Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

21st December in Tudor times was the Feast of St Thomas the Apostle, or Didymus or Doubting Thomas. The apostle who wouldn't believe Christ had been resurrected until Christ appeared in front of him and he'd felt the nail wounds and the wound in his side.   Thomas was known for his generosity, and in Tudor times, those in need would go "a-Thomasing", collecting alms.   But there are also other traditions associated with the feast day, such as pie-making. And did you know that Thomas also has links to India?   Find out more about St Thomas, his story, his feast day and the traditions associated with him, in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway.   Also on this day in Tudor history, 21st December 1495, Jasper Tudor, 1st Duke of Bedford and 1st Earl of Pembroke, died at his manor at Thornbury at the age of around sixty-four.Jasper Tudor was the uncle of Henry Tudor, a man who would become King Henry VII, and served as a mentor and advisor to him.Find out more about this interesting Tudor man in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/33X0XHZSRKQ 

On this day in Tudor history, 20th December 1583, the day after his son-in-law, John Somerville, had been found dead in his cell, Warwickshire gentleman Edward Arden was hanged, drawn and quartered at Smithfield.    Arden, who was related to William Shakespeare's mother, Mary Arden, and married to a member of the Throckmorton family, had been found guilty of treason, after being implicated in Somerville's plot to kill the queen.   But was Arden actually guilty? Why didn't others involved end up being executed too?   Find out more about Edward Arden and what happened in 1583, 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/BxXtvHb_bmU   Also on this day in Tudor history, 20th December 1541, a “very sickly” Agnes Tilney, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, begged King Henry VIII for forgiveness. The dowager duchess had been arrested and taken to the Tower accused of misprision of treason for hiding her stepgranddaughter Catherine Howard's past relationship with Francis Dereham. Find out what she wrote to the king, and what happened to her, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/VG5mb4XFLwc 

On this day in Tudor history, 19th December 1583, twenty-three-year-old convicted conspirator, John Somerville, was found dead in his cell at Newgate Prison. His death was said to be suicide, due to his poor mental health, but some Catholics believed that he had been killed.   Somerville had been found guilty of conspiring to assassinate the queen, but did he really mean to? Was he mentally ill? Was he manipulated by others?   Find out more about John Somerville in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link: https://youtu.be/cgO8sBhK4b8   Also on this day in Tudor history, 19th December 1576, Katherine Palmer, Abbess of Syon, died in Belgium. Her death came just over a month after she had confronted a mob that had broken into her monastery. Find out more about Abbess Katherine Palmer, how her order had ended up settling in Belgium, and how her order is the only surviving pre-Reformation religious community in England today, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/ssM_mwz_ccw 

On this day in Tudor history, 18th December 1575, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I,  fifty-six-year-old historian, Catholic apologist, priest and former Archdeacon of Canterbury, Nicholas Harpsfield, died in London.    Harpsfield and his brother, John, had been imprisoned since the early 1560s for refusing to swear the Oath of Supremacy but had been released in 1574 on the grounds of ill-health.   In Mary I's reign, he had been involved in the persecutions of Protestants, and martyrologist John Foxe described him as “the sorest and of leaste compassion” of all the archdeacons involved.   Find out more about his life, career and rise, his works, and his end, in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway. https://youtu.be/6psy0c8vve8   Note: Claire mistakenly says that he died four months after his release, she meant a year and four months! Sorry!   On this day in Tudor history, 18th December 1555, John Philpott, former Archdeacon of Winchester, was burned at the stake for heresy at Smithfield. Philpott had done a lot in his 40 years, including studying in Italy, upsetting Bishop Gardiner, and supporting fellow Protestants from his prison cell, and he died a courageous death at Smithfield in the reign of Queen Mary I. Find out more about him in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/cPM-lq1D8Po 

On this day in Tudor history, 17th December 1559, fifty-five-year-old Matthew Parker was consecrated as Queen Elizabeth I's Archbishop of Canterbury. It was an office which Parker did not want and would not have accepted if “he had not been so much bound to the mother”.   What did he mean by that?   Well, when he was Anne Boleyn's chaplain in 1536, the queen had met with him just six days before her arrest and he made her a promise. Find out more about Matthew Parker, his life and that meeting with Anne Boleyn, in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of "The Fall of Anne Boleyn: A Countdown". You can see this podcast as a video at the following link: https://youtu.be/hWJbumLvMeg   Link to Robert Parry's article - https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/the-cambridge-connections/   Also on this day in Tudor history, 17th December 1538, Pope Paul III announced the excommunication of King Henry VIII. Henry VIII had been threatened with excommunication several times, but his desecration of one of the holiest shrines in Europe was the final straw for the pope. Find out how Henry VIII, who had once been "Defender of the Faith", had upset the Pope in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/d_V87vMb9As 

