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Catherine Carey (1562) For centuries historians have been arguing whether Mary Boleyn's children- Catherine Knollys (née Carey) and Henry Carey- were illegitimate offspring of Henry VIII. If they were, then they were never acknowledged as his issue in the king's lifetime. If they were not Henry's children, then they were likely to be the other possible father- William Carey (Mary's husband)'s.  Mary Boleyn was definitely Catherine and Henry's mother, there is no doubt about it. She was the oldest child of Sir Thomas Boleyn and his wife Elizabeth Howard and was likely to have been born in 1499. Also Mary was the older sister of Henry VIII's second wife Anne Boleyn and their younger brother George Boleyn. In 1520, Mary married the king's peer Sir William Carey (a possible candidate for the children's father). For some time in their marriage, Mary was the mistress of King Henry VIII. She died after being married for nine years to Sir William S...

To begin with: Happy Mothering! Today the one day of the year that has been traditionally reserved to celebrate and thank all mothers- biological, adopted or just any caring woman, has been transformed into a chance to sell merchandise involved with mothers. In this blog post, we are going to delve deep into the history of this festival and discover what it really is about. Mothering Sunday (now known as 'Mother's Day') is traditional Christian Festival that falls annually on the fourth Sunday of Lent. Originally the day that is used to celebrate Mothering Sunday was the day that everyone would go to the Mother Church which was the main church and sometimes cathedral in their area. This was normally a day looked forward to by families because it meant that they could meet up and gather without it clashing with any jobs members of the family had. A Simnel Cake When the time came that it was common for people to work in great manors and houses as domestic servants, ...

Yesterday we updated our blog from a plain green background to the pink and purple flowery background, we like it but we would like to know what you think. Comment down below or comment on our post on our Instagram account (@historicall.y) whether you like it or prefer our old version. - Mae and Esther.

The Great Stink For centuries, one of the most famous rivers in Europe became a dumping ground for all of London's waste. Of course this was the River Thames . As the population of London increased the amount of waste grew with it. This became too much for the river and by the 1600s people began to notice that the pollution of the city’s river was becoming a problem. However every one continued to dump rubbish and waste in the capital's largest river, with no idea how to fix the issue. When the 19th century arrived the problem had been much too long. So much waste had been dumped in the river that the Thames became the most contaminated and unhygienic river in the world! The horrible smell caused wealthy parts of society to move away from the Thames and for Parliament to move to Oxford. As result of the disgusting conditions of the river and the sewage system in general, water became very contaminated, and there were a sudden outbreaks of a nasty disease called...

Katherine Parr By the time Henry VIII married his sixth and final wife- Katherine Parr, he had been previously married five times and she had been married two previous times. When the king married Katherine, he didn't really need a wife. The majority of his court, they knew that he was nearing the end of his life, but to say it publicly, was treason and you could even die for suggesting the death of a monarch! To be absolutely honest, he needed a nurse. However the royal couple did grow to love each other, and Katherine was a wonderful stepmother to Henry's three children: Mary, Elizabeth and Edward.  Katherine was the daughter of the Tudor knight Sir Thomas Parr and his wife Maud Green . She was the eldest surviving child of Thomas and Maud and she was born in the year of 1512, probably in August. Katherine had two little siblings- William and Anne. In 1517, her father died, more than likely due to the sweating sickness. With their mother in charge of the royal ed...

The third and final book in Philippa Gregory's 'Order of Darkness' trilogy. It follows Luca, Brother Peter, Isolde, Ishraq and Frieze into Venice where Luca is to investigate the sale of gold English nobles. I would not recommend this book to people who dislike reading to much about religion because it involves Medieval prejudice against Jews. Personally I really enjoyed reading this book although, I think, it needs a sequel and it finishes with you not knowing what is going to happen next!

'Stormbringers' is the second book in Philippa Gregory's three book series for young adults. The first is titled ' Changeling '.  'Stormbringers' follows the travels of Luca and his friends- Frieze, Isolde and Ishraq to a small fishing village. Whilst their they witness the children's Crusade march through the village before being washed away by a dreadful flood. This book is better than the first and is about witchcraft and heresy! I really enjoyed it! Amazon: 'Stormbringers' by Philippa Gregory

Henry VIII is probably most famous for marrying six wives:  Catherine of Aragon , Anne Boleyn , Jane Seymour , Anne of Cleves ,  Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr .  But not everyone can remember them just like that, so here's a few ways to remember it. 1. The rhyme This doesn't tell you the names of the wives however it dose tell you what happend to them. Divorced,  Beheaded,  Died,  Divorced,  Beheaded,  Survived. 2. A song  I heard this song and loved it! It is really fun and it helps you to remember the basic information about Henry VII's six wives! 3. Get to know the six wives If you want to know a little more detail about King Henry VIII's six wives, then you can take a look at this blog series by us! 1.  Catherine of Aragon 2.  Anne Boleyn 3.  Jane Seymour 4.  Anne of Cleves 5.  Catherine Howard 6.  Katherine Parr 4. A...

