From Prison to Power to Poison? The Rise and Fall of Edward Courtenay
On this day in Tudor history, 3rd September 1553, Edward Courtenay was created Earl of Devon by Queen Mary I. It was a stunning reversal of fortune for a man who had spent 15 years imprisoned in the ...
2 Sep 20255min
Priest, Diplomat, Powerbroker: The Life of Archbishop Thomas Savage
On 2nd or 3rd September 1507, Thomas Savage, Archbishop of York, died at Cawood Castle in Yorkshire. Savage wasn’t just a churchman — he was one of Henry VII’s most trusted servants, a skilled diplom...
1 Sep 20254min
Not Just a Lord Mayor’s Wife: Dorcas Martin’s Story
On 1st September 1599, Dorcas Martin — translator, bookseller, Puritan, and wife of Sir Richard Martin, twice Lord Mayor of London — was laid to rest at All Hallows, Tottenham. Though she lived much ...
31 Aug 20255min
What If Arthur Tudor Had Lived? | Interview with Leah Toole, Author of The Rose and The Pomegranate
What if Prince Arthur, Henry VIII’s elder brother, had survived? In this special interview, I sit down with novelist Leah Toole to talk about her fascinating book "The Rose and The Pomegranate" — an ...
30 Aug 202528min
Henry VIII’s “Stolen Mistress” Scandal: Adultery, Gossip… or Something Darker?
In 1537, Cromwell had to investigate a sordid rumour about William Webbe's "pretty wench" and Henry VIII. It claimed the king had not only been unfaithful to his new queen, Jane Seymour, but had stole...
29 Aug 202512min
The Forgotten Tudor Adventurer Who Went Down With His Ship - Maurice Browne
When we think of Elizabethan adventurers, names like Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh usually come to mind. But on 29th August 1583, another Tudor mariner met a tragic fate — one whose name hi...
28 Aug 20254min
Tortured, Defiant, and Just 21
On 28th August 1588, the year of the Spanish Armada, a young Franciscan friar named Thomas Felton was hanged near Brentford, Middlesex. Felton’s “crime”? His Catholic faith, and his refusal to acknow...
27 Aug 20255min
Lady Anne Bacon - A Remarkable Tudor Woman
When you hear the name Bacon, you probably think of Sir Francis Bacon — philosopher, scientist, genius. But behind him stood an equally remarkable woman: his mother, Lady Anne Bacon (née Cooke). Born...
26 Aug 20254min
