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The Tudor Society

William Fitzwilliam, Earl of Southampton – Henry VIII’s boyhood companion who became his enforcer

17 hours ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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On this day in Tudor history, 15th October 1542, William Fitzwilliam, Earl of Southampton, died on campaign at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, serving Henry VIII one last time.

Southampton had been by the king’s side since childhood, when he’d been placed in Prince Henry’s household. He grew up to become a soldier, sailor, ambassador, and royal enforcer.

From being injured in a naval strike in 1512, to helping with the organisation of the Field of Cloth of Gold, and being involved in the falls of Wolsey, Anne Boleyn, Cromwell and Catherine Howard, Fitzwilliam’s career ran through the heart of Tudor power.
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The Other Tudors: The Forgotten Figures Who Shaped a Dynasty – Online Event Open for Registration

5 days ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, grandfather of Lady Jane Grey, and a rich and influential man

5 days ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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On this day in Tudor history, 10th October 1530, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, magnate, soldier, jouster, court insider, and Lady Jane Grey’s grandfather, died. He was buried at at Astley Collegiate Church in Warwickshire.

He was a well-connected man – his grandmothers were Elizabeth Woodville and Catherine Neville, sister of “The Kingmaker”, and at his death, he was one of the richest men in England.

Find out more about the man imprisoned by Henry VII, but released by Henry VIII…
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Agecroft Hall and Gardens – open house!

5 days ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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The Fall of Lord Protector Somerset

1 week ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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On this day in Tudor history, 8th October 1549, Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset and Lord Protector, woke up the most powerful man in Tudor England and went to bed a denounced traitor.

Somerset had ruled as king in all but name since February 1547, leading his nephew King Edward VI’s government.

He pushed bold reforms (the Act of Uniformity and the Book of Common Prayer), but rebellion, rivalry, and ambition brought him down. On 8 October 1549, the Privy Council branded Somerset a traitor. By the 11th, he had surrendered. Within days, he was in the Tower; his protectorate abolished.

Find out more, and how this wasn’t actually the end of Somerset…
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Tudor sea-captain William Hawkins

1 week ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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On this day in Tudor history, 7th October 1589, William Hawkins, died.

He’s not as famous as his brother, Sir John Hawkins, but let me tell you more about this merchant, sea captain and three-time mayor of Plymouth…
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Women Who Ruled the World – Interview with Elizabeth Norton

1 week ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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n my latest historian/author interview for my youtube channel, I’m joined by historian Elizabeth Norton to talk about her new book Women Who Ruled the World: 5000 Years of Female Monarchy. We cover how she chose her rulers, the thorny language of “queen” vs “female king”, why so many societies accepted women only in crises, and the single pattern she kept seeing across five millennia.
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From “Looking for Richard” to Writing Richard III — Wendy Johnson Interview

3 weeks 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 month ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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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

1 month ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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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

1 month ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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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

1 month ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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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

1 month ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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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

1 month ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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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

1 month ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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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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Maurice Browne, a Forgotten Tudor Adventurer

1 month ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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When we think of Elizabethan adventurers, names like Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh usually come to mind. But on 29th August 1583, another Tudor mariner met a tragic fate.

His name was Maurice Browne and he went down with his ship, the Delight.

Browne wasn’t just an adventurer, he was a well-connected courtier who worked for Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth I’s famous spymaster. But his ambition and spirit of exploration led him to join Sir Humphrey Gilbert’s doomed voyage to North America…
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Martyr Thomas Felton

1 month ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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On this day in Tudor history, 28th August 1588, a young Franciscan friar named Thomas Felton was hanged near Brentford, Middlesex.

His crime?

Being a Catholic seminary priest and refusing to acknowledge Queen Elizabeth I as head of the Church.

Felton was just twenty-one years old when he went to the gallows for his faith…
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Lady Anne Bacon (née Cooke)

1 month ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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On this day in history, 27th August 1610, in the reign of King James I, a woman of learning, piety and conviction, a quite remarkable woman, was laid to rest at St Michael’s Church, St Albans. She was Lady Anne Bacon (née Cooke).

Anne was the daughter of scholar and humanist Sir Anthony Cooke; the wife of Sir Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal; and mother of spy Anthony Bacon, and Francis Bacon, one of the greatest thinkers of the age. But she should be remember in her own right for her education, translations and scholarship.
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Bishop Thomas Thirlby

1 month ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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On this day in Tudor history, 26th August 1570, Bishop Thomas Thirlby died while under house arrest at Lambeth Palace.

He’d see all six of the Tudor monarchs on the throne and as well as being the very first Bishop of Westminster and Bishop of Ely, he’d carried out diplomatic missions, served as a privy councillor and nearly been made Lord Chancellor. But sadly, his faith led to his fall under Elizabeth I.
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Mildred Cecil (née Cooke) – The Forgotten Tudor Powerhouse Behind William Cecil

1 month ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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On this day in Tudor history, 25th August 1526, Mildred Cecil, Lady Burghley, was born into the influential Cooke family of Gidea Hall, Essex.

