Claire Ridgway is a well-known writer of history books about the Tudor dynasty, with a particular focus on the life of the Boleyn family. Since 2009 she has run the websites TheAnneBoleynFiles.com and Elizabethfiles.com. Claire is also the founder of The Tudor Society.
The Tudor Society
With members from all around the globe, The Tudor Society was founded in 2014 and has quickly become the go-to place for Tudor enthusiasts because of the high quality of the unique articles, the Tudor focused magazines, and the experts it attracts.
The members have access to absolutely everything on the website, currently including lots of magazine back issues, hundreds of hours of video and all of the monthly expert lectures and hundreds of weekly quizzes.
The Anne Boleyn Files
In 2009, Claire set up her Tudor history website, www.TheAnneBoleynFiles.com, and it rapidly grew into a major website for the study of the Tudor period.
Where she wanted to share her journey into the annals of history with other people who have an interest in Anne Boleyn and the Tudor period, and thought that a blog would be the perfect forum.
Also fully admitting to being addicted to Anne Boleyn and Tudor history, and she is on a crusade to debunk the myths surrounding Anne Boleyn and educate the world about the REAL Anne Boleyn.
Books
Videos
This week in Tudor History, January 18-24, Part 2
Part 2 of "This week in Tudor History" covers Tudor history events from 22nd to 24th January
--Contents of this video--
00:00 Introduction
00:09 22nd January 1561
12:25 23rd January 1570
13:58 24th January 1503
Find out all about these Tudor events from Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History" and several other Tudor history books.
22nd January 1561, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I - The birth of politician, philosopher, author and scientist Francis Bacon at York House, the Strand, London. Bacon is known as "the Father of the Scientific method" and Baconians believe that he was the true author of some or all of William Shakespeare's plays.
23rd January 1570, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I - The assassination of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, the illegitimate son of James V, half-brother of Mary, Queen of Scots, and a man who was acting as regent for his half-nephew, King James VI. He is famous for being the first head of government to be assassinated by a firearm.
24th January 1503 - The laying of the foundation stone of King Henry VII's Chapel, a large Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey, which became the resting place of 15 kings and queens.
Henry VII's Chapel - https://www.westminster-abbey.org/about-the-abbey/history/lady-chapel
Virtual tour of Westminster Abbey - https://www.westminster-abbey.org/learning/virtual-tours
Anthony Bacon - https://youtu.be/fOabYK2e4bA
Sir Nicholas Bacon - https://youtu.be/XeYFwlAuHGc
Previous years' videos:
January 22 - Wyatt's Rebellion is planned - https://youtu.be/8P_Fhj7t8Bk
January 22 - Execution of Edward Seymour - https://youtu.be/yrztjxs92B0
January 23 - Elizabeth I opens the Royal Exchange - https://youtu.be/1FZGLxm2nPs
January 23 - Death of Ferdinand II - https://youtu.be/MtHhkC2jmi4
January 24 - Can jousting heal the problems between Englishmen and Spaniards? - https://youtu.be/0bWU7BmVQc8
January 24 - Henry VIII's Jousting Accident: just how serious was it? - https://youtu.be/J7GPXEtMWowShow More
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This week in Tudor History, January 18-24, Part 2
Part 2 of "This week in Tudor History" covers Tudor history events [...]
Part 2 of "This week in Tudor History" covers Tudor history events from 22nd to 24th January
--Contents of this video--
00:00 Introduction
00:09 22nd January 1561
12:25 23rd January 1570
13:58 24th January 1503
Find out all about these Tudor events from Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History" and several other Tudor history books.
22nd January 1561, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I - The birth of politician, philosopher, author and scientist Francis Bacon at York House, the Strand, London. Bacon is known as "the Father of the Scientific method" and Baconians believe that he was the true author of some or all of William Shakespeare's plays.
23rd January 1570, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I - The assassination of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, the illegitimate son of James V, half-brother of Mary, Queen of Scots, and a man who was acting as regent for his half-nephew, King James VI. He is famous for being the first head of government to be assassinated by a firearm.
24th January 1503 - The laying of the foundation stone of King Henry VII's Chapel, a large Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey, which became the resting place of 15 kings and queens.
