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Reposted by Neil Younger

Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

4 October 1583: Not a lot this weekend. In London yesterday, the bookseller Thomas Chard wrote to his counterpart William Knowsley in Cambridge, sending him (along with some black cloth for clothes) a large 'bunddll of bookes', giving an indication of a university bookseller's stock ... #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

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Reposted by Neil Younger

Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

2 October 1583: Another case of the long shadow of Edmund Campion's Jesuit mission, as some JPs in Lancashire report to Walsingham the detention of one John Finch, a lay Catholic (the documents are actually dated yesterday but misfiled in the calendar under today, for some reason) ... #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Apropos of nothing except for Jeu de Cartes on Radio 3, what a picture of Stravinsky.

Black and white photograph of Igor Stravinsky sat at a grand piano by Arnold Newman

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Reposted by Neil Younger

Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

1 October 1583: Sir Thomas Tresham, the noted recusant who's been under various forms of restraint since sheltering the Jesuit Edmund Campion in 1580, is mounting a campaign for some clemency. He's currently under house arrest at Hoxton ('Hogsden'), in a 'cottage, erst a tippling ... #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

30 September 1583: Francis Walsingham, now at York, receives the news from London that his proposal to foment a coup in Scotland has been rejected by Elizabeth I. He manages to mostly restrain his passive-aggressive tendencies in his letter to her, only mentioning that 'I always ... #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

29 September 1583: Michaelmas, a day for paying bills, opening and closing accounts and such. Also the day for choosing the Lord Mayor of London; this time the choice falls on Edward Osborne, a rich merchant of the clothworkers' company. Supposedly he won great favour with his ... #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

26 September 1583: No major events today. Somewhere in East Anglia, a clergyman called John Hill appears before judges at (I imagine) the Suffolk assizes, complaining that he'd been imprisoned since spring, apparently for some kind of contempt of court. It seems two years ago he ... #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

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Reposted by Neil Younger

Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

25 September 1583: Not too much happening today. In Durham, Francis Walsingham is still trying to orchestrate a coup in Scotland; he writes to Robert Bowes, who, incidentally, is coming home (diplomatic relations effectively being cut off). Walsingham is basically waiting ... #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

24 September 1583: The Shrewsbury Chronicle has a grievous tale. 'One Bryan's howse in Woorthen ... was by a great myschance burnt in the which fyer one Lawncelot Gyttyns was burnt verey pytyfully'. When the fire started, Gittins wisely evacuated 'from the danger thereof', but ... #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

23 September 1583: At Lambeth, John Whitgift formally takes office as archbishop of Canterbury, an event Collinson calls 'a decisive climacteric in the history of the reformed Church of England'. Holinshed, slightly oddly, only talks the fact that he 'gaue euident testimonies ... #earlymodern

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John McCafferty @jdmccafferty.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

I cut this image out of a sale catalogue years ago. Never been able to find its source since (and I have tried a lot!). If you know where it is from, I'd be thrilled to find out.

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

22 September 1583: Francis Walsingham is on the warpath. As we've seen, he had paused his southward journey back to London at Durham, in order to hold talks with some Scots hostile to James VI's new regime. These appear to have borne fruit, and he writes to Leicester today that ... #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

21 September 1583: the long-awaited marriage between Sir Philip Sidney and Frances Walsingham takes place today. I can't find evidence for where it was or who attended. Certainly the father of the bride isn't there to walk her down the aisle; he's still on his way back from Scotland ... #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

18 September 1583: In Norwich, a now-rare event: a heretic is burned at the stake. John Lewes was not a Catholic or a puritan, but an Arian. Holinshed writes that 'Iohn Lewes, who named himselfe Abdoit, an obstinate heretike, denieng the godhead of Christ, and holding diuers other detestable ...

Source: https://ebba.english.ucsb.edu/ballad/36314/xml

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

17 September 1583: In London, there is 'a very splendid Shooting-Match' held 'under the Direction of the Captain of the London Archers, who was stiled, The Duke of Shoreditch'. Apparently Henry VIII had given the then captain of archers that title as a bit of a joke, and they ... #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

16 September 1583: One William Paget writes to Lord Burghley. He relates a number of occasions in his life when he has witnessed lights in the sky shortly before some terrible occurrence has taken place. One was on the continent, when travelling 'betwen Andwarpe and Paris' and saw ... #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

15 September 1583: From Tristernagh, County Westmeath, William Piers, an English soldier, writes to Burghley. Apparently he finds many abuses 'winked at in this Realme', notably that 'not thre myles distant from my howse standes a fryery, whereunto are lately crepte in certaine ... #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

14/24 September 1583: Albrecht von Wallenstein is born today in Heřmanice, northern Bohemia, to a minor noble family. He'll go into the army and rise to be one of the emperor's generals and one of the most prominent protagonists in the Thirty Years War, raising whole armies, ... #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

13 September 1583: Nothing very important today. In Sheffield (I think), Mary queen of Scots writes to Elizabeth Pierrepont, a young (15-ish) relation of Shrewsbury's who's been serving in the household and to whom Mary has evidently taken a shine. The letter is addressed in ... #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

12 September 1583: Once again most of the records today relate to James VI and Walsingham's acrimonious talks. Things don't improve today. I read in Steven Reid's book that Arran had hired a woman called 'Kate the Witch' to shout abuse at Walsingham as he arrived, which probably ... #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

This is an incredibly good resource, absolutely fascinating - bravo, British Museum! Approach with caution if you have anything you need to do today.

