Slavery and the Royal African Company
The Royal African Company was set up in 1660 - by the ruling Stuart family and City of London merchants - to exploit gold fields up the Gambia River. But it soon developed into a brutal and sustained ...
22 Sep 202234min
The Howard Women
We tend to associate the word ‘dynasty’ with men. But in sixteenth century England, women played a no less important role in these influential families. Among the most powerful were the Howards, which...
15 Sep 202244min
Magellan 500: The First Man to Sail the World
Exactly 500 years ago, a small band of sailors completed the first ever circumnavigation of the globe, launched by Ferdinand Magellan. From the armada of five ships and some 270 men that set out, onl...
12 Sep 202234min
Elizabethan England's Seafaring Musicians
Hardly anything has been written about the musicians who carried out many important tasks in England’s maritime ventures during the Elizabethan age. That is until now. Pioneering research has revealed...
8 Sep 202237min
Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing
*WARNING: This episode contains very strong language - including the F and C words - and derogatory terms for sex workers. So if you're likely to feel offended by these, please feel free to listen to ...
5 Sep 202224min
Shakespeare’s Henry V
This week marks 600 years since the death of King Henry V, perhaps best known for his military successes during the Hundred Years War against France and in particular his victory at the Battle of Agin...
1 Sep 202242min
A 16th Century Celebrity Executioner
The German executioner Meister Frantz Schmidt kept a fascinating journal of all the executions, torture and punishments he administered between 1573 and 1618. In this episode of Not Just the Tudors - ...
29 Aug 202242min
Thomas Cromwell's Private Life
Thomas Cromwell was an extraordinary figure in the Tudor court. Lawyer, politician, minister and peer of the realm, Cromwell deployed all of his wisdom, charisma, strategic cunning and considerable in...
25 Aug 202255min