I found this great clip by TedEd that explains the Wars of the Roses very well. Here is the video, remember to give us a like and subscribe for more blog posts! - Mae

Without the electric and gas ovens, hobs, kettles and fridges, Medieval people had to cook their meals on fires. They also cooked all fruit and vegetables because to eat them raw was considered bad for your health, (to know more click here ). Without the trade systems that we now have, there diet Pottage was a dish that everyone ate, no matter what there status. However the rich would add meat (e.g: beef and mutton). Bread was also a staple food in their diets. But the poor would have to endure flour mixed with rye, then was thought to be the flour that was for the poor because it was cheap. White bread (a.k.a manchett) was for the wealthy because to get all the little bits of wheat out, it would take someone a lot of time to sieve them through a muslin cloth. Meat was expensive and so most of it was reserved for the wealthy. They would eat beef, mutton, pork and venison as well as many different varieties of poultry including peacock! If the poor could get their hands on meat, it ...

At the time of the Industrial Revolution, London was significantly divided. In the Westend, the wealthy classes lived, with good, well paying and respectable occupations which resulted in them having enough money to be able to afford a nice home and other luxuries. On the other hand, the East end was home to the working class and below. The working classes had jobs which were usually harmful and for the majority of the time, did not pay enough for a sanitary abode and the necessary nutritious amount of food.  Victorian Westend One of the reasons why London was known as 'Two Cities', although geographically, they were just one, was because of the clothing. The people in the Westend could afford multiple bright and unique outfits because it was (and still is) considered to be an awful thing to be wearing the same garments as your peers. However, the people in the East end could only afford one outfit, poor of quality- normally second hand- and in quite dark, dull and c...

Edward IV It is England in 1483 and the people of the country are witnessing three reigns of three different kings, the first recorded execution at the Tower of London and a suspected murder has occurred when the Princes in the Tower mysteriously disappear!  Edward V Richard III For the monarchy in England in this year, it would experience a dramatic change. On 9th April, King Edward IV passed away aged only forty- two years. This could have been a result of falling ill from a disease such as pneumonia or typhoid but it could equally be a result of his unhealthy lifestyle. Before his death he had become inactive and stouter as a pose to his young active and healthy self that he was when he first won the throne from Henry VI. After his premature death, Edward was succeeded by his twelve year old son- also called Edward. The late Edward's will (which has not survived) stated that his brother, Richard, would be made Lord Protecter for his nephew, the new king Edward....

Jacquetta of Luxembourg We do not know the exact date of Jacquetta of Luxembourg's birth but historians have estimated that she was born either in the year 1415 or 1416. She was the eldest daughter of Peter I of Luxembourg and Margaret of Baux. As a member of the Royal House of Luxembourg, she would have been brought up with the belief that her family were the descendants of the ancient water nymph- Melusine . Her uncle John II of Luxembourg was also the man who sold Joan of Arc to the English! Apart these few facts, little is known about the childhood of Jacquetta. Rouen Cathedral, France At the age of seventeen years, the young noblewoman married the third son of Henry IV- John, Duke of Bedford. Bedford was significantly older than his bride when they were married on 22nd April 1433, him being aged forty- three years old! Before the Duke of Bedford married Jacquetta, his previous wife had died as a result of the plague. The couple lived in France, from where Bedfo...

Recently we created a historicall.y Instagram Account, the username is historicall.y Mae and Esther , please check out our posts and follow if you like them! Many Thanks- Mae and Esther

'Changeling' is the first book in the renowned historian and author- Philippa Gregory's trilogy: The Order of Darkness. It is written for young adults but I would not recommend it for under twelves because there are some gruesome sections. It is about a young man named Luca who is appointed by the Catholic church to become an 'inquirer' and look into unholy mysteries. The first mystery that he is appointed to investigate involves a young abbess and a group of hallucinated, diluted in in fact crazy nuns! I loved it so much that I finished it in one day! Amazon: 'Changeling'

Throughout Queen Victoria's reign, the country suffered from several epidemics of cholera, the first occurring in Sunderland in 1831. It attacked because a ship had recently docked which carried sailors who were carrying the contagious disease from Hamburg. London experienced their first case in 1832 but it only claimed 800 East end lives and in that year, a child born at Bethnal Green was expected to live up to sixteen years at the most! Also in this year, tuberculosis was a bigger killer than cholera. Cholera is a horrible virus which is passed through water and food contaminated with the disease. It causes dehydration, vomiting and severe diarrhoea. The faeces come out ridiculously quick and cause extreme loss of bodily fluids. Because of the lack of medicine and no NHS (For those who dwell in England), there was a near 100% chance of death for one of it's victims! In Lewis Square, Nottingham in 1856, a census recorded that 616 people were killed by cholera.  To ad...