Henry VII's Chapel - https://www.westminster-abbey.org/about-the-abbey/history/lady-chapel
Virtual tour of Westminster Abbey - https://www.westminster-abbey.org/learning/virtual-tours
Anthony Bacon - https://youtu.be/fOabYK2e4bA
Sir Nicholas Bacon - https://youtu.be/XeYFwlAuHGc
Previous years' videos:
January 22 - Wyatt's Rebellion is planned - https://youtu.be/8P_Fhj7t8Bk
January 22 - Execution of Edward Seymour - https://youtu.be/yrztjxs92B0
January 23 - Elizabeth I opens the Royal Exchange - https://youtu.be/1FZGLxm2nPs
January 23 - Death of Ferdinand II - https://youtu.be/MtHhkC2jmi4
January 24 - Can jousting heal the problems between Englishmen and Spaniards? - https://youtu.be/0bWU7BmVQc8
January 24 - Henry VIII's Jousting Accident: just how serious was it? - https://youtu.be/J7GPXEtMWowShow More
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Teasel's Tudor Trivia - Tudor Funerals
Following on from their videos on heart burial, and shrouding and [...]
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This week in Tudor History, January 18-24, Part 1
Part 1 of "This week in Tudor History" covers Tudor history events [...]
Part 1 of "This week in Tudor History" covers Tudor history events from 18th to 21st January.
Find out all about these Tudor events from Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History" and several other Tudor history books.
--Contents of this video--
00:00 - Introduction
00:20 - 18th January 1543
06:05 - 19th January 1561
09:08 - 20th January 1558
10:18 - 21st January 1556
18th January 1543 - Baptism of composer, court musician and perhaps spy Alfonso Ferrabosco at the Cathedral of San Petronio, in Bologna, Italy. This Italian composer popularised the madrigal at the English court and may have acted as a spy for Elizabeth I in Italy. Find out more about his life, career, marriage and children, from Claire.
19th January 1561 - Administrator and diplomat, Sir Edward Carne, died in Rome. This man, who claimed to descend from the Kings of Gwent was sent by Henry VIII to negotiate a marriage match with Christina of Milan and then Anne of Cleves, and marriage matches for his daughter, the future Mary I. Find out more and how he ended up dying in Rome.
20th January 1558 - The state opening of Mary I's fifth and final Parliament, and the only public appearance of the queen since July 1557!
21st January 1556 - The death of Eustace Chapuys, imperial ambassador and a man whose dispatches are a wonderful source for Tudor historians, researchers and authors. Chapuys was a fascinating man and a loyal supporter and friend of Catherine of Aragon and her daughter, the future Mary I. Find out more about him, and how he helped the queen and princess.
Enjoy Alfonso Ferrabosco’s works being performed:
https://youtu.be/mASvlU5JCt4
https://youtu.be/qQHSKuCfwlc
Previous years' videos:
January 18 - Henry VIII dresses up - https://youtu.be/ph7t4jFZPKE
January 18 - Henry VII and Elizabeth of York get married - https://youtu.be/IXWHDibBPpg
January 19 - Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke - https://youtu.be/A6QPy-j-hsE
January 19 - Execution of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey - https://youtu.be/2oXbiq5Tj6c
January 20 - Mary I's Gentlemen Pensioners - https://youtu.be/F-lzjLaztQ0
January 20 - Miles Coverdale dies after giving his best ever sermon - https://youtu.be/-RuTAU73WQg
January 21 - The Act of Attainder against Catherine Howard and Jane Boleyn - https://youtu.be/jxxcTAxn0_k
January 21 - Henry Howard's madding time - https://youtu.be/gdmqFS3eQnwShow More
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Get involved in Claire's videos!
Tim came up with an idea on how Claire can get her viewers actively [...]
Tim came up with an idea on how Claire can get her viewers actively involved in her YouTube videos, and Claire wants to give it a try.
Do you want to be featured in a video? Do you have a burning question about a Tudor novel, TV series or movie? Well, here's your chance to be in a video and get your question answered.
The link for submissions is https://forms.gle/xx6H7witzouQycUQ8
P.S. If you're camera shy and that's putting you off being involved then why not film your pet with your voice asking the question? We're pet lovers on this channel!Show More
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This week in Tudor History, January 11-17: Part 2
This second part of this week's "This week in Tudor History" covers [...]
This second part of this week's "This week in Tudor History" covers events that took place in the Tudor period on 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th January. Find out all about these Tudor events from Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History" and several other Tudor history books.
--Contents of this video--
00:00 Introduction
00:22 14th January 1515
02:01 15th January 1555
05:17 16th January 1501
08:50 17th January 1587
14th January 1515 - On this day in the reign of King Henry VIII, following the death of King Louis XII of France, King Henry VIII sent his best friend, Charles, Duke of Suffolk, to fetch Louis' widow and bring her back to England. The widow was, of course, Henry VIII's younger and favourite sister, Mary Tudor. This mission ended up in a secret marriage though! See https://youtu.be/yPlUHeSNi40 for more on Suffolk and Mary's secret marriage.
