Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

July 29 - England's clever tactics against the Spanish Armada

On this day in Tudor history, 29th July 1588, the English naval fleet attacked the Spanish Armada in a battle known as the Battle of Gravelines.
 
England defeated Spain and it was down to the new tactics they'd learned from previous encounters with the Armada and from capturing a Spanish ship, as well as weather conditions.
 
What were these new and successful tactics and what happened at the Battle of Gravelines?
 
Find out in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/IbT8ZwoxV_s
 
Video on the Spanish Armada - https://youtu.be/OcnS-lmbN00 
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, Sunday 29th July 1565, twenty-three-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots, queen regnant of Scotland, married her second husband, nineteen-year-old Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, at Holyrood Palace. Find out all about the wedding and how their marriage turned out – spoiler: it wasn’t good – in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/0ewKrNxNoRQ

July 28 - A botched execution for Thomas Cromwell

On this day in Tudor history, 28th July 1540, the same day that Henry VIII married Catherine Howard, Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, the king’s former chief advisor, was beheaded on Tower Hill having been found guilty of corruption, heresy and treason.
 
Find out about Cromwell's botched execution and his execution speech 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/vPSl-CrGg4g
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 28th July 1540, the very same day, Henry VIII married for a fifth time, marrying Catherine Howard. You can find out more about that in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/xXk0luHfeX4

July 27 - A Welshman comes to a sticky end on Anglesey

On this day in Tudor history, 27th July 1593, Roman Catholic priest and martyr, Blessed William Davies, was hanged, drawn and quartered at Beaumaris Castle on the Island of Anglesey. 
 
You may not have heard of William Davies, but he is believed to have been involved in the printing of “Y Drych Christianogawl”, or The Christian Mirror, an important early Welsh Catholic book and the first book to be printed on Welsh soil, while he was hiding in cave!
 
Find out more about Davies, how he came to be hiding in a cave in North Wales, and why he was executed, in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/cq3ummOVo7k
 
Article on William Davies - https://www.thecatholicuniverse.com/pdf/daviesbook.pdf
Also on this day in Tudor history, 27th July 1588, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, wrote to his queen with an invitation. He was intent on keeping the queen, the woman he loved, out of harm's way. What was this invitation? Well, you can find out more in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/xeWJg9kven8

July 26 - Anne Boleyn and St Anne

Today, 26th July, is the feast day of St Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ. Happy St Anne's Day to any Annes or Annas out there! Have a wonderful day!
 
St Anne was very important to Queen Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII and mother of Queen Elizabeth I, and a pageant at her coronation procession in 1533 took St Anne, combined with Anne Boleyn's falcon badge, as its theme.
 
Find out more about the pageant at Anne Boleyn's coronation, and why St Anne was chosen as the theme, 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/LKTiqLj6Jz8
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 26th July 1588, 4,000 men assembled at Tilbury Fort in an effort to prevent the Spanish Armada from travelling up the Thames and attacking London. Find out what had led up to this day in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/N89PDhKj3Bk

July 25 - A fool gets into big trouble

On this day in Tudor history, 25th July 1535, the Feast of St James, Eustace Chapuys, the imperial ambassador wrote about a furious King Henry VIII who’d apparently been nearly driven to commit murder!
What had angered the king? Well, it involved Henry VIII's fool and some foolish name-calling. Find out more in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/QPDa1fnBQqw
 
Links to related videos:
Tudor Court Fools - https://youtu.be/nyy_ZaBsqps Sir Nicholas Carew - https://youtu.be/jRx9pKlmABQ 
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 25th July 1554, Queen Mary I, daughter of Henry VIII by Catherine of Aragon, his first wife, married Philip of Spain, son of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. The couple got married at Winchester Cathedral and Mary's Lord Chancellor, Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, officiated at the ceremony. Find out more about their wedding in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/289MSTDoZHA

July 24 - Richard Hesketh and his plot to depose Elizabeth I

On this day in Tudor history, 24th July 1553, merchant and conspirator Richard Hesketh was born in Lancashire. Hesketh is known for the Hesketh Plot of 1593, when he urged Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby, to lead a rebellion to claim the throne of England.
 
But who was Richard Hesketh and why did he plot against Queen Elizabeth I? What happened to him and what happened to Ferdinando Stanley? And why did Stanley take bezoar stone and uncorn horn?
 
Find out all about Hesketh, his background, his plot, and the aftermath 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/oJBZikZLQmA
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 24th July 1567, twenty-four-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots, who was imprisoned at Lochleven Castle, and who was recovering after miscarrying twins, was threatened with violence and forced to abdicate. Her young son, James, became King James VI of Scotland in her place. Find out more about what happened in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/Mq_BR9YRvQE 

July 23 - Baby Mary, Queen of Scots escapes with her mother

On this day in Tudor history, 23rd July 1543, or 24th according to some sources, Marie de Guise and her baby daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots, escaped from Linlithgow Palace, helped by Cardinal David Beaton, and taken to Stirling Castle. 
 
Why? What was going on in Scotland at this time?
 
Find out all about Mary's early months as Queen of Scots, and why Beaton helped her and her mother to move to Stirling, 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/occfUzBMZu8
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 23rd July 1596, Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon, Privy Councillor and Lord Chamberlain, died at Somerset House in London. Hunsdon was the son of Mary Boleyn, nephew of the late Queen Anne Boleyn, and cousin and favourite of Queen Elizabeth I. Find out more about him in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/gcYG4d-6QeU 

July 22 - Playwright Edward Sharpham and his Cupid's Whirligig

On this day in Tudor history, 22nd July 1576, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, playwright and pamphleteer, Edward Sharpham, was baptised at Colehanger, East Allington, in Devon. Sharpham is thought to have written the plays “The Fleire” and “Cupid's Whirligig”, and fellow playwright Ben Jonson referred to him as a rogue.
 
Find out more about this lesser known Tudor man and his comedy Cupid's Whirligig in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/tOQe5QBTudA
 
Cupid’s Whirligig - https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=k15iAAAAcAAJ&pg=PT6&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 22nd July 1536, Henry VIII’s illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy, died at St James’ Palace. It was a huge blow for the king. You can find out about Fitzroy’s illness, death and burial, and what a favourite he was with his father, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/Ocq7Reasktg