The Tudor Society
  • October 22 – A baron dies in exile

    On this day in Tudor history, 22nd October 1577, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Henry Parker, 11th Baron Morley, died in Paris.

    Morley was a Roman Catholic who had fled abroad in 1570 after refusing to subscribe to Elizabeth I’s “Act of Uniformity” and having been implicated in the 1569 Rising of the North.

    Find out more about Morley, who was the nephew of Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, and his rather interesting family, with their connections to the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots and the Gunpowder Plot…

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  • October 21 – Armed peasants accost a herald

    On this day in Tudor history, 21st October 1536, during the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion in the reign of King Henry VIII, a herald was accosted by some armed peasants.

    Lancaster Herald was on his way to Pontefract Castle when he met the peasants. When he got to the castle, he met with Robert Aske, leader of the rebels.

    The meeting didn’t go well for the herald. Aske would not allow him to complete his mission.

    What was going on? Who was Lancaster Herald? What was his mission?

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  • October 20 – Mary Arundell, Countess of Sussex and Arundel

    On this day in Tudor history, 20th October 1557 (or possibly 21st), in the reign of Queen Mary I, courtier Mary Arundell died at Bath Place in London.

    Mary is a very interesting Tudor lady. She served at least two of King Henry VIII’s wives, and she was a countess twice over, having been married to both the Earls of Sussex and Arundel.

    Mary Arundell has also been confused with two other Tudor ladies, and we don’t know whether the portrait you see in the thumbnail for the video is really her.

    Find out more about Mary Arundell’s life, court career and those of her husbands…

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  • October 19 – Isabella I of Castile marries Ferdinand II of Aragon

    On this day in history, 19th October 1469, eighteen-year-old Isabella I of Castile married seventeen-year-old Ferdinand II of Aragon.

    Their marriage may have happened outside of the Tudor period, and in Spain, but it had an impact on Europe and has links with the Tudors.

    The couple became the famous “Reyes Catolicos”, the Catholic monarchs, and brough together two powerful kingdoms, which comprised most of what is modern-day Spain. They were also the parents of Catherine of Aragon, who married Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales, and, after his death, King Henry VIII.

    Let me tell you more about this powerful couple, their reigns and their legacy…

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  • October 18 – The death of Margaret Tudor

    On this day in Tudor history, 18th October 1541, Margaret Tudor died of a stroke at Methven Castle, Perthshire, Scotland. She was laid to rest at the Carthusian Priory of St John in Perth, which was later destroyed.

    Margaret Tudor was the sister of King Henry VIII and eldest daughter of King Henry VII. At the age of 13, she was sent to Scotland to marry the Scottish king, James IV.

    Margaret Tudor had an interesting life. She was widowed, divorced and unhappily married, and she fled to England at one point.

    Margaret was the mother of Lady Margaret Douglas, she was the grandmother of Mary, Queen of Scots AND Lord Darnley, and she was the great-grandmother of King James VI of Scotland (King James I of England).

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  • Sir Anthony Standen – Elizabethan Spy

    I first encountered Sir Anthony Standen while reading George Malcolm Thompson’s biography of Sir Francis Drake. “The time had come when Walsingham was no longer satisfied with news that came to him at second-hand, whether from Santa Cruz’s kitchen or from the Governor of Guernsey’s reports of the gossip on Breton ships or in Rouen taverns. He needed an accurate and detailed stream of information about the number of Philip’s ships, their tonnage, the sailors who would man them and the soldiers they would carry. Thanks above all to Standen, he got what he wanted.” Because my mother’s maiden name was Standen, I was immediately intrigued. Who was this man? Why hadn’t I heard of him before? Might he be an ancestor of mine?

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  • October 17 – The death of Sir Philip Sidney

    On this day in Tudor history, 17th October 1586, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Philip Sidney died.

    The poet, courtier and soldier died as a result of an injury sustained fighting against Spain at the Battle of Zutphen in the Netherlands.

    Sir Philip Sidney is known for his literary works, which include “Astrophel and Stella”, “The Arcadia” and “A Defense of Poetry.

    Sidney was lucky to escape the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in Paris, but was shot in the thigh at the Battle of Zutphen and died twenty-six days later.

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  • October 16 – The burnings of Latimer and Ridley

    On this day in Tudor history, 16th October 1555, in the reign of Queen Mary I, two of the Oxford Martyrs, Protestant bishops Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, were burnt at the stake in Oxford for heresy.

    In the video below, I give an overview of Latimer and Ridley’s careers, and then share an account of their burnings from John Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. Warning: John Foxe’s account is pretty horrible.

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  • October 15 – Schoolteacher Richard Gwyn is executed

    On this day in Tudor history, 15th October 1584, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Richard Gwyn (Richard White) was hanged, drawn and quartered at Wrexham in Wales.

    The schoolteacher and poet was executed for high treason for his Catholic faith.

