Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

September 2 - A very wealthy Irish earl dies in the Tower

On this day in Tudor history, 2nd September 1534, Gerald Fitzgerald, 9th Earl of Kildare and Lord Deputy of Ireland, died in the Tower of London at around the age of 47. Kildare had been arrested on 29th June 1534, accused of corruption and causing rebellion in Ireland. 
 
Kildare seems to have spent most of his career being accused of crimes, but his son Silken Thomas's rebellion was his final undoing. 
 
He was already ill when he was arrested and imprisoned, suffering from the after effects of being shot, but at least his wife was able to nurse him.
 
Find out more about this Earl of Kildare, 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/iFWPVHvWirs
 
3rd February video on Kildare’s son, Silken Thomas - https://youtu.be/JA5hsZk0G3k
Also on this day in Tudor history, 2nd September 1591, naval commander and explorer Sir Richard Grenville died at sea from injuries sustained while commanding his ship, The Revenge, in the Battle of Flores. Unfortunately, Grenville's death was a result of him disobeying orders and doing his own thing. Find out more about what happened and hear excerpts from Alfred Lord Tennyon’s poem “The Revenge: A Ballad of the Fleet", in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/ideGMFpNrv4

September 1 - Elizabethan actor Edward Alleyn

On this day in Tudor history, 1st September 1566, Edward Alleyn, a major figure in the Elizabethan theatre, was born in the parish of St Botolph without Bishopsgate, London, and baptised the following day.
 
In today's talk, historian Claire Ridgway shares some facts about Edward Alleyn, including his personal life, the plays he was involved in, his theatre investments, and his desire to be appointed master of the bears, bulls and mastiff dogs!
 
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/dNhFgZoym1w
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 1st September 1532, in a special ceremony at Windsor Castle, King Henry VIII elevated his sweetheart Anne Boleyn to the peerage by making her Marquess of Pembroke. This was a hugely significant act because Henry VIII made Anne a marquess in her own right, granted the title to her and her heirs male (legitimate or not) and gave her a title associated with his father, Henry VII, and uncle, Jasper Tudor. It also made her a rather wealthy woman, and a fitting consort for their trip to Calais to meet with King Francis I of France. Find out more about what happened on this day in 1532, who was there, and just what Anne Boleyn was given by King Henry VIII, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/AArtnjF6OlQ 

August 31 - The Bloody Flux

On this day in Tudor history, 31st August 1545, a contagious disease known as the 'Bloody flux' hit the port of Portsmouth, killing many of the men serving on the ships in its port.
 
But what was the Bloody Flux? What were its symptoms and why did it kill so many soldiers and sailors?
 
Find out about the disease, famous victims of the Bloody Flux, and how it is still affecting people today, in this talk from historian Claire Ridgway.
 
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/NjyTFCd0fpU
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 31st August 1555, in the reign of Queen Mary I, former minister Robert Samuel was burned at the stake in Ipswich, Suffolk, for heresy. He had continued to minister privately, after being deprived of his living, and he had refused to leave his wife. He stayed firm to his Protestant faith and became one of the Ipswich Martyrs as a result. Find out more about the man, his visions, his death and the women who died as a result of their connections with him, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/Nz_YxDvV4VQ 

August 30 - The Treaty of the More

On this day in Tudor history, 30th August 1525, the Treaty of the More was agreed between King Henry VIII of England and Louise of Savoy, who was acting as regent for her son, King Francis I of France, while he was imprisoned by imperial forces.
 
Why was Francis in prison? What were the terms of the Treaty of the More? How did this treaty affect Henry VIII's daughter, Mary? And what happened next.
 
Find out all about the Treaty of the More and its consequences in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, founder of the Tudor Society.
 
