Tudor Times

A piece of harp music has recently been discovered at Stirling. According to the article linked below, “Carved into the perimeter of one of Stirling Castle’s famous Stirling Heads was a series of zeros and ones which, at first look like the decoration on the woodwork, but have now been successfully transcribed into a composition, providing a glimpse of the Renaissance period from around 1540.”

Really fascinating!

Here’s the link to the full article which goes into a lot more detail!

Here’s the link to a BBC article which has a picture of the head.

I have run across several articles telling of a recent discovery: a 510 year old letter written by King Henry VII briefly referring to a 1499 expedition by William Weston (a merchant) to Canada. The letter was written on 12 March 1499 where King Henry VII instructs his Lord Chancellor to suspend an injunction against the merchant because he will shortly “with God’s grace, pass and sail for to search and find if he can the new found land”. Dr Jones, who has studied the letter, believes it was probably the earliest attempt by any explorer to find the “Northwest Passage” (a sea-route around North America). If the letter is dated correctly, it is the earliest known use of the phrase “new found land” (which would stick and become Newfoundland).

Here are the links to two articles on the letter:

BBC (which has a nice picture of it)

National Post

Here’s the link to a larger picture of the letter.
(Just click the picture for a close up).

Jousting has returned to Henry VIII’s most famous palace this year. According to this article, “Throughout the day the palace will be awash with preparations for the joust. There will be Tudor cookery in Henry VIII’s kitchens, a chance to discover how the knights prepare for a joust, with opportunities to try some armour on for yourself, and the ladies of the court will be teaching traditional Tudor dancing accompanied by King Henry’s magnificent minstrels. Storytelling in Master Carpenter’s Court and daring tricks performed by the King’s fool will also entertain onlookers before the joust in the famous East Front gardens at 3pm. During the joust, join Queen Anne Boleyn to cheer on the heroic knights as King Henry VIII competes against her brother George Boleyn, Lord of Rochford. Spectators may also be able to eavesdrop on Henry’s courtiers as they gossip and plot against the Queen, as her enemies eagerly await her fall from grace.”

Sounds like soooo much fun! If anyone goes and wants to share pictures/stories, let me know here!

I found an article featuring some “Tudor” manors for sale in England at the moment. Some date from the period (I can only dream!) and others are also quite old, but only have the look not actually authentically “Tudor.”  

Sigh….all places I wish I could afford!

Here’s the link.

On Aug. 25, 1554 Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk died. He was uncle to two of Henry VIII’s wives, Anne Boleyn and Katheryn Howard.

Norfolk was the premier noble of the kingdom. He gained more influence with his niece Anne Boleyn’s rise to the throne. However, their differing views on religion (he being Catholic), drove them apart. He presided over her trial upon her downfall. 

Later, Norfolk drew the king’s attention to anther niece, Katheryn Howard. However, Howard was young and soon caught in adultery. With her fall, Norfolk was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower. He narrowly escaped execution with the death of Henry VIII, however he remained in prison throughout the reign of Edward VI. Mary I released him in 1553, and led Mary’s forces against the Wyatt Rebellion. However, Howard died not long after his part in suppressing the rebellion.

Also on this day in 1482, Margaret d’Anjou, Queen of Henry VI died. Margaret was a leading force in the Wars of the Roses, pushing her husband and later her son as King of England. She was captured by the Yorkist forces after the battle of Tewkesbury (where her son was killed) and held prisoner for three years. Finally the King of France ransomed her and she returned to France.

She remained in exile in France for six years, living in poverty and on the “generosity” of the King of France where she died on Aug. 25, 1482.

I have always found this subject interesting. There is a lot debate about Henry VIII’s cause of death, but no one knows for sure what actually killed him. 

Henry VIII Short Medical Overview:

In 1536, Henry suffered a head and leg injury in a jousting accident. From then on he suffered chronic migraines and a leg wound which would never fully heal. He also suffered from gout and chronic constipation. Due to his leg ulcer, Henry was unable to exercise and grew increasingly obese. He also suffered from gout. 