    Find out about Richard Gwyn’s life, how an attack by crows and kites made him steadfast in his faith, his arrest and downfall, his works, and the legends associated with his death…

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  • Talks about Jane Seymour

    A portrait of Jane Seymour by Hans Holbein the Younger

    As this week has been the anniversary of Jane Seymour giving birth to Edward VI. I thought I’d share with you these expert talks on Jane Seymour from the Tudor Society archives…

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  • October 14 – A man whose teeth saved him from death

    Yes, you read the title correctly! Today, I’m telling you about Tudor poet and diplomat Sir Thomas Chaloner the Elder, whose teeth did save him from death.

    On this day in Tudor history, 14th October 1565, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Thomas Chaloner the Elder died at his home in Clerkenwell, London. He was just forty-four years old.

    Chaloner had served four Tudor monarchs as a diplomat, but he also wrote English and Latin works.

    Find out more about Thomas Chaloner, his life, his career, and how his teeth saved him from death…

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  • October 13 – Mary I has secret meetings with men in disguise

    On this day in Tudor history, 13th October 1553, Queen Mary I wrote an interesting letter to Simon Renard, imperial ambassador.

    In the letter, the queen asked Renard to meet with her secretly. She’d asked him to do this before, and to come in disguise.

    But why? Why would Mary I want to meet with an imperial ambassador in secret? And why would she be putting more trust in the emperor and his ambassadors than her own council?

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  • October 12 – An MP is assassinated

    On this day in Tudor history, 12th October 1555, in the reign of Mary I, Lewis Owen, member of Parliament and administrator in Wales, was assassinated.

    Owen was murdered on Dugoed Mawddwy, a mountain pass, by a group of bandits as revenge for his campaign against them, which had led to around 80 hangings.

    Find out more about Lewis Owen, his life and what happened…

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  • October 11 – Prayers for Queen Jane Seymour for her difficult labour

    On this day in Tudor history, 11th October 1537, in the reign of King Henry VIII, London was praying for the king’s third wife, Queen Jane Seymour.

    Jane was in labour with her first and only child, and the labour was long and difficult. On 11th October 1537, there was a solemn procession in the city of London to pray for her. After about thirty hours, Jane gave birth to a healthy baby boy, who would become King Edward VI.

    Let me share some contemporary sources about the procession and Jane’s labour…

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  • October 10 – Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, is buried

    On this day in Tudor history, 10th October 1588, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the queen’s favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, was buried.

    He was laid to rest in the Beauchamp Chapel of the Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick, according to his instructions.

    Leicester’s funeral was well-attended and his widow, Lettice (née Knollys), a woman known by Elizabeth I as “the she-wolf”, erected a monument to “her best and dearest husband” in the chapel. The chapel is also the resting place of the couple’s young son, Robert, “the noble impe”, Lettice, and Leicester’s brother, Ambrose.

    Find out more about Leicester’s funeral and resting place, and see some photos of his tomb…

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  • Tudor Margarets Quiz

    Detail of Margaret Tudor's face from a portrait of her by Daniel Mystens

    This week’s Sunday fun is a quiz testing your knowledge of some Tudor Margarets.

    Good luck!

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  • October 9 – Miguel de Cervates, author of Don Quixote

    On this day in Tudor history, 9th October 1547, Miguel de Cervantes was baptised in Alcalá de Henares, Spain. His actual birthdate is unknown.

    Cervantes is, of course, the author of the famous classic “Don Quixote”, a book known as “the first modern novel”.

    Obviously, this event didn’t happen in Tudor England, but it did happen in the Tudor period, and Cervantes is known the world over.

    Let me share with you some Cervantes facts, which include him being held to ransom by pirates!

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  • October 8 – The birth of Lady Margaret Douglas, daughter of Margaret Tudor

    On this day in Tudor history, 8th October 1515, Margaret Tudor, Queen Dowager of Scotland and sister of King Henry VIII, gave birth at Harbottle Castle in Northumberland.

    The baby was a little girl, Margaret, and her father was Margaret Tudor’s second husband, Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus. Little Margaret was born while her mother was travelling to Henry VIII’s court in London after fleeing Scotland.

    Lady Margaret Douglas is a fascinating Tudor lady…

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  • October 7 – George Gascoigne, a man who helped Robert Dudley with a marriage proposal

    On this day in Tudor history, 7th October 1577, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, George Gascoigne died in Stamford, Lincolnshire.

    As well as being an author and soldier, Gascoigne was a gifted poet. He was hired by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, in 1575 to provide entertainment for the queen’s visit to Leicester’s home, Kenilworth Castle. Leicester was going to make one final attempt to persuade the queen to marry him, and he hoped Gascoigne could help him.

    Find out all about Gascoigne’s masque, Zabeta, and what happened at Kenilworth…

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  • October 6 – Reformer and Bible translator William Tyndale is executed

    This day in Tudor history, 6th October 1536, is the traditional date given for the execution of reformer, scholar and Bible translator William Tyndale.

