On this day in Tudor history, 4th December 1514, merchant tailor and leading member of the Lollard community in London, Richard Hunne died while imprisoned in the Lollard's Tower at St Paul's. 

 

Hunne, who had been arrested for heresy in October 1514, was discovered hanging from the ceiling of his cell. The Bishop of London and his chancellor claimed that Hunne had used his own silk girdle to commit suicide, but a coroner's inquest ruled that the hanging was faked and that Hunne was murdered.

 

But why was Richard Hunne murdered? And why had this merchant tailor been arrested in the first place? Was it just for heresy, or was there more to it?

 

Find out all about Hunne, his arrest, the charges against him, his death and what happened next, in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:

https://youtu.be/mNGjbWs58JA

 

You can read more about Hunne's case in John Foxe's Book of Martyrs at https://www.exclassics.com/foxe/foxe142.htm 

 

Also on this day in Tudor history, 4th December 1555, in Rome, papal sentence was passed on Thomas Cranmer, resulting in him being deprived of his archbishopric. Permission was also granted for his fate to be decided by the secular authorities. Thomas Cranmer went on to recant his Protestant faith on several occasions, but was still executed by being burned at the stake. Why? Find out in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/KRuycWXw1Jo