11b Transcript
Now then, sometime before 1150, Geoffrey of Monmouth produced his book, the History of the Kings of Britain. Even at the time some people considered it to be fluff and…well,Read More
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11a Transcript
Now, depending on when you joined and where you are in the History of England, obviously, you may well have heard an awful lot about the tournament. It’s kind ofRead More
Shedcast 10 Henry VIII’s Beard - Members Only
Henry could well have been a trendsetter in the beard world - though he had a troubled relationship with his facial furniture
213 Background to War
Historians have identified the 16th and 17th centuries as a time of revolutionary change in Europe, driven by military technology. We talk a bit about that, and about the personalitiesRead More
Henry VIII and his Beard
Henry changed the royal attitudes to beard, but almost caused a diplomatic incident in the process
Cardinal Wolsey and the Historians
Wolsey has had a hard time of it at the hands of the historians. This article gives a brief survey of his reputation through the ages, and is taken from theRead More
9a Transcript
As I believe I have mentioned in the free podcast, one of the delightful things about Tudor England is the rich pageant of individuals about whom we can now writeRead More
Transcript for Episode 9b
Hello everyone, and welcome to the second installment on Wolsey. We now have an idea hopefully of the rewards and practice of power for our hero; but the bigger historical question really, IRead More
210 Bloody Beast
How Henry has been assessed by historians through the ages, and the controversies of his reign. And assessments of the man himself. The famous Holbein mural was designed to greetRead More
HoS 3 Transcript for Roman Interlude II
The small town of Clackmannan, population 3,348, sits just over on the north side of the river Forth, over the Kincardine Bridge. It is therefore north of the line ofRead More
Transcript for Shedcast 8b
Hello everyone and welcome to Shedcast 8b. In 8a we set out something of the historiography of Nationalism. We ended with constipation, or rather the removal of the blockage thatRead More
Transcript for Shedcast 8a
Let me start with a story. We are standing outside the walls of many towered Illium, the most magnificent city in the ancient world – otherwise known as Troy. ButRead More
Shedcast 8b A Sense of England – Consciousness - Members Only
Could England be described by 1500 as a nation? Did the English share a story, language, and territory? Was the political community oriented around the king or nation, or theRead More
Shedcast 8a A Sense of England – Nationalism - Members Only
Concepts and interpretations of Nationalism
Transcript for Shedcast 7
There are 4 documents, then; the first in 1497 from unknown Italian visitors; the second from a Venetian called Andrea Trevisano in 1500, then John Mair, a Scot in 1521Read More
Early Tudor Court
The king was the government. His household was to serve all his needs – and provide a properly magnificent ceremonial setting for his glory and power.
204 Governing the Early Tudor State
Henry made changes to the English court, administration and legal system. But many of his actions would be seen as setting a path to tyranny and avarice later in theRead More
Transcript: Fun with Wills
We tend to assume, or at least I have, that this has always been the way of it – wealth gets passed down generation to generation; but of course that’sRead More
Henry VII and his loyal Councillors
The men who made Henry’s government work no longer came solely from the ranks of the nobility
Transcript for The Practice of Diplomacy
Shedcast 1: The practice of diplomacy in the Middle ages and the Renaissance There was I, sitting around in Far Far Away, eating bonbons and cavorting with every little lastRead More
Shedcast 1 The practice of Diplomacy - Members Only
In 1400, diplomacy was the business of kings. More than almost any other activity, what we might now call foreign policy was purely the king’s affair – one ruler, lord,Read More
197 The Story of Henry VII
When he won the throne of England, Henry had spent most of his life under guard, and was an adventurer. His efforts were therefore bent towards establishing the legitimacy ofRead More
Henry VII Character and Portraits
Personality of the king By and large, Henry impressed those people, especially foreign visitors, who have left us opinions. But firstly, Polydore Vergil again: His spirit was distinguished, wise and prudent;Read More
196 England at the Dawn of the Tudor Age
England in 1485 was at once a deeply traditional medieval society. And yet poised at the edge of change – economic, social, religious and political. The 16th century would seeRead More
The Family de la Pole
The story of the de la Pole family – from ‘rags to rags’ over 6 generations between 1290 and 1525, is evidence that there were ways to escape the rigidityRead More
194 The Wars of the Roses
When to declare the Wars of the Roses all finished and done? There are as many choices as there are for start dates. 1485 and the Battle of Bosworth has beenRead More
Members
This is our members homepage. I’ll use it to keep you up to date with plans – the episodes I’m planning and all that sort of thing. Feel free toRead More
Become a Member
Why become a History of England Member ? I can think of four- good reasons You will get, typically, 60-90 minutes worth of new members-only, fantastic fresh shedcasts every month,Read More
The Epitaph and Tomb Henry gave Richard
I must admit that I had heard pretty consistently of the need to honour the body of a dead king; and therefore I assumed that, outrageously, Henry never provided aRead More
