in a chronicle and one shared in the annulment proceedings a few months later in 1540.

    What happened on New Year’s Day 1540 at Rochester? Find out all about Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves’ first meeting in today’s talk.

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  • Happy New Year!

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    2 Comments

    A very Happy New Year to Tudor Society members! Here’s to a wonderful 2020 for all of us! Thank you for being a member and we look forward to bringing you lots of Tudor history this year.

    So far in 2020, we have Tony Riches, Sean Cunningham, Tracy Borman, Sarah Bryson, Kathleen Brogan and Sarah-Beth Watkins booked as speakers, and there are lots more to be scheduled – phew! It will be brilliant to hear them speak to us and to chat with them in the chatroom.

    How did those at the Tudor court celebrate New Year? Well, here are some videos I’ve done on the topic…

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  • Katherine Willoughby and the Protestant Martyrs – Tony Riches – Expert Talks

    4 years ago Author: ADMIN Tim
    2 Comments

    This month we have a fascinating and educational talk from author Tony Riches, taking us into the world of Katherine Willoughby, a woman who knew all of Henry VIII’s six wives.

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