The Bizarre Death of Sir Marmaduke Constable

 

On this day in Tudor history, 20th November 1518, a seasoned soldier and loyal servant of four Tudor kings met one of the strangest deaths ever recorded: Sir Marmaduke Constable supposedly died after swallowing a frog or toad that had slipped into his drinking water.

Yes… you read that correctly.

I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and in today’s video I reveal the incredible life, and legendary death, of this remarkable Tudor knight.

Before the bizarre tale that made him a Yorkshire legend, Marmaduke Constable had lived a life of true service and courage. He fought in France under Edward IV, earned a knighthood at Berwick, served as Knight of the Body to both Richard III and Henry VII, and commanded the left wing of the English army at Flodden, one of the great military victories of Henry VIII’s reign.

But it was the story of his extraordinary death that captured imaginations for centuries.

Local tradition claimed that a frog or toad lodged itself near his heart and killed him, and his tomb at St Oswald’s Church, Flamborough, even includes a carving said to show the creature believed to have ended his life.

Was this legend rooted in truth?

A misunderstanding?

Or just a macabre Tudor tale that grew in the telling?

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Marmaduke’s rise through the great northern families

• His service under four monarchs

• His command at the Battle of Flodden

• Why Henry VIII personally thanked him

• How a strange rumour turned into a centuries-old legend

• The real history behind “the knight who died of a toad”

Join me as we dive into bravery, loyalty, and one unforgettable Tudor mystery.

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