The glory and magnificence of the Tudors still has power to amaze today. A letter from Elizabeth I to Sir John Spencer on 31 August 1566 giving him instructions to organise England's first State Lottery went up for sale by auction last Sunday.
The letter contains the details of how much tickets were to cost(10 shillings) and the top prize of £5,000 (about £850,000 in todays money). The draw was not actually held until 1569 because of the problems selling tickets across thye country.
The spelling is of course not what we are used to today and is also a flowery language, below is a short extract
'Where we have com[m]anded a ceratine carte of a Lotterie to be published by our Shirif of Countie in the principall townes of the same, of which we send you certen copies for the further execution thereof it is expedient to have somme persons appointed of good trust to receave such particular sommes as our subjects shall of their owne free disposition be ready to deliver upon the said lotterie who also shall w[it]hout faile be dewly authorised and their adventures shall happen w[it]hout either deceypt or delaye.'
The proceeds of the lottery were to go good causes
'Anything advantagious is ordered to be employed to good and publique acts and beneficially for o[u]r Realme and o[u]r Subjects') and nthe prizes werre to be money gold or other fine material and tapestries.
The letter? well it was sold for £24,000!! at that price I'll have to put in a bit of overtime I think.
www.tudorhistorytours.com
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
The Field of the Cloth of Gold
June 7th 1520 King Henry VIII met Francis I the King of France at the Field of the Cloth of Gold near Calais.
It was a sumptuous affair lasting two weeks and each king tried to outdo each other with lavish entertainment with all their courtiers in attendance. There was so much gold cloth in the costumes and in the tents that the event the was so named. The event is depicted in the most famous painting, with the Henry arriving on a horse in grand procession. The wine fountain flows freely and there are a few people who have had a tad too much to drink I think. The wine fountain has been re-created at Hampton Court palace recently, and for a small fee, you can have some wine.
Way up in the background in the painting there are two figures in a tent, either embracing or wrestling with each other, was this the time Francis won the wrestling duel and threw our Henry?
Henry was just 28 years old at the time and a very impressive male figure, 6 foot 2 inches tall and it must have really hurt his pride to be thrown.
The whole affair was supposed to establish closer relations and friendships between the two countries, it succeeded, but only for a short while.
www.tudorhistorytours.com
It was a sumptuous affair lasting two weeks and each king tried to outdo each other with lavish entertainment with all their courtiers in attendance. There was so much gold cloth in the costumes and in the tents that the event the was so named. The event is depicted in the most famous painting, with the Henry arriving on a horse in grand procession. The wine fountain flows freely and there are a few people who have had a tad too much to drink I think. The wine fountain has been re-created at Hampton Court palace recently, and for a small fee, you can have some wine.
Way up in the background in the painting there are two figures in a tent, either embracing or wrestling with each other, was this the time Francis won the wrestling duel and threw our Henry?
Henry was just 28 years old at the time and a very impressive male figure, 6 foot 2 inches tall and it must have really hurt his pride to be thrown.
The whole affair was supposed to establish closer relations and friendships between the two countries, it succeeded, but only for a short while.
www.tudorhistorytours.com
Saturday, 5 June 2010
Kings College Chapel Cambridge
What a magnificent place this is. On a glorious sunny day the superlatives rapidly dry up to describe the assault on your senses.
Set right in the middle of the University city of Cambridge, the Chapel is larger than some Cathedrals I've been in. You walk in through the north door under the wrought iron gate with the Crown set in a thorn bush. This is to remind us that Henry VII found the Crown in a thorn bush at the battle of Bosworth, well, Shakespeare tells us so anyway.
As you step into the chapel itself it just takes your breath away. It is a statement from Henry VIII, you can hear him shouting down the centuries to us,"I am Henry Octavus, Lord of this land, This is me and I WILL be remembered" There are his coat of arms everywhere, dragons & greyhounds, Tudor roses, Portcullises and sheilds, the most magnificent fan vaulted roof, the largest anywhere in the world.
There is more than one unique feature in this buidling. One of the Tudor Roses in the north west corner has a female figure in the centre, the only one I have seen anywhere. It is of Elizabeth of York, Henry VIII's mother, now why is that?
There are two of his wives here, Anne Boleyn's initials are carved in the oak Rood Screen in the middle of the Chapel. The carver must have forgot to remove them after she unfortunately mislaid her head, or was it on Henry's orders? Katherine Howard is seen in one of the windows high up and adoring Henry, who is actually Solomon but with fiery red hair. It is the only authenticated image of Katherine Howard known anywhere. High up on the East Window, so high up that you either rick your neck or have to stand back a very long way, above the Red dragon of Wales are the letters, H & K, the initials of Katherine Howard.
The organist was practising all the time I was there and as I stepped out of one of the side chapels a full blast of music was timed to perfection to hit me as I stepped through the door, made me jump back. I stayed for ages just listenng to the music and didn't really want to leave.
