This is called Hot Seat Henry. I will answer any question submitted by the email link below. Of course I will not answer any bad language, nor take any insults, nor will I reproduce your questions unless you want me to.

I didn't realise how popular this page would be, so it seems to go on forever, just scroll it up and read the items.

So send me an e-mail, state your question and whether I can load it onto the website as an FAQ.

Go on, dare you!

HenryTudor@blueyonder.co.uk

Frequently asked Questions.

Q1. From a lost soul in Liverpool, wherever that is.
Henry, how much money did your Father leave you?

Well consider that a Tudor £1 is worth £300 in 2005, he left me £1.25M Tudor that is £375M in today's money. I however spent it all in about 10 years, well it's expensive being a King worthy of the throne. The cost of cloth of gold, jewellery, banquets, castles, jousting, hunting, courting and food for the court soon adds up!

Q2. Why did you want to get rid of your first wife, Catherine of Aragon?

We were both well matched and in love at first, but her Father Ferdinand betrayed me badly. Him being a king also then made me look bad. I didn't trust her after that, she could be telling her Father my plans! I also needed a son to keep the Tudor line going, remember England didn't know how to cope with a Queen alone, especially when she marries and the crown moves to another heir, it could be Spanish y'know. I needed a son, we tried hard, had many sad times together, in the end I took a girlfriend, Bessie Blount, she proved to the country that I was a man by giving me my first surviving son, Henry. I called him, Fitzroy, y'know, Son of Royal. Catherine was well loved by my people, they never liked me as much after the annulment.

Catherine of Aragon

Henry Fitzroy

Q3. Who made you laugh?

Will Sommers, a clever funny man, came to me via Wolsey. He came to the Palace with his Master to receive a repayment of a debt, Will saw me playing bowls and made a joke about my playing. It all went silent until I saw the funny side and burst out laughing. Will joined my personal courtiers after that day. He is by my side all the time ready to cheer me up and I might say ready to add clever advice in his joking as well. He knows he can criticise me in his jokes and seem to get away with it. There is a limit and he knows where it is.



Q4. Why did you fine your Sister Mary Tudor for marrying your best friend Charles Brandon?

Hey! I lost £6M your money, on that marriage. It was my duty as King to choose who she married after her first husband King Louise died. I sent Charles over to Paris to bring her back not to marry her! Good job she was my sister and he was my best friend. Had to do something to save face, so I fined them both. But I did make them Duke and Duchess of Suffolk, so they could afford to repay the fine! They had children and grandchildren, little Jane she could do well in the future!

Charles Brandon.

Lady Jane Grey my Sister's grand-daughter.


A question from the planet Zog.
Q5. Is it true, that Ann Boleyn had an extra finger?

Hey the Mother-ship must be back! Ann was made out to be a witch, who bewitched me into a marriage. Of course she did not have an extra finger, she had a growth a bit like a wart. Do you think I would have married her if she had an extra finger? She would have polluted the Tudor gene pool! It was just propaganda to give the people something to hate her for. I must admit that we went a bit over the top really, we were quite ruthless in those days!



Hey, hi there New Zealand, are you ok this way up?
Q6. Who was Henry Carey and was he related to you?

Now you've been reading Alison Weirs book haven't you! She stops short of stating if I was the Father of Henry Carey, and I'm not sure I want to tell the truth even now. Oh! go on then, Yes Henry is my son.
It's very delicate this Carey business, you see I was having a fling with Mary Boleyn, nice girl. She was Ann's sister and already married to Carey. I was trying to get closer with a coy Ann at the time so a baby with Mary would have been a bit of a scandal. Catherine she knew what was going on and together we concocted the fact that the baby boy was indeed Carey's child. Henry Carey always had a fine position in life and was treated like a Brother by my other children.
But if you want to take it further and challenge the history writers, then Prove It!

Henry Carey.



Obviously a lover of Horses like myself.
Q7. What was your favourite Horse?
I liked a spirited horse in my athletic youth, Spanish given to me by Ferdinand, but nowadays I'm more inclined to ride a single footer, a Palfry to keep the ride smooth. The propaganda in the history books will tell you that I'm too fat to get on my horse and need a crane. Well the fact is every Lord needs a set of steps to mount a horse as I do, but when I'm wearing the armour or my processional clothes yes there is a contraption to help life me onto the horse. I do tend to be singled out as an example of being over weight and lazy, but remember the books are written by the winners, the history writers need to grab attention. I was older by 20 years than the average mans lifespan in England, so consider the fact now.

Ah! Wales the land of my Fathers.
Q8. Why did your Father use the Dragon in his coat of arms?

The dragon was also used on my brother Arthurs coat of arms too. It was political really, my Father needed some degree of respect from his history, to convince the people of his right to be King after removing the Plantagenets. King Arthur Pendragon was and still is revered in fable. He came from Wales too, Pembrokeshire where my father was born (Pembroke Castle) and where my grand father is buried (St.David's Cathedral), so it was a good ploy to claim to be an indirect descendent and add the Dragon onto the coat of arms together with our white greyhound.


This is a Photograph of the Scene at Pembroke castle of Margaret Tudor (nee: Beaufort) after the Birth of Henry Duke of Lancaster (To become Henry VII).

King Arthur

St.David's Cathedral

See the guy in the white hat. Hey! That's me in disguise visiting old Grand-dad's crypt.


Here is an example of Henry VII, Prince Arthur and Princess Katherine of Aragon's Coats of Arms. See the Dragon.

There's always one to ask the most searching of questions.
From Wigan.

Q9. Why did you not bathe a lot?

Obviously you've got central heating and you don't live in a cold stone castle. I kept clean by washing and changing my clothes regularly, say every three days! The fur around the cloak was to attract the body lice off my skin and I kept away from the dirty people. My Guardrobe was properly maintained and my personal toilet courtiers of the stool were expert in keeping me clean. It was a commonly known fact that too much washing took the oils out of the skin to leave you exposed.
Go to any castle and look at the latrines, the walls are eroded by the ammonia, well this fume would ward off the moths from the clothing in the Guardrobe, bet you didn't know this is where the word Wardrobe comes from! The whole scene was called the Gong tower, and we would leave for another stage of our progress when the moat needed emptying.

I believe my daughter Elizabeth has a regular bath in hot water! Every month whether she needs one or not.

My Daughter, the Lady Elizabeth.

Q10. Bob on the road in Shropshire.
I enjoyed your file about words and their origins. Do you have anymore?

Sure Bob, every word has an origin, but some are not obvious.
Now take the humble cast iron cooking pot. It brought us the following words:

Pot-luck, Not knowing just what you are going to get on your trencher.
Pot-shot, Taking a single shot at an animal to kill for food.
Potent, The strength on the food at the bottom of the pot. The Pot end.
Potch later became Poach, To cook with liquid.
Pot-bellied, Speaks for itself.
Potato, Pot-ato a vegetable for cooking in the pot.
Hot-pot, The actual cooking pot, or the eternal kettle.

Here's a common word, The horse pulling the cart would throw up muck at the driver, this was when it dashed, so a board was fixed to protect the driver called the "Dashboard".

A common Board game was called "Hand I the cup" which was basically a dice thrower, but the person with it could not move until they got rid of it by throwing 6's. This was their Handicap.

Wood was stained with Shellac, made from the crushed shells of the Lac beetle mixed with spirit. Shellac is still used today as is Lacquer.

I could go on all day with this entertaining item but must go now as my dinner is ready.

Eh! Bob how did you email from the road in Shropshire. It must be that Blueband or some new fangled gizmo!

A Grandmother from Wales.

Q11. I know that blaggard come from something in the kitchen, do you know what it is Henry?

Yes Glynnis I do. It's the young lad who cleans all the burnt surfaces off the cooking pots and stokes the fire. He has the worst job in a Manor house and was called the Black Guard which became Blaggard. I remember in the palace some year's ago. I walked into the kitchens by surprise and caught the Blaggards peeing in the fireplace. It became a law after that, No Peeing in the Kitchen!
Here's another for you Glynnis, the cooking pot was hung from the rafters from a wooden block and tackle from a ship. If the pot was too full it was referred to as Chocked full, the block couldn't lift is because it was Choca-block!

Alison from Chorley.

Where?

Q12. A Question for Ray not Henry.

Sorry Alison, this section is Henry's. You need to send one to Ray in the next section.

Obviously a History Buff from London.

Q12. What was the reason you instigated the Alum fiasco in Yorkshire? Peter.

The Alum fiasco? Never heard of it.
I think you mean the Colour fixer fiasco.

Well you know that the Pope didn't like me after I changed the Church to the Catholic Church of England. He put an embargo on goods from Italy which included the colour fixer Alum. This meant well heeled folk couldn't wear new coloured cloth without the colour running out or losing its depth in the wash. I asked the cleverest people why we could not make our own Alum. They told me that it needed lots of energy and heat for a prolonged time, Italy had its volcano's we didn't. Alum came from a rock ore, I believe you use it more now refined and call it Aluminium.
So I demanded the experts make a volcano! Yes! A volcano.
They found a source of Alum ore in Yorkshire, Ravenscar I believe, and built a huge conical heap of it with a fire underside. They kept is alight for 9 months! At the end of this ambitious project they produced Alum! I therefore got my colour fixer and snubbed my nose at the Pope. Hey there's a free file about this.
Click here to download this file
Does this reply agree with what you thought it was about Peter?

Portsmouth Calling.
Q13. What influenced did you have on the sinking of the Mary Rose?

The sinking of my favourite ship had too many influences on it. I analysed the tragedy myself and came to the conclusion that not one single factor was responsible for the capsizing. I'll try to put it in a few words.

The Mary Rose was my flagship, built to English design and quality but in a time when technology was changing and new innovations were instigators of winning sea battles. Now other designs, especially from Portugal, were better at fighting apart and not for the boarding fight as we new it. They had Carvel timbers which allowed cannons in lower decks nearer the waterline. Carvel is timber edge to edge. The Mary Rose was originally built with English Clinker design timbers, overlapping in a stepped format. This design could not seal any gun hatches near the waterline. So the Mary Rose had a refit, the Clinker removed in favour of Carvel. Cannons were mounted in lower decks and near to the waterline. Now Clinker design had a greater resistance to capsizing because of the steps, which have now been removed.
Add to this too many soldiers in full armour, their ammunition and supplies, add a heavy gust of wind and cannons not firmly fixed down and you've got a tragedy which is unavoidable. The ship heeled over in the wind, the cannons moved sideways and the water came in the new gun-ports. That's it. My only influence on the whole sad event, was to ask for my ship to be updated for modern battles. The builders were trying out new technology without testing it first.

Anybody got a simpler question, I'm getting a headache. Where's them leeches?

Q14. A Chef in London.
Hi Jamie here, what was your favourite food. Is that a Vespa scooter?

I have lots of favourite foods, must admit I've got a sweet tooth though. I like biscuits made by my two chefs, Jamie (that's a coincidence!) and Gary.
They have named their biscuits after themselves!
Jamie Dodgers and Gary Baldie.
He he he. Will Sommers told me that one!
Seriously, I like artichokes, fruit pies and delicate meat. All the reports of Swans, Venison etc. Well I leave that kind of food for banquets, gives me indigestion.

The Vespa is my Italian Stallion.

Here's a recipe:

BEEF POTTAGE WITH WHOLE HERBS
2 lb joint of beef
4 oz each of the whole leaves of spinach, endive and white cabbage or cauliflower
1-2 tsp salt
4 tbsp wine vinegar
2 oz fine or medium oatmeal
3 English onions, sliced
Small squares or triangles of white bread


Vegetables grown in England were seen as food for the poor.

Here's the recipe for a biscuit called Jumbles, it was knotted in its dough state.

