Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

This week, Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History", is dividing the week into two parts, and this first part covers Tudor events that took place on 11th, 12th and 13th January.   11th January 1584 - On this day in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the execution of printer William Carter took place at Tyburn. Carter was hanged, drawn and quartered for treason for printing a book which allegedly contained a passage inciting Queen Elizabeth I's assassination.   12th January 1573 - On this day in Elizabeth I's reign, William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham, diplomat, soldier and naval commander, died at Hampton Court. He had served under Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. He managed to survive the fall of his good friend, John Dudley, in 1553, by choosing to be loyal to Mary I rather than Queen Jane, and managed to serve both Mary I and Elizabeth I loyally.   13th January 1593 - On this day in Elizabeth I's reign, Sir Henry Neville died. Neville was the son of a condemned traitor and a godson of King Henry VIII.   You can see this podcast as a video at the following link: https://youtu.be/9IUhCAmIJ_E   January 11 - The first recorded lottery - https://youtu.be/a_-XqukRpgk January 11 - A colourful Lord of Misrule - https://youtu.be/JymzFhm6AZs January 12 - Elizabeth I goes to the Tower! - https://youtu.be/zrFCkpxXDvU January 12 - Henry VIII's first joust as king - https://youtu.be/paalH_oJQ8s January 13 - The Prince of Poets - https://youtu.be/QmtPkSctg4c January 13 - Henry Howard is tried for treason - https://youtu.be/x9oMnRRIY9g   Claire is the founder of the Tudor Society, an online membership site for those who love Tudor history. There, you can learn from Claire and many other expert historians and authors, enjoy Tudor-focused magazines and live Q&A sessions with experts, and have access to all kinds of talks, articles, quizzes, virtual tours and more. Try it with a 14-day free trial - https://www.tudorsociety.com/signup/   Claire has written some bestselling Tudor history books:   On This Day in Tudor History - https://amzn.to/3oceahH The Fall of Anne Boleyn: A Countdown - https://amzn.to/3m8KaSi George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier and Diplomat - https://amzn.to/2TdwyZr The Anne Boleyn Collection - https://amzn.to/3kiQc1T The Anne Boleyn Collection II - https://amzn.to/3o9LUwi The Anne Boleyn Collection III - https://amzn.to/3kiQc1T The Life of Anne Boleyn Colouring Books - https://amzn.to/3jkJ5Vz   Claire has also done an online history course, The Life of Anne Boleyn, for MedievalCourses.com - https://medievalcourses.com/overview/life-anne-boleyn-mc06/   You can find Claire at: https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com  https://www.tudorsociety.com https://www.facebook.com/theanneboleynfiles/ https://www.facebook.com/tudorsociety/ https://twitter.com/AnneBoleynFiles  https://twitter.com/thetudorsociety  https://www.instagram.com/tudor.society/  https://www.instagram.com/anneboleynfiles/

Anne Boleyn became King Henry VIII's official queen consort following their marriage in 1533, and it's often said that she was a commoner and even an ambitious social climber. But what class of society did Anne Boleyn fit into really?   Was Anne Boleyn an aristocrat? A noble? Or was she a commoner?   In this edition of historian Claire Ridgway's series "Questions about Anne Boleyn", Claire, with the help of Boni the dog, explains the social class that Anne was a member of and how it fit in with the other classes. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link: https://youtu.be/NCmmt9ZqvlI   Claire mentions Gareth Russell's course "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" which can be found at https://medievalcourses.com/overview/six-wives-henry-viii-monarchy-matrimony-tudor-england-mc05/. It's completely online.

