On this day in Tudor history, 24th July 1553, merchant and conspirator Richard Hesketh was born in Lancashire. Hesketh is known for the Hesketh Plot of 1593, when he urged Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby, to lead a rebellion to claim the throne of England.

 

But who was Richard Hesketh and why did he plot against Queen Elizabeth I? What happened to him and what happened to Ferdinando Stanley? And why did Stanley take bezoar stone and uncorn horn?

 

Find out all about Hesketh, his background, his plot, and the aftermath in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of several Tudor history books. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:

https://youtu.be/oJBZikZLQmA

 

Also on this day in Tudor history, 24th July 1567, twenty-four-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots, who was imprisoned at Lochleven Castle, and who was recovering after miscarrying twins, was threatened with violence and forced to abdicate. Her young son, James, became King James VI of Scotland in her place. Find out more about what happened in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/Mq_BR9YRvQE