On this day in Tudor history, 16th (or possibly the 18th) December 1503, George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent, died at Ampthill, Bedfordshire.    Grey served as a soldier under Henry VII, was on the king’s council, and served him as Constable of Northampton Castle and as a judge at the trial of Edward, Earl of Warwick in 1499. He was also married to a sister of Elizabeth Woodville.   Grey also managed to retain royal favour on Henry VII's accession even though he'd been rewarded by Richard III.   Find out more about George Grey in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History".   Also on this day in Tudor history, 16th December 1485, Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII was born. Do make sure...Find out about her background, and early life, and how she ended up leaving her homeland of Spain and eventually becoming queen consort to Henry VIII in last year’s video. https://youtu.be/Y6VVbYbZfgY   

On this day in Tudor history, 15th December, 1560, Comptroller of the Household to Elizabeth I and Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, Thomas Parry died. The Spanish ambassador claimed that Parry had died of “sheer grief”. He was buried at Westminster Abbey.   Parry had served Elizabeth since 1547 and was a loyal servant and friend. So why did he die of grief?   Find out more about Thomas Parry, his background, life, and why he was upset in 1560, in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, founder of the Tudor Society. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link: https://youtu.be/PwnPALIR_98   Also on this day in Tudor history, 15th December 1558, Cardinal Reginald Pole, Mary I’s Archbishop of Canterbury and her chief advisor, was buried at Canterbury Cathedral. Coincidentally, Cardinal Pole had died the same day as his queen, on 17th November 1558.Find out a bit more about Cardinal Pole, his background, death and burial, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/g2NwZSWd5T8 

On this day in Tudor history, 14th December 1542, six-day-old Mary, daughter of King James V and his second wife, Marie de Guise, became Queen of Scotland – Mary, Queen of Scots.   King James V, who had ruled since 1513, was just 30 at his death.   Find out what happened to James V, and how Mary became queen at such a young age, in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway.   10 April – King James V - https://youtu.be/CiXTTLBhjusMary, Queen of Scots playlist - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLepqWJ7TpkrIIC1eB75JBP8xYcqnqTHt6      Also on this day in Tudor history, 14th December 1558, Queen Mary I was buried at Westminster Abbey. Mary had died on 17th November 1558 and had left instructions for Catherine of Aragon's remains to be moved from Peterborough and for them to be reinterred with Mary's remains so that mother and daughter could be together. Did this happen? Find out in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/EY1t9Ysn10U 

On this day in Tudor history, 13th December 1558, civil lawyer and dean of Chester William Clyffe died. Clyffe was one of the authors of the 1537 “Bishops' Book”, and he was consulted by convocation during Henry VIII’s Great Matter. He was thrown into prison for a time for refusing to do a favour for one of the king's servants - oh dear! Find out more about William Clyffe's life and career in today's "on this day" talk from historian Claire Ridgway. Also on this day in Tudor history, 13th December 1577, pirate, sea captain, and explorer Sir Francis Drake finally left the port of Plymouth on his circumnavigation of the Globe. In last year’s video, I shared a wonderful letter written by Drake. You can hear it in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/k7xmAqIGWUw

On this day in Tudor history, 12th December 1595, Protestant Welsh soldier and author, Sir Roger Williams, died from a fever with his patron, Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, at his side. He was buried at St Paul's Cathedral. Williams served as a soldier in the Low Countries and France, and was second in command of the cavalry under Essex at Tilbury Fort in 1588. He also wrote the 1590 “A Briefe Discourse of Warre”. At one point he incurred Queen ELizabeth I's wrath and had to go into hiding for a time.   Find out all about Sir Roger Williams' life, career and works 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/tEl9y3fRJF4   “A brief discourse of war” can be read at https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A15466.0001.001?view=toc   Also on this day in Tudor history, 12th December 1546, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, son of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, was led through the streets of London from Ely Place, where he had been held since his arrest on 2nd December, to the Tower of London. It was meant to be a humiliating walk for the earl, but it seems that the citizens of London were actually sympathetic to his plight, and didn't boo him. Find out what happened on this day, and also what happened to his father, who had also been arrested, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/EyE7_5CMfKI

