Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

"I'll do it my way!"

On 13 October 1549, Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, the man who had ruled England as Lord Protector for young Edward VI, lost it all.By the next day, he was in the Tower.
How did the most powerful man in Tudor England fall so fast?
In this episode, I uncover the character flaws, bad decisions, and political missteps that doomed Somerset’s rule.He was a soldier, reformer, and visionary, but also proud, volatile, and deaf to counsel.
Discover:- The letter that warned Somerset he was heading for disaster- How anger and obstinacy turned allies into enemies- Why his leadership failed both at home and abroad- And how ambition finally led him to the scaffold in 1552
Was Somerset a well-meaning reformer crushed by politics, or an arrogant ruler who couldn’t share power?Tell me what you think in the comments.
#TudorHistory #EdwardSeymour #DukeOfSomerset #EdwardVI #HenryVIII #Reformation #TudorDrama #OnThisDay #HistoryTok #BritishHistory

Did Edward VI Really Kill His Falcon

Did England’s boy-king really tear his pet falcon to pieces?In 1551, a foreign ambassador claimed that thirteen-year-old Edward VI, Henry VIII’s only son, plucked and ripped apart his own falcon, saying he was that bird “whom everyone plucked.”Some at court swore it happened. Others called it lies.Was this a violent outburst, a misunderstood symbol of royal power, or pure Tudor gossip?
Join me,  historian Claire Ridgway, as I unpack the evidence, the politics behind it, and what this strange rumour reveals about the young king determined to rule, not be ruled.Listen to the end and decide for yourself: was Edward’s falcon moment real, or a tale that flew out of control?
 
#TudorHistory #EdwardVI #HenryVIII #TudorMystery #BritishHistory #TudorEngland #ClaireRidgway #Reformation #OnThisDay #RoyalHistory #TrueCrimeHistory #TudorDynasty

The Power, Peril, and Legacy of Lady Jane Grey’s Grandfather

On this day in Tudor history, 10 October 1530, Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, died. Soldier, jouster, courtier, and grandfather of Lady Jane Grey, he lived a life that perfectly captured the dangers and rewards of Tudor ambition.Born into royalty - grandson of Elizabeth Woodville and Katherine Neville, sister of the Kingmaker - Thomas grew up in the shadow of shifting alliances and rebellion.He was imprisoned by Henry VII, restored under Henry VIII, and rose again through charm, courage, and sheer survival instinct.- He dazzled at court tournaments, fought in France in 1513, escorted Mary Tudor to her French wedding, and bore the sword of state at the Field of Cloth of Gold.- He sat in judgment on the Duke of Buckingham, backed Henry VIII’s annulment, and—when the tides turned—joined the charges against Cardinal Wolsey.- Yet behind the glitter was a man who fought feuds, faced imprisonment, and watched power slip as easily as it came.By his death, he was one of England’s wealthiest nobles—and the patriarch of a line that would end in tragedy with Lady Jane Grey.Join me,  historian and author Claire Ridgway, for the remarkable story of a Tudor magnate who lived, fought, and schemed at the heart of power.Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell for more daily Tudor history.#OnThisDay #TudorHistory #ThomasGrey #LadyJaneGrey #HenryVIII #TudorCourt #TudorDynasty #EnglishHistory #FieldOfClothOfGold #ClaireRidgway

Henry VIII’s Bloody Response to Rebellion: The Pilgrimage of Grace Begins

On this day in Tudor history, 9 October 1536, anger in Lincolnshire burst into open revolt.At Horncastle, a crowd raised their hands in agreement: “We like them very well!”, and sent a blunt list of grievances to King Henry VIII. That petition marked the birth of the Pilgrimage of Grace, the largest uprising of his reign.But how did it start?
In the first week of October 1536, fear and fury spread through Lincolnshire:
Louth’s vicar warned that the Church was in danger.
Cromwell’s commissioners were attacked and their papers burned.
Two royal agents were killed at Horncastle.
The rebels’ demands were clear:
Stop dissolving monasteries
End new taxes and seizure of Church wealth
Remove “upstart” councillors like Thomas Cromwell and Richard Rich
Henry’s reply? Defiance. “Withdraw yourselves… and submit to punishment.”But the rebellion spread north. Within weeks, Robert Aske led 30,000 rebels under the banner of the Five Wounds of Christ. They faced the Duke of Norfolk near Doncaster, and chose negotiation over bloodshed.Henry’s promise of pardon was a trap. When the rising rekindled, Aske and the rebel leaders were executed.Join me, historian and author Claire Ridgway, as we trace how local anger became a national crisis, and how Henry VIII’s cold response defined his rule.Like, subscribe, and ring the bell for more daily Tudor history.
Tell me in the comments: Would you have trusted Norfolk’s offer, or marched on London?
 
