Tudor 1485 – 1603

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.…

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The 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…

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The 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…

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Wynkyn de Worde Printer

Sign of the Sun

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.

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Shakespeare’s Original Pronunciation

Shakespeare'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.

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The Mystery of John Trehearne

John Treherne

A stroll around Southwark Cathedral is a perfect way to escape the bustle of Borough Market. Grand monuments in churches are fascinating, they instantly require our attention but most times we pass on by, content to limit our knowledge to the inscription. But there is a little mystery attached to the monument to John Treherne,…

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The Great Seals of England

The Great Seals of England, have been attached to important state documents for hundreds of years but what is the purpose and ceremony behind them?

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Margaret Pole Who Was She?

This entry is part [part not set] of 12 in the series Intriguing Women

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…

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George Duke of Clarence

Clarences had three children Edward Margaret and Richard
This entry is part 2 of 5 in the series House of York

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?

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