A truly remarkable place to visit.
www.tudorhistorytours.com
Set right in the middle of the University city of Cambridge, the Chapel is larger than some Cathedrals I've been in. You walk in through the north door under the wrought iron gate with the Crown set in a thorn bush. This is to remind us that Henry VII found the Crown in a thorn bush at the battle of Bosworth, well, Shakespeare tells us so anyway.
As you step into the chapel itself it just takes your breath away. It is a statement from Henry VIII, you can hear him shouting down the centuries to us,"I am Henry Octavus, Lord of this land, This is me and I WILL be remembered" There are his coat of arms everywhere, dragons & greyhounds, Tudor roses, Portcullises and sheilds, the most magnificent fan vaulted roof, the largest anywhere in the world.
There is more than one unique feature in this buidling. One of the Tudor Roses in the north west corner has a female figure in the centre, the only one I have seen anywhere. It is of Elizabeth of York, Henry VIII's mother, now why is that?
There are two of his wives here, Anne Boleyn's initials are carved in the oak Rood Screen in the middle of the Chapel. The carver must have forgot to remove them after she unfortunately mislaid her head, or was it on Henry's orders? Katherine Howard is seen in one of the windows high up and adoring Henry, who is actually Solomon but with fiery red hair. It is the only authenticated image of Katherine Howard known anywhere. High up on the East Window, so high up that you either rick your neck or have to stand back a very long way, above the Red dragon of Wales are the letters, H & K, the initials of Katherine Howard.
The organist was practising all the time I was there and as I stepped out of one of the side chapels a full blast of music was timed to perfection to hit me as I stepped through the door, made me jump back. I stayed for ages just listenng to the music and didn't really want to leave.
A truly remarkable place to visit.
www.tudorhistorytours.com
Thursday, 27 May 2010
Fit for a King
The new exhibition at the Tower of London called Fit for a King is a real innovation in it's presentation. There are suits of Henry VIII's armour in all their magnificence on display as well as other outfits and uniforms of other Kings of England. The Armours were made for Henry to show off and to dazzle the people of course and you can see how later in life was a very portly gentleman to say it kindly, and complete with the Cod piece too.
Now the real innovation is the presentation of the the component parts of the suits of armour alongside in a frame like they were pieces of a giant plastic model. Those of you who may remember as a 10 year old trying to glue together a plastic model boat or airplane will know what it will look like. Then in between the giant model and the real suit of armour is a TV screen that shows the pieces of the model actually being taken from the frame and put together to form the whole. It is a great trick and shows how the armour fits together bit by bit.
A real joy to watch and only takes a couple of minutes to go through the loop, of course the real suit would have taken many people to assist and much longer to fit on the King.
www.tudorhistorytours.com
Now the real innovation is the presentation of the the component parts of the suits of armour alongside in a frame like they were pieces of a giant plastic model. Those of you who may remember as a 10 year old trying to glue together a plastic model boat or airplane will know what it will look like. Then in between the giant model and the real suit of armour is a TV screen that shows the pieces of the model actually being taken from the frame and put together to form the whole. It is a great trick and shows how the armour fits together bit by bit.
A real joy to watch and only takes a couple of minutes to go through the loop, of course the real suit would have taken many people to assist and much longer to fit on the King.
www.tudorhistorytours.com
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
Wine flows at the Palace
Wine flows in the courtyard at Hampton Court Palace now. Historic Royal Palaces have recreated the wine fountain seen on the famous painting of the Field of Cloth of Gold where Henry VIII meets with the King of France.
The edifice is huge and is complete with some figures that are drunk as shown in the painting too, and lots of tourist get to have their photo in the same position. For a small fee (over 18's only) you can have a cup of wine from the fountain, we didn't get to try it as it wasn't open till after we left, but next time we'll stay longer and sample the wine.
Hampton Court Palace has much to recommend to the visitor, there are daily plays around the place which are themed but each one different. On the day we were there Henry was getting married to Catherine Parr, you could watch Catherine chose her wedding dress or Henry having his last batchelor drink with some of his mates, and you had the chance to dress in either red or green robes to walk about the place.
The Costumes worn by the participants were magnificent and gave plenty of time to take photos.
www.tudorhistorytours.com
The edifice is huge and is complete with some figures that are drunk as shown in the painting too, and lots of tourist get to have their photo in the same position. For a small fee (over 18's only) you can have a cup of wine from the fountain, we didn't get to try it as it wasn't open till after we left, but next time we'll stay longer and sample the wine.
Hampton Court Palace has much to recommend to the visitor, there are daily plays around the place which are themed but each one different. On the day we were there Henry was getting married to Catherine Parr, you could watch Catherine chose her wedding dress or Henry having his last batchelor drink with some of his mates, and you had the chance to dress in either red or green robes to walk about the place.
