Life in Tudor times

Primary > History 7-11 > Life in Tudor times

Discover the Tudors - famous kings and queens, grisly punishments, weird and wonderful medicine, smelly jobs and brutal sports!

The videos

The eight short animations in this series of content explore the history topic Life in Tudor times and is broadly appropriate across Key Stage 2, but most particularly for pupils aged 9 - 11. The Tudors no longer appears in the current National Curriculum for history as a separate unit, but remains a popular topic that can still be taught given that guidance is non-statutory and that any topic or period can be incorporated into a thematic or local history unit of study.

The animations are very distinctive, offering stylised characterisations and frequently adopting elements of TV formats that pupils will be familiar with. The tone is humorous throughout - but the learning is robust.

Each animation is accompanied by a comprehensive set of Teacher Notes, offering opportunities to draw out comprehension and extend the learning through activities that range across the curriculum.

The topics covered are:

1. How the Tudors rose. Charting the beginning of the Tudor dynasty as Henry Tudor takes on Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth and wins a decisive victory.
2. Henry VIII. Pupils may be familiar with the fact that Henry had many wives…but what were the circumstances that led him to marry six times?
3. Elizabeth I. Exploring the Tudor succession and celebrating the achievements of the last of the Tudor monarchs.
4. Between a rack and a hard place. Tudor crime and punishment. 16th Century England was a place where even relatively minor crimes could lead to grizzly punishments.
5. 'Trust me, I'm a Tudor doctor'. Meet Edward Strangeways, Tudor doctor and our guide to the weird and wonderful world of Tudor medicine.
6. Tudor travels and the Mary Rose. The Tudor period was a time of great exploration - eg Cabot, Raleigh, Drake. Our knowledge of Tudor ships and Tudor life in general has benefitted from the discovery of the wreck of the Mary Rose, the flagship of Henry VIII's navy.
7. Tudor jobs. Finding out about work for both the rich and poor - merchants, farm workers, servants, nobles, executioners and - of course - the Groom of the Stool.
8. To be or not to be entertained. Exploring Tudor sports and pastimes - including jousting, football and real tennis - through a Tudor TV sports programme.

Diversity in Tudor England

Research has shown that Tudor society was more diverse than is often assumed and that there were people from a range of ethnic backgrounds living in England in the 16th Century. Some of the first black people living in England that we have records about feature in the animations:

Mary Fillis. Mary was born in Morocco in 1577 and came to England aged six. She worked as a servant in the household of John Barker. It's possible that his profession - a merchant with contacts to Morocco - is the reason Mary came to England. Mary is known to have left the Barker household, been baptised, and worked as a seamstress.
Cattalena of Almondsbury. Cattalena lived in the village of Almondsbury near Bristol. An inventory made at her death in 1625 describes her as of African origin, that she was an 'independent singlewoman' and lists her cow as her most important possession.

More information about both Mary Fillis and Cattelena of Almondsbury - along with other black Tudors - is available from BBC Bitesize.

Further resources

Teacher notes and printable transcripts for each episode appear on the individual episode pages.

Related resources from BBC Teach

Primary > History 7-11 > Life in Tudor times