history

Shaw House: Berkshire’s Hidden Gem

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  Guest post by Sarah Somerville  Shaw House is an Elizabethan manor built in 1581 for Thomas Dolman II, who had made his wealth through the cloth trade. The House is a prodigy house, built to impress, show off wealth and with the hope of attracting a visit from royalty. Indeed, Queen Elizabeth I did visit Shaw House in the summer of 1592. Beyond this time the House has survived Civil War battles, become a Dukes retreat and, in more recent times, was [More]

The 1348 Black Plague: Devastation Through Europe

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Guest post by Juliana Cummings As we come to what appears to be the end of the global pandemic, I’ve often thought about those who were alive during another pandemic-one that was almost 700 years ago. While Covid 19 was a scary and uncertain time for us all, we could at least rest assured that we had the knowledge and experience of doctors and scientists who understood the virology. We relied on the millions of brave first responders who cared for the sick and dying, knowing [More]

Historical Fiction and Its Impact on History

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This is a topic that I am extremely passionate about - historical fiction, and history. Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir are quite possibly the most well-known authors on Tudor history. Both women are historians, both women are authors. While Gregory appears to only write historical fiction, Weir began her popular career writing non-fiction, and then transformed into what I would consider fiction/historical fiction. Before I delve into the topic I must confess that I am a [More]

Why The Tudors?

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I was having a difficult time coming up with a topic for this week's podcast. I reached out to my followers on Facebook and a couple of them mentioned that they would be interested in finding out what got me interested in The Tudor dynasty in the first place. I thought it was a fantastic idea and so I ran with it. This episode begins talking about Henry VII and the Battle of Bosworth as well as Elizabeth of York and leads up to the birth of Prince Arthur. I discuss my [More]

Drugs and The Tudors: Drug Use Isn’t a New Phenomenon (Guest Post)

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Guest post by Sharon Torres The Tudor dynasty is pretty well known in history having been popularized by icons like Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII, and Edward VI. While we may have much of the Tudors in history books, there remains one question that lingers in minds of people: “Was drug use common in times of Tudor?” There have been speculations that William Shakespeare may have used drugs after an investigation of clay pipes that were found near his house showed trace [More]