Category: January - Meandering Through Time

The Lottery

11/1/2018

I am opposed to gambling, it's my husband who buys our lottery tickets, if we were living in 1567 I may have been quoting the following statement - “A lottery is a taxation upon all the fools in creation, and heaven be praised, it is easily raised, for credulity’s always in fashion.”

However, despite some opposition, on this day in 1567 the counties first state-run lottery tickets were drawn.

Elizabeth's treasury was almost empty and money was needed to pay for the repair of the countries coastal defences. One way she could raise some money was through taxation, however, it was thought that taxation would enrage the masses so another way around the problem would have to be found.

In 1566 the queen wrote to Sir John Spencer (an ancestor of the famous Althorp Spencers) instructing him on how she thought the lottery should be organised. An advertisement was released stating that "A very rich Lotterie generall, without any Blanckes, contayning a great number of prizes..."

Once printed only 10% of the 400,000 tickets printed were sold, each at ten shillings each, prizes such as silver plate, tapestries and a £5,000 jackpot did not boost sales.

Those who did fancy a flutter turned out on the 11th of January 1569 outside Old St Pauls Cathedral to see if their personalised ticket (you had to write your name and a prayer) had won, however, those who did, did not receive their prize until four months later.

Today only one ticket has survived on which was “God send a good lot for my children and me, which have had 20 by one wife truly”.

I wonder what this poor family won?

"Whitehall burnt! nothing but walls and ruins left"

4/1/2018

In 1666 the cause of the Great Fire of London was blamed on a fire in a bakery on Pudding Lane, evidently, sparks from a fire fell into some dry flour. Over thirty years later another accident with the equally combustible items was the cause of a fire in which the Tudor Whitehall Palace burned down and along with it a Hans Holbein masterpiece.

Whitehall Palace in 1544.

It was at 4 o'clock in the afternoon of the 4th January in 1698 that a women doing her laundry at a London riverside house placed her clothing too near a fire, within minutes her washing was engulfed in flames as was all the furniture in the room.

The fire soon spread destroying residential and government buildings from the riverside to the Holbein Gate and the Banqueting House, both of which had survived a previous fire in 1691 that had damaged the older palace structures. Of the 1698 fire diarist John Evelyn wrote

"Whitehall burnt! nothing but walls and ruins left."

Whitehall Palace had been the main residence of the royal family in London from the reign of Henry VIII. In 1537 Henry VIII commissioned Hans Holbein to paint a large mural so he could show off his Tudor lineage. The magnificent painting was Holbein's largest and most important royal commission, in it Henry VIII was portrayed with his queen Jane Seymour and his parents Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. The mural was probably painted on the wall of Henry's privy chamber and no doubt dominated it. It is said to have faced the door and any visitor would have been immediately overwhelmed by the life size image of Henry VIII confronting them.

How wonderful would it have been to wander the corridors of such a palace and look upon the faces of those people who changed our history, sadly it was not to be, however today some parts of the old palace do still exist but have been incorporated into new buildings in the Whitehall.

Marriage of Margaret Tudor

31/7/2017

The marriage of Margaret Tudor to James IV of Scotland took place on the 8th August in 1503, it followed their marriage by proxy on the 25th January 1503 at Richmond Palace.

The future queen of the Scots was accompanied on her journey north by her father, they left Richmond Place at the end of June, crossing the border into Scotland on the 1st August where they were greeted by the Archbishop of Glasgow and a large crowd of nobles all decked out in ‘in rich jewels and massy chains’.

It may have taken Margaret a while to settle into her new life in Scotland, it seems that she was homesick, writing to her father

‘I would I were with your Grace now and many times more’

Margaret bore James six children but only one survived. The future James V was seventeen months old when his father was killed fighting the English in 1513 at Flodden. Margaret stepped in to rule for her infant son.

Her marriage, a year later to Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, gave the Scottish Parliament an excuse to replace her with John Stewart, Duke of Albany

The Execution of Henry Howard

24/2/2017

The 19th January 1547 saw the execution of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. He had been charged with high treason and found guilty.

Howard has been branded 'reckless and arrogant' and he was a bit of a rebel in his youth. He had a noteworthy military career and was a religious reformer, a suspected supporter of Anne Askew who perished at the stake for her religion only six months previous. Like Howard, Askew had Thomas Wriothesley as her interrogator, and at her death she quoted one of Howard's poems.

Henry Howard was the last noble to be executed during the reign of Henry VIII. He had been sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn, but this was later commuted to beheading, his father, the Duke of Norfolk was luckier, he escaped the executioners blade only because Henry had died before the execution could be carried out.

Henry Howard was first buried at All Saints Church in Barking, however his remains were later removed by his son to the church of St Michael the Archangel in Suffolk.

You can see his beautifully decorated tomb you can see below in my photographs from 2018.

You can read more about Henry Howard here

meanderingthroughtime.weebly.com/history-blog/trial-of-henry-howard

History Bites: Trial of the Gunpowder Plotters Begins.

27/1/2017

By the end of the sixteenth century many followers of the Catholic faith had faced persecution, but had looked forward to a brighter future when King James I took the throne of England.

James had promised that there would be a greater tolerance and true to his word, after his coronation in 1603, he kept his promise and restrictions on Catholicism were lifted. Almost immediately after the changes took place the king had pressure placed on him by many of the Protestant faith and he soon performed a u-turn.

