16th Century 1500-1599
Anne Boleyn’s Execution Speech
When in 1532 Anne Boleyn finally gave in and slept with King Henry VIII and then in 1533 secretly married him, she as good as sealed her own death warrant. She was the first English Queen to be executed and her execution speech is a paradox of the journey which brought her to the block.…
Read MoreThe Chronicles of Edward Hall
The Chronicles of Edward Hall are not something that many with an interest in the Tudor period may be aware of but Edward Hall was an astute observer of the period. He was born about 1496 in London and was educated at Eton and at King’s College Cambridge He entered Grays Inn and became a…
Read MoreThe Drolatic Dreams of Pantagruel.
The Drolatic Dreams of Pantagruel. Whilst searching through Medieval books and manuscripts for images of ‘witches’ and their symbols this book from 1565 emerged from the archives. It is an absurd collection of characters bound into a single volume, images only, except for a preface by the man who published it in 1565. The images…
Read MoreWynkyn de Worde Printer
Wynkyn de Worde the printer and publisher of Shoe Lane Fleet Street who became a great typographist in addition to the 800 books he produced during the early part of the 16th century.
Read MoreShakespeare’s Original Pronunciation
Shakespeare’s original pronunciation was very different to the sound of modern spoken English. Hearing his plays in OP is both exciting and enriching and not something to be left off any school curriculum as it totally changes the observers perception.
Read MoreMargaret Pole Who Was She?
Margaret Pole was an intriguing and complex character. One of the few survivors of the Plantagenet dynasty after the wars of the 15th Century she was executed under the orders of King Henry VIII in 1541, aged sixty seven years old. So what happened to cause this old lady to lose her head? First let’s…
Read MoreTudor Queens and the Tower of London
The Tudor queens and the Tower of London had a tumultuous relationship for the fifty years of their combined reigns.
Read MoreGeorge Duke of Clarence
George Duke of Clarence may have been the only legitimate heir in the House of York he married the Kingmaker’s daughter what happened to their children? Margaret of York, Edward Plantagenet and Richard of York were born to rank and privilege but how would their lives stand-up to the brutal times of the War of the Roses?
Read MoreQueen Elizabeth I Statue London
The Queen Elizabeth I statue in London is that city’s oldest outdoor statue but it no longer stands where it was intended. It was re-positioned in the 1920’s and unveiled by Millicent Fawcett, the noted feminist.
Read MoreWilliam Tyndale
William Tyndale appeared in 1526, determined to translate the New Testament into English but why was this so important? How did King Henry VIII deal with Tyndale was he supportive of him or did he see him as a heretic?
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