15th January 1555 - On this day in the reign of Queen Mary I, Jane Dudley, Duchess of Northumberland, died at Chelsea. Jane was the widow of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, mother-in-law of Lady Jane Grey or Queen Jane, and mother of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.
16th January 1501 - On this day in the reign of King Henry VII, courtier Sir Anthony Denny was born at Cheshunt. Denny became a close confidant of King Henry VIII, serving him as groom of the stool and being chosen as the one to tell the king he was dying in 1547, and he also helped Catherine Parr in 1548 when she needed help to protect her marriage and the reputation of her stepdaughter, Princess Elizabeth.
17th January 1587 - On this day in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, clockmaker Bartholomew Newsam (Newsum, Newsham) died. This famous craftsman also made sundials and scientific instruments, and appears to have been employed by Elizabeth I. Here are links to see some examples of his craftsmanship:
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1888-1201-126
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1912-0208-1
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search#!?q=Bartholomew%20Newsam&perPage=20&sortBy=Relevance&offset=0&pageSize=0
Links to previous years' videos:
January 14 - Francis Kett leaps and dances in the fire - https://youtu.be/hgwEQnfpkxs
January 14 - Elizabeth I's coronation procession - https://youtu.be/qltgENLUJLk
January 15 - The death of Catherine Carey (Knollys), daughter of Mary Boleyn - https://youtu.be/LPq30SRVnes
January 15 - Elizabeth I's coronation - https://youtu.be/oejNK0u49qU
January 16 - Thomas Howard breaks his promise about Mary, Queen of Scots - https://youtu.be/lGi8S6H3SVs
January 16 - Thomas Seymour, a kidnap attempt and the king's dog - https://youtu.be/EPxknjmtU8Q
January 17 - Poet Thomas Wyatt is arrested - https://youtu.be/dlEQrkr8CDg
January 17 - Leicestershire woman gives birth to a cat! - https://youtu.be/AVOtEP_alvcShow More
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Teasel's Tudor Trivia - Death and embalming
In this edition of Teasel's Tudor Trivia, historian Claire Ridgway, [...]
In this edition of Teasel's Tudor Trivia, historian Claire Ridgway, with the help of her trusty sidekick, Teasel the dog, looks at how remains were prepared for burial in Tudor times.
How were normal people's remains prepared? Was it different from those of important people? What did embalming involve? And how were chandlers and plumbers involved?
Find out all about Tudor embalming, a rather interesting subject!Show More
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This week in Tudor History, January 11-17: Part 1
This week, Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History", [...]
This week, Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History", is dividing the week into two parts, and this first part covers Tudor events that took place on 11th, 12th and 13th January.
--Contents of this video--
00:00 - Introduction
00:33 - 11th January 1584
05:38 - 12th January 1573
12:14 - 13th January 1593
11th January 1584 - On this day in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the execution of printer William Carter took place at Tyburn. Carter was hanged, drawn and quartered for treason for printing a book which allegedly contained a passage inciting Queen Elizabeth I's assassination.
12th January 1573 - On this day in Elizabeth I's reign, William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham, diplomat, soldier and naval commander, died at Hampton Court. He had served under Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. He managed to survive the fall of his good friend, John Dudley, in 1553, by choosing to be loyal to Mary I rather than Queen Jane, and managed to serve both Mary I and Elizabeth I loyally.
Note: Claire meant "great-half-niece" when she was talking about Elizabeth I and Effingham.
13th January 1593 - On this day in Elizabeth I's reign, Sir Henry Neville died. Neville was the son of a condemned traitor and a godson of King Henry VIII.
