Claire | May 26, 2022
On this day in Tudor history, 26th May 1536, Mary, the eldest daughter of King Henry VIII, sought the help of Master Secretary Thomas Cromwell, the king’s right-hand man. Now that her stepmother, Anne Boleyn, was out of the way, Mary was hoping for a reconciliation with her father. What did Mary want Cromwell to […]
Claire | April 8, 2022
On this day in history, 8th April 1554, there was an act of religious defiance in London. Someone who didn’t like Queen Mary I’s religious changes hanged a cat on the gallows at Cheapside. The cat was dressed as a Catholic priest and was holding a piece of paper to represent that communion wafer. It […]
Joel | March 30, 2022
On this day in Tudor history, 30th March 1533, at the Passion Sunday service, Thomas Cranmer, Archdeacon of Taunton, was consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury. His consecration was not like those of others before him, however, because as well as making the usual oath promising to be faithful to the papacy and to denounce heretics, […]
Joel | March 15, 2022
On this day in Tudor history, 15th March 1532, King Henry VIII used what was described as “foul language” to William Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury. Henry VIII also threatened the poor man, and it is amazing that Warham kept his head as the king was furious. What happened? Find out what Warham did to upset […]
Joel | March 6, 2022
On this day in Tudor history, 6th March 1536, King Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries began when the “Act for the Suppression (or Dissolution) of the Lesser Monasteries” was introduced into the Reformation Parliament. The Dissolution of the Monasteries had a major impact on England and her people, but was of great benefit to […]
Joel | January 26, 2022
On this day in Tudor history, 26th January 1546, judge of assize and law reporter, Sir John Spelman, died. Now, you may never have heard of Justice John Spelman, but his reports on the legal cases of people like Queen Anne Boleyn, Sir Thomas More, Bishop John Fisher and Cardinal Thomas Wolsey have been very […]
Claire | July 17, 2021
Mary I was the daughter of King Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and she was Queen of England from July 1553 to November 1558, but how much do you know about her? In this latest edition of my “facts about…” series, I share 21 interesting facts about Mary I. Find out […]
Claire | November 17, 2017
On this day in history, 17th November 1558, Queen Mary I, Henry VIII’s eldest daughter, died at St James’s Palace at the age of forty-two. Mary had named her half-sister, twenty-five-year-old Elizabeth, as her heir and members of Mary’s council rushed to Hatfield to give the new queen the news of Mary’s death. On hearing […]
