Shows / The History of England
The History of England
This my re-telling of the story of England. I aim to be honest, and rigorous - but always loving of my country's history. It is a regular, chronological podcast, starting from the end of Roman Britain. There are as many of the great events I can squeeze in, of course, but I also try to keep an eye on how people lived, their language, what was important to them, the forces that shaped their lives and destinies, that sort of thing. To listen free of adverts, support the podcast, access a library…
Episodes
The History of England210 Bloody Beast
How Henry has been assessed by historians through the ages, and the controversies of his reign. And assessments of the man himself.For maps, resources…
The History of England209 Exploration
Through the 15th century, Portugal explored the African coast in search of the Indies and the fabulous wealth of the trading networks with the East - such as…
The History of England208 I Heart Henry
What happened when Henry was gone. And the report card - was Henry an incompetent tyrant, a fun loving saviour of England's future - or something in between?…
The History of England207 The Underworld
While the young prince Henry built a group of aristocratic companions and longed desperately for the joust, his father drove his hatchet men Dudley and Empson…
The History of England206 Descent to the Underworld
Henry had found two hatchet men to replace Reginald Bray - Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley. They spread their tentacles and contacts through London and…
The History of England205 Do Not Let Me Perish
In the early 1500's Henry VII saw many of his closest confidentes and supporters die. Catherine of Aragon was to be one of those who suffered as a result. He…
The History of England204 Governing the Early Tudor State
Henry made changes to the English court, administration and legal system. He increased the health of royal finances, and tried to make the justice system work…
The History of England203 The Spanish Princess
After negotiations that would win prizes, it was finally time for Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth's pride and joy Prince Arthur to marry the Spanish Princess…
The History of England202 Scotland, Cornwell and Warbeck
The travels of Perkin Warbeck take him to Scotland, marriage and war; which leads to taxes, which leads to rebellion. T'was ever thus.For maps, resources…
The History of England201 Poyning's Law
Ireland in 1495 was almost 3 societies living side by side. We take a trip to Ireland, hear about the Great Earl, and the law that became known as Poyning's…
The History of England200 Printin and Perkin
The appearance of a new pretender - Perkin Warbeck in Ireland was to distort Henry VII's domestic and foreign policy for the rest of the 1490's.For maps…
The History of England199 The New Men
Henry VII's ambitions were to rule in the French style - to better control and increase his income. He gathered around him bureaucrats - new men he could trust…
The History of England198 Mothers and Wives
In 1485 and 1486 Henry established the foundations of his reign through parliament, and established his household. The relationship between his wife and his…
The History of England197 The Story of Henry VII
The personality of Henry VII, the story he created of himself, and how history has treated his reputation.For maps, resources, transcripts or to become a…
The History of England5.1 - 196 The Early Tudors, 1485 - 1554
After an introduction to series 5, we take an episode to survery the state of the nation in 1485, England at the Dawn of the Tudor Age. England in 1485 was at…
The History of England195 The History of Europe Part VIII
15th Century European kingdoms were wracked by internal division as well as international war. By the end of the century, Rome was no more, Christendom was…
The History of England194 The Wars of the Roses
1485 was not the end of the Wars of the Roses; the fear of dynastic strife lasts well into Henry VIII's reign. But we draw a close at the battle of Stoke, and…
The History of England193 The Blood of Innocents
In 1483, the gates of the Tower of London closed on two innocent and defenceless boys; one, Edward, captured and the other Richard, given up by his mother. As…
The History of England192 Bosworth
At last in 1485 Richard got to meet his challenger in person at the Battle of Bosworth - a meeting he needed every bit as much as Henry Tudor.For maps…
The History of England191 The Reign of Richard III
Unfortunately for Richard he was never able to simply concentrate of governing the realm; the hangover of his accession, the presence of Henry Tudor abroad -…
The History of England190 Good King Richard
Some argue that in a short time Richard showed that he good have been one of England's best rulers - is there any justification for the idea of Good King…
The History of England189 The Most Untrue Creature
Richard sought to start the reconciliation of the factions in the realm. But despite his triumphant progress through the Kingdom to York, trouble was brewing -…
The History of England188 Richard III - Knave, Fool or Saviour?
3 interpretations of the events of 1483 to help your all important vote - did Richard plan to usurp the throne; fall into it by mistake; or step into the…
The History of England187 Edward V
The reign of Edward V is one of the great controversies of English history. This episode is as uncontroversial - just what happened. Then in 2 weeks time - we…
The History of England186 The King is Alive!