These biscuits are baked in a knot-shape, so they are decorative as well as tasty.
Jumbles
You need:
2 eggs
100g sugar
15ml aniseed or caraway
175g plain flour
1. Beat the eggs.
2. Add the sugar and aniseed (or caraway) and beat again.
3. Stir in the flour to make a thick dough.
4. Knead the dough on a floured board then make it into rolls 1cm thick by 10cm long.
5. Tie each roll into a single knot.
6. Drop the knotted dough (a few at a time) into a pan of boiling water. Let them sink at first, then use a spoon to lift them until they float to the top.
7. After the knots have floated for a minute and have swollen, take them out of the water and let them drain on a wire rack covered with a cloth or kitchen roll.
8. Put the knots on buttered baking sheets and bake for fifteen minutes at 180°C (gas mark 4).
9. Turn them over and let them bake for another 10 minutes until they are golden brown.



The other day I was walking in the sun in the grounds of Samlesbury Hall, minding my own business when someone on an electric three wheeled scooter sneaked up behind me and sounded a loud trumpet. It nearly scared me to death.


Come on Stuart, "King of the Castles" , have you a question for Ol' Henry?

Q15. I have a question for you?

As you are already one of the best known English monarchs, why did you find
it necessary to build a website and what was the motivation behind the idea?

Hi Stuart, My website is the only way of being myself to the public. All the written work out there from Historians paint a picture of a tyrant King who ruled England by fear. My website gives me the chance to show the world that this was not the case. Take a look at the world in the 16th Century, I was not the only ruler, look at France, how many Protestants, Lutherans and Hugano's were killed! Look at Spain, look at the Holy Roman Emperor, fear was a common factor by those Monarchs who ruled by force. I think a lot of the History books blame me for events out of my control. The Dukes and Lords of Manors were a law to themselves and they dealt out cruel rulings in my name, there was no communication like today, news took weeks to arrive and it was changed by word of mouth. I became the one to blame for all events, so be it. The winners write the history books, or write the plays for the world to absorb, as in the Shakespeare propaganda.

I cannot change the way History has been written nor the way I have been depicted, but I can show the people my good side in my website.

A visitor to England from Canada

Q16. Hi Henry. Today I was in one of your tours at Samlesbury Hall in Lancashire, 22 May 2005.
My wife and I enjoyed your tour and were quite taken with your humor. (Humour).

Did King Henry VIII have a good humor?

I remember you amongst the visitors.

Yes, I had and still have a wonderful humour, maybe a bit rude at times and maybe a little childish, but a great sense of what was funny and what could insult a person. I would dress up in charade's and try to surprise my wife(s), I would pretend to be someone else and mingle with my court jumping out of the disguise to surprise them all. A practical joker.
A long funny story was my favourite method of making people laugh, my inner court would sit for hours listening to my fantasy stories.
I did not however stand fools easily and I can easily root out sarcastic comments....
My jester and friend Will Sommers taught me how to give out a serious message in a humorous manner.

Rachel aged 9 from a school party from The Children's court of King Henry VIII.

Q17. Hello Henry.
What do you like best from 2005?

Velcro. Now I can get my Royal robes on without the help of 3 courtiers. Oh! I do like your fast motorcars, to do 30 miles in one hour without collapsing! I told my daughter Mary I would bring back the fastest vehicle from the 21st Century, faster than a Ferrari, faster than a Porche, one that can pass any other car on the motorway whatever speed it was going at!
She said, "Oh great, we're getting a White Transit Van!" Hehehehe!

Now, if you'd asked me what I didn't like about 2005 then I would have a lot to say.

Q18. From Mrs. C. A concerned member of the silent majority.

If King Henry was alive now what would he make of binge drinking ,as it is
now widely publicised in the news and Henry was a drinker of wines?

I'm not a heavy drinker, I could not show myself up in front of my people and court. I do like Portuguese wine with my meals but I definitely do not go drinking as a social event. The binge drinkers of today are lacking in confidence, they want life too quickly and need the alcohol to bolster their self image. They need to slow down, take life as it comes, enjoy the moment with a clear mind, not put their health and reputations on the line. Henry's words: Lying on the pavement with your dignity out of your control is not attractive to anybody except the worst of humanity.

The TV interviewer at Discovery's "My other Life" exhibition.

Q19. Are you scared that people will start to recognise Ray as Henry when you are out and about?

You had to ask the Producer which guest was Henry!



Look at this picture taken the same day as the filming, would you just walk past or say "Oh! there's Henry VIII". I rest my case.## Your picture: 'You can't hide like that!.jpg' has been inserted here ##

Q20. What does your wife think of you being King Henry VIII?

My wife is a self thinking person, you should ask her.

Ray's wife's answer:
"At first I thought masquerading as a dead King was silly, but then as Ray started to explain the details, show how he was going to dignify his portrayal with knowledge and historic accuracy, I thought what the hell his ideas in the past have always worked. Now after nearly a year since his idea he looks great, the audiences at Samlesbury Hall love Henry, the press love Henry, now TV loves Henry. I would never have thought it possible that one man could attract so much interest, King Henry VIII does seem to capture the imagination of our nation and Ray is coping well with the pressure. In the end I'm just proud of my Husband whatever he did for a career, he was a brilliant Designer, a wonderful Teacher and now a fabulous King."

I'm embarrassed now at this public display of affection!


From Alison
Q21. Knowing what Henry was like with his many wives , would you consider him still a possible family man , because we all know he had a favourite wife , if he'd met her first would he have been content?

If katherine had given me a son and took the pressure off me to keep the Tudor Line going, I would have been content. She was a lovely lady who loved being in England, but alas circumstances took over.
Jane was the real love of my later life, if she was my first wife then yes I would have been content. I couldn't have stayed with Ann, even if she gave me a son, she was so interfering and the people hated her it would never have worked.
Anna Von Cleve, now she was a fine woman and she would have been good for this country, pity I made a great mistake and publicly humiliated both her and myself. Catherine Howard, what a great blunder marrying her, the Howard's should have found a better, more refined girl who knows what honour means. Catherine Parr a fine lady well suited to be my companion in my last year's but still susceptible to the political vultures out there.

History Buff
Q22. What new information could you give to history?

Wow! That's a good question, I've had it for 2 days because I needed time to think about it. I'm not sure whether it should be Ray answering this one.

There is a strange idea that if I am a close resemblance to the King Henry VIII portraits that we all know them, then I must resemble the man in earlier days when young! This means that if my photographs of my youth were seen as a good estimate of what King Henry looked like.
I hope I can experience just what Henry felt and his feelings. How did the man inside cope with being King and why he made such monstrous decisions.

I already know why Ann of Cleves was called a Flemish Mare!
This is my new information: I am King Henry VIII, I have seen a beautiful portrait by master Hans Holbein of Ann in courtly robes. I have waited for 6 weeks for her to come to England after I had chosen her above her sister Amelia. I am rather looking forward to seeing her, I am used to people instantly recognising me. Ann arrives in England, do I wait until she has been prepared for my court? No. Is she dressed in travel Germanic clothes? Yes. What do I do? I ride over to where she is in my armour together with my Knightly friends. What happens? She doesn't recognise me, she says "which one is my Henry?" in her Germanic accent. It takes me by surprise and shock, I immediately renounce her as ugly, a Flemish Mare" not true of course but my character trying to save face.

Had we met in court, she dressed as a Queen to be, I dressed as a Royal character I think we would have been well suited and history would have taken a new direction.

Another visitor to Samlesbury Hall

Q23. I enjoyed your tour. I noticed that King Henry gave out small gifts to all children who came to Samlesbury Hall, why?

Our children are our future, they have lots of electronic aids, lots of technology which we are still learning about, they shouldn't miss the old ways. I give out a picture of me and a Quill feather. The quill will be a practical project for them to learn how to create a pen that works, the picture is a safety poster in miniature. They love the gifts and appreciate them as much as an expensive electronic gizmo. We all hear about the rough, tough, vandalising youth of today, well they are a small minority who get too much media coverage. The majority of children are kind hearted people who care about others and who will make sure our country stays at the forefront in social care. If King Henry VIII can dispel the notion of being a ruthless, fictionalised anti-hero and show his good side to our children then this should have a positive spin off.

Q24. Does everybody take notice of you because you are King Henry?

Nope. I send out emails with Ray to Councils, Castles and Big houses but we only get about 10% replies. At first I thought it was ignorant, then I became certain it WAS ignorant. It's not as though we are after heaps of money, some of them were offered our time for free for charity work, they could not be bothered and could not see the big picture above their own little world. But I'm not a vindictive man any more, if they suddenly see King Henry on the TV or in the press and remember the email they didn't answer do you think I will give them a second chance? Not on your Nelly.

Oop's a raw nerve!

Ray to Henry.

Hey big guy, don't get rattled. They will one day need you to head up a charity gig or a public opening of some great venture, so stay cool and accept their silence as mere lack of imagination.

Q25. Newspaper reporter on the Phone.
You have a strong Lancashire accent, do you change it for Henry?

Yes. Anyhow what was Henry's accent? His Father was Welsh, His Mother was a Yorkshire Princess, His Grandmother was a Lancashire Duchess, so what would be his accent?
Have you read Henry VII by Francis Bacon? in olde Tudor? Well it sounds like Yoda from Starwars. Now add it all together.

Yudor.

I speak slowly, more pronounced and slightly mixed up like Yoda.

Q26. Same reporter, (Well he was on the phone a long time!)
Do you and Ray make a lot of money out of being Henry?

No. We only break even at the moment. It pays for the clothes and fuel and this computer that's all. But it does give Ray a lot of fun in his old years (hehehe), we both will keep on doing our best hoping that King Henry will get a new audience and that our time is to come again. All our work up to now has been for charity, Samlesbury is a charitable trust and know of our expensive materials, they pay for our clothes and fuel but we bring them a lot more visitors to join Henry on his tour of the house. Visiting Primary schools are charged very little really, their coach costs are greater than what the Hall charges, we believe we help them.
One day a great big corporation will want King Henry VIII for their advertising campaign and then we will be ready to begin making a profit, until then we will reap the wonderful times we have together.

Or as Henry would say in Tudor/Yudor. "Big times come maybe a day soon".

One of those age questions.
Q27. King Henry died when he was 55, what age does Ray play you?

Well I've got a stick, I'm a bit overweight and I'm hiding up North away from my critics. I think Ray's playing me about 45 years of age don't you. Ray's just told me he is now 56 but was worried about February this year!
The great thing about having a time machine is that you never age any more.


A History researcher from The Discovery Channel.
Q28. Who was your greatest rival?

"Rival" has to be analysed.
If it was Rival Monarch, then Francis of France was my greatest personality rival. He was as good looking as me, strong, athletic and popular. He nearly knocked me off top spot as Europe's most Majestic King.

If it was Athletic Rival, then Charles Brandon when he was a younger fellow would take that honour. He became my Brother in law and was always my best friend, the only sportsman who would dare to try his best to beat me. I must admit he was the one who knocked me off my horse during a joust and injured my leg, it still hurts today and is getting worse.

Power Rival must have been my Father in law, Ferdinand in my earlier year's. Hey! All the criticism I have endured about the Church of England, yet Ferdinand and Isabella were much more ruthless with the Islamic people of Spain. I think the power crazy Emperor of the Roman Church was much more cruel than I was.

Now the greatest Rival in matters of love must have been Thomas Culpepper, he took the chance of hapiness away from me with his affair with my wife Catherine Howard. I think I changed then into a person even I didn't like.

My greatest rival would be the Popularity Rival, it was of course my first wife, Catherine. The people loved her because of her devotion to them. She pushed me into second place even when I annulled our marriage, making Queen Ann a target of abuse.

Q29. What was your greatest fear?

I had no fear. Or that's what I tried to portray. Fear of failure really, not producing a son to carry on the line.

We all feared the Plague, it was indiscriminate in its culling of our population. I tried to keep away from it by moving into non infected places with my Progresses.

From a Teacher visiting Samlesbury Hall
Q30. I read that Ray was once an AST teacher and is now retired. Is being King Henry VIII better than being a teacher.

It is now for us both. Ray loved teaching for 20 of his 22 years, the last 2 were hell. Not that much had changed, more that he was ill. As King Henry VIII we can still communicate to people, we can still tell stories to crowds. Ray likes Henry.
Oh! by the way. Ray is still an AST teacher retired or not, once made up to one always one!

