7 February – A joust, unrequited love and a nasty accident

On this day in Tudor history, 7th February 1526, Henry VIII took part in the traditional Shrovetide joust at Greenwich. In this video, I give details of this joust, its theme and a nasty accident that affected one courtier that day.

There are some articles on Henry VIII's courtship of Anne Boleyn over at the Anne Boleyn Files:

• Henry VIII Falls in Love with Anne Boleyn
• When did Anne Boleyn say yes to Henry VIII?
• A Timeline of Anne Boleyn’s Relationship with Henry VIII – From 1528-1533

And here is a video from here on the Tudor Society:

• Henry VIII the Jouster - Claire Chats video talk.

Also on this day in history:

• 1477 or 1478 - The traditional birthdate for Sir Thomas More, Henry VIII's Lord Chancellor. You can find out more about him on our Thomas More page
• 1531 - Convocation ordered to recognise Henry as “sole protector and supreme head of the English church and clergy”. The resulting “haggling” results in Thomas Cromwell adding the phrase “so far as the law of Christ allows”.
• 1587 – Sir Amyas Paulet read out Mary, Queen of Scots' death warrant to her, and informed her that she would be executed the following day.
• 1591 – Burial of Sir Nicholas Bagenal (Bagnal), soldier and Marshal of the army in Ireland in the reigns of Edward VI and Elizabeth I. He was buried at Newry.
• 1594 – Death of Barnabe Googe, pastoral poet and translator. He was buried at Cockerington church, near Alvingham. Googe's works included a dedicatory poem in Thomas Gressop's translation of Nicolaus Cabasilas, “A briefe treatise, conteynynge a playne and fruitfull declaration of the popes usurped primacye”, a translation of Zodiacus vitae by Marcellus Palingenius, and his “Eglogs, Epytaphes, and Sonettes”.
• 1623 – Death of Thomas Cecil, 1st Earl of Exeter, courtier, soldier and eldest son of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, probably at Wimbledon. He was buried in the St John the Baptist Chapel, Westminster Abbey. His offices under Elizabeth I included High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, Lord Lieutenant of Yorkshire, Lord President of the Council of the North and Knight of the Garter.