The Herstory Project: Eleanor of Aquitaine Podcast by Ashlie Jensen on Chick History

I was honored to be asked to participate in Rebecca Price's inspiring #HerStory project for 2012, published exclusively on her website, Chick History. The goal of this unique project is to, 

"...tell the stories of 52 women, not through names and dates of textbooks, but through the voices of contemporary women."

I signed on to the project for several reasons; firstly, because Ms. Price, (as well as Janice Formichella) and myself had combined forces on a previous project, and I enjoyed working with these gracious, accomplished women very much. Secondly, I chose to participate because my greatest goal in life is to inspire little girls to fall in love with history. #Herstory is yet another wonderful medium to assist in accomplishing that goal; as Ms. Price says on her website,

"#HerStory is also an empowering way for contemporary women to express their gratitude to these historical women, by becoming an advocate and amplifier of their lives - sharing their stories with the larger world so that others may also find inspiration in their lives"

Since Ms. Price (and Ms. Formichella) and I are planning on working together on another joint project about Elizabeth I in the near future, I was asked to entertain the idea of highlighting someone other than Good Queen Bess for the #HerStory podcast. Two names immediately sprung to mind: the "Empress" Matilda Plantagenet, and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Since Eleanor was one of the first woman in history I came to admire, along with Elizabeth, I decided to tell her story...

A contemporary drawing of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

The Herstory Project: Eleanor of Aquitaine by Ashlie Jensen

I hope you enjoy listening to or downloading the podcast; please let me know what you think by leaving comments below, or on Rebecca's site!

SEMPER EADEM,

Ashlie

July 12th, 1543: The Wedding of Henry VIII and Katherine Parr

A miniature portrait, most likely of Katherine Parr. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

On this day in Tudor history, 1543, King Henry VIII married his sixth and final wife, Katherine Parr at Hampton Court Palace. Queen Katherine Parr was to become the mother figure that the young Elizabeth and Edward never had. While Mary was now an adult and in no need of mothering, she and Katherine were friendly, even if they differed on matters of religion.

A view of some of the sumptuously recreated Hampton Court Palace Gardens. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Twice widowed before she wed the King, Katherine was a mature and accomplished woman who made a competent Queen. Just one year after her wedding, Katherine would serve for three months as regent in England while Henry VIII embarked on another fruitless campaign in France. Henry VIII's decision to entrust his realm to Queen Katherine showed a tremendous amount of faith in his sixth wife's judgement and ability to govern, a trust he had not given since his marriage to Catherine of Aragon.

A portrait miniature of Catherine of Aragon with her pet monkey, by Lucas Horenbout. Painted between 1525-26. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

To learn more about the accomplished Queen Katherine Parr, I recommend reading,  Katherine the Queen: The Remarkable Life of Katherine Parr, the Last Wife of Henry VIII by Linda Porter. Read my review HERE.

To learn more about Elizabeth's relationship with her stepmother Katherine Parr, please see my article, published exclusively at On The Tudor Trail, An Education: The Shaping of Elizabeth I, through Childhood Events and Academic Pursuits.

To learn about the young Elizabeth's impressive gift to her stepmother, a lengthy translation of The Mirror of the Sinful Soul, and to read a letter written by Elizabeth to Queen Katherine in 1548, please see Elizabeth Tudor's letter to Katherine Parr.

The cover to Elizabeth Tudor's translation of The Mirror of the Sinful Soul, embroidered in her own hand. Elizabeth has incorporated her stepmother's initials, "KP" , in the center of the knot-work on the cover. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

And to learn more about the Katherine Parr Quincentenary celebrations at Sudeley Castle, visit the Sudeley Castle Website. 

An exterior view of Sudeley Castle. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

On This Day in Elizabethan History: Queen Elizabeth Visits the Royal Mint

A miniature, most likely of Queen Elizabeth, by court painter Leevina Teerlinc. The painting is dated between 1560-65. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

On this day in Elizabethan history, 1561 Queen Elizabeth I visited the Royal Mint at the Tower of London. Naturally, new gravel was brought in for the occasion, to cover the path that the Queen would be walking on! 

To find out more about the Royal Mint in Tudor times, visit the Royal Mint's Henry VIII page.

Theatre Thurs: Cut-purses in the Elizabethan Theatre District

Market Scene with a Pick-pocket by Louise Moillon, (1610-1696) from the first half of the 17th century (a little late in time, I know, but it was a brilliant representation and I wanted to use it!) Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Like any major city today, 16th century London had its fair share of crime. Elizabethan London was full of cut-purses, many of whom worked in organized bands. 

In the year 1585, it was discovered that a school to train young cut-purses was being run at a tavern in Billingsgate. The school was being run by a Mr. Wotton, an ex-merchant turned criminal mentor (think of him as a 16th century Fagan).

One of the ways Mr. Wotton honed his aspiring criminals skills was by having them practice lifting coins from a purse that had bells sewn onto it, without ever making a sound. When the junior cut-purses could do this successfully, they were ready to be released into the wider world, preying upon wealthy theatregoers in the playhouses. These boys "nipped a bung" in the city, which was criminal slang for cutting a purse.

The City of London from Southwark in Elizabethan Times. The drawing is from the second edition of The History of London (1894) by Sir Walter Besant. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Mr. Wotton, like the other men (and women) who trained bands or criminals, found that small boys made good cut-purses because they could move through the packed crowds in and around the theatre virtually unnoticed. As an added bonus, their small fingers caused minimal to no disturbances when pilfering coins or cutting purse strings!

Elizabethan Fact of the Day: Elizabeth Visits Oxford on Progress in 1566

During Queen Elizabeth I's summer progress in 1566, she chose to visit the University of Oxford. The university and the student's were eager to impress the Queen, who had honored them with her visit. So, they prepared a showcase of Oxford talent, where Queen Elizabeth and her courtiers were entertained with debates and plays. 

Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, c.1590 that hangs in the Hall of Jesus College, Oxford University. Queen Elizabeth founded the school on June 27th, 1571. Jesus College was the first Protestant college to be founded at the university. Elizabeth originally intended Jesus College to be an academic institution for Anglican clergymen. These men would help to enforce her Elizabethan Religious Settlement (please see my article: Religious Policy under Elizabeth I). Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain.

Queen Elizabeth supported education in many ways throughout her reign; one of the ways in which she showed her support to higher education was by making frequent visits to universities. Queen Elizabeth even helped to pay for some of her god-children's schooling. This is generous, considering she had more than one-hundred in her lifetime! We know that Elizabeth greatly valued her own education; while she believed God had preserved her through many dangers in order to assume the position of Queen of England, it was Elizabeth's education and intellectual ability that can be largely credited for creating the consummate stateswoman we study to this day. (For an assessment of Elizabeth's political aptitude by scholar Garrett Mattingly, click here.)

One of Queen Elizabeth's godchildren was the writer John Harrington; he attended Eton and King's College, Cambridge. The Queen helped to fund his education. Some of Queen Elizabeth and John Harrington's correspondences have survived, and they were published by his descendent under the title Nugae Antique.

Interestingly, John Harrington holds the prestige of being the inventor of the first flushing toilet in England in 1596. He describes this invention, which he originally installed in his house at Kelston in his work, A New Discourse of a Stale Subject, Called the Metamorphosis of Ajax. He also installed the flushing toilet for his royal godmother at Richmond Palace.  

Sources

Doran, Susan. The Tudor Chronicles 1485-1603. London: Quercus, 2008. Print.

Kinghorn, Jonathan."A Privvie in Perfection: Sir John Harrington's Water Closet." Bath History.