Q31. Did King Henry ever draw or paint?
It was not seen as a Royal practice to paint portraits because only the masters did it and they were from common stock. I wrote poetry, songs and music if I did draw anything it was for my wife at the time and private. I discussed the science topics a lot and Humanism with Erasmus, sometimes we drew diagrams to clarify meanings. I can draw and paint, but with Master Hans Holbein in my employ it seemed pointless not to have him do royal pictures.

Q32. Thomas Wolsey seemed to have a lot of power, did he have too much?

No. I let Thomas have the power, he was a very hard working man and self motivated. His tastes were a little outlandish but then so were mine and he worked with me closely. He ran my court really, he was a master of organisation and could move armies, feed them, clothe them, organise them which made me look very good indeed. He failed miserably though trying to get the Pope to agree to my divorce with Katherine, we went out of favour then. Remember he did die of natural causes.

From a lovely lady who volunteers at the Hall.

Q33. I have listened to your tour a few times around the Hall, noticing that you change its content nearly every time, Why?

I get bored very easily. The research I have done for the Hall has given me to much information to impart in one tour, so I mix and match as I go round. I have noticed that some people have been on the tour more than once, so I have to keep it interesting all the time. Hey! You're an ex teacher too, you have got to keep the audience on the edge of their seat in order to win their complete attention.
I tell them, if I wink it's a joke just in case they are not sure whether to laugh or not.

A Historian from oop North.
Q34. Which member of your family had the most influence on your life?

Without any hesitation that would be my Grandmother, Margaret Beaufort.

Margaret Beaufort.

Q35. What was the population of England in your reign?

Better see it on a graph.


Q36. What did the Tudors think of the poor people?

Tudor people believed there were three types of poor people:
1. Those with just enough to live on.
2. The "deserving poor", those who could not work, eg. the very young, the very old, and disabled people - these should be looked after as an act of charity.
3. Sturdy rogues: vagrants and people who moved about looking for work. People felt this type should be punished. However, there was not enough work.
In 1485 unemployment was not a problem, but by 1530 there were many more people than jobs.

Q37. What did a real Tudor Village look like?

They are still about today 2005!

It would have a Manor house, Dairy etc. see below for some of my pictures from Tudor Village in Dorset.


The Manor house





The style of construction was dependent upon the building materials available locally.

With a Half Timbered House, remember half-timbering means to split a tree down the middle and use each half opposite each other to equalise the movement over the years. Further South than say Leicester, the stripes were mainly vertical this was due to the trees not being fully mature and still a bit springy, in the Midlands Oak was easy to get, but not long straight ones so the houses were fairly large square patterned with big diagonals, in the North they had Wych Elm trees and the layout was small squares, reinforced in each square corner by a quartered tree producing a pattern called Quatrefoil. Timber framed buildings filled with bricks and/or rendered was also common.

A young student on a school visit ask me this question, I thought it was worth adding to the website.
Q38. Which common names came from Medieval and Tudor times, what did "Tudor"mean?

First of all Tudor means "House of Iron" in ye olde Welsh. Similarly Tuyer means Iron tap in the Welsh iron smelting days.
Henry means master of the house and was usually a royal name for a first born son, Katherine my first wife and I had a son called Henry but he died very young.

Well most names came from the skills that certain people had, they would work around the country plying their trade and become known as Thomas the Smith etc.

Smith/Smithson-- Blacksmith, Miller-- Corn Miller, Thatcher-- Roof thatcher or Prime Minister!, Potter-- Ceramic Potter, Carpenter -- House frame maker, Milliner-- Cloth maker, Weaver-- Cloth maker, Cook/Cookson-- Cook, Brewer-- Ale brewer, Carter-- cart driver, Cartwright-- Maker of the carts, Wright-- Wheel maker, Mason-- Stone mason, Farmer-- Farmer, Cooper--Couper or barrel maker, Lamb-- A shepherd, and so on........

If anybody has more to add please email and I will load it up.

Q39. What's the funniest thing that has happened to you as Henry in the 21st. Century?

I was walking through a charity function giving out leaflets, I offered a leaflet to a small child amongst her parents and older family.
I said, "I'll give you a leaflet if you know who I am".
The little girl looked at me in the eyes and answered" You're Father Christmas.!"
I said, quite deflated, "That'll do nicely" and gave her a leaflet knowing she had stolen the show. 

Q40. Your beard is one of your most famous features. Why did you grow it in the first place?

That's a very personal question, but one that has a significant event in my mind.
My rival in popularity, Francis, King of France and I had a most elaborate meeting which took weeks to prepare, cost millions to equip for and became known as "The field of the cloth of gold". We met as brothers, our armies and courtiers all mixed together in friendship and we jousted, danced, made music for a month. We decided together that we were such good friends that we would not shave again until we both met again. It was a sign of high beauty then for a man to shave and show his full face, so to grow a beard was to hide ones looks and be more modest. I made sure my beard was a low, thin one that wouldn't hide my looks too much! I kept my beard after that as it became a fashion within my court, I believe Francis shaved down to a moustache which also became a French fashion.

From 100's of children who have met Henry at Samlesbury Hall. The most asked question of them all!
Q41. Which of your wives did you love?

Mmm. Not an easy answer this one, it is difficult to put into words the meaning of love and in one way or another I loved all my wives, even Anna Von Cleve after we were divorced. I'll try to explain my feelings for all my wives and let you all decide which you think was my soul mate.

Katherine, for the first 10 years of our marriage we were devoted to each other, we started as an arranged marriage but soon fell in love and she was my best friend. We drifted apart because of her Father, my duties and her work with schools and the poor. She was better thought of by my people than me. Eventually we were so much apart we had lost our affection for each other.

Ann, I fell for her charms before marraige, she bewitched me, she was a coy flirt with my affections. I don't think I actually loved her. The last straw was the death of our son at birth, the marriage may have lasted had the boy survived. Her sister Mary would have been a better match had the circumstances been different.

Jane, lovely Jane, she knew how to keep in the background and give me comfort in my private life. Jane gave me my son and heir, Edward but she only lived 14 days after the birth. I didn't even have the chance to have her coronation as my Queen. My heart was broken with her death and I still long for her.

Anna, I was a little rash when we first met, I embarrassed us both and the marriage was doomed from the start. Anna became my advisor and I made her my official Sister in my court, she would have made a fine Queen had I not been looking for love. I admit she was the finest looking Queen I married and that Holbein was accurate in his portrait.

Catherine, she made me lose heart, she was so young and full of life I could not keep up with her energies. It was obviously a mismatch but I was overjoyed with her as my wife, she however saw the match as a way of having fun, especially with other men. Her treachery, broke my heart and it was the first and only time I cried in public when her affair was exposed to me by her Uncle.

Catherine, I never loved her, but I had a lot of affection for her. She nursed me in my later years but was under the influence of the Seymours and I began to worry about her politics. She was very clever y'know! Wrote a wonderful book and poems for me.

Fom a descendant of The Southworths of Samlesbury hall.

Q42. Who was the Southworth at Samlesbury Hall during the Battle of Bosworth Field, did he get Knighted for his part in it?

MMM. No. The owner of Samlesbury Hall in 1485 was Sir Christopher Southworth and he was already a Knight, having gained his spurs on a campaign in Scotland two years ealier. There was no Southworth at Bosworth Field. See this website page for a full Role Call of knights at Bosworth Field.

www.richard111.com/roll_call_of_the_battle_of_boswo.htm

Hey the rest of you! Go look at this role call you never know you might be famous or infamous!

I think this guy is a builder or architect.

Q43.
I notice that the roof tiling on a Tudor House has stones that are graded fromlarge to small towards the top instead of a common size in slate. Do you know why?

Yes. In Tudor times, houses builder used materials which were local, so Welsh ones used Welsh slate and cut the fairly soft material to a common size before splitting them into thin squares. However if slate was not a local commodity, stone was used. Nature has moved the stone in the Ice age down a valley by way of glaciers and the large ones will get further down. By grading the stones into a range of sizes and then cutting into slabs the roof tiles were made. Now think about it, which one would you carry all the way to the top of the roof? The large ones or the smaller ones? Obviously the larger ones were lower on the roof and the smaller ones higher up. Thicker tiles tend to form a curve if added togther on a sloped roof so the grading also helped to form a flat side to the constuction.

Q44. Where did a bouncer on a pub door, get his name from?

Taverns had a lot of damage caused by drunken behaviour. A tarrif was added as an entrance fee to cover repair costs, an amount of 1 Penny tudor was asked. This equates to £1.30 nowadays. People who couldn't afford the tarrif would forge a penny out of lead. A man would stand at the entrance to the tavern and collect the tarrif, he would throw the coin onto the stone floor. If the coin hit and stopped thereby being soft Lead he would stop the person entering, if the coin bounced on the stone he would let the person in because the coin was made of a brass type metal. He became known as a Bouncer.

Q45. Who was the character that Humpty Dumpty was based upon?

There are a few characters who have been dubbed the inspiration behind the song, but I believe it was my old friend Thomas Wolsey. Think about the fate of old Wolsey a fat man who taxed the people and was hated by most. He fled me after the divorce fiasco, hiding in York. I send my soldiers to get him worning them not to fail me. They catch him and march hem back to London, but ala he dies on the way down. The soldiers are now pretty scared of the consequences, and try hard to revive him but he is dead.Now sing the song.
Humpty Dumpty sat of a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the King's horses and all the King's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.

Q46.
Was there really a Little Jack Horner?

Yes. Jack Horner was the clerk of my court whom I sent around the country collecting the deeds of the Monasterial land confiscated during the reformation. His reward was to keep one confiscated land for his own. He of course picked a plum site, I believe the Horners still live there.

Q47. Stuart again.

During your lifetime, how many castles , palaces and the like did you manage
to build?

Also what where their names?

If it wasn't for all that cut shaped stone from the monasteries I wouldn't have been able to build my castles over 20 of them.

Here's the list in no order, straight out of my head .
Pendennis, Hurst, Sandown, East Cowes, West Cowes, Yarmouth, Sharpenode, Calshot, Southsea, Netley, St.Andrews point, Deal, Hull, Brownsea, Portland, Sandsfoot, Walmer, St.Mawes, Camber as well as finishing off Hampton court and my pet project Nonsuch Palace. Oh, and the Entrance gate to Lower ward at Windsor Castle. Can't think of any more without a drink of fine port. Is that ok Stuart?


From a BBC Producer who has waded through this website and survived!

Q48.
How long have you been portraying King Henry and how did you start?

I planned it from May 2004, I had retired through ill health and loved my job as a classroom teacher this being hard to let go. I decided I would be an actor and have a go to realise another ambition. I knew I looked a lot like Henry so it wasn’t hard to develop my character. I had the costume made professionally, I travelled the country learning what it was like to be Henry, and I read all the books until I became sick of them. My first gig was at Astley Hall in Chorley in August 2004, after that I work every week mainly with Samlesbury Hall near Preston. Samlesbury Hall is manned by especially nice people and I love going there, it’s a family feeling that’s hard to find nowadays. I conduct a Henry’s Tour of the house every Sunday and run their School’s programme.

Q49.
Henry Tudor can be found on Sundays at Samlesbury Hall, what do you get
up to there?
I have a bit of fun with the visitors, they come now expecting to see a look-alike but they get a very accurate portrayal from the best look-alike.
My calendar is full up to next year and my new career in acting is an astounding success.

Q50.
Are people scared of you?
Yes. At first it’s a bit scary, then I smile and wave, the children are more open to Henry and soon like being seen with him, the Mothers soon like having their pictures taken with Henry, The Fathers and most men are a bit cautious.
Retired people who come to the Hall really take to Henry especially when I tell them about the sayings from Tudor times.


Q51.
Best thing about being Henry?

I don’t have to work too hard to be him, as soon as I get the costume on I develop the Henry limp, my memory becomes fills with Tudor history and my personality changes from a quiet ordinary man into an egocentric, power crazy monarch.

