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I welcome April Taylor to the show in this interview episode to discuss her new book, 'Crime and Punishment in Tudor England: From Alchemists to Zealots.'
The book tells the story of the law's enactment and its penalties from Henry VII to Elizabeth I. It's arranged in alphabetical order of crimes and recounts tales of blackmail, infanticide, kidnapping, heresy, and sumptuary laws.
Researched meticulously and told with occasional low-key humour, the book tells stories such as that of John Daniell and how he tried to blackmail the Earl of Essex; the Stafford insurrection of 1486, the first serious opposition to the new king; the activities of conman extraordinaire, Gregory Wisdom, and many more. The book also includes Tavern Talk (snippets of quirky information).
April was born in the historic county of Lincolnshire and caught the history bug from a young age. She has always been fascinated by the physical manifestation of past events, particularly the Tudor period. That interest deepened when she discovered one of the most important events of Henry VIII's reign, the Lincolnshire Rebellion that led to the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536, which started eight miles from where April was born.
'Crime and Punishment in Tudor England: From Alchemists to Zealots' was released on September 20, 2023, and is available to purchase here:
Crime and Punishment in Tudor England | Pen and Sword History
***This interview was recorded on October 24, 2023.
Intro music:
David John Brady - 'Throw Down the Gauntlet'
Author
April is a writer of historical crime, crime fantasy and medieval and Tudor non-fiction.
She was born in the historic county of Lincolnshire and caught the history bug from a young age. She has always been fascinated by the physical manifestation of past events, particularly the Tudor period.
That interest deepened when she discovered one of the most important events of Henry VIII's reign, the Lincolnshire Rebellion that led to the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536, which started eight miles from where April was born.
