As many of you will have the misfortune to know Tudor history is really my bag, and there certainly has been a lot of it in the news recently. As such, I thought it might be helpful if I posted the links here.
Here Clifton Davies argues that “research shows the term “Tudor” was barely ever used during the time of Tudor monarchs” continuing that “years of trawling through contemporary documents yielded almost no references – with only one poem on the accession of James I (James VI of Scotland) recognising the transition from Tudor to Stuart”.
Here Philippa Gregory and Dr Robert Hutchinson discuss on the Today programme why novelists are so fascinated with the Tudor period. “We’re interested now in historical realism… the grime of it, as well as the rare moments of glamour at the top.”
Here Dr Steven Gunn explains why “between 1558 and 1560, almost three-quarters of fatal accidents took place during the summer months.” This can be blamed on “cart crashes, dangerous harvesting techniques, horse accidents and windmill mangling were among the perils facing the Tudor farm worker.” It is of course a bit of fluff, but also perhaps a reminder that little of the renaissance reached the rural England where over 85% of people lived. This link goes on the strange and stupid deaths of many Tudors (if you accept that term !) – however, as the poster below shows, there were other surefire ways to die…
Mr Kydd
