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Hi, I'm historian Claire Ridgway
I'm the best-selling author of 15 history books and the founder of the TheAnneBoleynFiles.com, Elizabethfiles.com and The Tudor Society.
I help Tudor history lovers worldwide to gain access to experts and resources to discover the real stories behind myths and fiction, so that they grow in knowledge while connecting with like-minded people and indulging their passion for history.
How I can help you...
My latest youtube video
A Tudor Survivor - The Life of Robert Radcliffe
Not every Tudor courtier met a grisly end... Some outlived the danger, and shaped history doing so.
On this day in 1542, Robert Radcliffe, 1st Earl of Sussex, died quietly after ...a life of high-stakes politics, military glory, and fierce loyalty to Henry VIII. From disgraced heir to trusted royal insider, Radcliffe navigated the Reformation, royal marriages, rebellions, and thrived.
Join me for a fascinating look at a noble who helped make Tudor England, and lived to tell the tale.
Watch, like & subscribe for more Tudor insights.
Comment below: what surprised you most about Robert Radcliffe’s career, his military service, his marital alliances, or his role under Henry VIII?
#RobertRadcliffe #EarlOfSussex #TudorNobility #DissolutionOfTheMonasteries #PilgrimageOfGrace #GreatMatter #LordGreatChamberlain
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A Tudor Survivor - The Life of Robert Radcliffe
Not every Tudor courtier met a grisly end... Some outlived the danger, ...
Not every Tudor courtier met a grisly end... Some outlived the danger, and shaped history doing so.
On this day in 1542, Robert Radcliffe, 1st Earl of Sussex, died quietly after ...a life of high-stakes politics, military glory, and fierce loyalty to Henry VIII. From disgraced heir to trusted royal insider, Radcliffe navigated the Reformation, royal marriages, rebellions, and thrived.
Join me for a fascinating look at a noble who helped make Tudor England, and lived to tell the tale.
Watch, like & subscribe for more Tudor insights.
Comment below: what surprised you most about Robert Radcliffe’s career, his military service, his marital alliances, or his role under Henry VIII?
#RobertRadcliffe #EarlOfSussex #TudorNobility #DissolutionOfTheMonasteries #PilgrimageOfGrace #GreatMatter #LordGreatChamberlain
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You can find my books on Amazon at http://viewauthor.at/claireridgwayShow More
The Red Bull of Flodden
On this day in history, 25 November 1467, Thomas Dacre was born; a man ...
On this day in history, 25 November 1467, Thomas Dacre was born; a man who rose from the turbulent Anglo-Scottish border to become one of Tudor England’s most influential northern ...magnates.
Soldier, strategist, landowner, and power-broker… his story is far richer than the brief mentions he usually gets in the history books.
From a dramatic marriage to a pivotal role in one of Henry VIII’s greatest military moments, Dacre helped shape politics and warfare far from the royal court.
Join me as I explore the life of a man who deserves far more attention than he gets.
What surprised you most about him?
Let me know in the comments!
If you enjoy deep dives into lesser-known Tudor figures, don’t forget to subscribe and ring the bell.
#TudorHistory #OnThisDay #ThomasDacre #BattleOfFlodden #Tudors #HenryVIII #BritishHistory #redbull #TudorEngland
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You can find my books on Amazon at http://viewauthor.at/claireridgwayShow More
The Disaster That Killed a King and Crowned a Baby
On this day in Tudor history, 24 November 1542, England and Scotland ...
On this day in Tudor history, 24 November 1542, England and Scotland met in one of the most chaotic and consequential clashes of the 16th century, the Battle of Solway ...Moss.
I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and today I’m taking you to the Anglo-Scottish border to explore how a feud between Henry VIII and his nephew James V of Scotland erupted into disaster… and helped shape the future of both kingdoms.
In this episode, discover:
Why James V refused to meet Henry VIII
How pride, politics, and border raids spiralled into war
Why the Scottish army collapsed despite outnumbering the English six-to-one
How the bog and the River Esk turned battle into catastrophe
The shockwaves that followed - the death of James V, and the rise of Mary, Queen of Scots
How Solway Moss sparked the violent era known as the Rough Wooing
With 1,200 Scottish nobles captured and a king dead within weeks, this muddy clash altered the course of British history.
If you enjoyed this deep dive into Solway Moss, please like, subscribe, and ring the bell for more daily Tudor history.
And tell me in the comments - would James V have survived if Solway Moss had gone differently?
