The Tudor Society
  • 4 May – A pitiful and strange spectacle

    On this day in Tudor history, 4th May 1535, in the reign of King Henry VIII, three Carthusian monks, a Bridgettine monk and a parish priest were executed at Tyburn.

    They were executed for refusing to accept the King as the Supreme Head of the Church and “for writing and giving counsel against the King”, and had to suffer a full traitor’s death, one after the other.

    Find out more about them and also London Charterhouse, home to the Carthusian order, in today’s talk.

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  • 3 May – A man who served 3 monarchs and kept his head

    On this day in Tudor history, 3rd May 1568, courtier, member of Parliament, and privy councillor, Sir Edward Rogers, died.

    Rogers had a long and successful royal career, serving three of the Tudor monarchs, and he managed to keep his head too.

    Find out more about him, and how he even survived being implicated in rebellion and opposing Mary I, in today’s talk.

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  • Tudor Fiction Quiz

    It’s wonderful that Tudor history inspires novelists the way it does, and it’s wonderful to meet our favourite historical characters in novels that bring them and their world to life, but how much do you know about historical novelists and their works?

    Test yourself with this week’s fun quiz…

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  • 2 May – Celestial flesh leads to a burning

    On this day in history, 2nd May 1550, Anabaptist Joan Bocher, was burnt to death at Smithfield for her belief in Christ’s celestial flesh.

    How did a Protestant end up being executed in Edward VI’s reign and what did she mean by Christ having celestial flesh?

    Find out more about Joan Bocher, or Joan of Kent, her beliefs and her links to Protestant martyr Anne Askew, in today’s talk.

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  • 1 May – A hot-tempered Tudor courtier

    On this day in Tudor history, 1st May 1551, in the reign of King Edward VI, Norfolk landowner and Member of Parliament, Sir Edmund Knyvet, died.

    Knyvet had an interesting court career, being helped by his Howard connections, but he was known for his rather hot temper, which nearly led to him losing his right hand.

    Find out more about hot-tempered Sir Edmun Knyvet in today’s talk.

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  • Tudor series and documentaries

    This lockdown is definitely easier when you immerse yourself in Tudor history, and so much better for you than raiding the fridge and cupboards!

    A few weeks ago, I shared some suggestions for Tudor movies and I thought it would also be good to share some recommendations for documentaries and non-fiction series. Please feel free to add your recommendations in the comments.

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  • The Great Siege of Malta

    This month’s expert is Julian Humphrys from The Battlefields Trust and Heritage Tours. Julian has an amazing ability to bring battles to life. This talk is about the Siege of Malta, a battle whose effects were felt right across Europe, including Elizabethan England.

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  • May 2020 – Tudor Life – The Virgin Mary

    Here’s the full version of your monthly magazine packed with Tudor goodness, you’ll love this magazine which focuses on the role of the Virgin Mary in Tudor times.

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  • 30 April – Thomas Audley, Lord Chancellor

    On this day in Tudor history, 30th April 1544, in the reign of King Henry VIII, Thomas Audley, Baron Audley of Walden and Lord Chancellor, died at his home in London.

    Audley was Thomas Cromwell’s right-hand man in 1536, during the fall of Anne Boleyn, and became even more important after Cromwell’s fall.

    Find out more about Thomas Audley, an important Tudor statesman, and how he served King Henry VIII, in today’s talk.

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  • 29 April – Bothwell prepares to marry Mary, Queen of Scots

    On this day in Tudor history, 29th April 1567 (some sources suggest 26th), James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, who had recently abducted and allegedly “ravished” Mary, Queen of Scots, had a suit of divorce made against him by his wife, Lady Jean Gordon.

    Lady Gordon was persuaded by Bothwell to make this divorce suit as he was planning to marry Mary, Queen of Scots, which he did on 15th May 1567.

    In this talk, I explain what led up to this day, what happened next, and also what a truly horrible man Bothwell was.

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  • 28 April – A man involved in the falls of two queens

    On this day in Tudor history, 28th April 1548 (some sources say 6 May), courtier, diplomat, soldier and Keeper of Oatlands Palace, Sir Anthony Browne, died at Byfleet in Surrey. He had been one of Henry VIII’s most important and richest courtiers and was also involved in the falls of two queens: Anne Boleyn and Anne of Cleves.

