The Tudor Society

  • From “Looking for Richard” to Writing Richard III — Wendy Johnson Interview

    2 days ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    In my latest interview on YouTube, I chat with historical novelist Wendy Johnson about her debut novel, “The Traitor’s Son”, her involvement in the “Looking for Richard” project, and her thoughts on the infamous Richard III.

    We explore:

    What being close to the 2012 discovery in Leicester changed for her as a writer and Ricardian
    Why start with boyhood, and what newcomers should unlearn about Richard
    Fact vs fiction: where the record ends and imagination begins
    Favourite sources for Edward, George, and Richard
    Places that shaped the story: Ludlow, Middleham, London
    Teasers for Books 2 & 3 in the trilogy
    Plus: Wendy’s top Ricardian must-visit sites, the scene she’d film first, and one non-fiction pick to read next.

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  • Was Henry VIII Really Protestant?

    1 week ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Was Henry VIII really Protestant video thumbnail

    King Henry VIII broke from Rome, dissolved the monasteries, and declared himself Supreme Head of the Church in England, so he was a Protestant, wasn’t he?

    Not quite.

    In this video, we explore:

    Why Henry VIII broke with the Pope, and it wasn’t about theology
    His 1521 book defending the Catholic sacraments against Martin Luther
    The Act of Supremacy and what it really meant
    The Six Articles and the continued persecution of Protestants
    What changed under Henry—and what stayed Catholic
    The king’s final days and the beliefs he clung to on his deathbed

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  • The birth of Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen and Gloriana

    2 weeks ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Elizabeth i Rainbow Portrait

    On this day in Tudor history, 7th September 1533, at Greenwich Palace, Queen Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII, gave birth to a daughter who would grow up to be Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen, Gloriana, Good Queen Bess, a queen who would rule England for over 44 years.

    Find out more about her birth, the reactions and celebrations…

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  • Could You Really Get Away with Murder at Henry VIII’s Court? – The Case of Sir William Pennington

    2 weeks ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Richard Southwell

    In April 1532, courtier Sir William Pennington was murdered in the Westminster sanctuary.

    His killers? They walked away with a manslaughter verdict, a £1,000 pardon, and glittering careers.

    That’s Tudor justice for you!

    In this video, I explore:

    The argument and fight, from Westminster Hall to the sanctuary precinct
    How sanctuary should have worked,and how it was bent
    The official indictment vs. Carlo Capello’s explosive diplomatic report
    Cromwell’s intervention and the price of a royal pardon
    Holbein’s 1537 portrait: the scar carried from the fight
    What this case tells us about power, patronage, and Tudor justice

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  • Sir Thomas Paston, Gentleman of the Privy Chamber

    2 weeks ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Thumbnail for Sir Thomas Paston video

    On this day in Tudor history, 4th September 1550, Sir Thomas Paston, a gentleman of the privy chamber under Henry VIII and Edward VI, died.

    He was, of course, a member of the Pastons of Norfolk, a family famed for the Paston Letters, a treasure trove of family correspondence from the 1400s into the 1500s, which give us a vivid, everyday view of gentry life at the time.

    Find out more about Sir Thomas Paston in my video, as I trace his journey from younger son to royal insider…

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  • The Sad Life of Edward Courtenay, Earl of Devon

    2 weeks ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Portrait of Edward Courtenay, Earl of Devon, by an unknown artist

    On this day in Tudor history, 3rd September 1553, Edward Courtenay was created Earl of Devon by Queen Mary I.

    He hadn’t long been released from the Tower of London, having spent 15 years there, losing his father, the Marquess of Exeter to the executioner’s block.

    In this video, I trace the extraordinary (and rather sad) life of Edward Courtenay.

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  • Thomas Savage, Archbishop of York

    2 weeks ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Thumbnail for Thomas Savage video

    On 2nd or 3rd September 1507, Thomas Savage, Archbishop of York, died at Cawood Castle in Yorkshire.

    Savage wasn’t just a man of the church, he was one of King Henry VII’s most trusted servants, a skilled diplomat, and a powerful royal official in the north of England.

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  • Dorcas Martin – Translator, bookseller and Puritan

    3 weeks ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Thumbnail for Dorcas Martin video

    On this day in Tudor history, 1st September 1599, translator, bookseller, and Puritan, Dorcas Martin (née Eccleston) was laid to rest at All Hallows, Tottenham.

    Dorcas was the wife of Sir Richard Martin, twice Lord Mayor of London, and although she lived much of her life in her husband’s shadow, she carved out a place of her own in Elizabethan London, even having her translations of prayers and psalms appearing in “The Monument of Matrones” (1582), the very first anthology of women’s writing published in England…

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