Gloucester Cathedral, St Peter’s Abbey before the dissolution in 1540, was founded in 1541. The ‘Deed of Endowment’, one of three documents created for the occasion features in this video complete with flattering portrait of King Henry VIII, a Garter Badge, badge of the Prince of Wales and the original green and white (the Tudor colours) silk cord which once held the great seal. The oldest items in the archive are pages from Aelfric's The Lives of Saints which had been reused as decorative pages in a later book binding. They are around 1000 years old and look as fresh as the day they were written!The most significant item to the Cathedral is its ‘Historia,’ created by monks at the Abbey in the 1390s and recording as much of the Abbey’s history as they were able to. Archivist Rebecca Phillips is fairly confident that they didn’t have written records from which to source information and so this is the first time the oral history of the abbey had been written down. It would then have been copied and distributed to daughter houses of the Abbey to share their story and engender a sense of belonging. British History is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.We get to see these items up close in this video plus an exquisitely embroidered King James Bible, the first Chapter Book of the Cathedral containing the signature of William Laud, and an ironic reliquary. The reliquary is thought to contain a fragment of the stake on which Bishop Hooper, Bishop of Gloucester, was burned during Mary I’s reign. It’s a beautifully carved and decorated box, the irony being in that Hopper was opposed to the use of relics. I hope you enjoy this video. If you do please consider subscribing to my Youtube channel and, if you can afford it, becoming a paid subscriber here as it helps me continue creating informative and fun content like this.Wishing you a fabulous day!Philippa 💜 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit philippab.substack.com/subscribe
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Tudor and Anglo Saxon Treasures at Gloucester Cathedral Archives
Hello fellow history lover!Instead of my live this week I am publishing a brand new ‘on-location’ interview. This, the first one in this ongoing series, was recorded inside the Library of Gloucester Cathedral, where the Cathedral’s 6000 precious documents and books are stored, overseen and looked after by Cathedral Archivist Rebecca Phillips.The full video is out later today here, and on Youtube, but here is a little preview. British History is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.The full video is out at 6:30pm UK time today (15th April 2025), I hope you enjoy it.See you all in a short while! Philippa 💜 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit philippab.substack.com/subscribe
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Henry VIII's Divorce and the 1527 Sack of Rome - Part 3
In this, the final of 3 episodes, recorded live, we are discussing the factors going on in Rome which effected Henry VIII's ultimately failed attempt to secure a divorce from his first wife Katherine of Aragon. Last time we covered the sack of Rome in 1527 and, in episode 1, the build up to it. We learned how the breakdown in relations between Francois I of France, Charles V Holy Roman Emperor, Charles duke of Burgundy and Pope Clement VII led to this indescribably horrific humanitarian disaster.British History is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit philippab.substack.com/subscribe
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Rebellious Nuns, Unsung Heroes and a lost Cross
There is a fascinating and intriguing exhibition on in 2025 at Chichester Cathedral. Reverend Vanessa Baron Cathedral Treasurer, who curated the exhibition, joined me today to talk about the human stories behind some of artefacts chosen for the exhibition. You can find out more about the exhibition and the Cathedral by visiting https://www.chichestercathedral.org.uk/ Thank you for watching this video, I hope you enjoyed it. There are many more here for you to browse through including over 40 fantastic historian interviews with people such as Tracy Borman OBE, Gareth Russell, Helen Carr and many more. Buy books from incredible historians, shipped worldwide from Blackwells - Click Here (This is an affiliate link. I get a commission on books sold via this link but they are at no extra cost to you). You can also join me every other Monday night for 'British History Live' on Youtube - the next show is on 31st March. Want more British History and more contact with me? Join me at www.Patreon.com/BritishHistory to enjoy Historical Book Club, early access to content, exclusive blogs, discounts on British History Events and take part in Book Club! All for £5/month. You can also give me one off support by donating at www.buymeacoffee.com/Philippa You can always support me for free by subscribing, liking, commenting and sharing this Substack. Receive weekly history news from me by subscribing to me here. Visit https://www.BritishHistoryTours.com for full details of history tours and events.See you next time!Philippa This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit philippab.substack.com/subscribe
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Henry VIII's Divorce and the 1527 Sack of Rome - Part 2
In this, the second of 3 episodes, recorded live, discussing the factors going on in Rome which effected Henry VIII's ultimately failed attempt to secure a divorce from his first wife Katherine of Aragon, we look at the Sack of Rome itself. WARNING - this episode will include descriptions of act of violence, all which occurred in 1527, almost 500 year ago but still upsetting. In the previous episode we focussed on the events which led up to Imperial troops appearing at the walls of Rome, bent on violence. It is against this backdrop that Henry VIII petitioned the pope for a divorce from Katherine of Aragon. In the next episode we will look at Henry's 'Great Matter' and how events in Rome would have a lasting impact on the church, and therefore population, of England. Other links mentioned:Book Club and Discounted Event Tickets available in PatreonThe Wars of the Roses Online History FestivalBritish History is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit philippab.substack.com/subscribe