In her new series for 2021, historian Claire Ridgway looks at Tudor events a week at a time. This talk covers events from the Tudor period which took place on January 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link: https://youtu.be/JuVEgbxZmQA   The burial of Roger Ascham, scholar, author and royal tutor, on 4th January 1569, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. You can find out more in Claire's previous video on Ascham - https://youtu.be/ww-k27C_G2k   The christening of Henry, Duke of Cornwall, son of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, at Richmond on 5th January 1511. Claire gives details of his christening and the celebrations for the birth of this prince, which included a tournament and a pageant which got out of control!   The birth of Jane Dormer, Duchess of Feria, on 6th January 1538, in the reign of King Henry VIII. Claire gives an overview of the life of this Tudor lady who served Queen Mary I and became a supporter and protector of English exiles and Jesuits, as well as a woman who interceded with Philip of Spain on behalf of English Catholics and against Queen Elizabeth I.   The burial of famous Elizabethan goldsmith and miniaturist Nicholas Hilliard on 7th January 1619 at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London.   The death of magnate and soldier Henry Clifford, 2nd Earl of Cumberland, on 8th January 1570 in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Claire gives an overview of Clifford, including his service to Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset, and Henry VIII, his brush with the 1553 succession crisis, his grief over his wife's death and the rather interesting way he was revived from a serious illness, and how he managed to avoid getting involved in a rebellion against Queen Elizabeth I.   The death of schoolmaster and map engraver Clement Adams on 9th January 1587, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.   The death of religious writer, Puritan and clergyman, Arthur Dent, on 10th January 1603, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Claire talks about his death and his works, which influenced writers like John Bunyan, and whether he inspired Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". Dent's "The Plaine-Man's Path to Heaven" can be read online at https://archive.org/details/plainmanspathway00dentuoft   Here are links to past "on this day in Tudor history" videos for this week:   January 4 - A rebel keeps his head - https://youtu.be/2kEb_UeSvdo January 4 - William Roper - https://youtu.be/c7S4qjVE_6c January 5 - Richard Willes - A quirky Tudor man - https://youtu.be/XZc-C0ovay4 January 5 Pope Clement VII and Henry VIII - https://youtu.be/culFjoE6dWw January 6 - Epiphany Fun and Feasting - https://youtu.be/BSa6LnURMOQ January 6 - The marriage of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves - https://youtu.be/ytKSoWUwZgg January 7 - "You shall find Calais lying in my heart" - https://youtu.be/539WC6DZpI0 January 7 - Death of Catherine of Aragon - https://youtu.be/uaC9L-p4tdA January 8 - Mary Shelton, Anne Boleyn's cousin and lady - https://youtu.be/gj6Rk75PBwg January 8 - Henry VIII celebrates news of Catherine of Aragon's death - https://youtu.be/CiDHm2a3pYE January 9 - A queen twice over! - https://youtu.be/WiQPw7sd_gM January 9 - Executions of Henry Pole and Henry Courtenay - https://youtu.be/HfaT6DE86ZQ January 10 - Margaret of Austria - https://youtu.be/7CjV6rA2YdE January 10 - There never was so obstinate a heretic - https://youtu.be/aCc-1a7Ww3M

Happy New Year!   Today, Claire explains what you can expect from her in 2021. Don't worry, it's still lots of Tudor history for you, but she's mixing things up a bit.   Claire also talks about King Louis XII of France, first husband of Mary Tudor, sister of Henry VIII, and his death on this day in 1515.   You can find out more about Mary Tudor's marriage to Louis XII in Claire's video - https://youtu.be/wYYJpU893lo

On this day in Tudor history, 31st December 1535, in the reign of Henry VIII, Sir William Skeffington, Lord Deputy of Ireland, died at Kilmainham in Dublin.   Skeffington had become known as "the Gunner" following his use of heavy artillery while taking Maynooth Castle in County Kildare, where he killed, or had executed, the whole garrison.   Find out more about the life and career of Sir William Skeffington in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link: https://youtu.be/Cv3g50GOaDA   Also on this day in Tudor history, 31st December 1559, Owen Oglethorpe, Bishop of Carlisle, died while under house arrest in London. Oglethorpe is known for officiating at Queen Elizabeth I's coronation in 1559, but also for infuriating the queen at Christmas 1558 by disobeying her instructions at Mass. What did Oglethorpe do? Find out about Owen Oglethorpe's life and career, and how he upset the queen and ended his days under house arrest, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/x-QM9sGujUY 

On this day in Tudor history, 30th December 1552, in the reign of King Edward VI, Spanish humanist scholar, translator, author and Protestant apologist, Francisco de Enzinas died at Strasbourg from the plague. He was buried there the next day. Humanist Francisco had changed his name to Francis Dryander after leaving Spain to study at Louvain.   Dryander fit a lot into his thirty-four years of life. He escaped from prison and was an outlaw, he translated the Bible, he taught Greek in England, he was supported by Archbishop Cranmer and the Duchess of Suffolk, and published several works.   Find out more about the accomplished Francis Dryander in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History". You can see this podcast as a video at the following link: https://youtu.be/DYZXMAi-paE   Also on this day in history, 30th December 1568, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Roger Ascham, scholar and royal tutor, died. He was laid to rest in the St Stephen’s chapel of St Sepulchre without Newgate, London. Ascham served as tutor to Princess Elizabeth, the future Elizabeth I, and is also responsible for the idea that Lady Jane Grey had abusive parents.Find out more about Roger Ascham, his life and career, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/ww-k27C_G2k 

