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melitat.bsky.social
I'm an author and historian, a PhD candidate at UCL and editor of Tudor Times. I love history, books, gardens, walking in the countryside, the sea, and interacting with interesting people on social media.
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When I visited #markenfieldhall last week, I took the opportunity to visit the wonderful #riponcathedral.

Very exciting to see this female stag beetle on my walk home this evening. I once tried to befriend one when I was a child, but it bit me 😆 #stagbeetle #beetle

New Release: A Tale of Second Chances in an Anthology about Fate. Step into a world where history whispers secrets, mystery casts long shadows, and magic lingers in unexpected places. www.elizabethjstjohn.com/updates/new-... @elizabethstjohn.bsky.social #HistoricalFiction #BookLaunch #Booksky 💙📚

June 11: Feast of Ríagul of Bennchor (Bangor, County Down), who supposedly wrote a poem in honour of Aldfrith, king of the Northumbrians (†704/5). #medievalsky

#OTD 1560 Marie of Guise, Regent of Scotland, died at Edinburgh Castle. She had fought a long battle to maintain the rights of her infant daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots, rejecting a life of retirement in France to do her duty, separated from home & family. bit.ly/1IdqYfn

Well, it’s out at last & I’m allowed to squeal about it: I’ll be at this year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival! I’m beyond delighted to be speaking about my new book Pathfinding in a two-hander all about walking and forging a new life. Deets here: #BookSky www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival...

A long time dead: Richard II and the resurrection of 1413, by Helen Castor helencastor.substack.com/p/a-long-tim... #History

I am looking forward to talking about #1000TudorPeople on Thursday at #OrdsallHall Details here bit.ly/3HBTsWN

13th century floor tiles in the Chapter House, Westminster Abbey. #TilesOnTuesday #medieval

A game of chess BnF MS NAF 5243; Guiron le Courtois; 14th century (1370-1380); Milan; f.3v @gallicabnf.bsky.social

*This Thursday!* Discover the true relationship between Anne Boleyn and Thomas More at @southwarkcathedral.bsky.social with @estelleprnq.bsky.social and myself. Tickets here! cathedral.southwark.anglican.org/whats-on/ann...

Nave & Choir of the Mariakerk in Utrecht. Complete with dogs, graffiti, and a group of people admiring a painting of the Utrecht Bull. By Pieter Saenredam, on his day.

Over the side of the litter tray. Typical cat.

Mourning bracelet belonging to Charlotte Brontë, who wore it wherever she went. At the centre is a small amethyst, but the strap is woven from the hair of her sisters, Emily and Anne Brontë. #BronteParsonage #Writers

Embroidered banner showing Edward the Confessor who established his royal palace by the banks of the Thames, re-endured and enlarged the nearby Benedictine monastery and built a church — Westminster Abbey #TextileTuesday #westminsterabbey

#OTD 1584 François, Duke of Anjou, Elizabeth I’s bit.ly/3rTPFMV last serious suitor, died. Although François was himself a Catholic, he was a supporter of the Huguenot party in France & Protestant rebels against Spain in the Netherlands. He visited Elizabeth & they got on well. Clouet.

Arriving in costume for my talk on 1000 Tudor People at Fydell House, as part of this year's Boston History Book Festival. I had a great time, so a big thank you to everyone.

#1000TudorPeople T is for John Taverner, choirmaster of Cardinal College, Oxford, where he was investigated for heresy, before Wolsey dismissed the matter. Taverner returned to his native Boston to become choirmaster at St Botolph's. I enjoyed talking about him at @bostonbookfestuk.bsky.social

June 9: Feast of Baíthéne mac Brénainn (†598), Columba’s successor as abbot of Iona. He had been in charge of daughter houses on Tír Iath (Tiree) and the unidentified Hinba. Laisrén mac Feradaig succeeded him. 📸August Schwerdfeger #medievalsky

#OTD 1549 1st Book of Common Prayer became mandatory in the Church of England. Chief creator was Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury (Flicke), influenced by a reformed Breviary produced in Spain, also the work of the Archbishop of Cologne & possibly by the writings of Katherine Parr.

Ardgroom stone circle, Beara, Co. Cork with @mikemenhirmclean.bsky.social #StandingStoneSunday

At Carnac, Brittany, June 2023 #StandingStoneSunday

A disc brooch from a rich woman's grave in Unterhaching/Bavaria, 5-6th century. This is one of a pair of brooches that fastened the garment at the waist. The brooches, made in a workshop in Italy, likely in Ravenna or Rome, serves as evidence of the ties between Bavaria's...🧵1/2 📷me #archaeology

A joyful first event at the Edinburgh Historical Reconstruction lab where we tried European and Chinese early modern cosmetics and perfumes, found out what James I and VI smelled like, and made pomanders from a 1555 recipe.

