Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

May 14 - Henry VIII's leg problems

On this day in Tudor history, 14th May 1538, the French ambassador, Louis de Perreau, Sieur de Castillon, wrote a dispatch regarding King Henry VIII having been dangerously ill due to a problem with one of his legs.
 
Henry VIII was plagued with problems from his legs, leg uclers, from at least 1528 right up until his death. But what do we know about his problems and what are the theories regarding the cause?
 
Find out in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway.
https://youtu.be/toBE-1ppOJ4
 
Also on this day in history, 14th May 1635, Helena Gorges (née Snakenborg), Lady Gorges, was buried in Salisbury Cathedral. But who was this lady and how did a Swedish royal maid-of-honour end up being buried in England? Find out in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/BzKXyFiHb6w
And on this day in 1536, while her predecessor and former mistress was in the Tower of London waiting for her trial, Jane Seymour was moved to be closer to the king and was treated like a queen. Hmmm… Find out more in the 14th may 1536 video - https://youtu.be/2efPMyXd14E

May 13 - A battle between Mary, Queen of Scots, and her half-brother

On this day in Tudor history, 13th May 1568, the forces of Mary, Queen of Scots, met those of her brother, the Regent Moray, at the Battle of Langside in Scotland.
 
Mary, Queen of Scots was defeated soundly, but what happened and why was she fighting against the regent acting on behalf of her son, King James VI? What had led to this moment.
 
Claire Ridgway, founder of the Tudor Society, explains all in today's talk.
https://youtu.be/az5F0etpQXA
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 13th May 1515, Henry VIII's beloved sister, Mary Tudor, former Queen of France, married his best friend, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, at Greenwich Palace. Find out more in last year's video - https://youtu.be/-8Anes65T9A
 
And on 13th May 1536, Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, got rather cross and exasperated with Thomas Cromwell and refused to be bullied in any way. Poor Cromwell, Percy wouldn't play ball! Find out what Thomas Cromwell was trying to get Percy to do any why, and what it had to do with the fall of Anne Boleyn in the 13th May 1536 video - https://youtu.be/iBWLVMZBMKU

May 12 - A very obstinate friar

On this day in Tudor history, 12th May 1538, a Franciscan friar obstinately refused to make a public recantation of his allegiance to Rome. 
 
Friar John Forest ahd been condemned for heresy and was meant to abjure his faith at St Paul's Cross, but he decided not to. Find out more about what happened from historian Claire Ridgway.
 
Claire's other video on Forest: May 22 - Blessed John Forest and a prophecy fulfilled - https://youtu.be/om41xAXnxcQ
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 12th May 1521, reformer Martin Luther was proclaimed a heretic by Bishop John Fisher and Cardinal Thomas Wolsey at St Paul's in London, and his works were burned. Find out more in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/bI9d8GhvZMo 
And on this day in 1536, in the lead-up to Queen Anne Boleyn’s execution, Sir Henry Norris, Sir Francis Weston, William Brereton and Mark Smeaton were tried for high treason at Westminster Hall. Find out what happened in the 12th May 1536 video - https://youtu.be/Usark3PL5RY 

May 11 - The doctor who saved a queen

On this day in Tudor history, 11th May 1560, royal physician Dr Thomas Wendy, died at his home, the manor of Haslingfield, in Cambridgeshire. 
 
He attended three Tudor monarchs at their death and had a long and loyal service as a royal physician, but what interests Claire, in particular, is his role in saving Queen Catherine Parr, Henry VIII's sixth wife, from a plot by Catholic conservatives in 1546.
 
Find out more Dr Thomas Wendy, his life, career, and the plot in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History".
https://youtu.be/HwFFFQPRx8k
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 11th May 1537, Blessed John Rochester and Blessed James Walworth, two Carthusian monks from the London Charterhouse, met their ends in York after being condemned for treason. Find out more about them and the other Carthusian martyrs in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/kFeYN34OA9M 
And on this day in 1536, in the fall of Anne Boleyn, the Grand Jury of Kent met to rule on the alleged offences committed by Queen Anne Boleyn and her alleged lovers in the county. In my video on that day, I considered the dates, places and crimes cited in the indictments, and whether they made any sense at all. https://youtu.be/rTXMuEcuM7w 

May 10 - A search for the Northeast Passage finds Ivan the Terrible instead

On this day in Tudor history, 10th May 1553, near the end of King Edward VI’s reign, the first expedition of the Company of Merchant Adventurers, left London in search of a Northeast passage for Asia.
 