It was critical that the heir to the throne, the young Edward, was tutored and governed to be brought up to be a successful king - and so Rivers was given the…
The History of England185 Edward the King
The 1470's were a marked contrast to the 1460's; a decade of complete calm, of control and authority. How did Edward do it?For maps, resources, transcripts or…
The History of England184 Edward's Foreign Glory
Edward IV fancied himself as a latter day Edward III, and with his love of the Garter tradition on the one hand and his determination to gain revenge for…
The History of England183 The Brothers York
They had a complicated relationship - Edward, Clarence and Richard; Clarence and Richard had often been left together with Cecily and Margaret while Edward was…
The History of England182 Games and Beasts
An odd episode, where we talk about games they played in medieval days; and then completely unconnected, some of domesticated animals and where they came…
The History of England181 The 15th Century Rural Economy
We know that the Magnates and peerage made some cutbacks and prettified fewer of their residences - but what of the Gentry, who by and large would have 1 or 2…
The History of England180 Lives and Loves of the Gentry
Through the 15th century the Gentry become firmly established as the real rulers of the localities; and an enterprising part of England's economy. So it seems…
The History of England179 The New Farmers
After a period of grace, the 15th Century posed serious challenges for Magnates and the rural economy - prices fell, wages rose, Magnates had to cancel…
The History of England178 The 15th C Economy I
A rest from politics. The population of England remained stagnant or falling throughout 15th century. But that didn't meant there was no opportunity for towns…
The History of England177 High Noon at Tewkesbury
Edward's troubles were not over with the victory at Barnet. He still faced two more invasions - the Queen and Prince, and Fauconberg in the South East. It was…
The History of England176 The Readeption
In 1470, Henry VIth was released by Warwick from the Tower, and re-established as the rightful king of England. The Usurper Edward IV was banished forever…
The History of England175 An Unholy Alliance
In 1470 the spin of the wheel of fortune was dizzying. Warwick had won, lost, won...where it ended nobody knew. But the most extraordinary thing of all was an…
The History of England174 Warwick's Rubicon
In 1468, Warwick had a decision to make - as he himself said, 'It is a matter of being either Master or Varlet'.For maps, resources, transcripts or to become a…
The History of England173 Rivers Rising
There was a new faction at court - the Woodvilles, and they were there en masse. Were they really so bad? Had Edward boobed? And what did Warwick think - what…
The History of England172 A Royal Marriage
The first three years of Edward's reign were spent dealing stamping on the fires of the Lancastrian resistance. But then, he found time for something much more…
The History of England171 Two Rulers
In the aftermath of Towton, Edward started his work to restore a broad based regime - crushing the recalcitrant, welcoming the turncoats, re-establishing royal…
The History of England170 This Fair White Rose
In 1461 the Queen failed to seize London,and retreated to the north. Warwick and Edward walked through London's empty gates and then chased north for the…
The History of England169 King without Rule
After the victory at Northampton and the Act of Accord, it looked as though all Richard of York had to do was wait or the crown to be his. But in the north and…
The History of England168 With Horns and Trumpets
Warwick swashed and buckled his way up and down the channel until the Yorkists were ready to invade England again. But on his return from Ireland with horns…
The History of England167 The Triumph of Lancaster
In 1459 the trigger point was finally reached; after a year of phony war, both sides preparing for war, the call for a great council in 1459 proving the…
The History of England166 The Reign of Queen Margaret
In 1455 it briefly looked as though York had won; but in fact it solved nothing - the king remained the centre of power, and the king was weak. By 1457, he had…
The History of England165 Bloodshed
In 1455, the quality and nature of the arguments and disputes about the king's fitness to reign and the need to reform the way England was governed changed…
The History of England164 Madness
In 1452 and 1453 Henry enjoyed a brief spell where he was on top of his job after the events at Dartford. But fate had something in mind. For maps, resources…
The History of England163 The Cousins' War
How did previous generations view the Wars of the Roses? What are the interpretations of the Wars of the Roses now? This, and an introduction to some key…
The History of England162 The Return of York
It's still 1450. Because it was something of an eventful year. Richard of York, sat in Ireland, was worried - his name had been bandied about by Jack Cade and…
The History of England161 Captain of Kent
1450 was an eventful year. The fall of Suffolk, and now Kent was once again in flames, just as it had been in 1381. This time the leader that emerged was one…
The History of England160 The Fall of Suffolk and Normandy
By 1445, William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk was clearly Henry's most trusted adviser. He faced a difficult task - to steer a bankrupt nation into the harbor…
The History of England159 From Arras to Tours
Through the late 1430's and early 1440's the situation in Normandy got no better, Alice Chaucer until a failed expedition convinced Henry and Suffolk that…
The History of England158 Catastrophe at Arras
In December 1431, Henry VIth became the only king of England crowned king of France in France. Which sounds great. But in fact it was a sign of English…
The History of England157 Joan of Arc
In 1428, the English were still sweeping all before them. Then came a figure so famous, that she was selected by Bill and Ted for their history project - and…
The History of England156 Reivers
There's really often little practical difference between what we call politics and some of what we call crime. Essentially it the history of the struggle for…
The History of England155 The Wonder Years
While Bedford and talented commanders like Salisbury were alive, the cause of the English in France was far from dead. But in 1423, buoyed by the arrival of…
The History of England154 Henry VIth - A Weak King
An introduction to a new reign - Henry VIth, a name to make grown men tremble - and to the political leaders that dominated it. For maps, resources…
The History of England153 Medieval Working Women
Only 4% of women remained unmarried in the middle ages, and therefore for Harvestingboth men and women working life was a matter of team work. In towns in…
The History of England152 Death of a Conquering Hero
Henry's talents ran as much to managing his back yard as it did to war; this week how Henry organised his kingdom for war, and the last days of his life. Plus…
The History of England151 The Bridge at Montereau
In 1420, Henry faced an uphill battle again; his negotiations had failed with both Dauphinists and Burgundians, and instead they'd patched it up. So he faced…