The Tudor Society

  • November 14 – An inventory is taken of Thomas Culpeper’s possessions

    1 year ago Author: Claire Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 14th November 1541, twelve days after an investigation had been opened into King Henry VIII’s fifth wife, Catherine Howard, an inventory was taken of “the goods and chattels, lands and fees of” a groom of the king’s privy chamber.

    This groom was Thomas Culpeper, a man who had been found to have enjoyed secret meetings with Catherine.

    An inventory had also been taken of the possessions of one of Catherine’s ladies, Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford. Jane was the widow of George Boleyn, Lord Rochford, and she was alleged to have helped the queen meet with Culpeper.

    But what was going on in November 1541 and what was listed in these inventories?

    Let me tell you…

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  • 10 January – A priest caught by a priestfinder and torturer, and the ends of Thomas Culpeper and Francis Dereham

    2 years ago Author: Joel Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 10th December 1591, Roman Catholic priest Edmund Gennings and Catholic Swithin Wells were executed on a scaffold set up outside Wells’ house at Holborn.

    Gennings had been caught celebrating mass at Wells’ home by the famous Elizabethan priestfinder and torturer, Richard Topcliffe, who punished him by throwing him into the Little Ease.

    Find out more about St Edmund Gennings and St Swithin Wells, and their sad ends, in this talk…

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  • 10 December – A priest was tortured and executed by a priestfinder, and the execution of Thomas Culpeper and Francis Dereham

    2 years ago Author: Joel Ridgway
    No comment yet

    On this day in Tudor history, 10th December 1591, Roman Catholic priest Edmund Gennings and Catholic Swithin Wells were executed on a scaffold set up outside Wells’ house at Holborn.

    Gennings had been caught celebrating mass at Wells’ home by the famous Elizabethan priestfinder and torturer, Richard Topcliffe, who punished him by throwing him into the Little Ease.

    Find out more about St Edmund Gennings and St Swithin Wells, and their sad ends, in this talk…

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  • 1 December – A Catholic priest was tortured then executed and Thomas Culpeper and Francis Dereham were found guilty of high treason

    2 years ago Author: Joel Ridgway
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    On this day in Tudor history, 1st December 1581, twenty-five-year-old Roman Catholic priest Alexander Briant was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn, along with Ralph Sherwin and Edmund Campion.

    Briant had been imprisoned, starved, racked and tortured in other awful ways, but he claimed that he felt no pain due to God’s help. He refused to give his interrogators the information he wanted, and he was tried for treason and suffered a full traitor’s death.

    In this talk, I share Alexander Briant’s story, what led to his arrest, his account of what happened when he was tortured and his fellow prisoner’s account of what was done to him.

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  • 14 November – Bad Signs for Culpeper and Lady Rochford, and Anne Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon get married but not to each other

    2 years ago Author: Joel Ridgway
    No comment yet

    On this day in Tudor history, 14th November 1541, an inventory was taken of “the goods and chattels, lands and fees of” Thomas Culpeper, a groom of King Henry VIII’s privy chamber and a man who had been having secret meetings with Catherine Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth wife.

    An inventory had also been taken of the possessions of Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, wife of the late George Boleyn, a woman who had allegedly helped the queen meet with Culpeper.

    But what was going on in November 1541 and what was listed in these inventories?

    Find out more in this talk…

    [Read More...]

  • The Men in Catherine Howard’s Story – Gareth Russell – Expert Talk

    2 years ago Author: ADMIN Tim
    7 Comments

    Learn what is true, false and open for interpretation about the men in Queen Catherine Howard’s life and eventual downfall with Gareth Russell’s amazing expert talk on the Dukes, Deceivers and Disappointments in Catherine’s life.

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  • 14 November – Bad Signs for Culpeper and Lady Rochford

    3 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    No comment yet

    On this day in Tudor history, 14th November 1541, an inventory was taken of “the goods and chattels, lands and fees of” Thomas Culpeper, a groom of King Henry VIII’s privy chamber and a man who had been having secret meetings with Catherine Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth wife.

    An inventory had also been taken of the possessions of Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, wife of the late George Boleyn, a woman who had allegedly helped the queen meet with Culpeper.

    But what was going on in November 1541 and what was listed in these inventories?

    [Read More...]

  • 10 December – The ends of Thomas Culpeper and Francis Dereham

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    1 Comment

    On this day in Tudor history, 10th December 1541, Thomas Culpeper, a gentleman of the privy chamber, and Francis Dereham, a member of the queen’s household, were executed at Tyburn.

    They had been found guilty of high treason for intending to do ill with Queen Catherine Howard, i..e intending to commit adultery with her, and had been sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered. Dereham suffered the full traitors’ death, while Culpeper was beheaded.

    Find out more about what happened from a primary source account in today’s talk.

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  • 1 December – Thomas Culpeper and Francis Dereham found guilty

    4 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    1 Comment

    On this day in Tudor history, 1st December 1541, Thomas Culpeper, a member of King Henry VIII’s privy chamber, and Francis Dereham, a secretary to Queen Catherine Howard, were tried for high treason at Guildhall, London. Both men had been linked romantically with the queen.

    They were both found guilty of treason and sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered.

    But what about Catherine Howard and her lady, Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, who had also been arrested. What was happening with them? Find out more about them, and the trial of Dereham and Culpeper, in today’s talk.

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  • Was Catherine Howard guilty of treason?

    6 years ago Author: Claire Ridgway
    20 Comments

    As this week has been the anniversary of the execution of Catherine Howard, I thought I’d look at the bill of attainder against her and also whether she was guilty of high treason.

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  • May 2016 Tudor Life Magazine

    7 years ago Author: ADMIN Tim
    2 Comments

    May’s magazine is a celebration of the arrival of Summer … let the merriment begin!

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