    Find out more about this man and how he was involved in the falls of the two Annes in today’s talk.

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  • Transcript of live chat with Sarah Bryson

    Thank you, as always, to the growing number of members who came to our live chat event with Sarah Bryson. We had a fun time talking about the Brandons.

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  • 27 April – A Tudor and Stuart adventurer

    On this day in history, actually in the Stuart period, 27th April 1609, Sir Edward Michelborne, member of Parliament, soldier and adventurer, died.

    He’d survived an unsuccessful naval campaign against the Spanish, being implicated in a rebellion, and an attack by pirates, to die a natural death at his home in Hackney.

    Find out more about Sir Edward Michelborne in today’s talk.

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  • 26 April – Shakespeare and the Plague

    On this day in Tudor history, 26th April 1564, the Bard, William Shakespeare, was baptised at Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. This was just three months before the plague hit the town, wiping out a fifth of its population. Fortunately for him, and us, Shakespeare didn’t catch it – phew!

    Find out more about the plague and its outbreak in Stratford-upon-Avon in today’s talk.

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  • Medieval and Tudor Crime and Punishment Crossword Puzzle

    Today’s Sunday brain-stretcher is a crossword puzzle testing your knowledge of Medieval and Tudor crime and punishment. A lovely subject for a Sunday! How much do you know about this interesting topic? Find out with this fun crossword. Good luck!

    Simply click on the link or image below to open and print out.

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  • 25 April – Catherine Parr publishes a book

    On this day in Tudor history, 25th April 1544, an English translation of John Fisher’s Latin work, “Psalms or Prayers”, was published. It had been translated by none other than Catherine Parr, Henry VIII’s sixth and final wife.

    It was published anonymously, but there’s rather a lot of circumstantial evidence pointing towards Queen Catherine as the translator. Find out more in today’s talk.

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  • 24 April – Divining your future love

    Today, 24th April, is St Mark’s Eve, the day before the Feast of St Mark the Evangelist, one of Christ’s apostles and the man who is said to have written the Gospel of Mark. In medieval and Tudor times, St Mark’s Eve was the night to divine who you were going to marry.

    How did people go about divining their future partner?

    Find out in today’s talk and do let me know if you try any of these divination methods!

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  • Tudor House Arrest

    As many people around the world are in some kind of lockdown at the moment – sorry to remind you! – I thought for this week’s Claire Chats that I’d talk about house arrest, something which quite a few people experienced in Tudor times.

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  • Ask Claire – Q&A session

    Now even though many of you know me well, I thought you might be interested in this Q&A session that I did on my YouTube channel.

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  • 23 April – George Boleyn loses out

    On this day in Tudor history, 23rd April 1536, St George’s Day, George Boleyn, Lord Rochford, lost to Nicholas Carew in the Order of the Garter elections.

    George Boleyn was, of course, the brother of Queen Anne Boleyn, so how did he lose, and was this a sign of the beginning of the end for the Boleyns?

    Find out what exactly happened in today’s talk.

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  • 22 April – Henry Clifford, 1st Earl of Cumberland

    On this day in Tudor history, 22nd April 1542, Henry Clifford, 1st Earl of Cumberland, magnate and Warden of the West Marches, died.

    This Knight of the Garter had a successful career, although he was imprisoned once and upset the king on at least one occasion. He was also described as a greedy landlord.

    Find out more about Henry Clifford, Earl of Cumberland, in today’s talk.

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  • Richard Chancellor (d.1556)

    Richard Chancellor is a Tudor explorer famous for his interactions with Russia. His origins and childhood are mostly unknown, and as such, there is a lot of speculation. We believe he was born in 1521 and lived near Bristol. It is claimed that he was raised by Sir Henry Sidney, Lord Deputy of Ireland.

