Tudor Times is the online repository for all things Tudor and Stewart (1485–1625)

27th March 1625 saw the death of James VI of Scots and I of England at Theobalds House. He was the first King of Great Britain, claiming the English throne as the great-great grandson of Henry VII. Called the ‘Wisest Fool in Christendom’, apparently by Henri IV of France, to indicate that James was well educated but not necessarily possessed of common sense. This opinion of James has persisted for centuries, but of late there has been a reassessment of his character.

He was certainly a survivor – crowned King of Scots in opposition to his mother at the age of two, he survived several assassination attempts, the most notorious being the Gun Powder Plot of 1605, and he died in his bed. His achievements were considerable – peaceful unification of the crowns (although not the states) of Scotland and England, cessation of war with Spain whilst maintaining alliances with the Protestant states of the Empire, the commissioning of King James’ Authorised Version of the Bible, still dear to Anglican hearts, and an adult male heir. Like many people of his time, James was obsessed with witchcraft. Read more about that in this article by Tracy Borman, first published on Tudor Times in 2015.

Picture of James VI & I by Critz around 1606

On 26th March 1559, the Archbishop-elect of Canterbury, Matthew Parker (1504 – 1575), required the English clergy to swear to wear the vestments prescribed by law. About one-third of the clergy of London refused and were deprived of their livings. Following the death of Mary I the previous November, Elizabeth had continued to follow the Catholic religion as laid down by Parliament, but many radical Protestants, particularly in London, assumed that Protestantism would be swiftly reintroduced. For these radicals, the wearing of vestments was tantamount to idolatry and they immediately abandoned them. Elizabeth’s initial preference seems to have been for the not-far-off Catholic Prayer Book of 1549, which certainly required the wearing of vestments and retained many traditional Catholic practices. In the event, the Protestant Prayer Book of 1552 became the law, although toned down slightly, with the retention of vestments as in 1549, and both Queen and Archbishop insisted on them.

On 25th March 1586, Margaret Clitherow, wife of a butcher in York, was pressed to death by heavy stones. Pressing was the punishment for an accused person who refused to plead. Margaret was accused of harbouring Catholic priests, contravening the Act of 1581, which outlawed the support of missionaries. Margaret refused to enter a plea, so could not be tried in the usual way. This refusal has been interpreted in a variety of ways, including not wishing to enable the interrogation (and perhaps torture) of her children and her reluctance to see fellow Catholics who conformed outwardly to the law empanelled as jurors. Read more about the situation of Catholics in Elizabeth's reign in Jessie Childs' "God's Traitors", a review of which is here.