Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

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 

May 6 - Sir James Tyrell, alleged killer of the Princes in the Tower

On this day in Tudor history, 6th May 1502, in the reign of King Henry VII, Sir James Tyrell, former royal councillor, was executed for treason due to his links to a known traitor.
 
But it's not for his time as a trusted councillor, or for his links to a claimant to the throne that he is known, but for his alleged involvement in the murders of the Princes in the Tower.
 
Find out more in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, founder of the Tudor Society.
 
You can find out more about claimant Edmund de la Pole, the man Tyrell was meant to be connected with, in the 4th May video from last year - https://youtu.be/Jqx7fJdKJHg
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 6th May 1541, King Henry VIII issued an injunction ordering the Great Bible to be available in every church in England. I explain more in last year's video - https://youtu.be/hmyv3T4wj2Q 
And in the video for the 6th May 1536, Claire talks about a letter linked to Anne Boleyn, a letter with the title “To the King from the Lady in the Tower”. https://youtu.be/ilY6SLkKzlM 

May 5 - Can’t kill him for heresy, let’s try treason...

On this day in Tudor history, 5th May 1543, religious radical, Adam Damplip, also known as George Bucker, was hanged, drawn and quartered in Calais, which was an English territory at the time.
 
Although it was his heretical preaching that had got him into trouble, he couldn't be executed as a heretic, so he was condemned as a traitor instead - clever, but nasty!
 
Let Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History", explain more in today's talk.
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 5th May 1542, just under three months after the execution of her stepgranddaughter, Queen Catherine Howard, Agnes Tilney, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, was pardoned and released from the Tower of London. Find out how she ended up in the Tower in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/B8_sPVnH3C8 
And in 1536, in the lead-up to Queen Anne Boleyn’s execution, there were eight prisoners in the Tower of London – the queen and seven men. Who were they and what was going on. Find out in the 5th May 1536 video - https://youtu.be/noweh6u6Yr8 

May 4 - A pitiful and strange spectacle

MUCH BETTER TO SEE THIS ONE ON YOUTUBEhttps://youtu.be/jNI9os9dvjs
 
On this day in Tudor history, 4th May 1535, in the reign of King Henry VIII, three Carthusian monks, a Bridgettine monk and a parish priest were executed at Tyburn.
 
They were executed for refusing to accept the King as the Supreme Head of the Church and “for writing and giving counsel against the King”, and had to suffer a full traitor's death, one after the other.
 
Find out more about them and also London Charterhouse, home to the Carthusian order, in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, founder of the Tudor Society.
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 4th May 1513, the execution of claimant Edmund de la Pole, 8th Earl of Suffolk. Find out more about him and his brother, Richard, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/Jqx7fJdKJHgAnd in 1536, the imprisoned George Boleyn, Lord Rochford, brother of Queen Anne Boleyn, received a message of comfort from his wife, Jane Boleyn. Find out more about this event in the fall of Anne Boleyn, in my 4th May 1536 video - https://youtu.be/IGMiJS-5yKE 
 
Videos on the Carthusian martyrs:
May 11 -Two Carthusian Monks - https://youtu.be/kFeYN34OA9M June 19 - More Carthusian monks meet their sad ends - https://youtu.be/kzzUWDkUdY8 

May 3 - A man who served 3 monarchs and kept his head

On this day in Tudor history, 3rd May 1568, courtier, member of Parliament, and privy councillor, Sir Edward Rogers, died. 
Rogers had a long and successful royal career, serving three of the Tudor monarchs, and he managed to keep his head too.
 
Find out more about him, and how he even survived being implicated in rebellion and opposing Mary I, 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/PE5dT0xO4Fs
 
Also on this day in history, 3rd May 1580, poet, farmer and agricultural writer Thomas Tusser died. In last year’s video, Claire shared his verses for the month of May so please do watch that - https://youtu.be/px5PSyryEnA 
And on 3rd May 1536, following the arrest of Queen Anne Boleyn and prominent courtiers, a shocked Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, wrote to King Henry VIII. Find out what was going on in the video for 3rd May 1536 - https://youtu.be/7CokGrvX3HE 

May 2 - Celestial flesh leads to a burning

On this day in history, 2nd May 1550, Anabaptist Joan Bocher, was burnt to death at Smithfield for her belief in Christ's celestial flesh.
 
How did a Protestant end up being executed in Edward VI's reign and what did she mean by Christ having celestial flesh?
 
Find out more about Joan Bocher, or Joan of Kent, her beliefs and her links to Protestant martyr Anne Askew, in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of several Tudor history books.
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 2nd May 1568, Mary, Queen of Scots, who had recently been forced to abdicate in favour of her son, King James VI, successfully escaped from Lochleven Castle. 
How did she end up a prisoner at Lochleven? How did she escape? And what happened next? Find out in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/ozLwv3LaRY0
And on 2nd May 1536, Queen Anne Boleyn and her brother, Lord Rochford, were arrested and taken to the Tower of London. Find out more in the 2nd May 1536 video - https://youtu.be/ZJuAjJYzpcc 
 
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/hEF4mgSfWeg
 
Here's William Wordsworth’s sonnet “Edward siging the warrant for the execution of Joan of Kent”:
"THE tears of man in various measure gushFrom various sources; gently overflowFrom blissful transport some--from clefts of woeSome with ungovernable impulse rush;And some, coeval with the earliest blushOf infant passion, scarcely dare to showTheir pearly lustre--coming but to go;And some break forth when others' sorrows crushThe sympathising heart. Nor these, nor yetThe noblest drops to admiration known,To gratitude, to injuries forgiven--Claim Heaven's regard like waters that have wetThe innocent eyes of youthful Monarchs drivenTo pen the mandates, nature doth disown."

May 1 - A hot-tempered Tudor courtier

On this day in Tudor history, 1st May 1551, in the reign of King Edward VI, Norfolk landowner and Member of Parliament, Sir Edmund Knyvet, died. 
 
Knyvet had an interesting court career, being helped by his Howard connections, but he was known for his rather hot temper, which nearly led to him losing his right hand.
Find out more about hot-tempered Sir Edmun Knyvet 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/5kc8tSKlpP4
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 1st May 1517, foreign traders in London had their shops and property vandalised and damaged by a mob of angry apprentices and labourers, in what was known as the Evil May Day Riot. Find out more in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/hQoTvH_0kcY
And 1st May 1536 was supposed to be a fun day for King Henry VIII and Queen Anne Boleyn at the annual May Day joust but suddenly the king left abruptly, taking his good friend and groom of the stool with him. What was going on? Find out in the 1st May 1536 video in The Fall of Anne Boleyn series - https://youtu.be/Hx1ba-2d8NU