    In the 1550s, Chancellor sailed with Roger Bodenham as an apprentice pilot in the voyage of the Bark Aucher to the Levant. This trip was intended to provide English mariners with the experience of longer voyages, something that they were less experienced in than their French and Spanish counterparts. By 1553, English markets were becoming more diverse, and there was increased demand for cloth from the Far East. As such, merchants, courtiers, and noblemen funded an expedition to the East, which consisted of three ships – the Bona Esperanza, Edward Bonaventure, and the Bona Confidentia. Richard Chancellor was appointed as the pilot general of the voyage and as captain of the Edward Bonaventure, the largest ship in the expedition. The voyage departed on 22nd May 1553 but was delayed for several weeks in Harwich due to faulty casking. Eventually, they set sail on 23rd June, and the ships progressed towards the Norwegian coast. The leaders of the expedition agreed to meet at Vardö should they become separated; however, they were all scattered by a vicious storm. Chancellor arrived at the town and waited seven days for the others to come, but no one did. Richard set sail from Vardö and arrived at the Russian port town of St Nicholas towards the end of August 1553.

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  • 21 April – The Philosopher’s Stone offered to Elizabeth I

    On this day in Tudor history, 21st April 1581, alchemist Thomas Charnock was buried at Otterhampton in Somerset.

    Charnock was obsessed with alchemy and claimed to have made the philosopher’s stone, which he offered to Queen Elizabeth I in exchange for financial support.

    Find out more about Thomas Charnock, his work on alchemy, and the philosopher’s stone, in today’s talk.

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  • 20 April – Lady Mary Grey, sister of Lady Jane Grey

    On this day in Tudor history, 20th April 1578, Lady Mary Keys (née Grey), sister of Lady Jane Grey and wife of Thomas Keys, died at her home in the parish of St Botolph without Aldgate, London.

    Like her sisters, Mary had a sad life. Her secret marriage led to Elizabeth I imprisoning her and her husband, and they never saw each other again.

    Find out more about the tiny Mary who was described as “crook-backed”, her marriage to a man who was said to be 6’8, and what happened to Mary and Thomas, in today’s talk.

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  • 19 April – Mary, Queen of Scots gets betrothed

    On this day in Tudor history, 19th April 1558, fifteen-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots and fourteen-year-old Francis, the Dauphin, son of King Henry II of France, were formally betrothed at the Louvre Palace in Paris.

    This betrothal was just five days before their wedding and was a lavish affair, celebrated with a ball.

    Find out more about the betrothal, the bride and groom, and arrangements for their marriage, in today’s talk.

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  • Tudor House Arrest Quiz

    Being under lockdown makes me empathise with those Tudor people who upset the monarch and were kept under house arrest. Some of them spent years under house arrest and some were never given their freedom back. It really doesn’t bear thinking about, does it?

    This week’s Sunday quiz tests your knowledge of those Tudors who had to suffer this punishment. How much do you know about them, their circumstances and where they were kept? Test those little grey cells with this fun quiz – good luck!

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  • Teasel’s Tudor Trivia – What did Tudor children wear – Part 2 – Toddlers

    In the latest edition of Teasel’s Tudor trivia, Teasel and I explain what Tudor babies and toddlers wore after they’d grown out of being swaddled.

    Did boy and girl toddlers wear different clothes? What did Tudor children’s clothes consist of?

    Find out about Tudor children’s clothes for toddlers in today’s talk.

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  • 18 April – Eustace Chapuys bumps into Anne Boleyn

    Ok, so they didn’t physically bump into each other, but on this day in Tudor history, 18th April 1536, just a month and a day before Anne Boleyn’s execution, imperial ambassador Eustace Chapuys was manoeuvred unto a position where he was forced to pay reverence to Queen Anne Boleyn, the woman he referred to as “the concubine”. By paying her reverence, he was acknowledging her as queen, something that he had managed to avoid doing until now.

    What happened and how did Chapuys get into this awkward position?

    Find out in today’s talk.

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  • Peterborough Cathedral – Roving Reporter

    Back in January, before all the lockdown happened, our roving reporter, Philippa Lacey Brewell, went to Peterborough Cathedral to visit the tomb of Katherine of Aragon and to show us around this wonderful cathedral.

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  • Tudor History Challenge 7

    It’s Friday and I think we’re due some fun, aren’t we? Let’s have it at Tim’s expense, he doesn’t mind.

    Here’s our latest Tudor History Challenge! Do play a long. Give yourself a point for each correct answer and there’s a bonus point if you get both parts of question 7 correct. The answers are at the bottom of this post so don’t scroll down and cheat!

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