Q52.
And the worst?

It’s far too hot in centrally heated Manor houses for a fur lined King Henry Costume. Over heating is the biggest problem I have.


Q53.
What is on the menu at Samlesbury Hall? What was Henry's favourite meal?

For the King’s Board we have tried to keep it as genuine as possible, we will serve chicken stuffed with spicy meat and wrapped with cured ham, then we will serve vegetables that were around in the 1500’s. The King’s board will take all night to serve and eat and will be the fulcrum of the evening with Henry and his band of players filling in the evening.
I actually perform an act called Stand up Henry, which could be described as an intellectual, clean, comedy of History.
Henry’s dislike for massive meals is well recorded by Historians; the swan stuffed with other fowl is only for large banquets where we English were trying to impress visiting foreign dignitaries. King Henry in private would eat simple dishes like Chicken and Artichokes.

Q54.
Six mothers-in-law eh? How bad is that?

They Kept out of politics; it was the Father in laws that were the biggest problem to me, especially Ferdinand of Spain.

Some morbid reader looking for an argument!
Q55.
What was in the speech that Queen Ann Boleyn made on at the time of her execution?

Here speech was made after I had annulled the marriage, so she wasn't a Queen anymore. She did not admit to bewitching me and asked why this had happened to an innocent woman. This at the time made me mad, I know with hindsight she was right.
This is her speech in full, you decide.

“Good Christian people, I am come hither to die, according to law and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I come here only to die, and thus to yield myself humbly to the will of the king, my lord. And if, in my life, I did ever offend the king’s grace, surely with my death I do now atone. I come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that whereof I am accused, as I know full well that aught I say in my defence doth not appertain to you. I pray ant beseech you all, good friends, to pray for the life of the king, my sovereign lord and yours, who is one of the best princes on the face of the earth, who has always treated me so well that better could not be, wherefore I submit to death with goodwill, humbly asking pardon of all the world. If any person will meddle with my cause, I require them to judge the best. Thus I take my leave of the world, and of you, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me”

Now I'm feeling guilty again!

On a lighter note!
Q56. You kept the old sport of Jousting alive well after it should have been forgotten, why?

Hey! Jousting was still practiced in other countries, why is it always me that gets the bad press!
Anyhow, here's some very interesting terms used in the play Battle of male supremacy:

Jousting Terms
Caparison
The decorative covering worn by jousting horses at tournament.

Chanfron
Metal plate armour that is moulded and constructed for the war horse.

Chief Marshal
The man who is in charge of the tournament list. He also assists judges and settles disputes.

Coat of arms
The name given the identifying symbols that were placed on shields, surcoats, horse trapping and banners.

Coat-of-Plates
Basic Medieval torso protection.

Coronal
This was the name given to the metal tip that was attached to the end of the lance for a Joust a' Plaisance, or a joust of pleasure.

Cuir Bouille
Leather soaked in hot wax and bent into shape while still hot.

Gorge't
Also call collar armour, designed to protect the neck.

Graper
This is the enlarged area of the lance that is located just in front of where the shoulder is tightened.

Hastilude
A game fought with spears or lances.

Heraldry
A system for identifying individuals by means of distinctive hereditary insignia.

Melee
The name given when two teams of knights met as if in the open battle field, in general, a free-for-all.

Recet
A place of refuge on the tournament field where knights could rest, rearm or hold prisoners.

Tenan
The challenger of a Joust or Pas d'Armes. The host of the joust.

Umbo
Refers to a type of construction of the shield in the early Middle Ages.

Venans
Knights who have accepted a challenge .

Remember my Father claimed to be an ancestor of King Arthur Pendragon and so his sport was carried on.

Q57. How many children did you have altogether?
Losing children at birth or soon after has been the most sad times of my wife and myself. Here are the legitimate births and deaths.

1510 Daughter - died
1511 Son - died
1513 Son - died
1514 Son - died
1516 Mary - survived
1518 Daughter - died
1533 Elizabeth - survived
1534 Son - died
1535 unknown - died
1536 Son - died
1537 Edward - survived

Then there were my illegitimate children. Henry Fitzroy, Henry Carey.
So you see I actually had 7 sons.

From a party of four Cheshire folk who braved it across the border into sunny Lancashire.

Q58. Where did the term "Clapped out" come from?

A Clapper was a medieval term for a stone slab bridge across a stream or river. Slabs of granite on top of granite piers spanning up to 4 feet. Can be worn out by continued traffic and then need refurbishment , they are then termed "Clapped Out". The name came from the noise they made when crossed, they would rock slightly and clap the pier.

Q59. Why did Henry feel the need to marry again after the death of Jane?

That question touches a nerve, yes I now had a legitimate son to keep the Tudors in Power, yes Jane was the love of my life and yes I was now getting old and infirm. But, I was left alone. Alone at the top. Anna Von Cleve was to be my new partner, my friend as well as my Queen. You have to put it in context, the king of England is two persons, Henry Tudor and King Henry VIII that is why all royals use the Royal WE a plural of ourselves. When I married Jane twice, she married both persons separately because we were in love. Anna Von Cleve was picked to marry King Henry and become his partner on the throne as well as his companion. Even after our divorce, Anna became my friend and I made her my court Sister! She stayed in England because her conditions were much better than going back to the small Dukedom her Brother ruled from, she helped with my children and became well known for good sense in my court.

Now I'm bored with Wife questions!

From a old movie fan from Nelson in Lancashire.
Q60. Why did you throw your food about?

HOLLYWOOD! How many times must I say this? A black and white movie with Charles Laughton is made for the American appetite for crass depiction of historical myth and everyone on the planet believes it!!!!!!!
Ok, I've calmed down now.
King Henry VIII did not throw his food about, he was meticulously clean and his manners were second to non in the entire country. He would not lower himself to that of a peasant by eating like one. The Palaces and castles where he stayed were spotless, he had everyone decorated before he visited them, the food was prepared by two chef's and perfect in every detail and he eat politely, never talking at the same time. Propaganda is in all our media, people are manipulating your information before you absorbe it, they want to guide our world their way. This was not invented by Tony Blair nor George Bush, it has been going on in humans since the first one stood upright. My Daughter, Elizabeth was as big a political manipulator as I was and fed the peoples appetite with stories of my reign that make her appear the Angel of Freedom, read Shakespeare, the biggest propaganderist ever! Today he would be the editor and she the proprietor .

Natalie from St.Helens
Q61. In your talk about Samlesbury Hall, Why does the White lady hate the house?

Ah! Now that's because her boyfriend Robert Houghton was murdered by her own brother and her Father had forbade her to see Robert.

Sarah from St. Helen's
Q62. Does the White lady live with you?

No, Dorothy Southworth Wanders along the main road outside Samlesbury Hall looking for her boyfriend Robert.
When she sees me she disappears.

My wife at home in the Palace is not a White lady she is blue! Only when she's using a face pack! Hehehehe.


Obviously an investigative Historian.

Q63. You mention Nicholas Owen in both your Tour and your website, yet you cover yourself in case it was not true. What is the truth as you believe it and what is your evidence based upon?

How many history books have turned out to be garbage? Lots of them. The author writes them with information thought to be correct at the time of going to press and then puts it right if it is proven to be wrong. Well I believe that Nicholas Owen was at Samlesbury Hall and he built the priest holes there. We already know that St.Edmund Campion was caught in Samlesbury Hall and there is proof that Nicholas Owen was a companion of Campion, see this website.
www.geocities.com/francischinchoy/sjnicholasowen.html
Look at the dates, look at where Owen was known to work and then piece it all together. Every one of his designs were of the same parameter, "one way in and two ways out" in order to give the captured priest another chance of freedom. Look at the fireplace in Hindlip Hall where he was captured, the same style and workmanship as the Samlesbury Hall Fireplace in the Parlour. Work out his route of work, East Anglia, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire where he was captured. Now put rough dates on these counties estimating how long he would be at on to make such constructions, and you get him in Lancashire about 1580/1582. Just when the fireplace was made.
Now the fireplace in the Parlour seems to have no priest hole or does it? The top stone has broke in half because of the house loading, but why has the halves not fallen? There must be a brick wall behind the stone frontage. Now tap the fireplace and the only place not stone in near the breakage, the same width as need for a man to enter it. The other way out I suspect to be outside the building under a stone slab that has no moss on it.
There you are, I cannot say with strong physical evidence that Nicholas Owen built the priest holes but I can show the evidence of history. If the directors of Samlesbury Hall search through the back wall of the chimney breast I should think the whole mystery of the broken stone will emerge.


From the Lady sat next to me at the Canon's dinner.
Q65. Do you know what Plantagenet means?
I must admit I didn't. So I have talked to my learned scholars at court and have come with this answer.

Plantagenet! Why would I want to know their history? They were our predecessors and brought chaos to England. Ok, I am not the right person to give an unbiased opinion so I’ll try my best to forget bygones.

They were the Angevin dynasty from Anjou in France, their English link were the Plantagenets with Lancastrian and Yorkist backgrounds. My Grandmother, Margaret Beaufort and my Mother, Elizabeth were the last one’s to enter the Tudor dynasty. Plantagenet was a Plant called the Genesta in Latin, or Broom Flower in English. Hey! That’s cool! Richard III was a Broom Hehehe.
It started in England with Geoffrey of Anjou who was the Father of Henry II, then Richard Duke of York then Edward IV ant the old hunchback himself, Richard III.
I know that my father made Richard III’s history a lot blacker that in reality and that he didn’t have a hunchback, so I’m following in my Father’s footsteps and giving the English people someone to hate.

Q64. Who is the Girl/Lady in your picture with you?

That is Lady Elizabeth, my daughter by Ann Boleyn. Not a Princess anymore because that marriage was annulled and therefore not legal. She has my red hair, her mother's stance and figure, definately a strong willed woman.


She has started her own website. www.ElizabethTudor.co.uk
It's ok, but not up to mine yet!

From a lovely lady from Knutsford in Cheshire, who obviously knew the answer and was testing me!
Q65. I come from Knutsford in Cheshire, it is famous for another King and is named after him, do you know the story.

Pity she didn't know Ray used to live in Knutsford, Hehehe, but I didn't tell her, I just let her believe I was a genius.

Sure, King Canute. Canute crossed the River Lilly in the town and thus it became known as Knute-Ford. By the way the River Lily is only 2 feet wide, sorry, 61 cms wide. So no big deal then eh!
Crossing Rivers by ancient Kings has a link with the Northwest and King Arthur! He crossed the Sea from Anglesey back into England on his drive for power, landing near the Ribble estuary and making his way across the Fylde to Chorley, where he famously crossed the River ............ to beat his rivals in Battle by surprise.
Anybody know its name?

Wow! that only took 5 minutes. Quite right Chorley river was the River Douglas.

Q66. Just how closely does Ray resemble Henry?

See this picture.

Ray should really trim his beard a bit closer to Henry, but he's stubborn and likes it the way it is! True Henry's beard is not as grey as Ray's, but then he's not got questioners like you mithering him!
The fact is, Henry posed for hours then the artist made sure he was perfect, whereas Ray posed for 20 seconds and the photographer was his wife! Still the resemblance is striking. Ray tells me it's Henry who is close to Ray not the other way round!

Q67. In your day, the rose was a significant emblem, why was that?

In my day! I'm still in my day!
The cultured Rose is not native to Britain, the Romans brought it over here after they had taken it from the Greeks. It has a cultural meaning, Honour, truth and loyalty and so is used today for a love token. The big families in history needed to keep confidences and the Rose was used as a form of contract, not a written one but one that was attached to houses and if you entered the house you entered the contract of confidentiality. The Romans called this Sub-rosa, Latin meaning Under the Rose. A rose was carved above heads in talking rooms, such as Parlours, Chapels and Great Halls, in the centre for the most important room in the house and along the top edges in the others.

Roses were even over the doorways so that you "signed" the contract as you entered. Lancashire and Yorkshire have a Rose as an emblem, well many Monarchs came from these counties y'know. My father joined the two warring counties together with the Tudor Rose when he married my Mother, Elizabeth. Next time you go to an old historical house look for the roses in the ceiling.


