Question from Mary R - Wealth and the Elizabethans

My question is about what Elizabethans did with their wealth (besides building E shaped manor houses:)

I've read that they displayed their riches by exhibiting and using gold plates and goblets set with precious stones,and also sewing pearls etc. into their garments. The explanation given for this was that there were no banks. Were goldsmiths not yet common? When did the practice of putting ones money with a goldsmith and thus accruing interest begin?

Question from Em - Marrying of sister's widower

I know that it was considered sinful for a man to marry his brother's widow. Was it also considered sinful for a woman to marry her sister's widow?

1500 posts!

As regular readers will know, I like to celebrate numerical milestones, so I thought I would mention that we've reached 1500 posts! Thanks once again to all the great readers and commenters that help make this blog work. I know I don't say it often enough, but I really appreciate everyone who contributes here!

Question from princessseni - Tudors dissertation topic ideas

hello! i'm a fourth year Algerian English student at the university, I am starting to think about my dissertation for this year and am planning to do something on the Tudors Dynasty, I thought of Henry VIII particularly, but I am afraid it is so vague. I studied a little The Tudors Dynasty and watched the series "The Tudors" and I am fan of it and so interested. I would really appreciate any kind of help especially with the outline and content.
If anyone has any suggestions that would narrow down my topic, these would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you a lot.

Question from Sara - Tudor history graduate studies in Canada

Ok, so I am going into my final year of my BA in history, and I am absolutely enthralled with the Tudor history, the only problem is that I live in Canada, and I have looked at previous posts that mention the US and the UK and Europe, but I can definitely NOT afford anything out of the country as much as I would love to. I have been looking at some universities with Early Modern Europe degrees, but they only focus on things much past the Tudor era. Would anyone be able to recommend a university within Canada that, if nothing else, comes at least *close* to studying Tudor history? Anything would be much appreciated, thank you!!

Question from B - Battle of Spearhead Wikipedia article

Wikipedia article on "Battle of Spearhead"

This article might be deleted because it's so short. Can anyone help add to it? I'd be grateful for anything people can add.

Question from Em - Forms of address for equal rank

How would two dukes address one another? Two kings? Two marquesses? Two earls? Two barons?

Question from B - Wikipedia article on Hoxun Court

There's an article "Hoxun Court" on Wikipedia that may be deleted for lack of information. Can anyone help?

[Link to the article posted below. - Lara]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoxun_Court

Question from Em - Family opinion of Anne and Mary Boleyn

I just finished reading a book about Anne Boleyn. In the book, her sister Mary was the family favorite while Anne was hated. Is this true?

Question from Mary R - Use of maiden names

Did noblewomen during the Tudor period customarily keep their maiden names? For example: Margaret Beaufort is never called Margaret Tudor or Margaret Stanley. Lady Jane Grey is never referred to as Lady Jane Dudley. At first, I thought it might have been due to historians seeking clarification; but a portrait of Katherine Parr (artist unknown) shows her with the name Katharine Parre picked out in gold. This portrait does not look to be that of a young girl, which Katherine certainly was when she married for the first time. Any thoughts on this ?

[Related thread linked below. - Lara]

http://queryblog.tudorhistory.org/2011/04/question-from-guy-historians-use-of.html

Question from Tracey - Book recommendations

I am really interested in reading both fiction and non fiction books on tudor history.  Can you recommed some books for me.  I am not undertaking a course just like reading about the period in history

[We periodically get this question, but I don't mind posting it again and again since there are always new books coming out. To see the previous threads just search on "book recommendations" in the sidebar and you'll find threads on general and specific-topic books. - Lara]

Question from Em - Books on Jane Seymour

Are there any good books on Jane Seymour? I would prefer fiction, but any suggestions would be appreciated.

Question from Em - Addressing Queen or Princess Dowager

How would you have addressed a Queen Dowager or a Princess Dowager?

Question from Mary R - English monarch and the English language

This may not be exactly a Tudor question, but who would have been the first monarch to have used English as a primary language?

Question from Richard - Henry VIII and Catholicism at death

I recently visited an Elizabethan manor house and the guide happened to mention that Henry VIII had a Catholic Mass on his death bed and died a Catholic.
Can anyone verify or help with this bomb shell. It is quite unbelievable if he did. Thank you.