The voyage, with its fleet of three ships, was led by Richard Chancellor, Sebastian Cabot and Sir Hugh Willoughby. It failed in its aim, and Willoughby and his crew died, but Richard Chancellor was able to come to a very beneficial agreement with Ivan the Terrible.
 
Find out more about the company, the voyage and the resulting trade agreement, and Muscovy Company, in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, founder of the Tudor Society.
 
“The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques & discoveries of the English nation” - https://archive.org/details/principalnaviga23haklgoog/page/n242/mode/2up 
  Also on this day in Tudor history, 10th May 1552, author John Clerk, who had served Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, as his secretary, avoided public shame with a very final act in the Tower of London. What happened? What led Clerk to this end? How had he ended up in the Tower of London? Find out in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/ZzKJTcRUkrM 
Also on this day in 1536, during the fall of Anne Boleyn, the Grand Jury of Middlesex met to decide on whether Queen Anne Boleyn, George Boleyn, Sir Henry Morris, Sir Francis Weston, William Brereton and Mark Smeaton should be sent to trial. But what were the charges? Find out in 10th May 1536 video - https://youtu.be/N5RDVpO7cwI 

May 9 - Colonist William Bradford

On this day in history, in the Stuart period, 9th May 1657, William Bradford died. He is known as the founder of the Plymouth Colony in America and the writer of a chronicle of its early years: “Of Plimmoth Plantation”.
 
But how did a Yorkshire man of farming stock become a Puritan and a governor of a colony in North America? What led to him becoming a "pilgrim" and boarding The Mayflower?
 
Find out 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/5Q9XcxptpCg
 
Bradford’s history of the Plymouth Plantation can be read online at - https://archive.org/details/historyplymouth00bradgoog/page/n11/mode/2up 
Also on this day in history, 9th May 1509, the remains of King Henry VII were taken to St Paul’s to prepare for his burial at Westminster Abbey. Find out more in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/sWeSiAkW7Bc
And on this day in 1536, King Henry VIII wanted an update on the investigation into his second wife, Queen Anne Boleyn. Find out more in the video for 9th May 1536 - https://youtu.be/ectaTReDez0 

May 8 - Charles Wriothesley and his chronicle

On this day in Tudor history, 8th May 1508, herald and chronicler Charles Wriothesley was born in London. 
Wriothesley’s chronicle is one of the major primary sources for King Henry VIII's reign, so let Claire tell you more about its writer, Charles Wriothesley, Windsor Herald, and what heralds actually are.
 
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/tQOF76J6o5M
 
College of Arms website - https://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/about-us/heralds-officers 
 
Wriothesley's Chronicle Volume I - https://archive.org/stream/chronicleofengla01wriouoft#page/n5/mode/2up
 
Volume II - https://archive.org/details/chronicleofengla02wriouoft/page/n4/mode/2up
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 8th May 1559, Queen Elizabeth I gave her approval to the Acts of Uniformity and Supremacy. The Act of Uniformity was incredibly important and it reflected the queen's wish to follow a middle road where religion was concerned. But what was this act? What did it establish? What did Elizabeth want for England and what happened? Find out in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/jMrZfLzkhWM
And in 1536, in the lead-up to Queen Anne Boleyn’s fall, vultures were circling, hands were being rubbed with glee, but who were these vultures and what were they after- Find out in 8th May 1536 video - https://youtu.be/74HfgSIk7Ps 

May 7 - The wife Bothwell divorced to marry Mary, Queen of Scots

 
On 7th May 1567, eight days before James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, married Mary, Queen of Scots, the Catholic court granted him a divorce from his wife, Lady Jean Gordon.
 
Who was Jean Gordon? Why did Bothwell divorce her? And what happened to Jean afterwards?
 
Find out more about Bothwell and Jean's marriage, and about Jean's life, in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History".
 
April 29 video - https://youtu.be/trdexa_EwUM
 
Bothwell's death - https://youtu.be/XRU_nEsUxFw 
 
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/H4NJetrgmhg
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 7th May 1535, after a year of imprisonment in awful conditions at the Tower of London, John Fisher, former Bishop of Rochester, was visited at the Tower of London and tricked into saying something that would lead to his brutal end. Find out more in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/vmgMvS_JZlw 
And on this day in 1536, in the fall of Anne Boleyn, the queen’s chaplain was accosted and searched on his arrival back in England from the Continent. Why? Find out in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/tk6hHmiv_2E