Also, on this day in Tudor history, 30th August 1548, Catherine Parr, Queen Dowager (sixth wife of King Henry VIII) and wife of Thomas Seymour, Baron Seymour of Sudeley, gave birth to a healthy daughter at Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire. Thomas and Catherine named the little girl Mary after her godmother, the future Queen Mary I.Lady Mary Seymour would soon be orphaned, and by the age of two she had disappeared from the records. What happened to Mary Seymour? Find out more in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/R_wMweeswm8 

August 29 - The Feast of the beheading of St John the Baptist

Today, 29th August, is the Feast of the beheading of St John the Baptist. Lovely!
 
In today's talk, Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History", shares the story behind this Tudor holy day, a story which is often depicted in illuminations in manuscripts and psalters. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/euOkRXqXjfs
 
You can see photos of illuminations at https://blogs.bl.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2014/08/dont-lose-your-head-its-just-st-john-the-baptists-day.html and
https://www.flickr.com/photos/22274117@N08/9578703780
Claire's video on Midsummer and St John the Baptist - https://youtu.be/Y-XPm3n-udc 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 29th August 1538, Geoffrey Pole, son of Sir Richard Pole and Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, was arrested. He was already on thin ice, having been a staunch supporter of Queen Catherine of Aragon and Princess Mary, but he now was suspected, like other members of his family, of being in communication with his brother, Cardinal Reginald Pole, a man who had upset King Henry VIII. Unlike other members of his family, including Margaret Pole, Geoffrey managed to survive this trouble - how? Why? What happened? Find out in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/HWWQReXzcUY 

August 28 - Robert Dudley's last letter to Elizabeth I

On this day in Tudor history, 28th August 1588, an ailing Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, wrote his final letter to his queen and childhood friend, Elizabeth I. He wrote it while on his way to Buxton, in Derbyshire, to take the waters for his health.
 
The letter is very special because Elizabeth labelled it "His Last Letter" and kept it close by her until her own death in 1603.
 
In today's talk, historian Claire Ridgway shares a transcript of Robert Dudley's last letter and talks about Elizabeth I's reaction to his subsequent death. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/ApSPxK1d_0o
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 28th August 1551, thirty-five-year-old Mary, future Mary I, received a visit from a delegation of men sent by her half-brother, thirteen-year-old King Edward VI.
Mary was being defiant and disobedient. She was ignoring her half-brother's orders and was breaking the laws of the land. What was she doing? She was continuing to celebrate the Catholic Mass in her household. Find out more about what happened on this day in 1551 and how Mary handled it, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/aQgA90q7HHw 

August 27 - The Battle of St Quentin

On this day in Tudor history, 27th August 1557, St Quentin was stormed by English and Imperial forces. Admiral de Coligny and his French troops, numbering only a thousand, were overcome by around 60,000 soldiers, and St Quentin fell. Henry Dudley, the youngest son of the late John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, was killed by a cannonball during the storming. 
 
Find out about the siege and battle, and what happened next, in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/W1U1ZqajrUs
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 27th August 1549, the Battle of Dussindale took place near Norwich, in East Anglia. It ended Kett’s Rebellion once and for all. Find out what happened on that day in 1549 and what happened to the rebels who survived the battle, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/9mUmt9J6_FE 

August 26 - A devastated Mary I prepares to be abandoned

On this day in Tudor history, 26th August 1555, Queen Mary I and her husband, Philip of Spain, departed from Whitehall in preparation for Philip's return to the Low Countries.
 
This was an awful time for Mary I. She had just come out of confinement after months of believing she was pregnant, and now her husband was leaving her. He'd be gone for over 18 months.
 
Find out more about Mary's state of health and mind, the arrangements for Philip's departure, and Mary's reaction, in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/RdzLpuGHaSU
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 26th August 1533, Queen Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII, prepared for the birth of her first child by "taking her chamber" at Greenwich Palace. This child was of course the future Queen Elizabeth I. “Taking her chamber” was common practice in Tudor England, and I explain all of the rituals and traditions involved in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/xsfsQEhlVD4