Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

December 13 - A lawyer thrown in to prison for refusing to do a favour

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

December 12 - A soldier who had to hide from Elizabeth I

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

December 11 - A lavish reception for Anne of Cleves

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 

December 10 - A priest caught by a priestfinder and torturer

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 

December 9 - A scary time for Queen Catherine Howard's stepgrandmother

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/

December 8 - Anne Boleyn's Master of the Horse

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 

December 7 - A rebel (or courageous leader) comes to a sticky end

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 

December 6 - An important man who managed to die a natural death

On this day in Tudor history, 6th December 1573, soldier and administrator, Sir Hugh Paulet, died at his home in Hinton St George in Somerset. 
 
He distinguished himself as a soldier in Henry VIII's reign, served as Governor of Jersey in Edward VI's reign, was a Protestant but survived Mary I's reign and served as Vice-President of the Welsh marches, and had a successful career in Elizabeth I's reign. He was an important man and a servant of the Crown, but still managed to die a natural death at his home.
 
Find out more about Sir Hugh Paulet, his life and career, in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/x-AOOFI9_yo
 
You can find out more about his son, who was asked to assassinate Mary, Queen of Scots, in this video - https://youtu.be/AH956PwobRs
 
Last year, I talked about the Feast of St Nicholas, which is the 6th December, and how it was the traditional day for a boy bishop to be elected. Find out more about the tradition, why Henry VIII banned it, and how it’s been revived today, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/QLtx-l95is0