The Costumes worn by the participants were magnificent and gave plenty of time to take photos.
www.tudorhistorytours.com
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Spring at last
Whilst walking on the nature trail at Herstmonceux castle we came across our first bluebells of the season nestling in a really sunny sheltered spot near the folly by the lake. So spring is here at last, traditionally the first cuckoo is heard on the 10th of April but we didn't hear it. 90% of the worlds common bluebells are found only in britain and most of those in the South East. It's always a pleasure to get out walking in the spring.
Herstmonceux castle ( herst-mon-zoo) holds a special place, it's the first brick built castle in the country 1441, not a castle really but a crennelated manor house that is defensible with a moat. It is still one of the most significant brick built buildings in the country.
The Royal Greenwich Observatory took over the place in 1957 and built a number of telescopes, some of which are still used by the local astronomical society to have a look at a celestial event. The RGO moved out in the late 80's as most of the real observing is done in the Canary Islands now, since then the place has been owned by Queens University of Onatario, as the International Science and Study Centre, what a great place to come and study!
I used to work there when it was the RGO over 20 years ago and there was some fantastic childrens Christmas parties with loads of kids running about the place trying to find the treasure and rescue the princess from the tower. The place is also a wedding venue and the bridal suite is in one of the turrets, how cool is that?
The castle holds and annual medieval festival in August and its now the largest of it's type and lasts three days. It's now in it's 18th year and Tudor history tours will attend the festival on the August tour.
http://www.tudorhistorytours.com/
Herstmonceux castle ( herst-mon-zoo) holds a special place, it's the first brick built castle in the country 1441, not a castle really but a crennelated manor house that is defensible with a moat. It is still one of the most significant brick built buildings in the country.
The Royal Greenwich Observatory took over the place in 1957 and built a number of telescopes, some of which are still used by the local astronomical society to have a look at a celestial event. The RGO moved out in the late 80's as most of the real observing is done in the Canary Islands now, since then the place has been owned by Queens University of Onatario, as the International Science and Study Centre, what a great place to come and study!
I used to work there when it was the RGO over 20 years ago and there was some fantastic childrens Christmas parties with loads of kids running about the place trying to find the treasure and rescue the princess from the tower. The place is also a wedding venue and the bridal suite is in one of the turrets, how cool is that?
The castle holds and annual medieval festival in August and its now the largest of it's type and lasts three days. It's now in it's 18th year and Tudor history tours will attend the festival on the August tour.
http://www.tudorhistorytours.com/
Friday, 9 April 2010
Smallhythe Place
Smallhythe is just a simple gem of a place that you stumble across almost by accident. A village set in the heart of the Kent countryside that was in Tudor times a hive of shipbuilding activity. The Great Harry, Henry VIII's warship was built here and Smallhythe Place was the Harbourmasters house and office built in 1514.
The house was purchased in 1899 by the actress Ellen Terry and the house is a shrine to her with costumes diplays and lots of theatre artifacts. Ellen Terry was hugely famous in her day and she died in 1928. After her death, her daughter set about turning the old barn, built in 1560, out the back garden into a theatre. And how she has succeeded. It's so small only 77 seats and they have performances in the summer. The seats were bought by the great and good of the British theatre and music, Paul McCartney has his name one one ( he only lives about 4 miles away). A very beautiful and peaceful place to go to nestling on a slight rise above the silted up river plain.
Only 50 yards away is the Parish church built in 1516-17 during the reign of Henry VIII. It is unusual, built of red brick brought over from flanders and the stepped gable ends are sure sign of Dutch influence. In 1509 an order was issued by Archbishop Warham that the parishoners were allowed to elect their own priest. This privelege was unique in the whole Kingdom and was to last for more that 400 years. Sadly the stained glass windows are relatively modern replaced in 1952 after the original was destroyed by a V1 rocket in 1944.
Just to finish the day off nearby is Chapel Down vinyard that sells very good English wines. All in all a beautiful place to visit.
http://www.tudorhistorytours.com/
The house was purchased in 1899 by the actress Ellen Terry and the house is a shrine to her with costumes diplays and lots of theatre artifacts. Ellen Terry was hugely famous in her day and she died in 1928. After her death, her daughter set about turning the old barn, built in 1560, out the back garden into a theatre. And how she has succeeded. It's so small only 77 seats and they have performances in the summer. The seats were bought by the great and good of the British theatre and music, Paul McCartney has his name one one ( he only lives about 4 miles away). A very beautiful and peaceful place to go to nestling on a slight rise above the silted up river plain.
Only 50 yards away is the Parish church built in 1516-17 during the reign of Henry VIII. It is unusual, built of red brick brought over from flanders and the stepped gable ends are sure sign of Dutch influence. In 1509 an order was issued by Archbishop Warham that the parishoners were allowed to elect their own priest. This privelege was unique in the whole Kingdom and was to last for more that 400 years. Sadly the stained glass windows are relatively modern replaced in 1952 after the original was destroyed by a V1 rocket in 1944.
Just to finish the day off nearby is Chapel Down vinyard that sells very good English wines. All in all a beautiful place to visit.
http://www.tudorhistorytours.com/
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