On this day in history, 29th December 1605, in the reign of King James I, forty-seven-year-old Tudor nobleman George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland was buried at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton, Yorkshire. Clifford was a courtier, naval commander, privateer, Elizabeth I's champion and a man she called her "rogue".   Find out all about this Earl of Cumberland, his unhappy marriage, his voyages and what it meant to be the queen's champion, in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of several Tudor history books. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link: https://youtu.be/nwtC7ZZLJ_s   You can see photos of his armour at https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/23939   Also on this day in history, 29th (or 30th) December 1605, in the reign of King James I, Elizabethan navigator and explorer, John Davis died near Bintang, off the coast of Borneo. He died after being attacked by Japanese pirates. Davis is known for his voyages, for being the first Englishman to document a sighting of the Falkland Islands, for his 1594 “The Seaman's Secrets” and 1595 “The World's Hydrographical Description", and for his invention, the Davis Quadrant, or the backstaff. Find out more about him, his final voyage and death in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/XKdRcXgxYew 

On this day in Tudor history, the feast of Childermas, 28th December 1510, lawyer, administrator and Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, Sir Nicholas Bacon, was born. Bacon was the father of the famous philosopher, statesman, scientist and author, Sir Francis Bacon.   Bacon wasn't just a lawyer and statesman, he was also very concerned with the education of the young, and did much to support it.   Find out all about Sir Nicholas Bacon, his life and career, and how he was banished from court at one point, in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History". You can see this podcast as a video at the following link: https://youtu.be/XeYFwlAuHGc   28th December is also Childermas or Holy Innocents' Day, an important part of the Twelve Days of Christmas in Tudor times. In last year’s video, I explained the origin of this feast day and how it was commemorated in the Tudor period. https://youtu.be/5mB9GOmwpU4 

On this day in Tudor history, 27th December 1583, scholar and Puritan Katherine Killigrew died after giving birth to a stillborn child.    Katherine was the daughter of renowned humanist and scholar, Sir Anthony Cooke, and was known for her ability at writing poetry and her knowledge of languages, including Hebrew, Latin and Greek. She was a very accomplished Tudor lady.   Find out more about Katherine, and hear the epitaphs that were written in her honour, in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link: https://youtu.be/_ksia3B_T_k   Also on this day in Tudor history, 27th December 1539, Anne of Cleves landed at Deal in Kent in preparation for her forthcoming marriage to King Henry VIII. Anne of Cleves would be King Henry VIII's fourth wife. Find out more about her journey, the background to it, and what happened next, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/sl5n06RIlgc 

On this day in Tudor history, 26th December 1526, Protestant Rose Lok was born.    Rose lived well into her 80s and had an interesting life, being a Protestant exile, a businesswoman, and being the daughter of a man who supplied Anne Boleyn with religious books. She also had a ship named after her!   Find out all about Rose Lok in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of several Tudor history books. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link: https://youtu.be/tQTHOFQAA3U   Read an article on Rose by Lissa Chapman at https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/rose-loks-tale-lissa-chapman/   Also on this day in history, 26th December 1546, an ill Henry VIII made some changes to his will in preparation for his nine-year-old son, Edward, inheriting the throne. I explained more about that in last year’s video, as well as talking about how the Feast of St Stephen was celebrated in Tudor times - https://youtu.be/KCmnejkr0xc 

Happy Christmas!   On this day in Tudor history, 25th December 1587, Brian Darcy, magistrate, Sheriff of Essex, witch-hunter and contributor to the 1582 “A true and just recorde of the information, examination and confession of all the witches, taken at S Oses [St Osyth]”, died.    “A True and Just Recorde” argued for harsher punishments for those found guilty of witchcraft, and Darcy was personally responsible for a number of deaths of people accused of witchcraft.   Find out more about this zealous witch-hunter in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link: https://youtu.be/E7fbjYHVeGU   The pamphlet containing his interrogations can be read at https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A14611.0001.001?view=toc   Last year, I talked about Lettice Devereux, wife of favourite Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and mother of favourite Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, AND I also talked about how Tudor people celebrated Christmas - https://youtu.be/G-7arUBvGe8 

