Instead of bombarding everyone with a bunch of individual posts, here are three links that caught my eye in the past few days that I didn’t get a chance to post.

* From The Telegraph:
Rags to riches as tapestry masterpiece is restored to its former glory

A tapestry that has survived against the odds since the fifteenth century is to go on display for the first time in 20 years, following five years of restoration returning the masterpiece to its former glory.

* From The Guardian:
David Starkey on Henry VIII: Famous for 500 years

In this podcast, David Starkey asks why Henry continues to fascinate us in the 21st century, and how did a boy with such a conventional upbringing become such an unconventional king?

* From The BBC:
The map that changed the world

Almost exactly 500 years ago, in 1507, Martin Waldseemuller and Matthias Ringmann, two obscure Germanic scholars based in the mountains of eastern France, made one of the boldest leaps in the history of geographical thought – and indeed in the larger history of ideas.

Near the end of an otherwise plodding treatise titled Introduction to Cosmography, they announced to their readers the astonishing news that the world did not just consist of Asia, Africa, and Europe, the three parts of the world known since antiquity. A previously unknown fourth part of the world had recently been discovered, they declared, by the Italian merchant Amerigo Vespucci, and in his honour they had decided to give it a name: America.

My Google news alerts went crazy with all of these articles on the Bosworth Field investigation! Here is my last post on the subject and I’ve linked to several of today’s stories below this excerpt from the Guardian article:

Five centuries of searching for one of Britain’s most significant battlefields has finally ended with the discovery of “extraordinary and unexpected” pieces of artillery in a Leicestershire field.

The finds near Market Bosworth at last pin down the notoriously “wandering site” of the battle that overthrew Richard III – the last English king to die at the head of an army – and established the Tudor dynasty and the modern state.

Surrounded by school parties still studying at least four wrong locations, a bevy of archaeologists unveiled 22 primitive pistol bullets and cannonballs, alongside soil surveys and data from metal detection over 2.7 square miles.

The revelations arise from an overlooked trough of rolling countryside two miles from the previously most widely accepted battlefield, below Ambion Hill.

The scale of the ammunition haul transforms the battle of Bosworth’s significance from a national landmark (it is usually ranked with Hastings, Naseby and the Battle of Britain) to international importance.

Glenn Foard, who led the £1m three-year survey for the Battlefields Trust, said: “We are seeing here the origins of firepower which led to an empire spanning the globe. Now this needs to be explored on every battlefield of the period in Europe.”

Pictures of stalwart yeomen with bows and arrows have been instantly outdated by the find, which shows how the battle, in 1485, was a change from previous encounters in the Wars of the Roses.

Full article

More articles:

BBC: New battle over Bosworth’s site

The Daily Mail Online: 500 years of history missed Bosworth Field by two miles

And 3 articles from Times Online:
Battle of Bosworth moves two miles, thanks to archaeologist Glenn Foard
Battle of Bosworth Field… located in the wrong field
Why the Battle of Bosworth Field is difficult to reconstruct

Update:
Here’s a video report from the BBC
and I’m also moving the link Kathy posted in the comments up here:
From the Bosworth Field Official Site: New Archaeological Find

Posted by the Historic Royal Palaces on their YouTube page (you can watch a larger version there).

From the BBC:

Wild wolves, fearsome chieftains, forts, castles and sea monsters – one could be forgiven for thinking this a fairytale. But it isn’t – this was the serious business of State map making – four centuries ago. Today, for the first time, The National Archives is launching a digitised collection of Early Irish maps (c.1558 – c.1610) from the ‘State Papers Ireland’.

The collection comprises more than 70 different maps , amongst the earliest cartographic representations of Ireland, depicting plantations, fortifications and townships during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I.
…
The maps were usually made in response to a particular threat, to show a siege or battle, or to help inform defence strategy against a background of ongoing clashes with Irish chieftains.

Maps were one of the English colonists’ tools, along with the written survey and the gun. They show information useful for defence, such as the location of castles and forts, difficult terrain for armies such as mountains and lakes, and strategic islands and river crossings.