Q68. I read in your Samlesbury Hall tour guide that you call the roof design "Dittonian Stone" What kind of stone is that?

Ah! I should have pointed out that the word Dittonian wasn't the name of the actual stone, it was the repeated pattern of layers reducing geometrically to ensure the end result was in fact flat. Because if the thick slabs of roofing stone was kept the same size the roof would curve in a Parabola. Now you have brought up the subject! Dit is Roman, Latin for repeat and so Ditto, Dithering can be extrapolated from the same origins. I know this makes me look clever! But after a couple of days walking the hills with a History Professor you tend to fill up with such detail.

A perplexed businessman from London.
Q69. I think your website is fantastic, my kids are still making the castle after the house and the drawbridge. BUT, how are you making any money out of giving away so many kits when you could be selling them?

Look! There are more important things in life than making money, there's being useful for one.
I gladly give all children my eKits, surely it's better for our children to create than to play computer games! I hope one day to look back and see these kits as seeds of British ingenuity planted in our next generation and this ploy of mine is called LONG TERM PLANNING. Where are all the skills, apprenticeships, craftsmen (person), why is it more glamorous to be in the service industries than the creative industries. A computer should be seen as a tool for human development of human skills not for the repeat of experiences but for the creation of new ones.
Sorry if I sounded off, but as you can see it's my goal in life to bring back human endeavour which hopefully will reduce the youth boredom and revitalise new opportunities for future ventures. How many children today were sat at a computer game console, or watching cartoons, all day? I know that 2000 were making cardboard Tudor houses, castles, ships, etc.


A Director of Education no less!
Q70. Where do you get your inspiration for the cardboard kits?

Everywhere. We in Britain are blessed with lots of fine old buildings and technology from most of our history, I just imagine them in pieces small enough to fit on a Powerpoint slide. I could make models with less joints but they would be too small and complicated. I took these three pictures on my travels and will be making models in the future, you could say they gave me inspiration.

A water powered Corn Mill from the early 1500's.

See the mill stones.

A Hand powered Wool Combing machine from about 1650.

From Holland.
Q71. I heard you explaining the way nursery rhymes had been based upon facts. How did "Goosey Goosey Gander" develop?

Priest holes had more than one use, one is obvious, they hid the Priests from the soldiers in the reformation. The other is quite sinister, they hid the priest from the family so he could spy on individuals to make sure they were being God fairing people.

From the Coach driver.
Q72. I have been to hundreds of old Tudor Houses, all Black and White. Yet you say this is not the proper colour for these houses, why is that so!

I will let you the sad truth my friend, you may take it around with you on your travels and tell your passengers about the Victorian Folly.
Sad but true, wood soaks up water, it loses its colour by weathering and the effects of sunlight. The type of wood is crucial in the longevity of a timber house, so a house that was built in the 1400/1500's was unsealed, untreated and built of the trees in its locality. Look at the houses in the South, (the lowlands), they are vertical timbering with close pitching. This was because they over farmed the forests and immature trees were used which were very springy and not good at carrying horizontal loads. Now go to the Midlands, (strangely called the highlands), they had lots of Oak trees. Trouble with Oak trees, they are not very straight after 20 feet tall, so spans of 16/20 feet are very common, this leads to a square block type panelling of 5 feet squares filled in with either wattle-n-daub or bricks. Now come up to the North of England, (strangely called the Upper highlands), here they are blessed with Wych Elm trees, planted by the Romans, which grow 50 feet in 50 years and go on to over 100 feet tall. This tree is waterproof, straight and can be steam bent easily. Wych Elm trees were used for large houses, barns, ships, forts and weapons. The Mary Rose keel was of Wych Elm, the first water pipes were of Wych Elm.
Maintenance of timber houses will be high as the house gets older, loses its pigments and becomes tubular in macro-section. The Victorians in the middle of the Industrial Revolution were making steel using Coal/Coke in their blast furnaces. The difference in coal to make coke is to remove the tar, so they were awash with the black stuff. Some idiot decided to paint the old timber houses with tar, the panels with white lime-wash, this made them look strangely attractive so the practice prevailed. After all if to paint a wooden railway sleeper with tar, preserved it, why should this happen to a timber house? Well nobody lives inside a railway sleeper, condensation from warmer rooms is not present either and worse of all the sleeper is coated all over and thus need not breath as do the timbers in a Tudor house. So the tarring of old houses should be seen as a Victorian mistake, one that we now have to live with. Open fires were the bonus of long living houses, but now take them away and substitute central heating and the damp will get much worse. Big old house should light up their fires at least once per week to keep the rot down.
Notice how Queen Victoria always wore black. Hmmm makes you think!
## Your picture: 'No I won't go on a date with you.JPG' has been inserted here ##

Q73. What do you think you know about Henry more than already written?

Mmmm. Maybe it's Ray you should be asking, Hang on I'll ask him for you!

Ok a bit radical here! Henry is left handed. How do I know? Look where he wears his dagger but even more obvious to me, look at his bedroom in Hampton Court. The layout would be awkward for a right hander.

I think he had bad breath, not because I do, but because the lack of exercise, rich food and not cleaning his teeth on fibrous vegetables will result in poor breath.

I think he was lonely.




Q74. Is it true that King Henry started the Alum Industry in England?

We had Alum before, the Romans brought it here in the first Century. Henry's break with the Pope caused an Alum stoppage. Alum was used to fix colours in cloth and so mainly the rich used it. King Henry did get his own men to search for Alum bearing shale in England, which was duly found in Ravenscar North Yorkshire. If you want to see the whole story then see this file.
Click here to download this file

Q75. What truth is there about the connection of Nonsuch Palace and Queen Anne’s Well?

The naming of the well at Carshalton, outside All Saints Church has nothing at all to do with the Myth of Queen Anne Boleyn’s horse stumbling and a spring came forth from the ground.
This was supposed to have happened when Anne and myself were riding from Nonsuch Palace to see a friend.
Rubbish!

The dates are wrong.
Anne Boleyn met her fate at the Tower of London in 1536, Nonsuch clearance of land for the building of my new Palace started in 1538!
The Well is just a Well, sounds like a local clergyman trying to make something out of nothing to me.

Q76. How many palaces did you possess and why did you build Nonsuch Palace? At what cost?

About 1530 I owned 13 palaces in and around London, non of which I had built.
I always concealed my jealousy of rival Francis I King of France, so I decided to build a place to compete with his fantastic Palace at Chambord on the Loire. I bestowed the name for my new Palace to indicate that it was to excel all others.
I wanted people to be astonished at this new palace, and to say that they had never seen such a fine palace before, hence its name - 'Nonsuch.‘
Now referred to as Cuddington Manor, I acquired the area and in 1538 demolished the village and proceeded to construct the buildings. The Church disappeared beneath the inner courtyard of the Palace, two deer parks were set up within the Parish. It took nine years to build and was completed at a cost of at least £24,000 (Tudor) which is £7.2 Million nowadays.

Go to the freebies section and you will find one of my eKits to make this Palace!

Q77. Hi Henry, What is a Lumber Gudgeon?

Short but sweet! A Lumber Gudgeon is a rogue who looks like he's up to mischief.

Q78. Who is the White Lady of Samlesbury Hall?

Half-timbered Samlesbury Hall in Lancashire, built during the reign of Edward III, lies halfway between Preston and Blackburn. It is haunted by the ghosts of Lady Dorothy Southworth and her lover, Robert Houghton, the handsome son of a noble family, who owned a large estate nearby.
Dorothy was the daughter of Sir John Southworth, who was to die in 1595, a staunch Roman Catholic who had forbidden his daughter to marry Robert, who had turned Protestant. John Southworth even forbade his daughter from meeting her lover again.
The couple planned to elope, but their plans were discovered and when they met on that fateful day to leave the house, they were intercepted by her brother, accompanied by a small band of friends, and in the ensuing fight, Robert and two friends who were helping them, were killed. Dorothy was sent to a Nunnery in France, where she died from insanity, probably caused by a broken heart. The bodies of Robert and his two friends were buried near the domestic chapel at the Hall.
In the 19th century, three skeletons were found where the three unfortunate men had been buried, and since that time the figure of Dorothy Southworth, dressed in white, has been seen walking down the staircase and along the path leading to the garden wall, where in life she had planned to meet Robert. The figure of Robert has also been seen standing by the wall, and on several occasions the two have been seen standing together, holding each other in embrace before vanishing. Weeping and wailing has also been heard, as if someone is crying bitterly.
Dorothy has also been seen wandering down the road outside the Hall, and on one occasion a bus driver actually stopped his bus, thinking that she was an intending late-night passenger.
Just after the Second World War, workmen digging a ditch whilst engaged in drain-laying, discovered the almost complete-skeleton of a man at a spot, only a few feet from the point where the couple have been seen to embrace and disappear.

Q79.
From USA.
From Sapphire and Sage, makers of fine historical jewellery.

What was the name of the Garter that King Henry wore and why did he wear it?

It was because of Chivalry and all that it implied, I was a big fan of the Black Prince and of course King Arthur and his Knights. The use of a garter to recognise the fact that the wearer was a Knight has two possible origins. Below I have made a card to print off for your study book.



Q80. Just who named America?
I have left this question long enough, waiting in vain for reliable sources to back up my family claim. So I have put together some pictures and slides for you to make up your own minds. Let us all hope it stirs up enough factual comment.
First of all, John and Sebastian Cabot were financed by my Father, Henry VII and Ameryk of Bristol for their voyage of discovery aboard the Matthew, a small ship with only 18 crew!




Amerigo Vespucci has always been given the accolade, but we were there two years earlier! Anyhow Amerigo is a derivation of Enrico and Enrico is Henry in Spanish!

Cabot leaving on the Matthew for new lands to find, New found lands, get it? Newfoundland!


See the US flag and Ameryk's emblem! Hey, they are so similar.

Now you decide.

Q81. What was really wrong with your legs?

My legs have given me so much torment over the years, they have even been used by my enemies to start rumours of disgusting diseases that the poor get. I reality my ailment was started by my best friend, Charles Brandon!
Yes he was the only opponent in my chosen sport of jousting, that would actually play to win. The others let me win for fear of hurting me and being blamed. Charles however jousted with passion and to beat him was a challenge I loved. However one day he knocked me off my horse and my lance split, my leg received a large splinter with also chipped my bone. It healed fairly quickly, but the time off my legs increased my body weight due to the Royal diet, eventually the stress on the mend caused a piece of bone to surface. This in turn caused inflammation and swelling.
My diet and lifestyle were not conducive to healthy living, I suffered from a mild form of diabetes which developed into a serious condition in later life. My legs and feet were affected with ulcers. It was noted by my physicians that my toes began to be gangrenous as the condition advanced. This is an ulceration pattern far more typical of advanced diabetes and dispels the slanderous rumours of any low morality.

I was subjected to terribly primitive and painful medical practices, the ulcers were continually cut into, lanced, cauterized, and then dressed with an ointment that contained ground pearls and lead! Medical procedures were not only primitive, but were carried out under completely unsanitary conditions. My legs were continually infected and incompetent physicians cut into them and burned them. The lead poisoning coming from that pearl and lead ointment alone would have been enough to cause mental illness.

Q82. Quite a difficult pair these!

Just what did Will Somers look like and what did King Henry’s signature look like?



## Your picture: 'Henry's handwriting.jpg' has been inserted here ##
Even though I was a scholar of note, I did not like writing.

Q83. Have you ever found new Historical artefacts when in and around the Hall where you work?

Yes.
The House had a moat at one time, on one corner there was a crossing point into the Hall’s farmland. Shallow enough for a cart and horse but needing stepping stones for people. See this sketch.


Now because the stepping stones need to be of different thicknesses finding a set of Octagonal shaped stones being used as Plant stands was a big clue, when measured in thickness I found them to be Shallow to deep to shallow again. So I found Medieval Octagonal Stepping stones.
Why Octagonal? So as to not cause turbulence with sharp corners!

