Jamestown: Here Come the Brides
Alice, Verity and Jocelyn arrive in the Jamestown colony to meet their new husbands and start carving out lives for themselves in this brave new world Continue reading Jamestown: Here Come the Brides
Category: Elizabethan Period
The Life and Death of Thomas Cranmer
Poor Thomas Cranmer. He thought he’d been doing a good thing, establishing the Anglican church, instituting all sorts of reforms, and clawing his way up to the position of Archbishop of Canterbury. But all you need to screw it up was one slightly crazed Catholic with an axe to grind and suddenly you find yourself strapped to a pyre on a fine spring morning. Cranmer … Continue reading The Life and Death of Thomas Cranmer
Shake, Shake, Shake!
On 6 April 1580 the good people of England, Flanders, and Northern France had their dinners interrupted when the largest earthquake in the recorded history of those three nations struck at around 6 o’clock in the evening. This being the era of some of the greatest writers in the history of the English language, the event was pretty well recorded (including at least one parody … Continue reading Shake, Shake, Shake!
Hot Cross Buns
Hot cross buns!
Hot cross buns!
One a-penny, two a-penny
Hot cross buns!
It’s Easter, which means hot cross buns have been everywhere for at least the last month and a half. Traditionally eaten throughout Lent, these sweet, fruit-filled buns are a special tea-time treat, especially if you give them a quick warm in the oven or toast them up and slather them up with butter. Although there are, apparently, good ones you can get in the shops, as is typically the case, homemade is exceptionally delicious.
Dinner Party Fail
On 9 March 1566, Mary, Queen of Scots, though it’d be nice to have a little dinner party with David Rizzio, a singer and musician whom she’d made secretary for relations with France. Unfortunately, Rizzio’s Catholic religion and close relationship with Mary had made him unpopular with some of the more insane noblemen at court, who decided Rizzio had to go. While Mary and David … Continue reading Dinner Party Fail
Killing Cousins
On 16 January 1572, Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk and cousin of Queen Elizabeth, went on trial for his part in the Ridolfi Plot, a scheme to overthrow the Queen and replace her with the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots. Obviously, it did not go well. The plot itself was the handiwork of Roberto di Ridolfi, a banker who apparently had way too much … Continue reading Killing Cousins
Off You Go!
After a fairly disastrous reign, Mary, Queen of Scots abdicated her throne on July 24, 1567 in favor of her infant son, James. Like her son, Mary came to her throne young—she was only six days old when her father died. She was raised mostly in France, where she was engaged and later married to the dauphin, while her mother, the Frenchwoman Marie de Guise, … Continue reading Off You Go!
Friends?
This day in history: The Treaty of Edinburgh was signed Continue reading Friends?
New Albion
Well, if you’re going to take a break you might as well make it worthwhile. On 17 June 1579, Francis Drake paused in his circumnavigation of the globe to plant a flag on the western coast of North America (probably somewhere in modern-day Northern California) and name it New Albion. New Albion joined Drake’s claims at the tip of South America and Martin Frobisher’s claims … Continue reading New Albion
Top Ten Onscreen Royal Romances
It’s Valentine’s Day, and whether you have plans or expect to stay in, it’s a great opportunity to kick back, pop open some bubbly and a box of chocolates, and indulge in a few good old-fashioned romances. Everyone loves a good love story, and if it comes with tiaras, so much the better, so it’s no wonder royal romances have shown up onscreen in dozens … Continue reading Top Ten Onscreen Royal Romances