The Tudor Society

  • August 3 – Lord Russell prepares to fight the rebels of the Prayer Book Rebellion

    8 months ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    Drawing of John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford, by Hans Holbein the Younger

    On this day in Tudor history, 3rd August 1549, in the reign of King Edward VI, Lord Russell marched his 1000 men from Honiton to Woodbury and set up camp for the night.

    Russell was heading towards Clyst St Mary and the rebels of the Prayer Book Rebellion.

    In 1549, the Book of Common Prayer was introduced. It was in English and it replaced the Catholic Mass. This change wasn’t embraced by all and there was trouble in Devon and Cornwall. The rebels called for the rebuilding of abbeys, the restoration of the Six Articles, the restoration of prayers for souls in purgatory, the policy of only the bread being given to the laity, and the use of Latin for the mass.
    The rebels were defeated by the crown in a series of battles.

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  • 3 August – Lord Russell marches towards the rebels

    2 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 3rd August 1549, in the reign of King Edward VI, Lord Russell marched his troops from Honiton to Woodbury.

    They were off to put down the Prayer Book Rebellion.

    Find out more in this edition of #TudorHistoryShorts…

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  • 14 March – A man who served 4 monarchs and kept his head

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 14th March 1555, courtier, envoy and landowner, Sir John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford, died at his London residence on the Strand aged around 70.

    Russell was an important Tudor man who served four Tudor monarchs – Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I – AND he managed to keep his head, dying a natural death at a good age.

    Find out more about this Earl of Bedford, his life, his rise and his career at the royal court, in today’s talk.

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