190 Good King Richard?
Part of the story to counter the propaganda of the Tudors is the view that Richard promised to be an exceptionally good ruler. The brevity of Richard's reign make an assessment difficultRead More
The Great Richard III Debate and Competition
The Result is in – the History of England listeners have spoken! And if you care to listen – here’s both the result read by the History of England’s chiefRead More
189 The Most Untrue Creature
Richard sought to start the reconciliation of the factions in the realm. But despite his triumphant progress through the Kingdom to York, trouble was brewing – including from the most unlikelyRead More
188 Richard III – Knave, Fool or Saviour?
The time has for the Richard III podcast episode and vote. 3 of the no doubt many possible interpretations of the events of 1483 - did Richard plan to usurp theRead More
Contemporary Sources
On the Richard III section, I have put a few pages with contemporary content- there are links below so you can use this as a contents page, as well asRead More
Dominic Mancini
Dominic Mancini and ‘The usurpation of Richard III’ Not much is known about Dominic Mancini’s life; but he was probably born before 1434, and therefore somewhere around 50 when heRead More
Major players in 1483
Here are a few of the players that would play a leading role in the reigns of Edward V and Richard III. Below you’ll find: Thomas Stanley, Earl ofRead More
Titulus Regius and Gloucester’s claim to the throne
The super summary “Therefore, at the request and by assent of the Three Estates of this Realm…be it pronounced, decreed, and declared that our said Sovereign Lord the King was,Read More
185 Edward the King
The 1470's were a marked contrast to the 1460's; a decade of complete calm, of control and authority. How did Edward do it? 185 Edward the King EdwardRead More
183 The Brothers York
In the 1470s family rovalries came to a head in the York dynasty
182 Games and Beasts
A chance to go into some byways, away from politics and talk about how medieval folk enjoyed themselves; the games they played in medieval days, from Football to Stoolball, from chess toRead More
Letter of William de la Pole
he contemporary verdict on William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk (1396-1450) was a good deal harsher than the modern historian. At the time, William was hounded from officeRead More
166 The Reign of Queen Margaret
In 1455 it briefly looked as though York had won; but in fact it solved nothing – the king remained the centre of power, and the king was weak. ByRead More
Livery Badges
Livery badges were terribly popular by the 15th century. Clouds of retainers followed the magnates about- and many would wear their lord’s favourite badge. Here are a few of themRead More
149 Sex, Childbirth and Children
Medieval understanding of physiology had an impact on attitudes to sex, just as much as did the teachings of the church. Though who knows how much it had an impactRead More
148 Women and 1066, and Marriage
As far as women were concerned, was 1066 generally a Good Thing, a Bad Thing – or just a Thing? That’s the main item of debate this week, along withRead More
147 Women and Anglo Saxon England
Unaccustomed as I am to social and economic history…here is the first of a bit of a thread over the next few weeks and months about some social stuff, andRead More
141a An Alternative View of Heresy by David Ford
This is a personal view by David Ford (though spoken by me), prompted by the episode on Heresy. David talks about some of the impacts the church had in theRead More
4.1 – 134 Golden Child Made King
The reputation of Henry IVth has changed through history – where he’s remembered at all! So we look at that – we are left with those that think Henry wasRead More
Maps: 1100 – 1300 Europe
Here are maps of continental Europe you might find useful, and links to the relevant blog posts. Below we have: France Spain Germany and the Holy Roman Empire Italy FranceRead More
127 The Model of Chivalry
Henry Bolingbroke, Earl of Derby, son of the most powerful magnate in England, was a golden child blessed with every advantage. While Richard tried to get his royal feet underRead More