Angered by this, a group of men, headed by Robert Catesby, a descendant of Sir William Catesby, royal councillor and loyal friend of Richard III, plotted to blow up parliament and the king. These eight men rented a cellar below the Palace of Westminster and filled it with gunpowder, ready for the state opening of parliament on the fifth. They had previously approached Guy Fawkes who was "a man highly skilled in matters of war" and therefore an 'expert' with explosives.' The plotters plan ran smoothly, but they knew nothing of what has come to be known as the Monteagle Letter, it was this small note that was their undoing.

Fawkes was arrested and through torture gave the names of his fellow conspirators. These men whereabouts were discovered, two of the men had fled, one gave himself up but the rest, including Catesby stood their ground against the kings forces at Holbeche House in Staffordshire.

The trial of eight of the plotters began this day the 27th January 1606.

Trial of the Gunpowder Plotters

27/1/2017

By the end of the sixteenth century many followers of the Catholic faith had faced persecution, but had looked forward to a brighter future when King James I took the throne of England.

James had promised that there would be a greater tolerance and true to his word, after his coronation in 1603, he kept his promise and restrictions on Catholicism were lifted. Almost immediately after the changes took place the king had pressure placed on him by many of the Protestant faith and he soon performed a u-turn.

Angered by this, a group of men, headed by Robert Catesby, a descendant of Sir William Catesby, royal councillor and loyal friend of Richard III, plotted to blow up parliament and the king. These eight men rented a cellar below the Palace of Westminster and filled it with gunpowder, ready for the state opening of parliament on the fifth. They had previously approached Guy Fawkes who was "a man highly skilled in matters of war" and therefore an 'expert' with explosives.' The plotters plan ran smoothly, but they knew nothing of what has come to be known as the Monteagle Letter, it was this small note that was their undoing.

Fawkes was arrested and through torture gave the names of his fellow conspirators These men whereabouts were discovered, two of the men had fled, one gave himself up but the rest, including Catesby stood their ground against the kings forces at Holbeche House in Staffordshire.

The trial of eight of the plotters began this day the 27th January 1606.

Khartoum

25/1/2017

Years ago, on a Sunday, usually after dinner, my mother and I would watch a film. My favourite was the epic, you know the kind of film I'm talking about - Spartacus, The Ten Commandments, Ben Hur etc.

I remember watching the 1966 film Khartoum, the story of General Charles Gordon's defense of the city of Khartoum from the forces of Muhammad Ahmad. This was one of the first films that had me asking questions about historical accuracy. General Gordon's death scene in the film was an almost accurate representation of George William Joy's painting - General Gordon's Last Stand. I remember learning that Joy liked to paint idealised images of patriotic heroes and the film too portrayed Gordon this way. (You can view that scene here youtu.be/rlvJznNXdto)

I later learnt that in reality, Gordon didn’t come out onto the veranda mesmerising the marauding enemy with his presence, he came out all guns blazing and after that it didn't take me long to come to the conclusion that films, more often than not, give us the wrong impression, fooling us into thinking that what we see is what really happened.

At the time I watched the film, I also couldn't make up my mind if Gordon was a hero or not, my mother said he was. However, I have to admit I know nothing of Gordon, other than these few facts I found an a book all those years ago.

The real Gordon, I believe, was in the Sudan for a number of years previous to his posting to Khartoum, but was sent back to sort out the aforementioned Mahdi's revolt. On the 26th January 1885 he died after being cut off in Khartoum for nearly a year. His actions in Khartoum and the horrific manner of his death, lead to General Gordon being hailed a hero, whilst Gladstone, who was Prime Minister at the time, was so disliked you'd have thought he'd thrown the spear himself. Garnet Wolsey, who was sent to relieve Gordon but did not get there in time blamed Gladstone calling him a

'tradesman who has become a politician."

I think I had better add General Charles Gordon's biography to my wishlist.

History Bites: The Death of Sir Francis Drake

24/1/2017

Sir Francis Drake died on the 27th January 1596 of dysentery while in the West Indies doing what he loved best, that is attacking the Spanish. Drakes body, all decked out in a suit of armour, was buried at sea in a lead coffin, just of the coast of Panama.

Sir Francis Drake, all cool, calm and collected, and handsome to boot, fits our romantic ideals as the perfect hero, and what better story to demonstrates this than his famous game of bowls on Plymouth Hoe. On being told that Spanish ships had been spotted he famously remarked that there was plenty of time for him to finish his game.

Now, that is cool, if he actually said it!

The English Civil War Begins

20/1/2017

It was on the 4th January in 1642, that King Charles I, accompanied by a number of soldiers, arrived at Westminster with the intent to arrest John Pym, John Hampden, Denzil Holles, Arthur Haselrig and William Strode, five Members of his Parliament on the grounds that they had encouraged the Scots to invade England.

William Strode was the son of William Strode of Plympton in Devon, he married into the Meavy family of Meavy, eventually owning their estates in Devon.

The painting below, by Charles West Cope, shows the attempted arrest, it can be seen in the Houses of Parliament.

History Bites: Birth of Edmund Crouchback

14/1/2017

Edmund Crouchback, son of Henry III and Eleanor of Provence, was born on the 16th January 1245.

14th century image of a knight, thought to be Edmund with Saint George, taken from a manuscript held at Oxford's Bodleian Library.

Edmund's nickname Crouchback is thought to be derived from the black cross he wore on his back during his time in the Crusades. However, his second son Henry of Lancaster, also went by a nick name, that of Wryneck (the same name as a bird who can turn its head almost 180 degrees.) This condition we know now of as Torticollis, where the muscles of the neck cause the head to twist to one side.

Although there seems to be no evidence of Edmund having any physical deformity, we can only wonder if he suffered from the same and passed it to his son, Henry's condition being more noticeable.