#TudorHistory #SolwayMoss #HenryVIII #JamesV #MaryQueenOfScots #Tudors #ScottishHistory #OnThisDay #HistoryShorts #BritishHistory
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A Beginner's Guide to Henry VIII - The Charming Prince Who Became a Tyrant
We all think we know Henry VIII. A huge man in cloth of gold, hands on ...
We all think we know Henry VIII.
A huge man in cloth of gold, hands on hips, staring down from a Holbein portrait.
Six wives. Two beheaded.
Monasteries destroyed.
Rome defied.
But the real Henry ...is far more complex — and far more frightening.
In this Beginner’s Guide to Henry VIII, I take you from his birth in 1491 to his death in 1547, exploring the rise of a charming Renaissance prince… and the fall into tyranny that changed England forever.
You’ll discover:
How Henry went from second son to king at 17
His early talents — theology, music, languages, sport
His achievements: the navy, Parliament, the English Bible, the break with Rome
Why he didn’t die a Protestant
The truth behind the six wives and the politics of each marriage
His darker side — executions, rebellions, monasteries destroyed, and the terror of the 1530s
Why historians still argue about his legacy today
Henry VIII’s reign was a turning point in English history: religiously, politically, culturally.
He is both a state-builder and a tyrant, a man of dazzling intelligence and devastating brutality.
So… was Henry VIII a great king, a monster, or both?
Let me know what you think in the comments.
If you enjoyed this beginner’s guide, please like the video, subscribe, and ring the bell for more Tudor history every week.
You can view other videos about him in my Henry VIII playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLepqWJ7TpkrI08JG1cwz7UqUYNxFHsPRv
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The St Osyth Skeletons - Tudor Witch Panic, Betrayal… and a Child Witness - Tudor True Crime
In 1921, builders in the quiet Essex village of St Osyth unearthed a ...
In 1921, builders in the quiet Essex village of St Osyth unearthed a chilling sight:
Two female skeletons.
Buried deliberately.
With iron rivets hammered into their knees and elbows - a brutal, centuries-old ...method used to stop a witch from rising from the grave.
For a hundred years, villagers have whispered the same names: Ursula Kemp. Elizabeth Bennet.
Two women hanged for witchcraft in 1582.
But who were they really?
In this episode of my Tudor True Crime series, I uncover the dark world behind the St Osyth witch trials, a story of neighbourly grudges, grief, superstition, and a magistrate hungry for fame.
You’ll discover:
How a fallen-out friendship sparked a chain of accusations
Why Ursula Kemp was both a healer… and feared
How an eight-year-old boy was persuaded to testify against his mother
The terrifying role of magistrate Brian Darcy, who wanted a sensational trial
What really happened at the Chelmsford Assizes
Why two women ended up at the gallows
And whether the skeletons found in 1921 really belonged to them…
This is not just a witchcraft story, it’s a story about fear, power, and the dangerous consequences of a single accusation in Tudor England.
If you’d like to explore more Tudor witch trials and the wider Essex witch-hunt, I’ve added related videos below.
• The Essex Witches - https://youtu.be/hpmkvJyc6x8
• The Tudor Witch-hunter - https://youtu.be/E7fbjYHVeGU
• Witchcraft in Tudor Times - https://youtu.be/4XqRVOnsvps
If you enjoy deep dives into Tudor true crime, superstition, and the stories that get left in the dark, please like, subscribe, and ring the bell.
Because Tudor history isn’t just kings and queens…
It’s the shadows too.
#TudorHistory #TrueCrime #WitchTrials #EssexWitches #StOsyth #UrsulaKemp #ElizabethBennet #DarkHistory #HistoryMystery #WitchcraftHistory #TudorTrueCrime #TheAnneBoleynFiles
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The Tudor Courtier You’ve Never Heard Of
On this day in Tudor history, 21st November 1558, a devoted servant of ...
On this day in Tudor history, 21st November 1558, a devoted servant of both Queen Mary I and her husband, Philip of Spain, died tragically young. His name was James ...Bassett.
I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and in today’s video, I uncover the remarkable story of this scholar, exile, courtier, diplomat, and loyal servant of a queen and a king.
Born around 1526, Bassett was connected to the royal bloodline through his stepfather, Arthur Plantagenet, Viscount Lisle, an illegitimate son of Edward IV. His education was exceptional, taking him from Reading Abbey to prestigious colleges in Paris and St Omer, shaping him into a learned and refined young courtier.