The job of map making required quick-witted, brave and determined men who were willing to risk life to paint a picture of the countries beyond the seas from England.

Full article

Link to slide show of some of the maps

Link to the Irish Maps collection at the National Archives

The Mary Rose Trust unveiled some previously unseen artifacts as part of their new fundraising initiative that I posted about yesterday. Here is the press release and a few articles with photos of some of the artifacts.

BBC: New Mary Rose artefacts on show

The Guardian: The Mary Rose ship reveals a haul of old treasures

The Daily Mail: Saved from the sea, the secret Tudor hoard of the Mary Rose on display for the first time

The Mary Rose Trust will be launching their public appeal tomorrow (Oct. 12) and have sent out this informational email. I previously mentioned the new appeal briefly here.

Five things you probably didn’t know about the Mary Rose

1. The debate continues as to why the Mary Rose mysteriously sank off the Portsmouth coast in 1545. Four of the suggested possibilities are:

* Too many cooks and not enough skilled seamen on board
* Poor communication and slow responses from an international crew
* A hole made by a French cannonball in battle led to the Mary Rose taking water onboard
* The Mary Rose was too top heavy and keeled over when changing course

2. On 19th July 1545 Henry VIII was watching his fleet set sail to battle the approaching French and saw the Mary Rose sink. So did the wife of Vice Admiral Sir George Carew, who was on board – not surprisingly, she fainted

3. Scientists have used Facial Reconstruction technology to illustrate the facial features of the crew of the Mary Rose from skulls found on board (click image for a larger view):

4. As well as iron bolts The Mary Rose was held together by thousands of wooden pegs – each one made by hand

5. Celebrated Marine Artist Geoff Hunt researched the Mary Rose for 113 hours before he began his new painting of the ship, unveiled earlier this year. His research revealed that King Henry VIII’s flagship had one more fighting castle deck than had previously been thought, fuelling speculation that it was the ship’s top heaviness that may have led to her mysterious sinking (click image for a larger view):

Links for more information:

www.maryrose500.org

www.facebook.com/MaryRose500

www.twitter.com/MaryRose500

www.youtube.com/maryrose500appeal

www.maryrose.org

www.historicdockyard.co.uk

The headline made me do a double-take:

Henry VIII In Wedding Dress (1540) By Hans Holbein The Younger

I know what they meant, but of course my brain instantly jumped to a vision of Henry VIII in white satin and lace with a bridal veil.

The article is an informational one about Holbein, his painting in general and specifically his portrayal of Henry VIII. Read it here

(And while I’m on a kick of being pedantic and talking about some of my reporting pet peeves, there is one in this article. Holbein was not at the British court, he was at the English court!)

Well, I tried to update the post I made about this earlier in the week and it seems to have disappeared into the ether. In case it doesn’t reappear, here’s a link to the correction page at The Guardian which notes the error.

The exhibition that I mentioned in this post from August is now open. Here is the website for the Elmbridge Museum, which is hosting the exhibition.

Here’s an excerpt from an article in the Surrey Comet about the exhibition:

Oatlands Underfoot: Stones and Stories From a Forgotten Palace, was opened on September 26 by the mayor of Elmbridge, Councillor James Vickers.

It reveals the story of Oatlands Palace, which was built by Henry VIII and once stood near the centre of Weybridge.

Coun Vickers said: “Oatlands Underfoot is a wonderful insight into King Henry VIII’s passion for architectural opulence.

“Although very little remains today, the exhibition brings the walls back to life and offers visitors the unique opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the great monarch’s influence on the local history through the fascinating pieces which were excavated from the Oatlands site.”

Full article

Head on over to Executed Today and read about English Bible translator William Tyndale, executed in 1536.

… but this kind of set my teeth on edge:

From The Guardian:

One unfortunate consequence of being the Virgin Queen was the lack of any heir to Elizabeth I’s throne. So concerned were she and her advisers at court about the threat of her cousin, the unpredictable – and Catholic – Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots succeeding to the throne, that she was locked up in the Tower of London in 1568, and finally executed in 1587, leaving the way clear for Mary’s son, James I — a rather extreme way for a leader to ensure they get the sucessor they want.