Henry's armor as a young man showing a very fit body type.

Armor of Henry in his older years showing his much larger waist line.

Here’s the link to a short video about the possible causes of death of Henry VIII, all of which I attempt to address below.

We know much of this because Henry VIII had a very well documented medical history. Despite this, it is still difficult to determine what his cause of death was. I am posting several sites/videos I have found on the subject, comparing and contrasting different theories and ailments:

1) Syphilis

I found a site (linked here) that documents Henry’s medical history. 

There are many who think Henry died from syphilis, including the author of the site above. Here is a short bit on the disease:

Syphilis usually takes on four stages. The primary stage is infection. The secondary stage, over a gap of several weeks, may create an unwell feeling such as headaches, general aches and pains, sickness, loss of appetite and fever. Sometimes there are breaks in the skin a dark red rash (on the backs of the legs and the front of the arms, back, face, hands and feet.), which can last for a few weeks or months. There can also be sores in the mouth, nose, throat, genitals or in the folds of the skin. Hair can fall out in patches. The last stage of syphilis can last from between a few months to up to 50 years (Henry did live a long life). Common symptoms are painful permanent ulcers on the skin, lesions on ligaments, joints and on bones. Tertiary syphilis can attack the nervous system, the heart and blood vessels that results in blindness (not reported), paralysis (was extremely week and unable to lift a glass to his lips the last week or so of his life, but not necessarily paralysis), and insanity (hum…mood swings?). 

Many are now beginning to think that this theory is not true. As the video linked below points out, Henry was not treated with mercury, the 15th century “cure” for syphilis. Thus, his contemporaries did not believe he suffered from it.

2) Blood Poisoning (sepsis): 

I personally disagree with the syphilis theory and think that  blood poisoning (sepsis) due to the ulcer(s) on his leg seems more likely.

Symptoms of this are: 

• Fever and chills——-Primary sources say Henry had a fever
• Low temperature
• Paleness of skin color
• Listlessness
• Changes in mental status——hum…his angry mood swings?
• Rapid breathing
• Increased heart rate
• Decreased urine output
• Low blood pressure
• Shock
• Problems with bleeding or clotting

3) Type II Diabetes/Insulin Deficiency

This is another popular theory. Some have purposed that both Henry and his sister Margaret (who died of a stroke) suffered from diabetes. 

The symptoms for this are:

• Heart and blood vessel disease. Diabetes dramatically increases the risk of various cardiovascular problems, including coronary artery disease with chest pain (angina), heart attack, stroke, narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis) and high blood pressure.——Henry most likely did not suffer from a stroke, but could have suffered from heart disease.
• Nerve damage (neuropathy). Excess sugar can injure the walls of the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that nourish your nerves, especially in the legs. This can cause tingling, numbness, burning or pain that usually begins at the tips of the toes or fingers and gradually spreads upward. Poorly controlled blood sugar can eventually cause you to lose all sense of feeling in the affected limbs. Damage to the nerves that control digestion can cause problems with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. For men, erectile dysfunction may be an issue.—–Henry had a lot of problems with his legs, but mostly with ulcers. He suffered from intense pain in his legs, not numbness. He also had a problem with constipation which was constantly rhubarb.
• Kidney damage (nephropathy). The kidneys contain millions of tiny blood vessel clusters that filter waste from your blood. Diabetes can damage this delicate filtering system. Severe damage can lead to kidney failure or irreversible end-stage kidney disease, requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant.
• Eye damage. Diabetes can damage the blood vessels of the retina (diabetic retinopathy), potentially leading to blindness. Diabetes also increases the risk of other serious vision conditions, such as cataracts and glaucoma.—–Eye damage is not reported in his medical records.
• Foot damage. Nerve damage in the feet or poor blood flow to the feet increases the risk of various foot complications. Left untreated, cuts and blisters can become serious infections. Severe damage might require toe, foot or even leg amputation.
• Skin and mouth conditions. Diabetes may leave you more susceptible to skin problems, including bacterial and fungal infections. Gum infections also may be a concern, especially if you have a history of poor dental hygiene.
• Osteoporosis. 
• Alzheimer’s disease. 
• Hearing problems. 

