By Tim Lambert Canute was a great king of the 11th century. He was probably born in the early 990s (the exact date is not known). His father was King Sweyn of Denmark. It’s believed his mother was Polish. In 1013 his father, the Danish king Sweyn invaded England. His fleet sailed up the Humber… Continue reading A Biography of King Canute
Author: Tim Lambert
A Biography of William the Conqueror
By Tim Lambert His Early Life William the Conqueror was born about 1028. He was the son of Robert I Duke of Normandy. His father died in 1035. At first, William was too young to rule but as he grew older he took control of Normandy. In 1053 he married a woman named Matilda of… Continue reading A Biography of William the Conqueror
A Biography of King Richard I
By Tim Lambert King Richard I was born in 1157 in Oxford. His father was Henry II and his mother was Eleanor of Aquitaine. Richard was an educated man. In 1172 he became Duke of Aquitaine. In 1183 his older brother Henry died and he became heir to the throne of England. Richard succeeded his… Continue reading A Biography of King Richard I
A Biography of King John
By Tim Lambert His Early Life King John was born in December 1166 or 1167. John was a younger son of Henry II and he was not expected to become king. His father conquered Ireland and in 1185 John was sent to that country. The expedition was a failure and John returned to England in… Continue reading A Biography of King John
Tudor Clothes
By Tim Lambert Dedicated to Yvonne Shaw For rich Tudors fashion was important. Their clothes were very elaborate. For the poor clothes had to be tough and practical. All classes wore wool. However, it varied in quality. The rich wore fine-quality wool. The poor wore coarse wool. The Tudors used linen to make shirts and… Continue reading Tudor Clothes
Tudor Education
By Tim Lambert In the early 16th century, many boys went to chantry schools. Rich men left money in their wills to pay priests to pray for their souls. After the religious changes of the 1540s, the chantry schools were closed. However many rich men founded grammar schools. Boys usually went to a kind of… Continue reading Tudor Education
Tudor Food
By Tim Lambert In Tudor England meat was a luxury. However, vegetables were cheap. Tudor vegetables included cabbages, onions, cauliflower, cucumbers, leeks, lettuce, spinach, carrots, and turnips. Brussels sprouts were grown in Europe in the 16th century but they were rare in England. Common Tudor fruits were apples, strawberries, pears, plums, blackberries, raspberries, and lemons.… Continue reading Tudor Food
Tudor Houses
By Tim Lambert In the Middle Ages, rich people’s houses were designed for defence rather than comfort. In the 16th century, life was safer so houses no longer had to be easy to defend. Rich Tudors built grand houses e.g. Cardinal Wolsey built Hampton Court Palace. Later the Countess of Shrewsbury built Hardwick Hall in… Continue reading Tudor Houses
Tudor Medicine
By Tim Lambert During the 16th century, there were some improvements in medicine. However, it remained basically the same as in the Middle Ages. In 1478 a book by the Roman doctor Celsus was printed. (The printing press made all books including medical ones much cheaper). The book by Celsus quickly became a standard textbook.… Continue reading Tudor Medicine
Punishments in the 16th Century
By Tim Lambert In the 16th century, prison was seldom used as a punishment. Instead, people were held in prison until trial then some physical punishment was meted out. In the 16th century, minor crimes were often punished by the pillory or the stocks. The pillory was a wooden frame on a pole with holes… Continue reading Punishments in the 16th Century