Mildred was the daughter of scholar, humanist and royal tutor, Sir Anthony Cooke, but is best known as the wife of Elizabeth I’s chief advisor, William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley. However, Mildred was a powerhouse in her own right, a remarkable woman, and one of the most learned women of her age.
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Elizabeth Boleyn: The Life of the Queen’s Mother – Interview with author Sophie Bacchus-Waterman

1 month ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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In my latest interview for my youtube channel, I’m talking to historian and author Sophie Bacchus-Waterman about her debut book, “Elizabeth Boleyn: The Life of the Queen’s Mother”.

It’s a ground-breaking biography.

Why? Because it’s the first biography of Elizabeth Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire, who’s known to us as Anne Boleyn’s mother and who’s always been, before now, a rather shadowy figure. But she’s more than that Sophie uncovers Elizabeth’s real story: her career at court, her influence, and her role in the Boleyn family…
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The Battle of Bosworth Field and the beginning of the Tudor Dynasty

1 month ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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On this day in history, 22nd August 1485, the last Plantagenet king, Richard III, was killed when his Yorkist forces met those of Lancastrian Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth Field.

Henry claimed the throne as Henry VII and went on to marry Richard’s niece, Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV, thus uniting the royal houses of York and Lancaster. It was the start of a new dynasty of the throne of England: the Tudors.
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Charles Brandon: A Tudor Survivor with a Tangled Love-life

1 month ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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On 22nd August 1545, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, died a natural death, ending the life of one of the most colourful and daring figures of Henry VIII’s reign.

His tangled love-life had seen him set aside a pregnant fiancée (or wife) to marry her aunt, secretly marry the king’s favourite sister, and marry his 14-year-old ward, who was actually promised to his son… but he remained the king’s closest ally for nearly four decades.

Find out more about Charles Brandon…
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A Groom of the Stool and Tudor Survivor You’ve Never Heard of – Sir Thomas Heneage

1 month ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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On this day in Tudor history, 21st August 1553, Sir Thomas Heneage died a natural death just days after he’d congratulated a victorious Queen Mary I.

He was quite the survivor. He began his career in the household of Cardinal Wolsey, but then transferred to King Henry VIII’s privy chamber, surviving his former master’s fall and rising to the position of groom of the stool. Then, despite his Catholic faith, he served in Edward VI’s privy chamber, and rode to Ipswich during the succession crisis of 1553 to congratulate Mary when it became clear she was victorious against Queen Jane.

Survival at the Tudor court wasn’t about luck, it was about timing, tact, and knowing when to step forward… and when to step back…
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Thomas Bilney – The Reluctant Martyr

1 month ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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On this day in Tudor history, 19th August 1531, Norfolk priest and preacher Thomas Bilney was burned at the stake in the Lollards’ Pit, Norwich.

Bilney had been a passionate reformer, inspiring the likes of fellow martyr, Bishop Hugh Latimer, but under pressure, he broke and recanted, regretted his recantation but then, at the end, recanted once more.

Find out more about Bolney, his career, religious wavering, and tragic end…
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A Royal Wedding and a Massacre

1 month ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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On this day in history, 18th August in 1572, Henry of Navarre, leader of the Huguenots and the future King Henry IV of France, married Margaret of Valois, daughter of King Henry II and Catherine de’ Medici, at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

This royal wedding was meant to bring peace, to to heal the religious divisions between Protestants and Catholics in France, but, instead, there was an assassination followed by a bloody massacre which not only affected the city of Paris, but towns and cities across France…
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The Forgotten Genius Behind The Spanish Tragedy and Hamlet – Thomas Kyd

2 months ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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Did you know that before Shakespeare’s famous “Hamlet”, there may have been another?

On this day in Tudor history, 15th August 1594, playwright Thomas Kyd was buried in London, aged just 36.

He’s not a household name, not like William Shakespeare anyway, but he wrote “The Spanish Tragedy”, one of the biggest theatrical hits of the Elizabethan age, being performed 29 times at the Rose Theatre and published in 11 editions, more than any of Shakespeare’s plays at the time.
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Mudlarking, African Women in Tudor England, and More at London Museum Docklands

2 months ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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London Museum Docklands has been in touch with me to share some events they have coming up which may be of interest to some of you.

From African women in Tudor London to archaeology, alchemy and mudlarking, there’s so much history to enjoy!
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The princess who lived in the shadow of kings – Katherine of York

2 months ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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On this day in history, 14th August 1479, Katherine of York was born.

She was the daughter of King Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth Woodville, the sister of Queen Elizabeth of York and the Princes in the Tower, and the aunt of Henry VIII. She was at the very heart of Plantagenet and Tudor dynasties — living through regime change, rebellion, and royal funerals, yet she chose to live out her final days on her estates in Devon.
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From Cromwell’s Ally to Mary’s Pardon – Sir John Kingsmill

2 months ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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On this day in Tudor history, 11th August 1556, in the reign of Queen Mary I, Sir John Kingsmill died a natural death.

You may not have heard of him, but he worked with Thomas Cromwell, helped dissolve monasteries and chantries, and still managed to earn a pardon from Queen Mary I.

Kingsmill was:
– A lawyer and sheriff
– A commissioner for Edward VI’s Protestant reforms
– A beneficiary of monastic spoils
– And the father of seventeen children
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