    One of Tyndale’s works had helped King Henry VIII while another incurred the king’s wrath and led to Tyndale’s execution.

    Why? What happened?

    Let me tell you…

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  • October 5 – Edward Seymour’s actions lead to his undoing

    On this day in Tudor history, 5th October 1549, in the reign of King Edward VI, Lord Protector Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, ordered a gathering of men at Hampton Court Palace.

    Somerset was lodged at the palace with the young King Edward VI due to tensions mounting between the Lord Protector and John Dudley, Earl of Warwick.

    But what was going on and what happened when 4,000 peasants turned up?

    How did the Earl of Warwick react and what did the king have to say about it all?

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  • October 4 – Sir Francis Bigod, a Tudor rebel

    On this day in Tudor history, 4th October 1507, Tudor rebel Sir Francis Bigod, was born at Seaton, in Hinderwell, Yorkshire.

    Bigod is known for an uprising he led in Yorkshire in January 1537 after the Pilgrimage of Grace Rebellion had been brought to an end.

    Bigod was an evangelical reformer rather than a Catholic, so why would he be involved with the Pilgrimage of Grace? Why did he rebel and what happened to him…

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  • October 3 – Cardinal Wolsey celebrates a treaty

    On this day in Tudor history, 3rd October 1518, King Henry VIII’s Lord Chancellor, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, sang a mass to the king and the French ambassadors at St Paul’s Cathedral.

    Wolsey was celebrating a treaty that had been made between England and France.

    The celebrations also included a banquet and a lavish masque of lords and ladies dressed beautifully and disguised with masking hoods. Among those disguised were some well-known courtiers, people like Sir Francis Bryan and Bessie Blount, Henry VIII’s mistress.

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  • October 2 – Henry VIII’s sister, Mary Tudor, sets sail for France

    On this day in Tudor history, 2nd October 1514, in the reign of King Henry VIII, Princess Mary Tudor set sail for France.

    The eighteen-year-old sister of Henry VIII was saining from Dover to France in order to marry fifty-two-year-old King Louis XII of France.

    Find out about the arrangements for the journey, who was at Dover, how the bad weather affected Mary’s crossing to Boulogne, and what happened next…

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  • October 1 – A bishop and royal tutor

    On this day in Tudor history, 1st October 1500, in the reign of King Henry VII, John Alcock, Bishop of Ely, died at Wisbech Castle.

    As well as being a clergyman, John Alcock had been a scholar and he’d served as a royal tutor and administrator.

    Alcock had been a tutor to Prince Edward, the son of King Edward IV and the future King Edward V, who, of course, has gone down in history as one of the Princes in the Tower. Alcock also christened another prince.

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  • Henry VIII as a military leader: Myth, reality and legacy by Gareth Russell

    As today is the anniversary of Henry VIII’s return from France on 30th September 1544 after the English victory at the Siege of Boulogne, I thought I’d share this expert talk from our archives.

    Historian and author Gareth Russell discusses the successes and failures of Henry VIII as a military leader…

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  • September 30 – A triumphant Henry VIII returns to England from France

    On this day in Tudor history, 30th September 1544, fifty-three-year-old King Henry VIII returned to England from France.

    The king was returning in victory following the French surrender of Boulogne to him and his troops.

    Hear a contemporary account of what happened during the siege of Boulogne and how and why the French surrendered to Henry VIII…

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  • September 29 – An intimate moment between Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley

    On this day in Tudor history, 29th September 1564, Michaelmas, Queen Elizabeth I’s favourite, Robert Dudley, was made Earl of Leicester and Baron Denbigh.

    Dudley was made earl in a ceremony in front of the Scottish ambassador, Sir James Melville, as the queen was granting him the earldom to make him a suitable potential bridegroom for Mary, Queen of Scots.

    There was a moment of intimacy during the proceedings – Elizabeth I tickled Robert Dudley’s neck!

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  • September 28 – Elizabeth I’s favourite sees the queen without her mask of youth

    On this day in Tudor history, 28th September 1599, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, Elizabeth I’s favourite, strode into the queen’s bedchamber unannounced. Elizabeth wasn’t ready to see people. She wasn’t made up and she wasn’t wearing her wig. She must have been furious with Essex.

    Why would Essex do such a thing?

    Find out why Robert Devereux needed to see his queen so urgently and how Elizabeth I reacted to his visit…

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  • September 27 – John de la Pole, first husband of Lady Margaret Beaufort

    On this day in history, 27th September 1442, in the reign of King Henry VI, John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk, was born.

    Why am I talking about a duke born in the Plantagenet period?

    Well, because he was the first husband of the Tudor matriarch, Lady Margaret Beaufort, and his son was involved in a rebellion against King Henry VII.

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