On this day in Tudor history, 11th December 1539, Anne of Cleves and her retinue were received at Gravelines, just a few miles outside of Calais, by Lord Lisle, Deputy of Calais.   Anne of Cleves was on her way to England to marry King Henry VIII, but her journey had been rather slow and she was about to be delayed even more.   The reception was rather lavish, with everyone dressed up to the nines. Enjoy a contemporary description from a Tudor chronicler in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link: https://youtu.be/Iad-x1I_cSY   Video on Henry VIII meeting Anne of Cleves for the first time - https://youtu.be/97X0ZvHNESo   Also on this day in history, 11th December 1608, one of Queen Elizabeth I’s former ladies and a lover of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, was buried at St Margaret's Church, Westminster. Her name was Douglas Sheffield and she was the mother of Leicester's illegitimate son, Sir Robert Dudley. Find out more about Douglas Sheffield, who claimed to be Leicester's legal wife, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/rhP-Z89CbEg 

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 today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History".   Also on this day in Tudor history, 10th December 1541, Thomas Culpeper and Francis Dereham 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 in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/zmWYSqtrVT0 

On this day in Tudor history, 9th December 1541, sixty-four-year-old Agnes Tilney, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk and step-grandmother of Queen Catherine Howard, who was being detained at the Lord Chancellor's home, was questioned regarding the location of her money and jewels.   Why? What was all this about?    Find out about this, why the dowager duchess ended up in the Tower, and what happened when she was indicted for misprision of treason, in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of several Tudor history books. Also on this day in Tudor history, 9th December 1538, 1538, courtier and gentleman of the privy chamber, Sir Edward Neville, was beheaded on Tower Hill.He had been condemned to death for treason, accused of conspiring against the king in the Exeter Conspiracy of 1538, along with members of the Pole family. He was also accused of saying "The King is a beast and worse than a beast", which is not a wise thing to be overheard saying in Tudor England. Find out more about Neville's life and downfall in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/B97vIS-UFRA  Katherine Howard, the Duchess and Norfolk House  - https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/katherine-howard-the-duchess-and-norfolk-house-by-marilyn-roberts/470 Years Ago – Terror for the Howards at Christmas - https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/470-years-ago-terror-for-the-howards-at-christmas/

On this day in Tudor history, 8th December 1538, courtier and Master of the Horse to Queens Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour, Sir William Coffin, died at Standon in Hertfordshire.    It is thought that he died of the plague because his wife Margaret wrote to Thomas Cromwell saying that Coffin had “died of the great sickness, full of God’s marks all over his body”.    Who was Sir William Coffin and what did the Master of the Horse do?   Find out in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway.   Trivia: Coffin's wife was one of Queen Anne Boleyn's ladies when she was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1536.   Also on this day in Tudor history, 8th December 1542, Mary, Queen of Scots, was born at Linlithgow Palace in Scotland. She was the daughter of King James V of Scotland and his second wife, Marie de Guise, and she became Queen of Scotland when she was just six days old. You can find out about her life, including her three marriages and abdication, her imprisonment and downfall, in last year’s talk - https://youtu.be/OGhYsl8cL1M 

On this day in Tudor history, 7th December 1549, rebel leader Robert Kett was hanged from the walls of Norwich Castle after being found guilty of treason. His brother William was hanged the same day, but from the steeple of Wymondham Church.   In 1549, Kett was seen as a rebel and traitor who endangered the city of Norwich, but today Norwich pays tribute to him as "a notable and courageous leader in the long struggle of the common people of England to escape from a servile life into the freedom of just conditions". Find out all about Robert Kett and Kett's Rebellion in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of several Tudor history books.   The 7th December is also the traditional date given for the birth of Henry Stuart (Stewart), Duke of Albany and Lord Darnley, in 1545. He is known for being the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, and you can find out all about his rather colourful life, his unhappy marriage, his role in a murder, AND his own sticky end in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/1og2l2acXRM