Not Just the Tudors

History Hit

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks about everything from the Aztecs to witches, Velázquez to Shakespeare, Mughal India to the Mayflower. Not, in other words, just the Tudors, but most definitely also the Tudors.

Each episode Suzannah is joined by historians and experts to reveal incredible stories about one of the most fascinating periods in history.

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Our Editor's Take

The title of the history podcast Not Just the Tudors indicates the theme. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is an expert on the British Tudor dynasty. This era includes Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. But this podcast discusses many historical topics beyond just England's most famous dynasty. Each episode features historians and experts. They share fascinating stories about different periods in history.

Listeners can expect a diverse range of subjects that are not limited by time or location. The show explains things like the importance of coffee and tobacco. The podcast also talks about lesser-known stories. Most people do not know that the British shipped poor children on their own to America for centuries. Not Just the Tudors explains what happened to them. The podcast also talks about both court intrigues and ancient Indigenous civilizations.

Not Just the Tudors is not afraid to get earthy when it comes to discussing history. The show discusses what one episode title calls "Filth, Noise & Stench in England." Another episode discusses "Menstruation in Early Modern England." Professor Lipscomb also hosts knowledgeable guests like Dr. Sara Read and Natalie Grueninger. The experts provide insights on these captivating tales throughout every episode. The podcast discusses significant events such as witch hunts across Europe. Not Just the Tudors also explores lesser-known figures like painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

Not Just The Tudors presents a unique perspective on world history. It goes outside of traditional narratives often taught in schools today. The podcast educates listeners interested in learning more about the world's past. The show doesn't limit topics within one specific era or region. So it is more comprehensive. Listeners can learn more about many aspects of human civilization with this podcast.

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Practical Magic: Spells, Prayers & Cunning Folk

Practical Magic: Spells, Prayers & Cunning Folk

Long before witch trials, magic was the domain of ‘cunning folk’ who were part of the fabric of medieval and early modern life. Their charms, filters and spells - for personal advancement, aiding fertility, predicting the future, even exacting revenge - offered people solutions to their problems. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more from Dr. Tabitha Stanmore, whose research navigates the social and political lives of these lesser known magical practitioners. All music from Epidemic SoundsPresented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcastRelated episodes:The Brutal Basque Witch Hunt: https://podfollow.com/not-just-the-tudors/episode/f0c212ec364450ef05ff7b8e4df7053fa3911d20/viewThe Witchfinder General: https://podfollow.com/not-just-the-tudors/episode/9c81545a7796bf29d5de9f0c9ff75c40169a9ed0/viewSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK

Episodes

Practical Magic: Spells, Prayers & Cunning Folk

Practical Magic: Spells, Prayers & Cunning Folk

Long before witch trials, magic was the domain of ‘cunning folk’ who were part of the fabric of medieval and early modern life. Their charms, filters and spells - for personal advancement, aiding fertility, predicting the future, even exacting revenge - offered people solutions to their problems. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more from Dr. Tabitha Stanmore, whose research navigates the social and political lives of these lesser known magical practitioners. All music from Epidemic SoundsPresented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcastRelated episodes:The Brutal Basque Witch Hunt: https://podfollow.com/not-just-the-tudors/episode/f0c212ec364450ef05ff7b8e4df7053fa3911d20/viewThe Witchfinder General: https://podfollow.com/not-just-the-tudors/episode/9c81545a7796bf29d5de9f0c9ff75c40169a9ed0/viewSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK

Leonardo da Vinci with Ken Burns

Leonardo da Vinci with Ken Burns

Leonardo da Vinci was a man like no other. A restless visionary and polymath, his paintings are some of the best known of all works of art.To talk about Leonardo, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Ken Burns, the multi-award winning American filmmaker who has transformed the documentary into an art form. His latest film, made with Sarah Burns and David McMahon, explores in wonderful granular detail the singular genius of Leonardo da Vinci.Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith. Edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcastRelated episodes:Michelangelo >Lorenzo de' Medici, the Magnificent >Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here >

Witchfinder General

Witchfinder General

In the aftermath of the Civil War, a remote corner of Essex witnessed the most brutally devastating witch-hunt in English history. A dangerous maverick Matthew Hopkins, 'the Witchfinder General', hunted down vulnerable people across East Anglia, exploiting the anxiety and lawlessness of the times. Between 1645 and 1647, over 300 suspects were interrogated and tortured; a third of them were hanged.As our special series on witchcraft continues, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more about Hopkins and his accomplice John Stearne from historian and author Malcolm Gaskill.Presented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, the audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcastSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here >

Invisible Activists of the Reformation

Invisible Activists of the Reformation

The names that spring first to mind in the Reformation of Christianity tend always to be male. But women were central to these extraordinary transformations in religious life in Europe and around the globe.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more from Professor Merry Wiesner-Hanks, who has uncovered the stories of hundreds of women. As monarchs and mothers, migrants and martyrs, mystics and missionaries, women's influence and actions were crucial factors in the Reformation.Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, the editor is Amy Haddow, and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.If you enjoy this episode, you will be interested in these from our archive:How Kateryn Parr Championed the Reformation: https://shows.acast.com/not-just-the-tudors/episodes/how-kateryn-parr-championed-the-reformationThe End of Monasteries: https://shows.acast.com/not-just-the-tudors/episodes/end-monasteriesEnjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’ https://historyhit.com/subscriptionYou can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK

