Anne Boleyn, William Tyndale and Henry VIII

| October 2, 2013

Anne Boleyn, William Tyndale and Henry VIII

The 2nd October 1528 saw the publication of English reformer and Bible translator William Tyndale’s “The Obedience of the Christian Man” (full title: “The Obedience of a Christen man, and how Christen rulers ought to govern, wherein also (if thou mark diligently) thou shalt find eyes to perceive the crafty convience of all jugglers”) in […]

18 June 1546 – Anne Askew Arraigned at Guildhall for Heresy

| June 18, 2013

18 June 1546 – Anne Askew Arraigned at Guildhall for Heresy

On 18th June 1546, Anne Askew, a young woman from Lincolnshire who we know now as a Protestant martyr and poet, was arraigned for heresy at London’s Guildhall along with Nicholas Shaxton, Nicholas White and John Hadlam (Adlams or Adams). They were all found guilty and condemned to death. Chronicler and Windsor Herald Charles Wriothesley […]

Anne Boleyn – The Mysterious and Maligned One

| January 27, 2011

Anne Boleyn – The Mysterious and Maligned One

There’s no denying that Anne Boleyn is the most maligned and misunderstood of Henry VIII’s six wives. Even today, in an age where we have unprecedented access to primary sources and the likes of historians Eric Ives and Alison Weir spreading the message that Anne Boleyn was innocent and framed, Anne Boleyn is still misrepresented […]

Anne Boleyn: The Myths and Bad History

| July 26, 2010

Anne Boleyn: The Myths and Bad History

There was an interesting article in Saturday’s Daily Mail entitled “Anne Boleyn, harlot or heroine? Was she a scheming sexual predator, or a brave reformer who changed Britain for ever?” about Anne Boleyn, the myths surrounding her and Howard Brenton’s new play “Anne Boleyn” which is being performed at The Globe. While I applaud Brenton […]

Anne Boleyn and the Reformation

| March 29, 2010

Anne Boleyn and the Reformation

It seems fitting during Holy Week to look at Anne Boleyn’s role in the English Reformation. However, one of the mysteries surrounding Anne Boleyn is what Anne herself believed, i.e. her own personal faith, and what her role in the English Reformation actually was. Historians just can’t seem to agree! In his report, “Anne Boleyn’s […]

The Life of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer

| March 21, 2010

The Life of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer

On this day in history, 21st March 1556, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer was executed, he was burnt at the stake as a herectic, one of the Protestant martyrs of Mary I’s reign and one of the three famous “Oxford Martyrs”. This article has been split into two parts – The Life of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer and […]

Edward VI Crowned King

| February 20, 2010

Edward VI Crowned King

I can’t quite believe how many anniversaries of Tudor events there have been in the past couple of weeks and here’s another! Yes, on this day in history, the 20th February 1547, Edward VI was crowned King of England at the tender age of nine. You can find out more about the boy king, who […]

Anne Boleyn: The Martyr

| June 26, 2009

Anne Boleyn: The Martyr

As much as I love Anne Boleyn, and you all know that I do, the idea of her being a martyr or being venerated and being known as Saint Anne Boleyn is rather foreign to me and I expect that Anne would laugh at the idea. However, there are many who believe that she died […]

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