Q84. I notice that you visit the historical places as well as reading about them. What advantage do you get by doing both?

That’s a good question. Seeing something in real life give a more impressionable memory and enable me to think like Henry would have when acting the part. It also give me an appreciation for the skills of the people then and may I say the faults in their designs sometimes.
See this picture where I have found a design fault in none other than St.Nicholas Owens fireplace at Samlesbury Hall. It has a secret chamber in it for a Priest to hide, however it has a hidden wall to protect the Priest from the fire, this wall has cause a stress fracture to the stone mantle.
Hey! Not all humans are perfect, remember he was building this 475 years ago with no lasers, stress gauges, or computers, just his brain.


Q85. In a Manorial setting, did the Lord and Lady’s family attend chapel with the common workers?

Yes and No
They were in the same building, but fear of disease kept them apart in height. They believed that diseases did not rise upwards so they designed their chapels where the Noble family were on a balcony and the common workers were on the ground floor. The Priest feared reprisals from the commoners because of the church taxes imposed even on the poor, so a barrier was fixed between the Priest and the congregation of poor. I have found a picture of the actual barrier and have drawn where it was fixed together with the place the nobles were praying.


Q86. How did a Priest breath when hiding behind lit fires?

I suspect a clever questioner who already knows the answer and is testing Old Henry!

Ok, I’ll go along with the ruse.
The oxygen would burn up and any Priest would die of asphyxiation soon after entering the priest hole if it was behind a fireplace, hehehe. Well that’s what the builder wants you to think, especially Nicholas Owen who had lots of tricks up his sleeves.
His design at Samlesbury Hall has a false back firewall and outer chimney breast. The priest would climb up into the cavity and rest near a vent hole patterned to look like the house design. Here is such a vent and how it worked.


Q87. What are Murder Holes and where are they?

This is a good question. Murder holes were invented well before the Tudor monarchy; they were used in Norman Castles as a deterrent to invaders.
The normal line of Castle defences are a collection of designs of barriers.
1st line of defence: A hill where the castle sits, or on the rocky coast or a moat around the walls.
2nd line of defence: The outer wall with a drawbridge over a ditch or the moat.
3rd line of defence: A portcullis and heavy wooden gates.
4th line of defence: The flat exposed area before the inner buildings.
Last line of defence: the inner buildings with towers and window slits for archers.

The Murder holes were above the portcullis and were a series of holes in a stone balcony where soldiers could drop stones or pour boiling oil onto invaders trying to get into the gates. Here’s a picture of Murder Holes taken at Beaumaris Castle in Anglesey.


Q88. Did King Henry have nightmares about what he had done?

Not about my actions, I had regrets but had to stick by my decisions to show a strong monarchy. Thomas More was a big regret as was my preoccupation with fathering a son to the treatment of my lovely wife Jane in the delivery chamber. The taking of the throne by force and the establishment of the Tudors as legitimate Royals always played on my mind. Taking the Dragon of King Arthurian legend and making it Tudor was a big propaganda exercise which I feared would come back to haunt me.



Q89. From Krys.
What's your greatest accomplishment?
What do you regret the most?
How do you make your decisions?
How can you improve your kingdom?
Who do you idolize?

Five questions from one person must be a Noble Lord or Earl, or Lady Krys from the wonderful Far east
One at a time and think Henry the person not Henry the History character.

My greatest accomplishment was to provide an heir to the Tudor line to keep the name going, I proved to the country my manhood. The minor accomplishments such as the Battle of the Spurs were blown out of all proportions and written up by my councillors for the future history books. Personal grief and frustration under pressure was the major factor in my life which could only be resolved with a son and heir.
I have answered the regret question before. My regrets were often in my life, to make life or death decisions is a great burden to carry and to accept the inevitable consequences to keep my authority is the most difficult thing to harbour in my mind. Thomas More’s death was the greatest regret, he will always haunt me. Jane’s death, caused partly by the need to make sure the Boy was safely delivered and the health of the Mother second to that need will stay with me all my days.

I have problems to solve all the time; I use my Chancellors a lot for day to day political advice, but big decisions and ideas I usually sleep on them. I have a wonderful gift of clarity when I awake, my problems are solved overnight and my mind made up. I consult my Thomas’s to get their biased views and then move in a positive manner forward with a determination second to none.

Improving my Kingdom would be to expand it and make it self sufficient in resources and strength. The French with Francis, will never be my real ally we have always been in competition personally and our countries have more than the sea as a barrier. Past French lands have been lost from our conquests and I intend to get them back if not expand further into their territories. The main trouble is one of logistics, getting armies out there, with resources to maintain them, I have to resort on the help of other leaders and that takes away my edge. Papal interference and heavily influenced decisions gave me the impetus to change the church for all to belong to it. English written Bibles and simpler services gave my people a better focus for their beliefs as well as bringing together the English Language at last. Without their influence my Kingdom with me as head of the Nation and the Church will flourish. Minor problems can be solved, the Pope’s embargo means nothing to me, and I will find a solution to everything he throws my way, including making my own Alum.

I do not idolize anybody in public. I do however keep a space in my heart for the people who have given me so much comfort over the years. My grandmother, Margaret Beaufort, she was so strong and yet so quiet; she was the Tudors rod of steel in the beginning. The Black Prince and past heroes of the people such as Arthurian legend, they give me a focal point for my own persona. Don’t get me wrong, I am a man who likes the company of women and Ann Boleyn was in my sights for many years of longing until I finally won her, then she seemed to be a disappointment to me and that magic left our relationship.

Now! Which one is Krys?
There you see, my spies are everywhere! Second from the Right front row.

Q90. What exactly is a Medieval manifold system?

I made it up. Medieval is the date in which it was originally made and a Manifold divides or collects a fluid from a flow.

I have found a real manifold in the grounds of Samlesbury Hall near Preston it is presently being used as a flower planter, it was originally sited where a stream passed the hall in the south west corner and it collected water through Wych Elm pipes into the stone carved manifold where it was divided into three different flows. One flow went to the Moat to replenish the water and for the health of the fish being farmed in it, another went to the House and the last one to the farm animals. The pictures below show the manifold as it is now, the drawing shows how it was used.



Q91. From Stefania who certainly wants to grill me by the number of questions she has!

I think short but concise answers are the best.

What is it like to be king? Great, everybody does what you tell them.

Why did you chop off two heads and divorce two of your wives? Beheading is the death for a noble for treason, whilst I may have been cruel to Ann, Catherine Howard deserved it. Divorce was the best way to allow me to marry again for Catherine de Aragon and Anna von Cleves.

Why did you want to have six wives? I didn’t go out to have 6 wives, I was firstly looking to have a son and heir, then comfort and then a nurse.

Do you have a best friend? Yes, Charles Brandon who eventually became my Brother-in –law by marrying my widowed sister Mary, without my approval I might add as it cost me a lot of money in dowry. They had children and Grand children one of which was Lady Jane Grey. Doomed by her family connections!

Why did you want a son and not a daughter? To keep the family name in power, a Queen would lose her last name by marrying.

What are your parents names? My Father was Henry, my Mother was Elizabeth.

What is your brothers name? Arthur, he died before he became King, I married his widow Catherine.

Did you like your palace? I liked Thomas Wolsey’s palace, so I swapped it for a small town house in London, I finished it for him and it became Hampton Court Palace. My favourite building project was Nonsuch Palace, non such a Palace ever existed like it before.

Where you naughty as a young boy? No, I was very studious, though I did answer back a lot to my Father, questioning him about his policies and history. I don’t think he like me much, Arthur was his favourite.

Did you have lots of sweets? Honey based cakes, biscuits were our sweet things, yes I like them, I have a chef who works all the time making them for my court.

Did you love your wives? Yes. I loved Catherine for 15 years for our marriage, I loved Ann more before our marriage, I loved Jane all our marriage, I loved Anna after our divorce more as a sister really, I loved Catherine Howard right up to finding out about her infidelities and finally I loved Catherine Parr when she cared for me and brought my estranged family back together.

The King courting Ann Boleyn.

Who was your best wife? Define Best! From a noble point of view, good for the country, loved by the people, able to take over the reigns when I was absent, it must be Catherine de Aragon. From a love point of view and for providing the nation with a male heir, it must be Jane Seymour.

Q92. What did the Royal Tudors think of the poor people.
Tudor people believed there were three types of poor people:
Those with just enough to live on.
The "deserving poor", those who could not work, eg. the very young, the very old, and disabled people - these should be looked after as an act of charity.
Sturdy rogues: vagrants and people who moved about looking for work. People felt this type should be punished. However, there was not enough work.
In 1485 unemployment was not a problem, but by 1530 there were many more people than jobs.

Q93. Were your soldiers better off than the ordinary people?


A Tudor soldier's daily rations are
32oz (910g) of meat
24oz (680g) of bread
16oz (455g) cheese
and 5 pints (2.8 litres) of beer.

The minimum diet for poor people was one loaf od bread per couple per day.

Q94. How did the Black Death Plague effect your reign.

Well before my reign the Black death came to England in 1348 and in two years wiped out 40% of the population. The fear of this disease was always in my mind, I would hear of rumours of the return of the plague and would go on my travels to get away from it.
I have put together a file for you to download detailing the Black Death and its effect on England, religion and the attitude of the survivors.
Click here to download this file

Q95. I listened with great interest on your tour of Samlesbury Hall especially about the origins of the town names in Lancashire. You have not written them all down in the Samlesbury Hall folder and seemed to explain much more than you have written. Do you have a file with all the names in it?

I have now!
Download this file.
Click here to download this file

Q96. What entertainment did you have?

Lots really.
The poor had singing, dancing, self taught music, board games, story telling, travelling fairs, football on a village scale.
The rich had all the same except for football which was seen as common plus, horsemanship, hunting, hawking, reading latin script, banquets, music from minstrels, visiting actors.
The nobles had the same plus Tennis, archery as a skill, jousting, masgue balls, card playing, chess, music lessons, debates with clergy and philosophers, bowls and travel for hunting, dining and to keep clear of the plague.

Q97. Have put down all your research in the form of a timeline?

No. Have you kept a diary for every day of your life? No.

I have a concise timeline that every one of you can put together from facts off the internet. Best thing though is the use of Excel to record the timeline, that way you can search and sort the line into any order you may need. Add more facts as you find them and then re-sort to restore the date line.
Here it is.
Click here to download this file
Timeline Spreadsheet

Q98. How good a view did archers get through those slits in castle walls?

Apart from going and seeing for your self I have taken a couple of pictures from just outside and inside such an opening. I know I’d rather be inside. These I took in Portland castle.

I still can see you.

I can see you but you cannot see me.

Q99. Dis King Henry VIII ever visit Warwick castle?
No. Old stone castles were too cold for me and the high wall with its town next to it had little privacy for my hunting and hawking expeditions.


Q100. Did you write out all the death warrants yourself?

Of course not, my clerk or chancellor wrote out the details after parliament had ratified the decision. I signed the warrants with a heavy heart, usually alone in my privy chamber where I could think more clearly. I hated the job but it was for the good of the country and the security of the Tudor monarchy so I did it.


Q101. From a Photographer called John
Can you please tell us the name of Henry VIII’s main residence in 1540, and if we were writing to him what would his title be?
In 1540 King Henry VIII had four favourite residences.
First of all his most favourite was Westminster Palace.
Secondly would be Greenwich Palace which was also his birthplace.
Thirdly he liked Hampton Court Palace.
Lastly would be Windsor Castle.

The first three were very easy access by royal barge down the Thames.

You would address him as Your Royal Majesty
He was officially called King Henry VIII
He would sign himself as either
1. Henry Octavia for court purposes
2. Henry R for all other purposes.
3. Henry Tudor to family and close friends.
See the Tudor map of London in Hampton court beyond the ropes section of my website, you will see how close each Palace was to each other and how the Thames was used for access.