Join Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Professor Ronald Hutton as they explore the evolving definitions of witches, the global spread of witch beliefs, and their impact during the 16th and 17th century witch trials in Europe.As part of our month-long series on witchcraft, we delve into the role of magic in different cultures, the forms persecution took and how anthropology, folklore, and history have shaped the modern understanding of witches.Presented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcastEnjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’ You can take part in our listener survey here >

Fireworks: From the Tudors to Guy Fawkes

Fireworks: From the Tudors to Guy Fawkes

A pyrotechnic dragon roared flames into the river Thames during the coronation week of Elizabeth of York in 1487. These explosive displays were employed as a sign of might and majesty throughout the reign of Henry VIII, and Elizabeth I was the first English monarch to establish their own fire master. By the time of the Gunpowder Plot, fireworks were used not only to celebrate, but to commemorate and incite. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to John Withington about the remarkable development of pyrotechnics throughout the Tudor and Stuart eras. Presented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith. Edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcastRelated episode:The Gunpowder Plot - The Tudor Origins >Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’ You can take part in our listener survey here >

The Brutal Basque Witch Hunt

The Brutal Basque Witch Hunt

In 1609, some 80 people were executed for witchcraft in France's Basque region. It inspired a final push to eradicate witches by the Spanish Inquisition across the border. One of the judges, Pierre de Lancre, published a sensationalist book which has been the source of every subsequent account. But newly discovered evidence paints a very different picture.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more from Dr. Jan Machielsen whose book The Basque Witch Hunt: A Secret History shows that almost everything historians thought they knew about this brutal episode is inaccurate.Listen to our previous episode with Jan Machielsen, An Early Modern Teenage Werewolf >Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’You can take part in our listener survey here >

Africans in 17th Century England

Africans in 17th Century England

In the 1640s, Black communities existed in London and in most of England's port cities, communities from which men would fight and die throughout the English Civil War. There's still little evidence of the lives of these individuals. So what do we know of the Black men who took up arms during the Civil War? On which side did they fight? Were they free or enslaved? And what can this participation tell us about how race was perceived in the early modern period?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out from Sophie Merrix, whose research is uncovering the lesser known racial diversity of the Civil War battlefields.Presented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, the audio editor is Max Carrey and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcastIf you found this episode interesting, then do check out these past episodes:Black Tudors >How Shakespeare Depicted Race > Legacy of the Mary Rose >Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’You can take part in our listener survey here >

The Tudor World at Hampton Court

The Tudor World at Hampton Court

The oldest surviving part of Hampton Court Palace is a series of chambers and closets built in the 1520s for Henry VIII's chief advisor and Lord Chancellor, Cardinal Wolsey. They are now the setting for a wonderful exhibition bringing together artworks created during Henry VIII's reign alongside some evocative 16th century objects and brilliant interactive displays.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb goes to Hampton Court to meet curator Brett Dolman and talk about the exhibition which takes visitors back into the Tudor world and the lives not just of the kings and queens, but of the ordinary people whose labour upheld the functioning and magnificence of the Tudor court.Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The audio editor is Ella Blaxill, the researcher is Alice Smith, and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’ https://historyhit.com/subscriptionYou can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK

The Spanish Armada

The Spanish Armada

In July 1588 the Spanish Armada set sail to conquer England. Three weeks later a fierce naval battle foiled the planned invasion. Many myths surround these events. The "genius" of Sir Francis Drake is exalted, while Spain’s efforts are belittled. But what really happened during that fateful encounter?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb gets the fullest possible account from Professor Geoffrey Parker who co-wrote the definitive and authoritative history of the Spanish Armada in 1988. A new, much-expanded edition, titled Armada: The Spanish Enterprise and England's Deliverance in 1588, was published in 2023.Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The audio editor is Max Carrey, the researcher is Alice Smith, and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’You can take part in our listener survey here > Related episodes:Francis Drake’s Discovery of West Coast America >Walter Raleigh’s Quest for Eldorado >

Henry VIII's Brothers in Armour

Henry VIII's Brothers in Armour

Henry VIII loved the spectacle of a tournament to show off. In addition to jousting displays with François I of France, Henry and the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I gifted each other armour and jousted to broker alliances. Not Just the Tudor's listener Karin Nieswohl from Vienna got in touch to request an episode on this fascinating subject. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb obliges in the company of Dr. Karen Watts, Curator Emeritus at the Royal Armouries, to look at the meaning behind the metal.Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The audio editor is Nick Thomson, the researcher is Alice Smith, and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.Related episodes:Henry VIII and Jousting >Henry VIII’s Billionaire Wardrobe >Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’You can take part in our listener survey here >

