Questions tagged [tudor-period]
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England.
27 questions
35
votes
3
answers
14k
views
Did Henry VIII have his bedroom bricked up every night?
I was just watching some TV with my kids, and we were enjoying the (normally reliable) Horrible Histories TV show.
It claimed that Henry VIII had a long series of bedtime preparations to ensure his ...
- 4,275
27
votes
3
answers
9k
views
Why is Lady Jane Grey called Lady instead of Queen?
Lady Jane Grey claimed the English throne 19 July 1553, nine days later she was replaced by Queen Mary. To history she is always called Lady instead of Queen. I just wonder why?
Its true she had no ...
- 443
19
votes
1
answer
4k
views
What is the silver object on the desk and what is 'Elizabeth I' doing with it?
Hollywood movies have never been known for their historical accuracy, which is often sacrificed in the pursuit of entertainment, and the plot & script of the 1939 film 'The Private Lives of ...
- 108k
17
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What household servants would a Tudor gentleman have had?
There's a lot of easily-accessible information about the staffing of a Tudor nobleman's household, but very little about that of a Tudor gentleman's.
Was it basically the same as a nobleman's? Or ...
- 271
15
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Was King Henry VIII, mid-late in his reformation campaign, motivated more by theology or absolutist drive?
King Henry VIII expended much of his rule pursuing religious reformation of England. The six articles, proposed by the Duke of Norfolk and signed by the King, essentially (not in totality but more so ...
- 2,240
14
votes
4
answers
29k
views
Why was the swordsman of Calais chosen as Anne Boleyn's executioner?
Anne Boleyn was executed on May 19, 1536.
Displaying an act of "mercy", King Henry VIII dispatched a skilled executioner to perform the execution by sword rather than by axe or being burned at the ...
- 878
10
votes
1
answer
610
views
Did a mob of men dressed in skirts threaten the life of Anne Boleyn?
I am reading The Favored Queen by Carolly Erickson. The author describes the book as 'historical entertainment' which appears to be a euphemism for 'highly inaccurate'.
The author describes an ...
- 101
9
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Was Mary Stuart's execution not accompanied by attainder?
James VI and I, of Scotland and England respectively, was Mary Stuart's son. Given that Mary was executed for treason and an attainder (which resulted in corruption of blood) was automatic in cases of ...
8
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Names in England during the Tudor period
While watching the Tudors, one thing I noticed was that most male first names were either Thomas, Charles or Edward. Is that historically accurate and if so, is there a reason behind this lack of name ...
- 3,882
8
votes
1
answer
5k
views
Where is the sword used to execute Queen Anne Boleyn?
If a 'skilled' (with sword) executioner was summoned from Calais, did he bring his own 'equipment' and, if so, is there record of him & it there?
Was the sword seized when Francis, Duke of Guise ...
7
votes
1
answer
619
views
Why did Henry VIII execute Margaret de la Pole?
Margaret de la Pole was, arguably, a Yorkist claimant to the English throne, but never appears to have pressed her claim. Her sons were, certainly, troublesome to Henry, particularly after his break ...
- 8,171
7
votes
1
answer
301
views
How many 'pubs' (alehouses, inns and taverns) were there in England in 1577?
I came across an interesting bit of demographic information while listening to a lecture:
From early times people had rented out space in their houses for
travellers, but by the thirteenth century ...
- 41.3k
5
votes
1
answer
452
views
What denomination of Christianity did Anne Boleyn believe in?
It is agreed upon by historians that Henry VIII's second wife Anne was a reformist against the Roman Catholic Church during the Tudor period. But what sect of Christianity did she favor in particular ...
- 59
4
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Why didn't Anne Boleyn consent to divorce?
In the recent past I've seen two televised depictions of the life-and-times of Henry VIII: The Tudors and Wolf Hall. Henry VIII wanted out from his marriage to Anne Boleyn because she failed to ...
- 199
4
votes
1
answer
2k
views
How many illegitimate children did King Henry VIII have? [closed]
I am aware of Henry FitzRoy, his illegitimate son that he acknowledged whom he had with Bessie Blount. Are there any other confirmed illegitimate children?
- 115
4
votes
1
answer
2k
views
How many people were executed during the reign of Henry VIII?
I've read something from a few online sources that I don't quite trust (probably because I'm British), but I suspect the reality of the suggestion is in fact highly likely. Going on the data we have ...
- 159
4
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Did Catherine Howard use some form of birth control?
Catherine Howard, Henry VIII's 5th wife was sexually experienced before marrying the king. She was also accused of having an affair with the king's groom while married to the king. She obviously had ...
- 878
4
votes
1
answer
350
views
What was the likely death toll of the Tudor invasion of ireland?
Ben Kiernan uses the Tudor Conquest of Ireland as an example of an early modern genocidal campaign in his book Blood and Soil. While he quotes extensive contemporary description of depopulated ...
- 4,764
3
votes
1
answer
274
views
What legal test, if any, distinguished gentlemen from commoners in Tudor England?
I read today that, as part of the dubious legal proceedings which Henry VIII used to get rid of Anne Boleyn, five men were tried and executed for having treasonous relations with the queen: Mark ...
- 2,385
3
votes
1
answer
159
views
How could someone claim benefit of clergy after an act of attainder?
In some Tudor-period acts of attainder (laws passed by Parliament declaring certain people to be guilty of crimes and ordaining their punishment), there is a stipulation that the named person will not ...
- 1,968
3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Why did Sir William Stanley support Perkin Warbeck?
It seems odd that the Brother of Lord Thomas Stanley would swap sides so soon after the beginning of Henry VII's reign. I want to ascertain the political, social or economic motivations that could ...
- 1,516
3
votes
0
answers
131
views
Who normally paid for soldiers in the Tudor period?
In the early medieval period soldiers were provided by feudal dues, but when did a monarch paying for the soldiers in their army instead become the norm? I have a source about Henry VII demanding ...
- 31
2
votes
1
answer
336
views
How was the 4th Duke of Norfolk executed? [closed]
I am in the process of writing an historic novel and would like to know as much detail about the 4th Duke of Norfolk's execution as possible. In particular who was the executioner, how much did the ...
2
votes
1
answer
385
views
What was Bess of Hardwick’s net worth?
Bess of Hardwick was said to be one of England’s wealthiest women of her time, perhaps second only to Queen Elizabeth I. Do we know how wealthy she was? How does her wealth compare to the richest ...
- 545
2
votes
1
answer
282
views
Did Robert Devereux's monopoly on sweet wine encroach upon Sir Christopher Hatton's monopoly on wine?
I know that Robert Devereux was given a monopoly on sweet wine following the death of Robert Dudley, his step-father and the previous holder of this monopoly, but I recently read that Sir Christopher ...
- 105
2
votes
1
answer
782
views
Could Margaret Beaufort have been responsible for killing of the Princes in the Tower? [closed]
According to Philippa Gregory, Margaret Beaufort had the best motive, because with their deaths her son Henry became 2 steps closer to the throne, and also she hated Elizabeth Woodville.
- 337
0
votes
0
answers
216
views
Did Anne Boleyn's father set her and Henry the 8th up?
In the TV show, The Tudors, they make it seems as though Anne and Mary were meant to sleep with Henry in order to sway him away from Cardinal Wolsey who had French interests in mind. Is this true?
...
- 101