Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

Get access to Claire's line masterclass on 15th January 2022, "Who killed Anne Boleyn?", by buying your ticket to "Anne Boleyn, the Woman who changed England" before the end of 31st December 2021 - see https://claireridgway.com/events/anne-boleyn-the-woman-who-changed-england/ "Anne Boleyn, the Woman who changed England" is a 7-day virtual conference. It's completely online and you'll be able to learn from 8 Anne Boleyn experts in talks and live Q&A sessions from the comfort of your own home. I believe that it's only by looking at Anne Boleyn's background and her formative years, spent at two Renaissance courts, that we can truly understand her. By the end of the week (28 Feb to 6 March), you will have met a very new Anne and understand just why King Henry VIII changed the course of English history to be with her, and why they were such a powerful union. It's a truly unique experience and I hope you can join me! Go to https://claireridgway.com/events/anne-boleyn-the-woman-who-changed-england/ to find out more and to book your ticket right now.

On this day in Tudor history, 22nd December 1557, Protestant martyrs John Rough and Margaret Mearing, were burnt at Smithfield for heresy. John Rough was a Scot who'd encouraged John Knox to be a pastor, but ended in days in England. Interestingly, the woman he died with was a woman he'd excommunicated from his congregation, believing her to be a spy. Although she'd been angry with her treatment, she was not the spy who betrayed him, she visited Rough in prison and was arrested after she tried to confront the real spy. Find out about John Rough's life and what brought him to England, how he'd come to be arrested, and what happened with Margaret Mearing, in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway. John Foxe's account can be read at https://www.dhi.ac.uk/foxe/index.php?realm=text&gototype=modern&edition=1583&pageid=2052 Also on this day in Tudor history, 22nd December 1534, John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, who was a prisoner in the Tower of London, wrote to Thomas Cromwell.
In his letter to Cromwell, the poor bishop begged him for a shirt, sheet, food and books, as well as asking him to intercede with King Henry VIII on his behalf. It is so sad that a man who had served the king so loyally in the past had come to this, and, of course, the king's mercy would only stretch to commuting his method of execution to beheading.
Find out more in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/9EwSBKVB16E

In the first part of this week in Tudor history, historian and author Claire Ridgway introduces an outspoken reformer whose works were burnt, she talks about the death of Henry VIII’s niece, Lady Margaret Douglas, and how it was surrounded by rumour, and gives an overview of the life and career of a Tudor administrator who claimed he survived in politics in such turbulent times because he “was made of the plyable willow, not of the stubborn oak”. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link: https://youtu.be/ztJkKmh2Odo 8th March 1569 - Death of evangelical reformer and Member of Parliament Richard Tracy at Stanway in Gloucestershire. Henry VIII and his council ordered the burning of his works in 1546. 9th March 1578 - Death of sixty-two-year-old Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox, niece of Henry VIII, mother of Lord Darnley and grandmother of King James VI/I. Her death was surrounded by rumours of poisoning. 10th March 1572 - Death of nobleman and administrator William Paulet, 1st Marquis of Winchester, at his home Basing House in Hampshire. He was said to be 97 years of age. Pauley managed to serve Henry VIII and all three of his children, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I, and said it was down to him being "made of the plyable willow, not of the stubborn oak”. Lady Margaret Douglas - https://youtu.be/XhLKtBDLO5c
The burial of Lady Margaret Douglas - https://youtu.be/fuWfShWK-rY Other Tudor history events for these dates: March 8 - Henry VIII receives a leopard - https://youtu.be/SdGY8OHBS6A March 8 - Sir Nicholas Carew's sticky end - https://youtu.be/jRx9pKlmABQ March 9 - Frances Radcliffe, Countess of Sussex, and her most rare gifts both of mind and body - https://youtu.be/SPyMoYQ7kLQ March 9 - Mary, Queen of Scots' secretary is murdered in front of her! - https://youtu.be/xrry1M7NC70 March 10 - John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford and his role in the Wars of the Roses - https://youtu.be/T1gRn3pz2AA March 10 - Henry VIII and a nasty jousting accident - https://youtu.be/EHgU6KxiVAU
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Claire Ridgway
Historian and author, founder of the Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Society
www.theanneboleynfiles.com
www.tudorsociety.com
https://twitter.com/AnneBoleynFiles
http://www.facebook.com/theanneboleynfiles https://www.instagram.com/anneboleynfiles/
https://twitter.com/thetudorsociety
https://www.facebook.com/tudorsociety/ https://www.instagram.com/tudor.society/

In this second part of This week on Tudor history for the week beginning 22nd February, historian and author Claire Ridgway introduces a literary patron and her husband, a clergyman who ended up dying on a voyage far from home and being buried at sea, and a famous reformer whose peacemaking and pragmatic approach failed to heal rifts and please people. Oh and he ended up being dug up and posthumously tried for heresy, and burnt! You can see this podcast as a video at the following link: https://youtu.be/ED-IG_znvZs 24th or 25th February 1618 - Death of Elizabeth Carey (née Spencer), Lady Hunsdon. Elizabeth was a renowned literary patron and was one of the Spencers of Althorp. 26th February 1548 - Birth of Elizabeth Carey's husband, Sir George Carey, 2nd Baron Hunsdon, son of Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon, and grandson of Mary Boleyn. 27th February 1583 - Death of clergyman and diarist Richard Madox at sea, near Espirito Santo harbour, near Vitória, Brazil. Madox was on a trading voyage at the time and kept a diary which is a wonderful source of the lead-up to the voyage and tthe voyage itself. 28th February/1st March 1551 - Death of Martin Bucer, the famous theologian and Protestant reformer at Cambridge. As well as his reform and works, Bucer was known for his peacemaking and pragmatic approach. He had good intentions, wanting to avoid schism, but he ended up not pleasing anyone. Claire's video on the burning of the remains of Bucer and Fagius can be viewed at

https://youtu.be/lwVXkWK3q-k

More "On this day" events for 25-28 February:

February 25 - The execution of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex - https://youtu.be/lQ0nFNgD74s

February 25 - Elizabeth I is excommunicated - https://youtu.be/sS__T7HLURM

February 26 – Christopher Marlowe – a rather colourful character! - https://youtu.be/QnT2Qp7RuXc

February 26 - The sad ends of loyal men - https://youtu.be/tSH2feVoYHQ

February 27 - The Battle of Ancrum Moor and a legendary stone - https://youtu.be/LMEowRAmMns

February 27 - The ends of three Catholics at Tyburn - https://youtu.be/zsUSrhyWnwA

February 28 - Thomas Forret, a chief heretic and teacher of heresy - https://youtu.be/f3_SnmqCcmk

February 28 and 29 - The fugitive wizard earl and an awful burning - https://youtu.be/UBeu4Gz9CNM

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Claire Ridgway
Historian and author, founder of the Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Society
www.theanneboleynfiles.com
www.tudorsociety.com
https://twitter.com/AnneBoleynFiles
http://www.facebook.com/theanneboleynfiles https://www.instagram.com/anneboleynfiles/
https://twitter.com/thetudorsociety
https://www.facebook.com/tudorsociety/ https://www.instagram.com/tudor.society/