During her reign Elizabeth faced a range of challenges from different groups of puritans who desired reform of the Elizabethan Settlement. This answer will assess three different challenges, from the Vestment Controversy of the 1560s, parliamentary pressure in the 1580s, and the threat of separatists in the 1580s-1590s. The position of this answer is that […]
Financial policies were incredibly important to Henry VII during his reign, particularly in raising revenue. However, this answer argues that the problems caused by his financial policies means that other factors were more important in establishing his authority, particularly his use of foreign policies. It is clear that Henry was in need of improving the […]
My new book – Sir Walter Raleigh: A New History – is coming out later this spring. Having spent a good portion of two years researching and writing it, I’m really looking forward to seeing it in print and in my hand. As with any book writing process, there was so much that I simply […]
Last month I had an interesting experience as a guest on the John Acres radio show on BBC Radio Devon. From Monday to Friday, I was involved in a quiz which focused on celebrity birthdays, in which I pitted my wits against the host in attempting to guess the age of various celebrities. Unfortunately, my […]
The following article was written for a revived online version of The Cornish Banner back in 2019. I was drawn to the life of Cuthbert Mayne due to his connection to Cornwall during the Tudor period. His end was brutal and the methods employed by the Tudor state raise many questions regarding the morality of […]
Earlier this week in an A-level History revision session, I covered the breakdown of society during the reign of Henry VII (1485-1509). This involves an overview of the feudalist structure, with further focus on the hierarchy and influence of the Catholic Church. I haven’t seen any questions relating to this on previous exam papers (the […]
Recent research has allowed me the opportunity to delve back into the events of the Cornish rebellions of 1497. I’ve posted about these uprisings previously on the blog, including one focusing on Michael Joseph (the Cornish Braveheart), as well as an article on how on how a considerable number of textbooks have mixed up the […]
As noted in previous posts, I recently researched – as part of my book The Tudor Empire – the John Cabot voyages for Henry VII during the 1490s (you can read about the myths of phantom islands of the Atlantic ocean, as well as the legend of the disappearance of John Cabot himself). What I […]
The last post outlined the various myths and legends of the medieval period of the phantom islands in the Atlantic ocean. This stemmed from the research that I am currently undertaking in preparation for my book about the empire-building of the Tudor state: The Tudor Empire. This research has enabled to delve further into the […]
I have spent a good part of the past few months engaging in research for a book that I am writing, which is about the growth of empire during the Tudor period (to be titled The Tudor Empire). The last few weeks have been spent delving into the impact of the John Cabot transatlantic voyages […]
The Speaker of the House of Commons is an important position within British politics. The Speaker’s primary role is to facilitate debate and keep order, and as such, they are the highest authority in the Commons. As noted by Jenkins et al (2019, p.164): ‘Speakers of the House of Commons are generally experienced MPs who […]
Having previously covered some aspects of the foreign policy of Henry VII, I considered how successful he was during his twenty-four year reign from 1485 to 1509. In 1507, toward the end of his reign – and in relative security from earlier crises – Henry spoke to the City of London: ‘This our realm is […]
Two years ago just before the 2019 Easter break I spent a couple of days in London as part of a trip with the History with English FdA cohort. During this period I managed to “geek-out” by having a tour around the Globe theatre, checking out a Weimar art exhibition at the Tate Modern, and […]
Last week I noted how I would post all chapters of my short eBook Ralph Wilford: Henry VII’s Forgotten Pretender. The first chapter provides a contextual overview of the reign of Henry VII up to the year of 1499. The remaining chapters will posted in the near future. Chapter 1 – The Fears of Henry […]