But loyalty came at a price.
When his mentor Stephen Gardiner fell from favour under Edward VI, Bassett stood by him, even when it meant imprisonment and exile for his Catholic faith.
When Mary I ascended the throne, everything changed. Gardiner returned as Lord Chancellor, and Bassett’s fortunes soared.
His personal life reflected the same devotion: he married Mary Roper, granddaughter of Sir Thomas More, forming a union steeped in faith and scholarship.
Yet his promising career was tragically short.
James Bassett died on 21st November 1558 at Blackfriars, London, aged just about thirty-two.
In this episode, explore:
• His deep loyalty to Stephen Gardiner
• His imprisonment and exile under Edward VI
• His rise at the courts of Mary I and Philip of Spain
• His diplomatic missions and political influence
• His marriage into the family of Sir Thomas More
• Why his life, though brief, reveals so much about Tudor politics and faith
If you enjoy uncovering forgotten Tudor figures, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell for daily history videos.
#TudorHistory #JamesBassett #MaryI #PhilipOfSpain #TudorCourt #OnThisDay #HistoryYouTube #TudorDynasty #StephenGardiner #SirThomasMore #ClaireRidgway #TheAnneBoleynFiles
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The Tudor Knight Killed by a Frog?!
The Bizarre Death of Sir Marmaduke Constable On this day in Tudor ...
The Bizarre Death of Sir Marmaduke Constable
On this day in Tudor history, 20th November 1518, a seasoned soldier and loyal servant of four Tudor kings met one of the strangest ...deaths ever recorded: Sir Marmaduke Constable supposedly died after swallowing a frog or toad that had slipped into his drinking water.
Yes… you read that correctly.
I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and in today’s video I reveal the incredible life, and legendary death, of this remarkable Tudor knight.
Before the bizarre tale that made him a Yorkshire legend, Marmaduke Constable had lived a life of true service and courage. He fought in France under Edward IV, earned a knighthood at Berwick, served as Knight of the Body to both Richard III and Henry VII, and commanded the left wing of the English army at Flodden, one of the great military victories of Henry VIII’s reign.
But it was the story of his extraordinary death that captured imaginations for centuries.
Local tradition claimed that a frog or toad lodged itself near his heart and killed him, and his tomb at St Oswald’s Church, Flamborough, even includes a carving said to show the creature believed to have ended his life.
Was this legend rooted in truth?
A misunderstanding?
Or just a macabre Tudor tale that grew in the telling?
In this episode, you’ll discover:
• Marmaduke’s rise through the great northern families
• His service under four monarchs
• His command at the Battle of Flodden
• Why Henry VIII personally thanked him
• How a strange rumour turned into a centuries-old legend
• The real history behind “the knight who died of a toad”
Join me as we dive into bravery, loyalty, and one unforgettable Tudor mystery.
If you enjoyed today’s story, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell for more daily Tudor history videos.
#TudorHistory #OnThisDay #WeirdHistory #ClaireRidgway #TheAnneBoleynFiles #StrangeDeaths #StupidDeaths
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The Tudor Scholar Who Died Before Making History
On this day in history, 19th November 1604, one of the most gifted ...
On this day in history, 19th November 1604, one of the most gifted churchmen of Elizabethan and early Jacobean England died - Richard Edes, Dean of Worcester, royal chaplain, poet, ...playwright, and one of the scholars appointed to help translate the King James Bible.
Edes was only fifty years old when he died, and his death came just months after the great translation project began. He never lived to take part in the work that would define English religious life for centuries, yet his story opens a remarkable window into the world of late Tudor scholarship.
In today’s episode, I explore the life of this remarkable but often overlooked scholar:
• His rise through Tudor academia
• The plays and poems he composed as a young man
• Queen Elizabeth’s affectionate joke about her “three cousins” from the Isle of Wight
• His church career and court connections
• And the legacy he left behind at Worcester, Oxford, and beyond
Join me as we remember Richard Edes, a man who stood at the crossroads of faith, learning, and language.
If you enjoy discovering forgotten Tudor figures, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell for more daily Tudor history.
#TudorHistory #RichardEdes #KingJamesBible #ElizabethI #JamesI #OnThisDay #ClaireRidgway #TheAnneBoleynFiles
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Happy 6th Gotcha Day to Teasel
It's been six years since Teasel showed up at our front door and we ...