January 11 - The first recorded lottery - https://youtu.be/a_-XqukRpgk
January 11 - A colourful Lord of Misrule - https://youtu.be/JymzFhm6AZs
January 12 - Elizabeth I goes to the Tower! - https://youtu.be/zrFCkpxXDvU
January 12 - Henry VIII's first joust as king - https://youtu.be/paalH_oJQ8s
January 13 - The Prince of Poets - https://youtu.be/QmtPkSctg4c
January 13 - Henry Howard is tried for treason - https://youtu.be/x9oMnRRIY9g
Claire is the founder of the Tudor Society, an online membership site for those who love Tudor history. There, you can learn from Claire and many other expert historians and authors, enjoy Tudor-focused magazines and live Q&A sessions with experts, and have access to all kinds of talks, articles, quizzes, virtual tours and more. Try it with a 14-day free trial - https://www.tudorsociety.com/signup/
Claire has written some bestselling Tudor history books:
On This Day in Tudor History - https://amzn.to/3oceahH
The Fall of Anne Boleyn: A Countdown - https://amzn.to/3m8KaSi
George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier and Diplomat - https://amzn.to/2TdwyZr
The Anne Boleyn Collection - https://amzn.to/3kiQc1T
The Anne Boleyn Collection II - https://amzn.to/3o9LUwi
The Anne Boleyn Collection III - https://amzn.to/3kiQc1T
The Life of Anne Boleyn Colouring Books - https://amzn.to/3jkJ5Vz
Claire has also done an online history course, The Life of Anne Boleyn, for MedievalCourses.com - https://medievalcourses.com/overview/life-anne-boleyn-mc06/
You can find Claire at:
https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com
https://www.tudorsociety.com
https://www.facebook.com/theanneboleynfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/tudorsociety/
https://twitter.com/AnneBoleynFiles
https://twitter.com/thetudorsociety
https://www.instagram.com/tudor.society/
https://www.instagram.com/anneboleynfiles/Show More
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Was Anne Boleyn a Commoner?
Anne Boleyn became King Henry VIII's official queen consort following [...]
Anne Boleyn became King Henry VIII's official queen consort following their marriage in 1533, and it's often said that she was a commoner and even an ambitious social climber. But what class of society did Anne Boleyn fit into really?
Was Anne Boleyn an aristocrat? A noble? Or was she a commoner?
In this edition of historian Claire Ridgway's series "Questions about Anne Boleyn", Claire, with the help of Boni the dog, explains the social class that Anne was a member of and how it fit in with the other classes.
Claire mentions Gareth Russell's course "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" which can be found at https://medievalcourses.com/overview/six-wives-henry-viii-monarchy-matrimony-tudor-england-mc05/. It's completely online.Show More
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Teasel's Tudor Trivia - Heart Burial
In today's edition of Teasel's Tudor Trivia, historian Claire Ridgway, [...]
In today's edition of Teasel's Tudor Trivia, historian Claire Ridgway, with the help and supervision of Teasel the dog, looks at the practice of heart and entrails burial.
Was it common to bury the heart and entrails separately from the rest of the body in medieval and Tudor times?
Why would people have their organs and body buried separately?
Claire (and Teasel!) answer these questions and also give real examples, including those of prominent Tudor people and royalty.Show More
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This week in Tudor History January 4 - 10
In her new series for 2021, historian Claire Ridgway looks at Tudor [...]
In her new series for 2021, historian Claire Ridgway looks at Tudor events a week at a time. This talk covers events from the Tudor period which took place on January 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th.
--Contents of this video--
00:00 - Introduction
00:46 - 4th January 1569 Roger Ascham
01:37 - 5th January 1511 Henry, Duke of Cornwall
05:33 - 6th January 1538 Jane Dormer
09:53 - 7th January 1619 Nicholas Hilliard
10:28 - 8th January 1570 Henry Clifford, 2nd Earl of Cumberland
14:26 - 9th January 1587 Clement Adams
15:14 - 10th January 1603 Arthur Dent
The burial of Roger Ascham, scholar, author and royal tutor, on 4th January 1569, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. You can find out more in Claire's previous video on Ascham - https://youtu.be/ww-k27C_G2k
The christening of Henry, Duke of Cornwall, son of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, at Richmond on 5th January 1511. Claire gives details of his christening and the celebrations for the birth of this prince, which included a tournament and a pageant which got out of control!
The birth of Jane Dormer, Duchess of Feria, on 6th January 1538, in the reign of King Henry VIII. Claire gives an overview of the life of this Tudor lady who served Queen Mary I and became a supporter and protector of English exiles and Jesuits, as well as a woman who interceded with Philip of Spain on behalf of English Catholics and against Queen Elizabeth I.
The burial of famous Elizabethan goldsmith and miniaturist Nicholas Hilliard on 7th January 1619 at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London.
The death of magnate and soldier Henry Clifford, 2nd Earl of Cumberland, on 8th January 1570 in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Claire gives an overview of Clifford, including his service to Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset, and Henry VIII, his brush with the 1553 succession crisis, his grief over his wife's death and the rather interesting way he was revived from a serious illness, and how he managed to avoid getting involved in a rebellion against Queen Elizabeth I.
