Recent Posts
The Other Boleyn Boy… Did a fourth Boleyn sibling survive to maturity?
I am currently reading Alison Weir’s new book on Mary Boleyn and was intrigued by some information concerning one of Mary, Anne and George’s male siblings. I had read on many occasions that only three of Elizabeth and Thomas’ children had survived to adulthood, the three that would make their mark on history – Mary Boleyn, Anne Boleyn and George Boleyn. By Thomas Boleyn’s own words, penned in a letter to Cromwell after the deaths of Anne and George, we know that his early years of marriage … [Read More...]
King Henry VIII & Historic Royal Palaces
Just a quick post to bring to your attention this page about Henry VIII on the Historic Royal Palaces Website. Henry VIII - Historic Royal Palaces It has links to some great articles related to young Henry VIII and Hampton Court Palace. I particularly love the Young Henry VIII Exhibition virtual tour. Enjoy! … [Read More...]
Tudor Hever: A Journey Back in Time to the Real Childhood Home of Anne Boleyn
Today's guest post is a wonderful and evocative account of what Anne Boleyn's Hever Castle would have been like in comparison to the modern version we see today. I am incredibly grateful to Sarah A. Morris author of the upcoming novel ‘Le Temps Viendra: a novel of Anne Boleyn' for writing this piece, as I have often wondered about what the home, that Anne beheld with her beautiful black eyes, was really like. Hever Castle has always drawn me in and fascinated me but now, after reading this … [Read More...]
Scandalous Women: The Lives and Loves of History’s Most Notorious Women
Scandalous Women: The Lives and Loves of History's Most Notorious Women by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon sounds really interesting. Product Description: Throughout history women have caused wars, defied the rules, and brought men to their knees. The famous and the infamous, queens, divorcées, actresses, and outlaws have created a ruckus during their lifetimes-turning heads while making waves. Scandalous Women tells the stories of the risk takers who have flouted convention, beaten the odds, and … [Read More...]
BBC History Magazine Tudor Special & First Audiobook
BBC History Magazine has just launched its very first audiobook, a guide to the Tudor kings and queens. The audiobook features interviews with five leading historians of the period, with each expert discussing the life and times of one of the Tudor monarchs. Dr Steven Gunn of Oxford University starts off with Henry VII. Professor George Bernard of Southampton University introduces us to Henry VIII. Reading University’s Professor Ralph Houlbrooke talks about Edward VI. Dr Anna … [Read More...]
An evening with Alison Weir at Hever Castle
On the 3rd November 2011, Alison Weir will be talking about her new book, 'The Great and Infamous Whore', at Hever Castle. The evening includes a private guided tour of the castle and dinner with wine for £40 per person. Overnight accommodation with full English Breakfast is also available at the following rates: £80 single £120 double. For bookings telephone: 01732 861800 (Limited numbers - Bookings to Annual Pass Holders only until 31 July.) How I would love to attend! … [Read More...]
Women’s Hygiene in Tudor England
A question that I have seen comes up regularly in forums and chats is how did women cope with menstruation in the sixteenth century? According to Ninya Mikhaila and Jane Malcolm-Davies ‘there is almost complete silence in the archival record on the practical business of dealing with menstruation’ (pg. 24). Sixteenth century translations of The Bible (Isaiah, chapter3, verse 22) mention the use of menstruation cloths and further clues can be obtained from Queen Elizabeth’s household … [Read More...]
King Henry VIII’s marriage to Katherine Parr
On the 12 July 1543, 52-year-old Henry VIII married for the last time; his bride on this occasion was the wealthy widow, Katherine Parr. According to Katherine’s biographer, Linda Porter, twenty people, including the King’s daughters, the Lady Mary and Elizabeth, crowded into the Queen’s closet at Hampton Court Palace to witness King Henry VIII marrying his sixth wife. It must have been a very intimate occasion, as the room measured approximately 10 by 14 metres (Porter, Pg. 143). There … [Read More...]
Tudor Festival at Stretton Watermill
Stretton Watermill is hosting a Tudor Festival this weekend (16-17th July) in Cheshire from 12-5pm. Sounds like a lot of fun! 'Step back in time to 1596, when the mill was taken over by Ursula Leche of nearby Carden Hall, and experience an Elizabethan country fair. Costumed millers will operate the ancient machinery and grind flour and there will be demonstrations of lacemaking and Tudor medicine. Music of the period will be performed on a range of intriguing instruments by Richard and … [Read More...]
George Boleyn’s dedication to his sister Anne
George Boleyn, at the request of his sister Anne Boleyn, translated two religious books for her, ‘The Pistellis and Gospelles’ and ‘The Ecclesiaste’. For over a century it was thought that George’s father-in-law, Henry Parker, Lord Morley, had translated the texts but in 1998, as Eric Ives points out, James Carley read a damaged inscription and determined that the person responsible for the translation of ‘The Pistellis and Gospelles’ was in fact George Boleyn (pg. 271). The inscription … [Read More...]
Folger Shakespeare Library
There are some wonderful exhibitions and lectures taking place at the Folger Shakespeare Library, in Washington D.C., over the next few months. Here is a quick look at what's on: Fame, Fortune, and Theft: The Shakespeare First Folio Jun 3–Sep 3 Tickets: FREE 'This exhibition explores the complex history of the First Folio, from its humble beginnings in the seventeenth century to stories of theft and recovery of an idolized book, recounting how it came to mean so much across … [Read More...]
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