Question from Guy - New Catherine of Aragon books

There seem to be lots of books coming out on Catherine of Aragon this year and next. Which should I buy?

Question from Nancy - London at Night

I am researching London at night. Who would have traveled around at night on horseback--no electricity, obviously, and few torches. So would anyone be able to even see? I read that some people would hire a "linkboy" to light the way.

Question from Orla - Lettice Knollys' banishment from court

When Robert Dudley the earl of Leicester married Lettice Knollys, Elizabeth found out and banished Lettice from court, my question is to what extent would this have been carried out? Say if for example Elizabeth was holding court at Richmond Palace, was Lettice allowed to stay at her husband's residence in London, so she was not too far away, or was she not allowed in London at all and forced to stay in her husband's country estates?

Question from Mary R - Rift between Seymour brothers

 When, how and why did the rift between the Seymour brothers (Thomas and Edward) originally begin?

Question from Peggy - Sources for info on possible abuse of Catherine Howard in her youth

I am currently working on a masters level paper regarding Catherine Howard. I am approaching the paper from the view that while her guilt of infidelity is hard to fight, the treatment of her life has been treated rather cruelly. I have read several books on her and I find myself filled with pity for the young girl. I was thinking of using the possibility of her being emotionally and even sexually abused. Can you point me toward some articles or books that might help me? I am interested in either the point of view that I may be on the right path or that I am seriously wrong. It may be that I am off base due to the Tudor era beliefs toward women.
Thank you for any help you can provide.

Question from Mary R - Women's rights in Wales and influence on early Tudors

I've read a couple of accounts of women who lived in Wales during the Plantagenet period. Both of these works went into the rights of women in Wales. According to these works, women could not own property because they were considered to be incapable of defending it. However, women were allowed to divorce men for being unfaithful. Also, unlike their Norman brethren, Welshmen were only allowed to beat their wives for three offenses: 1. Gambling away all of the family property. 2.Infidelity. 3.Casting aspersions on her husband's manhood. Also, if a kinswoman of a Welshman's was being abused, or was doing without what she needed, the shame was on the Welsh kinsmen who did not protect or provide for her. How much of this was true? How might have this Welsh influence have affected the behavior of Jaspar Tudor toward Margaret Beaufort and his nephew Henry VII?

Question from Helen - 16th century term for spyglass

Hello, Lara! Thank you very much for the blog, it's a great job really.

I have a question about language of the time - a sea term, to be precise.
How did they call a spyglass?

As far as I know, this term was fixed only in 1706. By 1580-es they had simple hand-held misrcoscopes and magnifying lenses, but I doubt that these words were used just as they are

Question from Ashleigh - Death in Tudor and Stuart England

Hi, I am a senior in high school, i am 18 years old and i am doing a research project for my history class. I have to focus on one aspect of social history in Tudor-Stuart England looking at the idea of continuity and change, i have decided to focus on Death in the time period.
Within this i have to form 3 focusing questions on different things that caused death in that time.
1 - Health and medicines
My question here is: How did the general health of people affect how diseases were passed on with people seeking help from diferent Medical pratices and what sort of diseases/illnesses were the most devatsating?
2 - Witchcraft
My question here is: how did the people view witchcraft in Elizabethan/Stuart Engalnd and why were so many of them killed?
3 - Religion
My question here is: How did differnet religious views of Monarchs control how "heritics" were treated?

My questions have to show a significant and prespective understanding of the aspect studied. I dont think question 1 is very good, it is to long and i dont think it focuses right on what i want it to.

Any help will be much appreciated.

Question from Em - Anne of Cleves' reaction to Kathryn Howard

Henry VIII fell in love with Kathryn Howard while he was married to Anne of Cleves. This may seem like a ridiculous question, but how did Anne react to Henry's infidelity? Did Kathryn hate Anne, did she feel sorry for her, or what?

Question from Anna - Roses of the Tudor period

This may seem like a silly question, but what roses in the Tudor period look like? I know that many of the roses we see today are hybrids and are genetically modified. But what would a person in the Tudor period see when they saw a rose?