Q102. Okay I give up! Another question about Ann Boleyn.
Look! Download this file, it will tell you about the Death of Ann Boleyn.
Click here to download this file

Q103. A question from IKB, some sort of music band without instruments.

My mate has the look of Henry, how would I go about getting the costume?

The simplest way is to hire one from a fancy dress shop, but beware they mainly are rubbish and aimed at the party people. However there is one shop, in Dorset which has a great quality stock and they have one of Henry’s costume which is very accurate although very heavy. The town is Bridport, cannot remember the shop name, though there is only one so a man of your calibre should be able to find it.
Alternatively, get it made to measure. Take along a picture of Henry to a costumier and pay the rate, about £1000 should do it. You could have a go at making it yourself, try Artisan Accessories in Cheltenham, they stock lots of olde worlde things.
In the end there are a few King Henry’s about and the face grades them into “Hmm the costume is good” to “Wow! It’s King Henry VIII”, you know what I mean!
If it works out for you, buy some instruments.

Q104. From a Mr. Moody in the USA.

Greetings from California. I am thoroughly in love with your website. I find it to be extremely delightful, interesting, informative and fun. Congratulations for making history come alive and so relevant.
According to the English Chronicler, Edward Hall, late in the year 1525, you were out hawking near the small market town of Hitchin in Hertfordshire. While you were following your hawk, you tried to leap over a ditch with a pole, but unfortunately the pole broke and you went straight down into the muddy waters getting your head stuck in the clay. One of your footmen, Edmund Moody, was near by and jumped into the waters to pull you out, thus saving your life from drowning. On Thursday, October 6th, in the year 1541, you granted Edmund a coat of arms and land as a reward for this deed.

My question is this: What kind of costume did a footman wear during your life and are there any painting showing footmen? Also, what were some of the duties that a footman in your court would have performed on a daily basis?

It is nice to here from the Colonies!
I remember the incident well; your ancestor well deserved the accolade of a new family crest. Silver on a chevron between three trefoils and three gold lozenges, the head of a Wolf being the main feature.
I will let you into a secret!
To be seen and then the story to be exaggerated about me being stuck headfirst in a muddy ditch would have lowered my persona in the eyes of the people. It would have shown me to have a weakness and my enemies would have used the incident to betray me. So I made Edmund promise to keep it secret and if it got out he was to deny it at first then if pressed to expand on the bravery I showed in the unfortunate accident. My armour was weighing me down, my horse stumbled, and I was going faster than anybody else in the party, that sort of embellishment. History was written to make me look Royal. Edmund would have been the first son of a middle-class family because his name would have been chosen to depict where he came from, the Moody’s go back a long way and Edmund was only 8 years younger than myself so he would be well known to the King and in employ for many years. I think he had children in the servant’s quarters and one of them married higher to a Kilbourne, anyhow with his new land and status the Moody’s went on to be a well thought of family, some leaving for the Americas early in its history.

I have put together this postcard for you showing the type of clothes Footmen wore, notice they had swords and only most rusted servants were allowed them near the King. Padded tops and coloured tights. Now remember that there was a ban on coloured clothes for the poor, only from Knights upwards were bright colours allowed, this shows how highly rated were the Kings Footmen.
May you continue to enjoy my mumblings.

105. Sometimes the deepest questions come from the mouths of babes, from a 10 year old.

Is the name Tudor connected to any other word?

Tu is old Welsh for Iron, Tudor is "House of Iron". Tuyere, Tube and Tyre all have connections. See this postcard I've made for your history book.


106. How did you use the media to your advantage?

Media, media? I used many forms of communication with my people to give them knowledge of their King’s appearance and of course the history facts. When Master Holbein painted my portrait I must admit that he exaggerated the shoulder line and the belly stance, he made my face squarer to give an air of strength and the clothing an air of wealth. Not to show off, but to give them a feeling of well being, being led by a healthy, strong, good looking and intelligent King. Holbein made blank copies called cartoons, with punched holes that would give copies with a few dabs of soot. There was a problem around Shropshire; the cartoon blank was used back to front thus producing a mirror image of me. It didn’t matter, the mirrored Henry was Right handed instead of Left, and he looked much fiercer than me. Then of course, like my Father before me, I made sure all that came off the Caxton press was vetted first, and that it always put me in a good light for the people. Playwrights, Authors and the press were all required to report to me before publication, which is why I took umbrage with the original English Bible. It was Ann who steered me towards it in the end, remember that the English Bible brought together common English words and our language was formalised at last. The hysterical media was used by word of mouth and leaflets about the bewitchment I suffered at the hands of Ann, this gave me public support when I needed it after the demise of Catherine, the people’s champion.
The production of accurate portraits and then the Camera Obscurer which produced the likes of Thomas More, gave the people a clear picture of their leaders. King Arthur had always been a story worth telling because of the chivalry in his court, but his facer was not really known and his Queen, his Knights have all been fictionalised because of this. My use of the media brought the real monarch to life for posterity.

107.
Celebrity Big Brother is on the TV at the moment. Would you go on it as King Henry VIII?
No.
Do I look desperate for publicity? Do I seem to have low self esteem? Do I seem the kind who would like to make a fool of himself? Would I expose my image to that kind of public mockery? Would I want to share my time with fickle self important morons? Am I so desperate for money that I would sell my proud character?
No of course I wouldn’t.
But then the ones in it would say yes to all those points, wouldn’t they?

108. Are there any secrets in your reign which if proved true, would have changed the course of History?

Oh yes I’m going to admit to this one? Not.

There have been lots of scandal mongering over the past half millennia, non of which have ever been proved to have any scrap of truth to them. Looking for an edge in novels to gain an audience is not my way of recording history, I believe in factual evidence such as the way Alison Weir researches for her series of books. There have been many claims and statements which are impossible to have happened but which become headline news to increase a reader base. Here are a few of the most stupid claims I have had the misfortune to read, especially on the internet.
1. I killed my Father. What a load of rubbish.
2. My first wife Catherine was in fear of her life because of the marital problems.
3. I killed my Brother Arthur to become the next King.
4. I framed my second wife for treason.
5. I killed my father’s accountants because the people hated them.
6. I broke my promise to my sister Mary, that she may marry her choice after being widowed. Never made such a promise.
Even my family came into the view of the sniping:
7. My daughter Elizabeth killed my eldest daughter Mary.
8. My daughter Mary killed my son Edward.
Absolute rubbish.
Now do these contrived lies sound plausible, would I not have been found out, would my reign have been changed, I think not. They are all scurrilous tales to break my family’s grip on the monarchy.

109.

Hi. When Henry became King, it is known as what era?
For example : When an Edward is King it’s Edwardian time.

Please could you get back to me a.s.a.p because it’s a school project and needs to be in Friday.
Thanks Roxanne M

Hello Lady Roxanne, a fine question.

My Father Henry VII's reign was long enough to get the era called the Tudors, I am still Henry Tudor even though I'm called Henry VIII. The time was still the Tudors. My son Edward and daughter Mary were also under the same era title.
Even though Elizabeth was a Tudor, she was so loved that the era became Elizabethan.
Using the Tudor name meant to the people that the hated Plantagenets were gone at last. This is possible why the people changed Tudor to Elizabethan because of their hatred of Queen Mary. After Elizabeth the names changed back to surnaming, with the Stuart’s until another well loved monarch came to the throne, Victoria.
The Edwardian era was named after King Edward VII, they needed to change the name because this Mother’s reign was called Victorian after her first name.
Don't mix up my Son's name Edward with Edwardian.
Henry R

110. What exactly is a cowman? There is a butcher in Clitheroe, Lancashire called the Cowman’s, but I’m told it does not mean a Farmer and it comes from the 16th Century.

You are correct it does not mean a farmer. A cowman lived in a community where each family had a job to do, whether it was a miller, a Thatcher, a baker, there was also a Cowman. The Cowman did not own fields; the family had a shippen where up to 10 cows would be kept. This family also would have a dairy shop in there house and would sell fresh milk, cheese, butter. The cows never left the building and would be fed on hay traded by the cowman for milk products. No money changed hands, the bartering of goods and services being the method of purchase. There was also a pigman, though not a sheepman as the sheep grazed the hills and used land which was cheap and hard to work. The town cowmen would get the name of their town or community added on their title, “Liverpool Cowmen” etc. The cowman also would slaughter a cow or bull for meat in their backyard, the meat being traded in the shop.

111. What age would a couple marry in Tudor times?

Hey! Look at the average life span first before the facts are laid before you.

1. A girl would be betrothed at the age of 9, to a boy chosen by her parents or the boys parents choosing her.
2. The girl would marry her betrothed at the age of about 11 or 12, the boy about 14.
3. The couple would have 6 babies on average by the time the girl was 20, half of the children would die young.
4. The girl would be a grandmother by the age of 30.
5. They would die, naturally by the age of 40/45.
The male was always the family line and the preferred sex of children.

To marry a 20 year old girl would reduce your chances considerably of having an heir to your family. Girls of over 16 and not married were seen as having something wrong with them, or awkward to get on with by potential husbands.
This early marriage age, though seen as a dreadful loss of childhood nowadays, was the norm in Medieval and Tudor times, even Margaret Beaufort married Edmund Tudor when she was only 11 and gave birth to Henry VII when she was 12, poor old Edmund died before the birth at the age of 16.
Older widowers could remarry girls a lot younger than they were, especially if they were rich, powerful and looking for an heir to their line. After Queen Catherine, Henry married girls a lot younger than him, which became a problem when he married a flirty young girl called Catherine Howard.
In some 21st countries, to marry at 11/12 is common, but look at their deathrates and poverty levels to see the root cause.

112. If Henry were alive today what would be his life style?

What do you mean IF? You are talking to him.
I hope that Henry would have developed into a caring person who looks after other people and cares what they think of him. Society moulds people, so Henry would have been moulded into a less selfish personality. He is very clever, tall, strong, loved technology and finding out facts and figures. He would not want the restrictions of being King of England, 21st century monarchs have no private life and everything they do is either on the front covers of tacky newspapers or they get criticised about all their opinions. Being an artistic person, creator of designs and a showman puts 21st Century Henry into a limited field of operation.
He would be an inventor, an ideas man who passes on the ideas to the producers because of his lack of staying power, he would do the he-man sports with technology possible gliding, micro-light flying, skiing. No dirty, team sports like football, he is not a team player. He would have a large, flashy website top communicate through, have his pictures on posters, maybe be a TV personality but definitely not a regular show to keep his low boredom levels happy. He would travel to places not frequented by the tourist, to see the world as it is, collect strange items because they give him ideas for business back home. Back home would be out of the city, a large house with traditional looks but lots of quality workmanship. His car would have to be British made, it doesn’t matter who owns the company but the car must be made by British craftsmen whom he regards as the best in the world, I’m getting the colour of British Racing green in my head as I write this sentence. He would have lots of daughters, would have liked a son but is satisfied with his family size and glad not to be under pressure for an heir, married to one woman all his adult life.
Do you know anybody who fits this description?
ME.

113. I realise this question was aimed at Lady Jane Grey, my Sister's and best freind's grand daughter, but I include it here because it is so sad an episode.
Q. What would have been Lady Jane Greys entry in her diary just before her coronation?

Dear Diary:
I really do not want to be Queen of England, my Uncle is pushing me into it. My Grandparents were the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk or Charles Brandon and Mary Tudor, the Best friends of King Henry VIII and his little Sister Mary. I know they were in big trouble when they got married in France, Charles was supposed the bring Mary back to England to remarry the Choice of the King, but she married my Grandfather instead because they were in love. Just because of this marriage my Uncle believes I can become Queen of England in place of Princess Mary. Princess Mary will try to change the Church of England back again to Roman Catholic, after Henry and Edward’s movement towards the Protestant faith. My family is Protestant and so Uncle thinks we could take over and keep the Protestant faith for England.
I’m not sure, I am scared of Princess Mary. I must do my duty now and be crowned Queen of England, I hope Mary accepts this because she could start a civil war with the number of followers she has. I would rather just go home.
Jane.

See what I mean!

