On this day in Tudor history, 7th May, an imprisoned Bishop John Fisher was tricked into saying something that would lead to his execution; Queen Anne Boleyn’s chaplain was searched; English troops suffered heavy losses at the Siege of Leith; and the Earl of Bothwell got divorced…
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On this day in Tudor history, 29th April, William Dacre, the only man to be acquitted in Henry VIII’s reign, was born; Queen Anne Boleyn had an altercation with groom of the Stool Sir Henry Norris; Lady Jean Gordon started divorce proceedings against the Earl of Bothwell; and Sir Dru Drury died…
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On this day in Tudor history, 14th April, Sir Anthony Kingston died on his way to be tried for treason; astrologer, astronomer and magician Edward Gresham was born; and Mary, Queen of Scots’ third husband, the Earl of Bothwell, died in appalling conditions…
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On this day in Tudor history, 14th April 1556, in the reign of Queen Mary I, Sir Anthony Kingston, died at Cirencester. He was on his way to London to face charges that had been laid against him, and it’s likely that he would have been executed.
Why? What had he done?
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On 7th May 1567, eight days before James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, married Mary, Queen of Scots, the Catholic court granted him a divorce from his wife, Lady Jean Gordon.
Who was Jean Gordon? Why did Bothwell divorce her? And what happened to Jean afterwards?
Find out more about Bothwell and Jean’s marriage, and about Jean’s life, in today’s talk.
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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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On this day in Tudor history, 14th April 1578, Mary, Queen of Scots’ third husband, James Hepburn, Duke of Orkney and 4th Earl of Bothwell, died at Dragsholm Castle in Denmark. He’d been held at the castle in appalling conditions and it was said that he’d gone insane.
Find out more about the life of this earl who’d risen to be the husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, but who’d died in prison, far away from home, in today’s “on this day in Tudor history” video.
[Read More...]James Hepburn, 1st Duke of Orkney, 4th Earl of Bothwell and the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, was the son of Patrick Hepburn, 3rd Earl of Bothwell and Lord High Admiral, known as the “Fair Earl”, and his wife Agnes Sinclair, daughter of Henry Sinclair, 3rd Lord Sinclair. In 1556, on his father’s death, James became 4th Earl of Bothwell and Lord High Admiral of Scotland.
In 1559/1560 Bothwell visited Denmark on the way to France and met Anna Throndsen (Anne Thorssen). He is alleged to have seduced and even married Anne but deserted her. In 1566, he married Jean Gordon, second eldest daughter of George Gordon, Earl of Huntly, but the marriage was not a happy one, as Jean accused Bothwell of adultery with her maid and seamstress, Bessie Crawford. The marriage was annulled in May 1567 on the grounds of consanguinity. Eight days after the divorce, Bothwell married Mary, Queen of Scots.
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