Did the women in Shakespeare’s life—his wife, sister, and daughters—shape his story more than we realise? Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Matthew Steggle to hear how new digital tools and rediscovered manuscripts uncover surprising evidence about Shakespeare’s family. Together, they explore whether the stories of these women were hidden on purpose or simply forgotten over time.

MORE:

Hamnet with Maggie O'Farrell >

Shakespeare's Daughter, Judith >

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith. Edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here >

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Roger E. Moore to explore the lesser-known historical context of the works of Jane Austen, born 250 years ago this year. They question how Austen's novels like 'Northanger Abbey' and 'Mansfield Park' reflect on the dissolution of the monasteries and 18th and 19th-century societal changes. Austen used settings like the ruins of monasteries to comment on the political and social upheavals of her era, adding a sophisticated layer to her tales of romance, family, and fortune.

MORE:

Dissolution of the Monasteries

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5OsI7vLHogEtqWiQsGfHgC

The Reformation: What Catholics & Protestants Believed

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3vZTFiKuIlSfzsQDLQd4Zr

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, including Suzannah's series on the Dissolution of the Monasteries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

**This episode includes descriptions of accidental deaths**

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb investigates the grim but fascinating world of accidental deaths in Tudor England. In the 16th century, everyday activities like fetching water, football and even May Pole dancing could prove fatal. Then there were the unexpected perils of agriculture and industry including lethal haystacks and falling hammers. Suzannah is joined by Professor Steven Gunn and Dr. Tomasz Gromelski to discuss their grisly, groundbreaking research.

More:

How People Died in 16th Century London

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0nTXTSMsOSdRduiWKy2hMo

3 Ways to Die in Early Modern Europe

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6RPZhgQ2kVXcTcielpeu5v

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

Discover the captivating life of Isabella d'Este with Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and acclaimed novelist and historian Sarah Dunant. They discuss Isabella's incredible journey from a well-educated noblewoman to the First Lady of the Renaissance, how she mastered political strategy, diplomatic finesse, and art patronage while navigating the treacherous Italian wars.

Suzannah and Sarah uncover intimate details of Isabella's unconventional marriage and her groundbreaking influence in the art world as she pursued Michelangelo for the perfect portrait with a unique blend of charm and ruthlessness, which made her one of history's most compelling women.

More:

Katherine of Aragon: England's First Renaissance Queen

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6cDqkgk8aoDAUn6KxwlX7U

Michelangelo

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ocKCFinOdaCZYfBtHoMXn

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

In June 1912, two workmen made a discovery in the London mud that would stun the antiquarian world: a hoard of gold, pearls, rubies, emeralds, and jewels from around the world. Handed over to antiques dealer George Fabian Lawrence, or ‘Stony Jack’, the Cheapside Hoard became known as the greatest cache of Elizabethan and Jacobean jewellery ever found.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Victoria Shepherd, author of Stony Jack and the Lost Jewels of Cheapside: Treasure and Ghosts in the London Clay, to tell this extraordinary true story of empire, ambition, and buried treasure—a glittering mystery that still captivates historians and treasure hunters today.

More:

A Tudor Mystery: The Girl who Could be Queen

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7ah4FWEOjfcDKCK9QVFmVE

Tudor Queens: The Power of Jewellery

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3WCKhj0ORpANADDzIdot6k

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

In the second of our special episodes exploring the rise and fall of Sir Thomas More, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Dr. Joanne Paul chart the great Tudor statesman's demise. Despite his silence about Henry VIII's self-proclamation as Supreme Head of the Church of England, More was executed for treason on 6 July 1535. What were the events leading up to his fall from grace? How did More's position impact the King? And what can we now make of this contradictory character and his contribution to Renaissance thought?

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

More:

Thomas More on Film: The HIstorian's Verdict >

Wolf Hall - Who's Who >

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries including Suzannah Lipscomb's series on the Dissolution of the Monasteries, plus a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

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https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

Thomas More is one of the most famous and controversial figures in English history. Was he truly the saintly man of conscience, immortalised by A Man for All Seasons? Or was he the stubborn zealot depicted in Wolf Hall? In the first of two episodes looking at Thomas More's rise and fall, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Joanne Paul, whose decade-long research into More drew upon new archival discoveries to unravel his complex legacy, his profound influence on modern Europe, the enduring debates about his faith and politics, and why his story still matters.

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

More:

Thomas More on Film: The Historians' Verdict >

Wolf Hall - Who's Who? >

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

Was an advisor to Queen Elizabeth I communicating with angels? Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Egyptologist Garry J. Shaw to explore the intriguing life of John Dee, his mysterious meetings with angels and demons and the secrets he believed they uncovered. With help from the enigmatic alchemist Edward Kelly, Dee wrote the Angel Diaries detailing his attempts to communicate with the divine, and the secrets of the celestial language they believed could unlock the universe’s mysteries. Suzannah uncovers the complex relationship between Dee and Kelly, the apocalyptic visions, the inexplicable return of the burned manuscripts, and the dramatic breakdown after a scandalous wife-swapping decree.

MORE

Practical Magic: Prayers, Spells & Cunning Folk

https://open.spotify.com/episode/218bX6v64pMYZEEJT9sxE6

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on