Thank you, everyone! I wanted to get a Christmas themed quiz out today so you can enjoy it with your friends and family. Without further ado, why don't you play along and see if you can do better than Tim? THE QUESTIONS (The answers are below ... no cheating!) ------------------------- 1. What date is the Feast of St Nicholas? 2. On the Feast of St Nicholas, in medieval and Tudor times, it was traditional for a choir boy to be chosen as this… 3. On Christmas Eve, the men of the house would go out and get this to bring into the home… 4. It was traditional to decorate homes with greenery, such as holly, laurel, ivy and rosemary, but there was no rush to take these down by Twelfth Night, when were they traditionally taken down? 5. What could happen if you didn’t take the decorations down by this date? 6. Elizabeth I ordered this to be roasted and enjoyed at Christmas 1588 following the defeat of the Spanish Armada because it was the first meal she enjoyed following the victory. 7. Frumenty was a food enjoyed at Christmas, but what was it? 8. This traditional wassail drink was made from mixing hot cider sherry or ale, with apple and spices. 9. How many ingredients were traditionally used in the Tudor minced pie? 10. What was different about the Tudor minced pie, compared to our modern mince pies? 11. This traditional Christmas vegetable made its debut in England in the 1580s 12. This person would be in charge of organising the revelry and presiding over it for the 12 days of Christmas. 13. What would you find at the bottom of the communal wassail cup or bowl? 14. What is the name of the feast day commemorated on 28th December? 15. Twelfth Night or Epiphany was celebrated with a cake containing a hidden…. The person who found it would be the king of the feast. 16. This Monday (a special name) was the first Monday after Epiphany and was when things would return to normal and people would get back to work. THE ANSWERS ------------------------ 1) 6 December 2) Boy Bishop 3) Yule Log 4) Candlemas Eve (1 Feb) 5) You might get goblins in your home. 6) Goose 7) A spiced porridge. It was made from cracked wheat, ale, spices, currants, egg and cream. 8) Lambswool 9) 13 to symbolise Jesus and his apostles. 10) It contained meat – mutton. 11) The Brussels sprout 12) The Lord of Misrule 13) A crust of bread – it would be given to the most important person present. 14) Holy Innocents’ Day or Childermas 15) A bean. Sometimes it would contain a pea too for the queen. 16) Plough Monday.

On this day in history, 24th December 1604, Christmas Eve, Sir Thomas Cornwallis, Comptroller of the household of Mary I and member of Parliament, died at about the age of eighty-six.    Cornwallis had been active putting down rebellion in 1549 and during the succession crisis of July 1553 swapped sides at just the right time, recanting his proclamation for Jane as queen and proclaiming for Mary instead, He was rewarded for this when Mary came to the throne.   Of course, he wasn't so much a favourite in the reign of Elizabeth I, but a friendship with a man close to Elizabeth may have helped him escape trouble. Find out more about Sir Thomas Cornwallis in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History".   Also on this day in Tudor history, 24th December 1545, Christmas Eve, King Henry VIII made his final speech to Parliament. The king was concerned about the religious divisions in his realm and so chastised the Lords and Commons for their disagreements, and also the clergy for provoking this discord. I shared some of his speech, which included the wonderful words mumpsimus and sumpsimus, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/AQCqsyJhT9Q  Today is obviously Christmas Eve, so do check out the video Teasel and I did on one of the Tudor traditions associated with Christmas Eve – the Yule Log - https://youtu.be/VJqQDfI4AJM 

On this day in Tudor history, 23rd December 1558, just over a month after her accession, England’s new queen, Elizabeth I, daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, moved from Somerset House to Whitehall Palace, which became her principal residence.   Whitehall, formerly York Place, had once been home to her mother, Anne Boleyn, and had been the setting of Anne's marriage to Henry VIII. I wonder if Elizabeth felt close to her mother there.   Find out more about Whitehall Palace, and also Somerset Place, the property Elizabeth left, in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of several Tudor history books. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link: https://youtu.be/B9OmNV9NOQU   Also on this day in Tudor history, 23rd December 1556, in the reign of Queen Mary I, Nicholas Udall (Yevedale), schoolmaster, cleric, humanist and playwright, was buried at St Margaret's, Westminster. You can find out more about him and hear a ballad he wrote for Queen Anne Boleyn's coronation celebrations in 1533, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/22JA60AlzA8  

On this day in Tudor history, 22nd December 1557, Protestant martyrs John Rough and Margaret Mearing, were burnt at Smithfield for heresy.   John Rough was a Scot who'd encouraged John Knox to be a pastor, but ended in days in England. Interestingly, the woman he died with was a woman he'd excommunicated from his congregation, believing her to be a spy. Although she'd been angry with her treatment, she was not the spy who betrayed him, she visited Rough in prison and was arrested after she tried to confront the real spy.   Find out about John Rough's life and what brought him to England, how he'd come to be arrested, and what happened with Margaret Mearing, in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway.   John Foxe's account can be read at https://www.dhi.ac.uk/foxe/index.php?realm=text&gototype=modern&edition=1583&pageid=2052   Also on this day in Tudor history, 22nd December 1534, John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, who was a prisoner in the Tower of London, wrote to Thomas Cromwell. In his letter to Cromwell, the poor bishop begged him for a shirt, sheet, food and books, as well as asking him to intercede with King Henry VIII on his behalf. It is so sad that a man who had served the king so loyally in the past had come to this, and, of course, the king's mercy would only stretch to commuting his method of execution to beheading. Find out more in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/9EwSBKVB16E