Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

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 

August 11 - Sir Maurice Berkeley and his royal career

On this day in Tudor history, 11th August 1581, Sir Maurice Berkeley, former gentleman usher of Henry VIII's Privy Chamber, died.
 
You may not have heard of Sir Maurice Berkeley, but he had a wonderful court career, serving Henry VIII, Edward VI and Elizabeth I, and proving his loyalty to Mary I by arresting rebel leader, Thomas Wyatt the Younger.
 
Find out more about this lesser-known Tudor man 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/cM07C7GcpNY
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 11th August 1534, or shortly before, the friars observant were expelled from their religious houses due to their support of Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife, and their refusal to accept the king as supreme head of the Church in England. These men were treated abominably by Henry VIII and his government and you can find out about their treatment and their fates in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/BbdP7JZKGbo 

August 10 - Drownings at London Bridge

On this day in Tudor history, 10th August 1553, the same day that Queen Mary I held requiem mass for the soul of her late half-brother, Edward VI, seven men died at London Bridge. They were drowned.
 
Find out more about what happened to these men - one of whom was Thomas Brydges, the son of Sir Thomas Brydges, Deputy Lieutenant of the Tower of London - how the Thames was the preferred way of travelling around London, and how and why it could be dangerous around London Bridge, 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/addIkGVNyXA
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 10th August 1512, the English fleet's flagship, the Mary Rose, saw battle for the first time in the Battle of Saint-Mathieu, a naval battle in the War of the League of Cambrai. The battle was fought between the English fleet and the Franco-Breton fleet just off the coast of Brest. 1,500 to 1,600 men were lost that day, but how? What happened? And who was victorious? Find out in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/2Btr6lCMYko 

August 9 - Elizabeth I's words cause horror among her clergy

On this day in Tudor history, 9th August 1561, while on a visit to Ipswich, in Suffolk, Queen Elizabeth I issued a royal mandate forbidding women to reside in cathedrals and colleges.
Although she wasn't going as far as banning clerical marriage, her mandate caused concern, and even horror, among her clergy, particularly her married Archbishop of Canterbury, who was a huge supporter of clerical marriage.
Find out more about what Elizabeth I ordered, the reactions of William Cecil, Matthew Parker and Richard Cox, and why the Protestant Elizabeth may have issued this mandate, in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/3lNCVq7SOg0
Also on this day in Tudor history, 9th August 1588, Queen Elizabeth I gave her famous Tilbury Speech to the forces gathered at Tilbury Fort. It is a speech that has been immortalised on screen by the likes of Glenda Jackson and Cate Blanchett, and is famous for the line "I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too", but what words did Elizabeth really speak that day? Find out in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/0E6-wPzg9ww