It's been six years since Teasel showed up at our front door and we welcomed her into our lives. Here is a video for all you Teasel Tudor Trivia fans!
The Ridolfi Plot Explained: The Banker Who Tried to Overthrow Queen Elizabeth I
The Ridolfi Plot Explained He wasn’t a soldier, a spy, or a nobleman, ...
The Ridolfi Plot Explained
He wasn’t a soldier, a spy, or a nobleman, but a Florentine banker who nearly toppled a queen.
In 1571, Roberto di Ridolfi masterminded one of the ...boldest conspiracies of Elizabeth I’s reign, a plan backed by the Pope, Philip II of Spain, and Mary, Queen of Scots.
His goal? To invade England, overthrow Elizabeth, and restore Catholic rule, all funded through secret banking channels.
But one intercepted letter at Dover changed everything.
Join me, historian Claire Ridgway, for the true story of The Ridolfi Plot, a tale of spies, Spanish gold, and the banker who talked too much.
#ElizabethI #TudorHistory #RidolfiPlot #MaryQueenOfScots #TudorConspiracies
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Elizabeth I’s Forgotten Festival
How England Celebrated Accession Day Like a National Holiday Every ...
How England Celebrated Accession Day Like a National Holiday
Every year on 17th November, England erupted in bells, bonfires, and jousting tournaments, all to celebrate Queen Elizabeth I’s Accession Day.
It wasn’t ...just royal pageantry, it was faith, theatre, and politics rolled into one. Knights broke lances before the Queen, the people burned effigies of the Pope, and Elizabeth became “England’s Deborah,” the saviour of Protestant England.
Discover how one day in 1558 became the biggest celebration in Tudor England, and how it lived on for centuries after the Virgin Queen’s death.
Watch now to uncover the story behind England’s greatest royal festival.
#ElizabethI #TudorHistory #AccessionDay #Gloriana #TudorEngland #History
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Mary, Queen of Scots, a jealous husband and brutal murder
Love, power, betrayal — and two murders in one year. Scandal and ...
Love, power, betrayal — and two murders in one year. Scandal and bloodshed at Mary, Queen of Scots’ court.
#MaryQueenofScots #MaryStewart #DavidRizzio #LordDarnley #ScottishHistory
Online Events
I regularly host online Tudor history conferences to connect Tudor history lovers with Tudor historians all from the comfort of their own homes. They comprise talks, live events, live Q&A sessions and resources, and are educational and fun.
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The Anne Boleyn Files
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As featured in...
I am a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. I was a contributor for the BBC docudrama The Boleyns: A Scandalous Family, and have been featured in BBC History Extra, USA Today, History of Royals Magazine, the Express, and Refinery 29, as well as on podcasts including Suzannah Lipscomb's Not Just the Tudors, Gareth Russell's Single Malt History, Natalie Grueninger's Talking Tudors, Hever Castle's Inside Hever, James Boulton's Queens of England, and many more.
Praise for Claire's work
"Claire's blog - recently made available in book form - is more rigorous than that of many professional historians." Susan Bordo, author of The Creation of Anne Boleyn: A New Look at England's Most Notorious Queen
"A sumptuously illustrated and impeccably researched history about the domestic life of a family that shaped British history. This is a fascinating window into both the Boleyns' lives at Hever and upper-class life on the eve of the Reformation." - Gareth Russell, Author of Young and Damned and Fair, on The Boleyns of Hever Castle.
"I've been a history buff all my life, both as a reader and as a writer. I thought I knew about Anne and her Boleyn family, Henry VIII and his court, but this book [The Anne Boleyn Collection] fills in so many blanks for me that I will read it more than once...This is a book for the legion of Tudor fiction readers, who want to know the stories behind the myths, the truth behind the legend...Absolutely fascinating read. " - Jeane Westin, Author of His Last Letter
"Claire has produced another must read for Anne Bolyen fans." Leanda de Lisle, author of Tudor: The Family Story, writing about "The Anne Boleyn Collection II.
More about me
I founded the Anne Boleyn Files in 2009, the Tudor Society in 2014 and I have a popular YouTube channel.
I help Tudor history lovers all over the world learn more about history, connect with experts and like-minded people, and uncover the facts behind the fiction, all from the comfort of their own homes.
I'm a former teacher and a recognised expert in Tudor history, and, as the founder of The Tudor Society, I've built a community of history lovers and experts where members can share their passion for history and receive accurate resources and information.
Claire Ridgway's Books
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