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

11 September 1583: In Perth, Walsingham has finally had his interview with James VI, and he reports to Elizabeth. Basically it's no change; James is very pleased with what happened and isn't hiding it. As Walsingham sees it, he has got rid of pro-English advisors, as James sees it, ... #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I have once again typed '1583' instead of '2026' onto a work document ...

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

10 September 1583: Elizabeth appears at last to lost all patience with the duke of Anjou. She saw an envoy from him recently, who was obviously asking for money to support Anjou's efforts to restore his position in the Netherlands, and she seems to have snapped. ... #earlymodern

Anjou in happier days, on horseback making his ceremonial entry into Antwerp in 1582

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

9 September 1583: Sir Humphrey Gilbert's voyage comes to an abrupt end. His little fleet is sailing back to England and are not too far off, to the north of the Azores, but in 'very foule weather, and terrible seas'. This afternoon, Gilbert's little frigate, the Squirrel, was 'neere ... #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

7 September 1583: Elizabeth's birthday, her 50th. As usual, it's not an occasion for particular celebrations, although there are some records of church bells being rung. This portrait, the 'Sieve portrait', is from about this time; the sieve adverts to her virginity. One of the ... #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

6 September 1583: The courtier John Harington is married to Mary Rogers today. One of the queen's many godsons, Harington is best remembered as the inventor of the first flush toilet, but he was also a very witty writer, notably in his account of the toilet (and many other things) ... #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

5 September 1583: The English ambassador in Constantinople, William Harborne, writes a letter of instructions to Richard Forster, who's been appointed as consul at Tripoli in Syria (now Lebanon). Since his favourable reception by the sultan, Harborne is seeming pretty chipper ... 1/ #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

3 September 1583: Not too much in the records today. Mary queen of Scots writes to the French ambassador, Castelnau, about whether she should offer her help in trying to settle the troubled affairs of Scotland. She's not very keen to do so, claiming that during the recent ... 1/ #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

2 September 1583: Considerable excitement in London as the Northern Lights are spotted. A pamphlet, no doubt written very soon after, says that this evening, 'maruailous strange, rare, miraculous, & wonderful permouements ... with constellations of the ayre and watery elements, ... 1/ #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

31 August 1583: After the loss of their flagship the other day, Humphrey Gilbert's expedition, off the coast of Nova Scotia, 'lost courage dayly after this ill successe'. Gilbert therefore decides to head home, saying 'Be content, we have seene enough'. This afternoon they make ... 1/ #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

30 August 1583: Justice comes for the pirates. After the government's round-up of Channel pirates, they were tried a couple of days ago, and today about nine of them (Thomas Walton alias Purser, Clinton Atkinson and others) 'were hanged at Wapping in the ooze besides London'. 1/ #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

29 August 1583: A disastrous blow to Humphrey Gilbert's expedition in the North Atlantic. It's a rainy, foggy, windy day, and the three ships are struggling amongst sandbanks near Sable Island. One of them, the 'Delight', their largest of the three, which we saw yesterday staging ... 1/ #earlymodern

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g.j.hilton @hltn.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

"The names of all the certaine officers, and souldiers of the selected bands in the parishes… of the Towne of Dover in the Counte of Kente" (August 1599). With Forum Auctions, 24.09.26 Est: £600 - 800 www.forumauctions.co.uk/bidding/1200...

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

28 August 1583: A strange case of alleged witchcraft in Scotland. Patrick Adamson, Archbishop of St Andrews has been ill for some time, and has been (successfully) using the services of one Alison Pearson, a well-known healer in Fife. It seems that this must have become known; ... 1/ #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

27 August 1583: Not too much today. Elizabeth is about to go off on a little safari into the exotic climes of Surrey: Robert Beale tells the earl of Shrewsbury that 'she mindeth to spend' about ten days 'at Gilford [Guildford], Dorking and Sunninghill in hunting'. I don't know ... 1/ #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

26 August 1583: Lord Burghley's grandson and namesake William, aged 17, is in Paris, from where he writes to thank the old man for a gift of money and a horse. Most of the letter is taken up with a lengthy complaint about the fact that French grooms seem to have made the horse ... 1/ #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

It's a school night. Last day of the kids' summer holidays. Always a melancholy moment.

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

22 August 1583: Today is (probably) the anniversary of the Ruthven Raid, and a lot has changed. The Ruthven regime has risen and fallen, as have the hopes of the English and the Kirk, which greeted that event so warmly. Now James VI is rooting out the culprits, and the Kirk is in ... 1/ #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

20 August 1583: Sir Humphrey Gilbert has decided that a fortnight is enough time to spend hanging around in Newfoundland. He's keen to explore further down the coast, but there's evidently a lot of desire to go home among his men, so he's obliged to leave behind one of his ships, ... 1/ #earlymodern

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Reposted by Neil Younger

Dr Rebecca Warren @drrjwarren.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Gosh - this would be extraordinary if it’s correct.

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

19 August 1583: Lots of items in the Stationers' Register today. Firstly, 'a ballade of Clintons lamentacyon'; this is about the notorious pirate Clinton Atkinson, usually known as Clinton, a former haberdasher in London, who as we saw a few days ago has been captured by ... 1/ #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

18 August 1583: The scheme of the duke of Guise (pictured, looking effortlessly sinister) to attack England takes a step forward. He's been plotting for months with representatives of the king of Spain, the pope, Mary Stuart, and the English and Scottish Catholics to make some ... 1/ #earlymodern

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Neil Younger @neilayounger.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

17 August 1583: Robert Bowes writes to Walsingham to tell him 'how violently this course runneth' in Scotland 'and what small regard is given to any advice or other coming from her Majesty'. James is still on the offensive against his former captors, the Ruthvenites, and now ... 1/ #earlymodern

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