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Aston Rowant, Oxfordshire: Princess Elizabeth passes by on her journey to Woodstock

Today Aston Rowant is a tranquil village with pretty thatched cottages, a village green and the charming parish church of St Peter and St Paul. The village lies on the edge of the Chiltern Hills in South Oxfordshire, just off the M40. However, in the sixteenth century, the main road from London to Oxford may have run along what is now Church Lane, next to the church.

History touched this quiet little village when, one morning in May 1554, Princess Elizabeth passed by.

A Parakito for the Queen — Sir John Gilbert

In the spring of 1596 Sir John Gilbert presented Queen Elizabeth I with an exotic gift.

He was responding to a request from Sir Robert Cecil, Principal Secretary of State, conveyed by his brother Adrian. Queen Elizabeth apparently heard that Sir John had a 'parakito'. Parrots and parakeets were rare and desirable at this time, and the queen wanted one for herself.

The record does not tell us what species of parrot, parakeet or macaw, was involved. The photo shows a …

Caps, Kerchers and Coifs

16th century women’s informal and workaday headgear

Most of the familiar portraits of sixteenth century women show wealthy individuals, dressed in their best, wearing elaborate headdresses in a variety of styles. Sometimes some hair shows at the front, as with the French hood below, while with other headdresses, like the English gable hood also shown, the hair is completely out of sight. 

The expectation that women of …

The Countess’ Room and the ghosts of Dartington Hall

Every old house has its fair share of ghost-stories, chilling tales that are handed down through the generations, told and re-told by the fireside on dark winter nights. Dartington Hall, with its long and rich history, is no exception.

People have lived here amongst the rolling Devon hills since ancient times. One notable family, the Champernownes, made their home here for over 450 years.

Sir Arthur Champernowne, Vice Admiral of the Fleet of the West, and an …

The St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre.

The St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre by Francois Dubois (c 1572-84) image sourced via Wikimedia Commons

Sir Francis Walsingham, the English Ambassador to the French Court, sent a letter to Sir Thomas Smith, the Secretary of State to Queen Elizabeth I, on 2 September 1572. In his letter, Walsingham used the typical diplomatic language, but there was one passage where he couldn't hide his anger.

Walsingham  doubted the King’s promise that his troops would punish those who killed the three Englishmen. He …