Ballynoe, Co. Down

This coming Thursday - come along if you're in the area. My talk at Penrith Library (my last talk for this libraries group sold out). Book tickets here or scan the QR code thingie: trybooking.com/uk/events/la...

Daily #Wales today because I need to calm down. Short calming video incoming… Alt txt on vids is crap, so here we have a bee working some flowers in the meadow, shot at 9pm a couple of years ago.

On this day 9th June 1363 Edward of Woodstock, the Black Prince, with his wife Joan of Kent, set sail from Plymouth to take on the governing of Aquitaine, arriving in Bordeaux on 29th June. King Edward III, in the initial letter of the document, creates Edward Prince of Aquitaine in 1362.

Three years ago today I was in the library at Leufstabruk in Sweden. Beautiful library pavilion by a moat, across from the main house. Great books, many bought in the Netherlands, and lots of really vicious mosquitoes.

People often stop me in the street (never happened) and ask: “What do people like on Bluesky?” “Mountains and flowers,” comes my reply. Mt. Fuji with a sprinkle of flowers for #stunday. ❤️ ✌🏽 #photography #nature #art #eastcoastkin #stormhour #photohour #fuji #japan #flowers #bloomscrolling #scape

Peter points out a plough dusturbed dog burial in the upper levels of an Iron Age ditch at #Durotriges25 So far we've found the remains of 16 Iron Age dogs across the all phases of the Durotriges Project, most having originally been given formal burial

The discovery of a massive early medieval silver chain was reported by The Orcadian #OTD in 1863. Labourers found it while digging at Parkhill, Aberdeenshire. Of a type unique to Scotland, its clasp bears symbols inlaid with red enamel. 📸National Museums Scotland #medievalsky

Home from #KQ14 to find these new arrivals for my queenship library, looking forward to reading these!👸📚

Alexander down among the fish #FishonFriday Bodleian Library MS. Bodl. 264; Romance of Alexander; 1338 CE–1344 CE; Flanders; f.50r @bodleianlibraries.bsky.social

#1000TudorPeople T is for William Thynne, chief clerk of the Kitchen to Henry VIII, a financial position. In 1532, a collected edition of Chaucer’s works, including some now excluded from the canon, was issued by the printer Thomas Godfray, with Thynne named as compiler and editor. amzn.to/3X5KVBp

King James VI & I (1567-1625) issued one of the most varied coinages of any monarch. Here's some of his Scottish & English coins from the Hunterian collection that display the massive range of different depictions used during his reign. They show James aged from 9 years old up to his 50s.

Saying that St Patrick expelled the snakes from Ireland is simply not enough. He also ejected small dragons, giant toads and aggressive scorpions according to this 1603 Flemish-made depiction in the National Gallery of Ireland (@nationalgalleryirl.bsky.social )

My publisher made such a lovely cover for the paperback of The Roads to Rome that I asked if they could also do a poster! Out next week - order here: www.penguin.co.uk/books/443108...

Henry – Book Three of the Tudor Trilogy: "A fascinating look at the life of Henry VII, the first Tudor king. Highly recommended." (Amazon review) mybook.to/HENRY-Book-T... #Tudors #HistoricalFiction #KindleUnlimited #audiobook

#OTD 1522 Emperor Charles V entered London on a state visit to Henry VIII & Katharine of Aragon (his aunt). Charles had been met at Dover by Cardinal Wolsey, before riding to Greenwich where he was met by Queen Katharine bit.ly/1Wj6HMS & his betrothed, Princess Mary.

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Ophelia famously distributes invisible flowers, each with its own significance. Daisies symbolise innocence, rosemary, remembrance. And columbines symbolise flattery.

Looking at a map of deaneries in the Diocese of Ely and it appears there is an area about the size of one field at the southern end of Wisbech Deanery that is an exclave of another deanery (though I'm not sure which). Would love to know the story behind this...

Special Guest Post by Melita Thomas, Author of 1000 Tudor People tonyriches.blogspot.com/2024/02/book... @melitat.bsky.social #Tudors #History

Hans of Antwerp Oil Painting ca. 1532 This is one of the portraits that Holbein painted of mainly German merchants when he was resident in London, 1526-1528 & 1532-1543. The merchants resided in the Steelyard, which adjoined Dowgate. (V&A Museum, London)

Another exquisitely detailed historiated initial from SJC MS 14 🤩 This one depicts King David enthroned, holding a harp and a book.