Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

August 19 - A defiant but polite Mary I

On this day in Tudor history, 19th August 1551, Princess Mary, the future Mary I, wrote to her half-brother King Edward VI regarding orders that he had sent, orders that she was not going to obey.
 
As historian Henry Ellis noted, this letter is evidence of Mary's talent at writing and her intellect, and it also shows just how stubborn she could be. But then Edward was stubborn too! He wasn't going to let his sister defy him but she wasn't going to obey him and compromise her faith - oh dear!
 
Find out more about the situation, and hear Mary's words to Edward, in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/q0HNva_JJHU
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 19th August 1561, Mary, Queen of Scots returned to her homeland, Scotland, from France following the death of her first husband, King Francis II of France. Find out more about her return to Scotland, which was the start of her troubles, in last year’s talk - https://youtu.be/pcZjTw1_mp4 

August 18 - The trial of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland

On this day in Tudor history, 18th August 1553, less than a month after his daughter-in-law, Lady Jane Grey or Queen Jane, had been overthrown by Queen Mary I, John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, was tried for treason at Westminster Hall in London. 
 
During his trial, Northumberland pointed out that it couldn't be treason to be acting by royal warrant and that some of those judging him had acted under the same warrant, but it did him no good. 
 
Find out what happened at his trial, what his reaction was to his sentence, and what happened to William Parr, Marquess of Northampton, and John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, who were tried with him, in today's talk from author Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/RU5aZO3uFA0
 
Northumberland’s arrest - https://youtu.be/iR5B6U8_raI Also on this day in Tudor history, 18th August 1587, the first child born to English settlers in the New World was born in the Roanoke Colony. Her name was Virginia Dare. This colony has become known as the lost colony because all 115 colonists disappeared. Find out more in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/lZDaYgPfxoQ 

August 17 - Henry VIII's Latin secretary dies of sweating sickness

 
On this day in Tudor history, 17th August 1517, Italian humanist scholar, cleric and poet, Andreas Ammonius died in London from sweating sickness. He was laid to rest at St Stephen's, Westminster. 
 
Ammonius had also served Henry VIII as his Latin secretary and was a great friend of the famous humanist scholar, Erasmus. Find out more about Ammonius and the sweating sickness epidemic which caused his death in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History".
 
What was sweating sickness? - https://youtu.be/qwSjvIixzP8
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/l4tC71oohqw
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 17th August 1510, King Henry VII's former chief administrators, Sir Edmund Dudley and Sir Richard Empson, were beheaded on Tower Hill as traitors even though they had served the former king loyally. What happened? Why were these two advisors executed by their former master's son? Find out in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/2Up3Dpp2mIk 
 
 

August 16 - The Norrises lose another two sons in the Queen's service

On this day in Tudor history, 16th August 1599, soldier and Lord President of Munster in Ireland, Sir Thomas Norris, died at his home, Mallow Castle, in Cork, as a result of an injury he’d sustained in a skirmish with Irish troops on 30th May 1599. His brother, Henry, died just five days later. Thomas's brothers, John, William and Maximilian, who were also soldiers, died in 1597, 1579 and 1593 respectively.
 
Queen Elizabeth I recognised the sacrifice of this family and wrote a letter of condolence to her friends, Henry Norris, 1st Baron Norris, and his wife, Margery Williams. Find out what she wrote to the grieving couple in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway.
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/cLN7c9Dm0-k
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 16th August 1513, the Battle of Spurs took place at Guinegate, or Enguinegatte, in France. It actually wasn't a pitched battle at all, as the French knights fled the scene, but that didn't stop Henry VIII claiming victory and doing a bit of exaggerating. Find out more about it in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/VGmHZ8dKKLM 

August 15 - The Oaten Hill Martyrs

On his day in Tudor history, 15th August 1588, Catholics Robert Wilcox, Edward Campion, Christopher Buxton and Robert Widmerpool were examined while imprisoned in the Marshalsea prison in Southwark, London. 
 
These men ended up being executed, three of them for being Catholic priests and one for giving aid to priests, at Oaten Hill, Canterbury. All four died with courage and in 1929 were beatified.
 
Find out more about these men and how they came to be executed 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/-7UPcJ5VRaQ
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 15th August 1603, Lady Mary Scudamore (née Shelton), a member of Elizabeth I's Privy Chamber and one of her favourite sleeping companions, was buried at Holme Lacy in Herefordshire. Mary was very close to the queen but suffered the queen's wrath at one point. I explain all in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/SFbnuab0u0k 

August 14 - William Parr, brother of Queen Catherine Parr

On this day in Tudor history, 14th August 1513, William Parr, Marquess of Northampton and brother of Queen Catherine Parr, was born. 
 
William Parr is a fascinating man. He had a wonderful court career, his first wife eloped and left him, his divorce was granted and then rescinded, he was imprisoned in the Tower but then released, his marital happiness was rather shortlived... but he died a natural death!
 
Find out more about William Parr 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/LNqvW3K5JZY
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 14th August 1473, Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, was born. Margaret Pole is an interesting lady - the niece of Edward IV, Countess of Salisbury in her own right, governess to Mary I... and she came to a rather awful and sticky end. You can find out more about her in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/0oIPgbQ68lY 

August 13 - The sad ends of Friar Conn O'Rourke and Partick O'Healey, Bishop of Mayo

On this day in Tudor history, 13th August 1579, Roman Catholics Friar Conn, or Connatius, O'Rourke and Patrick O'Healy, Bishop of Mayo, were hanged just outside Kilmallock, co. Limerick.
 
So desperate was Sir William Drury, Lord President of Munster, to get rid of these two Catholics, that he used martial law to find them guilty of treason, rather than giving them a trial. Find out why, what Drury did to poor Bishop O'Healey, and what happened to their remains afterwards, in today's video 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/NsCETn5rW9Q
 
Also on this day in history, 13th August 1514, Princess Mary Tudor, youngest surviving daughter of the late King Henry VII and sister of King Henry VIII, married King Louis XII of France by proxy. Find out more about the ceremony, what everyone was wearing, and about the symbolic consummation, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/zhbhHbNHF1E

August 12 - Ursula Pole, Baroness Stafford, daughter of Margaret Pole

On this day in Tudor history, 12th August 1570, Lady Ursula Stafford died. She was the daughter of the late Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, sister of Cardinal Reginald Pole, and wife of Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford. She had Plantagenet blood being the granddaughter of George, Duke of Clarence.
 
Find out more about the life of this interesting Tudor lady, and the tragic fall of her family, in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/Pa2GszZjRtA
 
May 27 - Margaret Pole's botched execution - https://youtu.be/6v9LGPqClTY August 14 - Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury - https://youtu.be/0oIPgbQ68lY 
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 12th August 1560, Thomas Phaer (Fair), translator, lawyer, physician and paediatrician, made his will after suffering an accident. Phaer become known as the “Father of English Paediatrics” for his works, which included “The Book of Children”, and in last year’s video I shared some details about this man and also some of his rather interesting remedies for caring for children. https://youtu.be/iKcEJ9ezXR8