Quote source

I know I’ve been really busy and tired of late, but my brain hasn’t melted to the point that I’m incorrect in saying that Mary Queen of Scots was never in the Tower of London, right? I know it was from a business pages article, but still…

Update: If you go to the original source now, there is a correction at the top of the page. Yay!

[The original of this post went missing when I tried to update it, so this post was recovered from the Google cache. I'll link to the cached version in the comments so people can see the original comments on this post.]

I’ve posted about this ongoing investigation a few times in the past and I’m not too surprised that it is now looking like the traditional site for the battle is incorrect. Some of the early results were pointing in that direction. I’m looking forward to reading the final report!

From The Telegraph:

For hundreds of years history followers have visited Ambion Hill in Leicestershire, believing it to be the site of the Battle of Bosworth, which marked the end of the War of the Roses and the beginning of the reign of the Tudors.

… Richard Knox, curator of Bosworth Battlefield, said it was now likely that the proper site was on low-lying ground between the villages of Shenton, Stoke Golding and Dadlington, first proposed by the historian Peter Foss in 1990.

The key to the mystery is likely to be finding the former marshland that Henry is said to have used to his advantage to attack the vastly larger army of his enemy from the flanks.

Investigations there have found ancient names given to the area such as Fenn Hole and Fenn Meadow, and a team is currently scouring the area with metal detectors.

Mr Knox said: “We feel that Peter Foss’s argument is the most likely site.
“We have found ridges and furrows where there could have been a marsh.”
He said tests had ruled out that the battle had taken place on Ambion Hill itself, and also that the stone memorial erected to Richard III half a mile away, on the spot he supposedly fell, is situated on the wrong spot.

He added: “We won’t move it because it has become a landmark in its own right. But when we do decide on the correct spot we can put up another memorial provided it is practical and has public access.”
…
The official results of the survey will be announced early next year.

Full article

To mark the publication of the Institute of Historical Research’s special Henry VII issue (that I posted about a few weeks ago) they are hosting an celebration on October 20 at 6:00 p.m. Here’s a PDF with information on the event.

You can purchase access to the articles through Wiley InterScience and if you prefer a print copy, you can purchase the Henry VII issue for £10.00 at their website.

This would be a fun conference to attend -

From The Guardian:

Scholars seek to rescue image of John Dee, last royal wizard

He was accused of sorcery, but many claim John Dee was one of the most original thinkers of his day

A group of international scholars are meeting in Cambridge today to rescue the reputation of the last royal wizard, Dr John Dee, from the false charge of sorcery that has dogged him for 400 years – undoubtedly fuelled by his use of a crystal ball to communicate with angels, and collaboration with a conman who assured him the angels had suggested a spot of wife-swapping.

Dee is variously regarded as one of Europe’s greatest scholars and scientific thinkers – and as the man who cast horoscopes for Queen Mary and her Spanish husband, Philip, suggested the most auspicious date for the coronation of Elizabeth I, and called up the wind that scattered the Armada. He may also have inspired Shakespeare’s Prospero in The Tempest, and Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist.

Objects he owned that are now in national collections have not helped clear his reputation, including transcripts in the British Library of dialogues with angels, and his crystal ball, wax tablets inscribed with magical symbols, and black obsidian mirror, in which he hoped to see the future, at the British Museum.

Full article

Conference page at the Cambridge University website

Just a follow-up to the post I made earlier this month – The National Library of Scotland now has a section about the letter on their website, including an English translation, french Transcription, images of all pages of the letter and historical background.

Yeah, it’s time for another catch-up post since I’ve been busy and I wasn’t feeling well for a few days, which is always a bad combination for productivity!