Q.114. Taking a non-biased position, can you defend your Father’s claim that America was named after Ameryk who was one of the backers to John Cabot’s voyage to Newfoundland?

A non-biased position! What on earth does that mean? Cabot was not an Englishman, he was a Venetian, and at the same time Columbus lived in the same city, for all I know they knew each other! We were the third attempt by Cabot to find a sponsor, after the Portuguese and Spanish declined. My Father accepted the chance to give Cabot Royal patronage with the provisory that he went West and North so to keep away from the Portuguese/Spanish claimed areas. John Cabot had Ameryk as his Bristol merchant backer yet this is not mentioned in many history books, being politic I believe and not wanting to start a row with the accepted notion that the American name came from Italian sources. I stand by the Ameryk claim as the evidence predates the Columbus enterprise and Ameryk’s Stars and Stripes family crest.

Q.115. Just what was the Caxton Press all about?

A revolution in making readable copies of the printed word. Books were very expensive because they were painstakingly hand copied, only rich people were deemed necessary to be able to read and write. Caxton set up in England the first mechanical press using separate letters which could be put together to make words. The discovery of a metal alloy made from Lead and Antimony solved the problem of low melting points and poor surface finish, the alloy also gave good sharp edges when cast. So the printer would have moulds of the letters, cast the letters then arrange them in a printing block which made up the page to be copied. The block was then put over a piece of paper and pressed hard with ink that was smeared over the letters. The words were them transferred onto the paper. I’ve made two pictures for you.



From Kathycool
Q116. In what ways did Henry VIII use Hampton Court Palace?

King Henry had many Palaces, is favourites in realistic order were:
1. Westminster Palace, this has since burnt down and is now where House of Parliament is to be found.
2. Greenwich Palace, his place of birth and where he developed his love of Jousting.
3. Hampton Court, he took it from Cardinal Wolsey in a notorious swap for a smaller London town house. He played Tennis, Bowls and his 6 Tiltyards were huge. He held large banquets and his own rooms were of magnificent decoration.
4. Windsor Castle, not his favourite because if its distance from London and being a stone castle, quite cold.
All these palaces and Castles are situated on the river Thames so to be accessible by Royal barge with their own landing stage for the Monarch.
Hampton Court has huge cellars for wine, beer, 300 barrels of each per year, with large kitchens to cater for hundreds of guests at a time.
Henry took on the Palace from Wolsey when it was not yet finished; he employed 70 Masons, 80 Bricklayers, 20 Joiners, 45 Carpenters and 200 labourers to finish off the palace to his taste. It can only be calculated from food receipts, Henry stayed at Hampton Court for about 30 days per year. His 1,200 household lived in or around the 36,000 square feet of rooms to kitchens being 3,350 square feet alone.
One year’s food can be summed up as follows:
1,240 Oxen; 8,200 Sheep; 2,330 Deer; 760 Calves; 1,870 Pigs and 53 Wild Boar, all of which are red meat, now add 20,000 Chickens etc and vegetables you can see how the Royal Court lived.

Q.117. What was your Mother like?

Mother, Elizabeth, was devoted to my father Henry, I was one of seven children of whom only four survived, my Brother Arthur and my two sisters Margaret and Mary. When my Mother was Elizabeth of York she was happy until her father, King Edward IV died and the monarchy went into turmoil because her brothers were too young to take over the throne straight away. Because of this my Mother’s Uncle Richard took the Throne as Protector and he became King Richard III. This man took my Mother’s young brothers and put them into the Tower of London, secretly killing them. From then on My Mother was scared for her life, she knew how murderous Richard was and how he would do anything to keep the throne, including killing his niece. When my Father and Grandmother (Margaret Beaufort) beat Richard III at Bosworth field to become King Henry VII, he saw Elizabeth as a way of bringing the country together, stopping the War of the Roses and getting a beautiful Queen as well. For it to be an arranged marriage was normal in our times, but to be a very happy one was unusual. They were so happy it made our family life good, my Brother Arthur was born and named after King Arthur Pendragon and he was deemed to become the next King of England, I was content to be Duke of York. Alas Arthur died just after he married Catherine, my Father and Mother were heart broken, my position suddenly changed and so did the affection from my Father. He resented my intelligence, he started to object to my comments, he often had me taken out of the room when I had ideas for him to think about, yet my Mother had seen my desire to be involved and to learn the art of being a ruler. She was the fence between my Father and me.
Mother died in 1503 only one year after Arthur, she was only 37 years old, it broke my Father’s heart and mine too. I kept my distance after my Mother had died, my father’s grief and my need to be involved did not bode well in our household. When I became King, my children were named after family members, Mary after my Sister, Elizabeth after my Mother and Edward after Mother’s Father, my grandfather.

Q.118. By Royal Appointment is when a company gets the approval of a Royal. How did it get started?

It is nowadays. Here is a Royal Appointment to the court for chocolate.
It certainly was not the case in Henry’s day!


In my day, I had two men who were my direct contacts for people and politics, one was the Black-rod who opened my parliament for me, the other was White-rod who was my accountant and paid the bills. Now my father Henry VII was a tight, money hoarding type of person and never liked paying bills, he dreamt up a great scam. If all big buy foods and goods were bought more than one day’s march away from the court it would be difficult for the seller to get into court to get paid. Now if you only paid out on one day per month with the White-rod and he took a lot of time to cause a backlog, the seller could be ages before he got paid. When the goods were purchased, a sheet of paper, the order, was written out for the Royal Court to pay, so the King was not liable in any way. With a Royal seal of approval on the top of the order it passed as a signature by proxy.
If you were the seller, instead of walking one full day, queuing up, then walking a full day back just to get your money, it was easier to just let it go as a bad debt and put the seal of approval on your shop sign, “we sell to the King of England so we must be good!”
This Royal coat of arms became a major marketing tool, so later Royal families then asked for sellers to apply for it to be issued.
Quite a scam eh!

Q119. I read with interest your answer to the Caxton Press question. Are there any real presses or pictures of the Caxton Press available for people to go and see in the UK?

I think so.
There are definitely no actual presses to see because they were worked to death and made of wood so 500 years would have seen them off. There are no paintings but I have found a picture on my research visits which must be the Caxton press because of the age of the carvings which was the media to capture the press workings for eternity. Go to Bristol, Industrial museum and in the printing press section there are 22 carvings on blocks of stone around the room. Go look at carving block 22, it shows the press being worked by a man. I have produced this picture for you.


From the mother of a good friend, let's called her JB.
Q.120. Did Ann Boleyn really have an extra finger on one hand and did she have her clothes made to hide this because it was a sign of being a witch?

It's always difficult to explain the errors in some history books; the writers take one minor part that sound strange and build a theme to be different from their competitors. After talking to the Hampton Court royal experts it seems Ann didn't have an extra finger, she had a large mole or lump on her hand. Thomas Cromwell used the finger ruse as a way of getting public support for his accusations against the poor girl. Yes it was true that she did have longer sleeves to hide the lump, as she was afraid of being called a witch.

Q.121.
Have you heard of the mirrored Henry pictures?

It seems that Hans Holbein painted Henry perfectly, with only minor changes to enhance his manliness, and then he had an apprentice copy the painting into a cartoon outline. They then put 6 blank canvases under the cartoon, punched holes through the entire stack to create 6 copies in holes form around the drawing lines. The 6 blanks were then sent around the country, an artist would put a blank canvas under the punched blanks and dab soot in a bag over it, the soot causing a black dot on the blank through the holes. The artist then joined up the dots and made a copy of Henry. Now a mistake occurred in Shropshire, they turned the new mast over and produced a mirrored image with the dagger on the right hand side instead of the left. When Henry saw this picture he was delighted, because he thought it was more accurate than from the original Holbein. Well he would because he had only ever seen himself in a mirror before!
There is actually a mirrored carving in Samlesbury Hall, a mirrored painting in Thornbury Castle so go and see for yourself.

Hey there’s a few Elizabeth ones too, I saw a picture of Lizzy with her troops with a ship on her left, and then I saw it again with the same ship on her right. It’s all done with mirrors.


Q122. I have noticed that the farm fields in Wales are a lot smaller that the ones in England. Do you know the reason?

Yes!
The medieval inheritance laws of both countries were different.
In Wales the inheritance of land and wealth was to all sons divided equally, so farms would be carved up by building stone walls, thus creating small holdings. This was called Gavelkind, which means divide to sons. BUT! The daughters got nothing at all.
In England the inheritance of land and wealth was to the first born son only thus causing it to stay in one piece and large. This was called Primogeniture, meaning First boy from genitals, again the daughter got nothing.
Thanks to Bob for help with this one. Yakydar.

Q123. Tell me your view of the reformation.

So 18 visitors in a mini bus from Clitheroe, Lancashire. They were mostly retired teachers full of historical questions and asking ones that they obviously had researched before they appeared. I raised a few eyebrows with my declaration that the majority of the English people were on my side when I threw out the Roman, Papal Catholic church to replace it with the Church of England Catholic Church. I was expecting that question; I had in the past researched that very question myself, not from the mass of books but from a source more in tune with the people, the Church itself. You see, the Pope then was a Borga, notorious in the dealing of blood letting, murder, revenge, theft and moral disgrace. The people, though scared, hated these people who robbed them of their living whilst the priest lived a grand life.
Take into account also the loss of good priests in the Black Death, replace them with low intelligent, second sons of nobles who wanted to get a foot into the prosperity of the Church and you’ve got the makings of decline.

I came along just at the right time, my divorce from Catherine, my dealing with a less sympathetic papal leader and boom boom; we have the reformation of the church. Yes the people were on my side, only some aristocracy with a priest in the old system resented the change along with their little herd of peasant followers scared of losing their meal ticket.
60% of priests died in the Black Death creating a holy shortage, who should fill the spaces? Supposedly educated sons of the Nobility, who could read Latin. Did they understand the words they read out at mass? NO. The reformation gave our people the Mass in English; it rid this nation of the hypocrites in Rome who ran it with an iron fist. Just how many people died at the hands of the Roman Catholic Church? Millions! In Spain with the Inquisition, in France against the Huguenots, in Germany against the Lutherans. Worst of all, against the Moors by my Father-in –Law, Ferdinand of Spain.
Much is said of the Reformation, with me as the obvious target, but I say to you all, it was inevitable because of the behaviour of the Papal system.

Q.124. I have read your file about the making of Alum for Henry after the Pope had banned the import to England. What happened to the village of Ravenscar after the making of Alum ceased?
It’s one of those sad tales of boom and bust. The boom lasted 250 years; we were exporting Alum to Europe because of the decline in Papal power and the growth of the Protestant Church throughout Europe. The invention of a new synthetic polymer based fixer soon killed off the Alum trade, although it had growth in other Chemical industries it was not enough to keep the industry going.
The Alum making site and Shale source were kept alive by changing into brickworks thought the labour force was vastly reduced. Now all that remains of the brickworks and Alum making site is excavations by archaeologists and a National Trust visitors centre.
A sad end to our first chemical industry and one of King Henry’s creative legacies.
I have made this postcard for you our of my collection of photographic evidence.



Q125. A question from Joe
I want to know why Henry VIII needed pictures and why didn’t he have a background in any of his Portraits?

A good question from an enquiring mind.
Master Hans Holbein painted King Henry VIII whenever he could get the King to pose with sufficient time; it took months to produce a good portrait and so any background out of doors would have changed with the seasons, as well as Henry would not have wanted to stand in view of other people. The backgrounds were kept bland so as to enhance the appearance of Henry. In the famous portraits, Henry has very wide shoulders, straight back and is fairly muscular; this was artistic licence to enhance Henry’s looks for the people. Henry wanted to send his portraits all over England and Wales so his people would know how he looked, so Holbein made one copy of each portrait, called a cartoon, which he place up to 6 blanks underneath. He then punched holes right through the pile of canvasses. The punched canvasses were then sent around the country for artists to dab a bag of soot on them which will go through the holes and make a rough outline to be filled in. Now there was a big mistake made in Shropshire, where the punched mast