Here again, he is only recorded to have suffered from a few of these.

4) Cushings Syndrome

Robert Hutchinson, author of The Last Days of Henry VIII, concludes that Henry may have suffered from Cushings Syndrome. Though this disease is pretty rare, Henry may have been a prime candidate for it: If he did suffer from type II diabetes, had trouble controlling his blood sugar, and had high blood pressure (can’t imagine why he would be stressed ) he could have contracted it.

Symptoms vary, but are often represented as:

-upper body obesity, a rounded face—-yes, in his later years (besides his wives it’s what he is most famous for!)

-increased fat around the neck——he had a very swollen face.

-relatively slender arms and legs—-Henry was extremely proud of his muscular calves. He even tied ribbons around them to draw attention.

-fragile and thin skin

-bruising easily

-healing  poorly—-his ulcer(s) was repetitive.

-weak bones

-routine activities such as bending, lifting, or rising from a chair may lead to backaches and rib or spinal column fractures.—–in his last years he was often carried around in a chair.

-severe fatigue

-increased thirst and urination—-Henry often suffered from an unquenchable thirst (possibly a sign of low insulin levels also)

-irritability, anxiety, or depression—-Henry irritable, no!

I am also leaning more toward this theory as well.

Conclusion:

I did not set out to prove what caused Henry’s death, as we will probably never know. Medicine was very different back then than it is today. However, with the great detail in Henry’s medical records, it does give us an idea of what may have caused his death. Honestly, I believe it was a number of things, not just one specific disease. All we know for sure is that he was in a great deal of pain and spent the last few weeks of his life shut up in his chambers, lying in bed, reluctantly facing his inevitable end.

I am hoping to add more to this as soon as I can get my hands on the Letters and Papers of Henry VIII which will offer more primary sources. When I find out more I will update. I am also hoping to take all this information and eventually putting it on a new page on the site!

On Aug. 22, 1485 the Battle of Bosworth was fought between the forces of Richard III, King of England and Henry (soon to be VII) Tudor. 

Henry Tudor launched his invasion of England from exile in Brittany upon hearing the rumors that Richard was planning on marrying Elizabeth of York, eldest daughter of the late king Edward IV. Though Henry had a much smaller army (abouth half the size of Richard’s) with very few Englishmen (about 1000) joining him, he took advantage of the terrain and was able to take out one of Richard’s wings. 

While Henry rode to meet the Stanely’s, Richard spotted him and led a cavalry charge with the goal of killing him. Slamming into Henry’s retinue, Richard made some headway before the Stanleys’ troops entered the fray. In the fighting, Richard was killed.

With Richard’s death, Henry Tudor claimed the throne of England, thereby beginning the Tudor Dynasty.  Legend has it that Richard’s circlet was found under a hawthorn bush and Henry was crowned king of England on the field.

The royal apartments of Stirling Castle (where Margaret Tudor, sister of Henry VIII spent a bit of time) are being transformed to look as they might have in the 16th Century. This is a huge project, and I can’t wait to see it finished! 

Here’s an article with more info.

The British Library’s Henry VIII exhibit is on the move! Its destination is Peterborough, whose Cathedral holds the remains of Henry’s first wife Katherine of Aragon. According to the article linked below, “Among the highlights of the stellar exhibition will be a chance to read a love letter from Henry to Anne Boleyn, which has never before been seen by the public. And his marriage contract to first wife Katharine of Aragon…will also be available to view.”

Here’s the link.

Sorry posts have been slow! I have a really bad cold but will try to post more later!