  #OnThisDay #TudorHistory #HenryVIII #PilgrimageOfGrace #ThomasCromwell #RobertAske #Reformation #LincolnshireRising #EnglishReformation #TudorRebellion #BritishHistory #ClaireRidgway  

The Fall of the Lord Protector

How Edward Seymour Went from Power to the Scaffold
 
On this day in Tudor history, 8 October 1549, England’s most powerful man became its newest traitor. Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset and uncle to the boy-king Edward VI, had ruled England as Lord Protector since 1547. 
 
He pushed bold reforms (the Act of Uniformity and the Book of Common Prayer) but rebellion, rivalry, and ambition brought him down. When unrest broke out in 1549 - the Prayer Book Rebellion and Kett’s Rebellion - Somerset’s authority crumbled. He panicked, calling men to arms and taking the young king to Windsor. His enemies, led by John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, moved fast. On 8 October 1549, the Privy Council branded Somerset a traitor. By the 11th, he had surrendered. Within days, he was in the Tower; his protectorate abolished.
 
But this is Tudor England… and there’s always a twist.
Somerset returned to power briefly, only to be accused of plotting against Northumberland and executed in January 1552.
 
Join me, historian and author Claire Ridgway, as we explore how ambition, politics, and faith brought down the “Good Duke".
 
Was Somerset a reformer out of his depth, or a ruthless operator undone by his own hand? Tell me in the comments!
 
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell for daily Tudor history deep dives.
 
#OnThisDay #TudorHistory #EdwardVI #DukeOfSomerset #EdwardSeymour #Reformation #KettsRebellion #PrayerBookRebellion #JohnDudley #TudorPolitics #TowerOfLondon #TudorTok #HistoryTok #ClaireRidgway #BritishHistory

The Quiet Power Behind England’s Rise at Sea

On this day in Tudor history, 7 October 1589, the bells of Deptford tolled for William Hawkins: merchant, sea captain, three-time mayor of Plymouth, and the steadier, quieter elder of the famous Hawkins brothers. Buried at St Nicholas’s, his monument is lost, but his impact isn’t.In this episode, I trace how Hawkins turned Plymouth into a launchpad for Elizabethan sea power:
From Brazil voyages with his father to a Plymouth shipowner and civic powerhouse
Privateering in the Channel during the 1557–58 war and pushing London for reprisals after San Juan de Ulúa
Building Plymouth’s infrastructure (new water conduit, weighhouse, grain transport) and securing Hawkins’ Quay
Leading a bold 1582–83 venture via Cape Verde to the Caribbean (Margarita, Puerto Rico)
Backing, and benefiting from, ventures tied to the 1560s transatlantic slave trade
Helping marshal seven Plymouth ships against the Spanish Armada in 1588
Not a household name like Drake or John Hawkins, William was the engineer of capacity - the quay-master, quartermaster, and mayor who kept ships, money, and men moving when England needed them most.Had you heard of this Hawkins before today? Tell me in the comments, and if you enjoy daily Tudor deep dives, please like, subscribe, and ring the bell.
 
#OnThisDay #TudorHistory #ElizabethanEngland #WilliamHawkins #SpanishArmada

John Capon: Tudor Bishop and Political Weathervane

On 6 October 1557, John Capon, also known as John Salcot, died, probably of influenza. 
 
His career charts the shifting winds of Tudor religion: Benedictine monk, abbot, court preacher, reformer under Henry VIII and Edward VI, and Catholic persecutor under Mary I. 
 
Was he a survivor, an opportunist, or both? 
 
In today’s “On This Day” we explore how one bishop’s career became a case study in Tudor adaptability.What do you think: principled conformer or clerical chameleon? Share your thoughts below!#TudorHistory #OnThisDay #JohnCapon #MaryITudor #HenryVIII #AnneBoleyn #Reformation #TudorChurch #HistoryTok #ClaireRidgway

The Brutal Murder of George Saunders: Tudor True Crime

A spring morning in 1573. A respected London merchant leaves a friend’s house near Woolwich… and ends up dead by Shooter’s Hill.The killer, Captain George Brown, is caught within days. But the real shock wasn’t the killer's identity, it was the letter that told him exactly where to strike… and who wanted George Saunders gone.I’m Claire Ridgway, historian and author. In this Tudor true-crime deep dive, we follow the manhunt, the Privy Council’s rapid crackdown, and the chain of clues later dramatised in "A Warning for Fair Women", from “a white doublet and blue breeches” to blood on a suspect’s hose and a waterman’s damning testimony. What unfolds reaches far beyond a highway ambush, right into Saunders’s inner circle.In this episode you’ll hear about:
The ambush near Shooter’s Hill and John Beane’s miraculous survival
How the Council moved: arrest at Rochester, Tower examinations, and swift justice at Smithfield
The mysterious letter and the go-between who carried messages
Why the case obsessed Elizabethan England: status, scandal, and a rich paper trail (pamphlets, ballad, Privy Council orders, and a stage play)
The final twist that stunned London
If you love Tudor true crime, hit like, subscribe, and ring the bell.
 
#truecrime #tudortruecrime #tudorhistory #tudormurder #georgesaunders #elizabethandrama