Introduction Henry VIII became King on the death of his father, King Henry VII, on 21st April 1509. After the death of his elder brother, Arthur, in 1503 he was the sole heir to the … Read more
A Tudor Christmas was celebrated primarily as a religious festival and also as a time for families to come together and celebrate surviving through another year. The main period of festivities was the twelve days … Read more
Tudor society took the form of a hierarchical system with the King at the top. Those at the top were rich and powerful while those at the bottom were poor and had no power at … Read more
Coinage Tudor money was in the form of coins and there were no paper notes. At the beginning of the Tudor period, the coins in existence were: a silver penny, a groat which was … Read more
Tudor sports were not a regular feature of life for the ordinary people. They worked long hours, often from sun up to sun down, and went to bed when it got dark. In 1512 Henry … Read more
History Although raffles had been held previously this was the first official lottery chartered by Queen Elizabeth I. The lottery was being held to raise money for the improvement and defence of the country as … Read more
The cloth trade was extremely important in Tudor England. Merchants dealt in the import and export of raw materials and finished products. Cloth merchants were generally very wealthy men. Although linen was beginning to … Read more
The Stews was the name given to the most notorious brothels in London. The Tudor ‘red light’ district was situated south of the river Thames in Southwark. Located between Maid Lane and Bankside, they were … Read more
Definition of Retainers In the Middle Ages the Feudal System established a link between the different classes. Under the system, land was provided in return for a fee or service. By the beginning of … Read more
Population In 1500 the population of England was about 3 million. Due to yearly outbreaks of plague and sickness the population stayed at about this number. There was a general shortage of labourers which meant … Read more
Please Note: This timeline is a work in progress