* Leanda deLisle has an article in the September issue The New Criterion entitled Faking Jane about the Spinola letter which purported to have an eyewitness description of Lady Jane Grey. Some of you might be able to access it through libraries, but you can also buy the individual article for $3. There has also been some discussion of the article over on the Q&A blog.

* Dame Judi Dench is looking to recreate The Rose theater in the north of England with the set from Shakespeare in Love. I think I had a news article about her saving the set back in the pre-blog days, but it apparently didn’t make it over when I switched from the old “News and Events” page to the blog.

* A rare Elizabethan hammerbeam roof in a barn at Westenhanger Castle has been restored by English Hertiage.

* And finally – a neat story from The Telegraph about How two Tudor lion statues came home to Hampton Court. Many years ago someone sent me some photos of some similar statues that they were looking for more information on and unfortunately now I can’t find the email or photos. I had to go through and clear out a lot of that stuff at one point so I might have deleted them. But it makes me wonder how many other things like this are still out there waiting to be found!

Looks like there will be some fun family events and some neat documents on display.

From The Wiltshire Times:

The age of the Tudors will be brought to life at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre in Chippenham at an annual open day later this month.

Visitors will get to meet the crew of Henry VIII’s ship, the Mary Rose, shoot arrows with a longbow and look at real Tudor documents from the archive during the free event on Saturday, September 26.
…
Some of the rarest documents include the marriage deed of Henry VIII to Jane Seymour and a signed letter from Elizabeth I about her cousin Mary Queen of Scots.

Full article

From The Times Colonist:

Newfoundland and Labrador’s top archeologist has revealed plans to search for the remains of a 510-year-old church on the western shore of Conception Bay — a project aimed at adding to a string of recent discoveries about explorer John Cabot’s history-making voyages to Canada in the late 15th century.

If the purported church is found near the town of Carbonear — the site targeted by Memorial University’s Peter Pope in what he calls a “longshot” dig proposed for next summer — the discovery of North America’s earliest Christian settlement would join the 1,000-year-old Viking site at Newfoundland’s L’Anse-aux-Meadows, Jacques Cartier’s recently unearthed 1541 fort near Quebec City and Virginia’s Jamestown ruins among the continent’s most important archeological sites.

Full article

And because I’ve been playing around with embedding Google maps for the website, here’s one for Carbonear:

View Larger Map

From the Times Online:

A letter written by Mary, Queen of Scots, to her brother-in-law Henri III of France six hours before her execution at Fotheringhay Castle in 1587 is to go on display in Edinburgh for seven days.

The letter, which is stored in conditions that ensure its preservation, was last seen in public 30 years ago; since then, visitors have only been able to see a digitally enhanced reproduction.

Full article

And another article with a small picture of the full page

Site of the National Library of Scotland

This looks like so much fun! I wish I could attend, but it’s just not in the cards this time. Here’s the press release for the tour and a link for more information:

The only way to really walk in Anne Boleyn’s footsteps

May 19th,1536 was the day when Anne Boleyn was executed in the Tower of London – a sad day for Anne Boleyn fans. To commemorate this day, TheAnneBoleynFiles.com has organised a luxury tour, beginning on May 17th and ending May21st, 2010.

Claire from TheAnneBoleynFiles said “I wanted Anne Boleyn Fans to come together and walk in the footsteps Anne Boleyn on this important day, so I have put together a trip-of-a-lifetime”.

Those who attend will be staying in the luxury Tudor “Astor Wing” of Hever Castle, the very childhood home of Anne Boleyn. Claire has arranged exclusive use of this normally private part of the castle for the whole tour. There will be a unique guided tour around Hever, focusing on the Boleyns, a Tudor costumer giving information about what was worn at the time, and the well known author Dr Josephine Wilkinson will be a guest speaker. Of course, there is a day trip to the Tower of London on the 19th, and a trip to Hampton Court on the following day – all with an award winning “Blue Badge” guide.

For more information or to book your place on “The Anne Boleyn Experience 2010″ visit http://tour.theanneboleynfiles.com/?ab_uid=tudor and see what Anne Boleyn fans will be doing in May next year.