The death of schoolmaster and map engraver Clement Adams on 9th January 1587, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
The death of religious writer, Puritan and clergyman, Arthur Dent, on 10th January 1603, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Claire talks about his death and his works, which influenced writers like John Bunyan, and whether he inspired Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". Dent's "The Plaine-Man's Path to Heaven" can be read online at https://archive.org/details/plainmanspathway00dentuoft
Here are links to past "on this day in Tudor history" videos for this week:
January 4 - A rebel keeps his head - https://youtu.be/2kEb_UeSvdo
January 4 - William Roper - https://youtu.be/c7S4qjVE_6c
January 5 - Richard Willes - A quirky Tudor man - https://youtu.be/XZc-C0ovay4
January 5 Pope Clement VII and Henry VIII - https://youtu.be/culFjoE6dWw
January 6 - Epiphany Fun and Feasting - https://youtu.be/BSa6LnURMOQ
January 6 - The marriage of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves - https://youtu.be/ytKSoWUwZgg
January 7 - "You shall find Calais lying in my heart" - https://youtu.be/539WC6DZpI0
January 7 - Death of Catherine of Aragon - https://youtu.be/uaC9L-p4tdA
January 8 - Mary Shelton, Anne Boleyn's cousin and lady - https://youtu.be/gj6Rk75PBwg
January 8 - Henry VIII celebrates news of Catherine of Aragon's death - https://youtu.be/CiDHm2a3pYE
January 9 - A queen twice over! - https://youtu.be/WiQPw7sd_gM
January 9 - Executions of Henry Pole and Henry Courtenay - https://youtu.be/HfaT6DE86ZQ
January 10 - Margaret of Austria - https://youtu.be/7CjV6rA2YdE
January 10 - There never was so obstinate a heretic - https://youtu.be/aCc-1a7Ww3MShow More
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Some New Year News and the death of a king
Happy New Year! Today, Claire explains what you can expect from her in [...]
Happy New Year!
Today, Claire explains what you can expect from her in 2021. Don't worry, it's still lots of Tudor history for you, but she's mixing things up a bit.
Claire also talks about King Louis XII of France, first husband of Mary Tudor, sister of Henry VIII, and his death on this day in 1515.
You can find out more about Mary Tudor's marriage to Louis XII in Claire's video - https://youtu.be/wYYJpU893lo
Also on this day in history, 1st January 1511, Henry VIII's first wife, Catherine of Aragon, gave birth to a son, Henry, Duke of Cornwall. Henry and Catherine were ecstatic, and you can find out more in this video - https://youtu.be/Ck5wPPawwdg
And on 1st January 1540, Henry VIII met his bride-to-be, Anne of Cleves, for the first time.
This meeting between King Henry VIII and the woman who would soon become his fourth wife, was a bit of a disaster, but exactly how much of a disaster was it? The accounts differ and Claire shares with you two slightly different contemporary accounts, one given in a chronicle and one shared in the annulment proceedings a few months later in 1540.
What happened on New Year's Day 1540 at Rochester? Find out all about Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves' first meeting - https://youtu.be/97X0ZvHNESo
And here are "on this day videos for 2nd and 3rd January:
January 2 - The surrender of Granada and the dying Catherine of Aragon - https://youtu.be/YkTKaX4tpMA
January 2 - A visit for the dying Catherine of Aragon - https://youtu.be/XptvWNA3RBo
January 3 - Anne of Cleves on this day in 1540 and 1541 - https://youtu.be/kEeGEi_XSmw
January 3 - Martin Luther is excommunicated - https://youtu.be/a-ZVlR9bIpgShow More
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December 31 - "The Gunner", Sir William Skeffington
On this day in Tudor history, 31st December 1535, in the reign of [...]
On this day in Tudor history, 31st December 1535, in the reign of Henry VIII, Sir William Skeffington, Lord Deputy of Ireland, died at Kilmainham in Dublin.
Skeffington had become known as "the Gunner" following his use of heavy artillery while taking Maynooth Castle in County Kildare, where he killed, or had executed, the whole garrison.
Find out more about the life and career of Sir William Skeffington in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway.
Also on this day in Tudor history, 31st December 1559, Owen Oglethorpe, Bishop of Carlisle, died while under house arrest in London.
Oglethorpe is known for officiating at Queen Elizabeth I's coronation in 1559, but also for infuriating the queen at Christmas 1558 by disobeying her instructions at Mass. What did Oglethorpe do?
Find out about Owen Oglethorpe's life and career, and how he upset the queen and ended his days under house arrest, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/x-QM9sGujUYShow More