Oliver Cromwell: Massacres & Manoeuvres

Oliver Cromwell: Massacres & Manoeuvres

How did Oliver Cromwell navigate the many forces ranged against him and rise to the pinnacle of his power? From the execution of Charles I, through the establishment of the Commonwealth, to savage campaigns in Ireland and Scotland, was Cromwell nothing more than a ruthless and brutal dictator? In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined once again by Professor Ronald Hutton, whose new groundbreaking account Oliver Cromwell: Commander in Chief reveals a different kind of Cromwell.Listen again to Professor Ronald Hutton in our episode, The Making of Oliver Cromwell >Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor Max Carrey and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcastEnjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’You can take part in our listener survey here >

Elizabeth I's Conjuror: John Dee

Elizabeth I's Conjuror: John Dee

A trusted advisor to Queen Elizabeth I, Dr. John Dee was an astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, and navigator with ties to the occult.But what role did astrology or the occult have alongside Christianity in the Elizabethan court?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Benjamin Woolley to discuss this fascinating figure and find out how much of an impact Dee had on the reign of Elizabeth I.Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’ https://historyhit.com/subscriptionYou can take part in our listener survey here > https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK

Floral Messages in the Tudor Court

Floral Messages in the Tudor Court

The Tudor Rose was a well-known symbol which dominated the national identity of England. But for both the Tudors and Stuarts, flower imagery flourished across all aspects of the arts as well as in daily life, in what people wore and what they ate. At court, flower motifs were carved into architecture and embroidered into opulent gifts as symbols of imperial dominance. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by art historian Susannah Lyon Whaley to navigate the unique cultural language of flowers.Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor Ella Blaxill and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcastEnjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’ https://historyhit.com/subscriptionYou can take part in our listener survey here > https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK

The Rise and Fall of Jane Boleyn

The Rise and Fall of Jane Boleyn

In 1542 Jane Boleyn was executed for having aided and abetted Henry VIII's fifth wife Catherine Howard to commit adultery. It was the second time Jane Boleyn had been connected with charges of treason as just six years earlier, she had allegedly asserted a charge of incest against the then Queen Anne Boleyn and Jane's husband George. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. James Taffe, to re-examine this compelling, contradictory woman who served five successive Tudor queens for more than two decades during the increasingly dangerous reign of Henry VIII.Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’ You can take part in our listener survey here >

William and Mary's Glorious Revolution

William and Mary's Glorious Revolution

The events that led to the joint monarchy of William and Mary in 1689 have long been known as the Glorious Revolution, in which King James II was overthrown in favour of his Protestant daughter Mary and her husband, the Dutch Prince William of Orange. But not so glorious or bloodless were the ensuing years of devastating violence wreaked across Scotland and Ireland which have largely been ignored in histories.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more from Professor Ted Vallance, author of The Glorious Revolution: 1688 - Britain's Fight for Liberty.Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The audio editor is Ella Blaxill, the researcher is Alice Smith, and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’ https://historyhit.com/subscriptionYou can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK

Mystic Visionary: Teresa of Avila

Mystic Visionary: Teresa of Avila

Born in 1515, St. Teresa of Avila continues to inspire countless people today with her mystical writings and spiritual insights. Yet, despite facing significant personal and institutional challenges throughout her life, she was also a bold reformer in the Roman Catholic Church.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by the former Archbishop of Canterbury, the Right Reverend and Right Honourable Rowan Lord Williams, to discuss St Teresa of Avila’s remarkable life and legacy.Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The audio editor is Ella Blaxill, the researcher is Alice Smith, and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’ You can take part in our listener survey here >

Rosy Royals: Tudor & Stuart Gardens

Rosy Royals: Tudor & Stuart Gardens

One subtle but powerful way that the Tudor and Stuart monarchs tried to show off their magnificence was through the creation of gardens that conveyed authority and cultural achievement. Garden history gives us an insight into statecraft, foreign influence and changing ideas of beauty. In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Dr. David Jacques OBE, who explains why so much money was spent on royal gardens from the reign of Henry VII through to Queen Anne. Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, the audio editor is Max Carrey and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcastEnjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’ https://historyhit.com/subscriptionYou can take part in our listener survey here > https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK

Oliver Cromwell: Protector & Dictator

Oliver Cromwell: Protector & Dictator

Four years into Britain's experiment as a republic, Oliver Cromwell staged a coup, violently dissolving parliament. His “Bare Bones Parliament” would not last either and, in December 1653, a new kind of limited monarchy was proposed with Cromwell as “Lord Protector.” In this second of our series looking at the 1650s, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined again by Professor Alice Hunt to pick up the story of Britain as it moved from republic to protectorate, under the rule of Oliver Cromwell. Presented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor Joseph Knight and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcastEnjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’ You can take part in our listener survey here >

When Britain was a Republic

When Britain was a Republic

The 1650s were the only years in history when Britain was a republic. Charles I had been executed, the monarchy was abolished and the House of Lords dismissed. But what came next? How could stability be restored when people disagreed over what they had been fighting for in the first place? In the first of two fascinating episodes, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb delves deep into this turbulent decade with Professor Alice Hunt, author of Republic: Britain's Revolutionary Decade, 1649 to 1660. Presented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcastEnjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first three months using the code ‘TUDORS’ You can take part in our listener survey here >