Ask a Historian: The Middle Ages to the Tudors 1350-1603.

Welcome to our upcoming event at a candlelit Southwark Cathedral: Ask a Historian: The Middle Ages to The Tudors!

Join us for a fascinating journey through some of the most intriguing events in English, Scottish and Welsh history during the years 1350-1603 - from the Peasants' Revolt to the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, and much more.

Our five expert historians will be on hand to answer your burning questions about knights, castles, monarchs, and murders. Find out how our historians became fascinated by the past, and their work writing books, hosting podcasts, and appearing on our screens.

Whether you're a history buff or just curious about what's come before, this event is sure to be a blast.

To submit a question in advance about historical England, Scotland and Wales from 1350-1603 please email [email protected]. We will attempt to answer as many questions as possible during the evening.

Doors will open at 6.30pm and this event is in-person only and won't be streamed or recorded.

Kate McCaffrey

Kate McCaffrey is the current Castle Historian and Assistant Curator at the gorgeous Hever Castle, Anne Boleyn’s childhood home in Kent. Her Master’s degree was with the department of Medieval and Early Modern Studies at the University of Kent. Her celebrated MA thesis focused on groundbreaking, new evidence she uncovered in one of Anne Boleyn’s printed Books of Hours, held at Hever Castle. She uncovered previously unknown inscriptions within the book, and connected the volume for the first time to another copy of the same printing once owned by Catherine of Aragon. This research gained international press attention on its launch in 2020, including coverage from The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Observer and The Smithsonian. More recently, she discovered (this time alongside Dr Owen Emmerson and Alison Palmer) another copy of this same book which was once owned by Thomas Cromwell, and is the book painted on his desk in his portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger. Dr Tracy Borman has dubbed this discovery as ‘the most exciting Thomas Cromwell discovery in a generation – if not more.’ Kate has published about her work in three books: ‘Becoming Anne: Connections, Culture, Court’ and ‘Holbein’s Hidden Gem: Rediscovering Thomas Cromwell’s Lost Book of Hours’ (both co-authored with Dr Owen Emmerson), as well as ‘Catherine and Anne: Queens, Rivals, Mothers’ (co-authored with Dr Owen Emmerson and Alison Palmer). Kate has co-curated exhibitions at Hever Castle, based on her own research. She has appeared in three documentaries for History Hit, on BBC’s Songs of Praise and on BBC’s Celebrity Antiques Road Trip. She has written for the Times Literary Supplement, and BBC History Revealed Magazine, and appeared on podcasts including BBC History Extra, Talking Tudors and Not Just the Tudors, amongst others.

Matthew Lewis

Matthew Lewis is an author and historian of the medieval period, with a particular interest in the Wars of the Roses and Richard III. He has written biographies of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry III, Richard Duke of York, and Richard III, as well as accounts of The Anarchy, the Wars of the Roses, and Rebellion in the Middle Ages.

Follow Matt on Instagram or listen to him on the History Hit's Gone Medieval podcast.

Nathen Amin

Nathen Amin is an author from Carmarthenshire, West Wales, who focuses on the fifteenth century and the reign of Henry VII. He is the author of Tudor Wales (2016), The House of Beaufort (2017), and Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders: Simnel, Warbeck and Warwick (2021). His most recent work is The Son of Prophecy: The Origins of the Tudor Dynasty (2024). As of 2020, Nathen is a trustee and founding member of the Henry Tudor Trust, and in 2022 was elected a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Dr Nicola Tallis

Dr Nicola Tallis has a first class BA (Hons) in History from Bath Spa University, and an MA in Public History from Royal Holloway College, University of London. She received her PhD at the University of Winchester, where her thesis examined the jewellery collections of the queens of England between 1445 and 1548. Nicola has been passionate about English history all of her life, and has worked as a curator, lecturer, and historical researcher. She is currently the resident historian for Alison Weir Tours. She is a regular contributor to historical magazines, and has also featured prominently on BBC’s Countryfile, Who Do You Think You Are?, and Frankie Boyle’s Farewell to the Monarchy. Nicola’s debut, Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey, is the result of five years of research on the Grey family. She is since the author of four further books – Elizabeth’s Rival: The Tumultuous Tale of Lettice Knollys, Countess of Leicester, Uncrowned Queen: The Tumultuous Life of Margaret Beaufort, Tudor Rebel, All The Queen’s Jewels 1445-1548: Power, Majesty, and Display, and the forthcoming Young Elizabeth: Princess. Prisoner. Queen.

Owen Emerson

Dr. Owen Emmersonis a social and cultural historian with a particular interest in the intersections between the social, the cultural and the emotional. For six years, he worked as Castle Historian and Assistant Curator at Hever Castle where he co-curated three exhibitions, managed key loans, and co-founded Hever’s online subscription site. His first book, co-authored with the historian Claire Ridgway, is entitled The Boleyns of Hever Castle. His second book, co-authored with the historian Kate McCaffrey, is entitled Becoming Anne: Connections, Culture, Court. Owen’s third book, co-authored with historian Kate McCaffrey and Curator Alison Palmer is entitled Catherine and Anne: Queens, Rivals, Mothers. His most recent book, entitled Holbein’s Hidden Gem: Rediscovering Thomas Cromwell’s Lost Book was published in 2023. It tells the story of the ground-breaking discovery he made alongside Kate McCaffrey, and Alison Palmer of the Book of Hours depicted in Hans Holbein’s painting of Thomas Cromwell.

Owen has appeared in seventeen documentaries about the Tudor era, including “Blood, Sex, and Royalty: Anne Boleyn” (Netflix, 2022); “The Boleyns: A Scandalous Family” (BBC2, 2021); “Who Do You Think You Are? Josh Widdicombe” (BBC1, 2021); “Walking Tudor England” (C5, 2021); “Lady Rochford” (C5, 2021); and “Henry VIII and the King’s Men” (Smithsonian, 2020). He has also featured in three documentaries with HistoryHit focused upon the exhibitions he co-curated. He has featured regularly on the BBC’s Dominic King radio show, and has appeared on several podcasts for Historic Royal Palaces, Not Just The Tudors, Talking Tudors, and BBC History. He has written for , , , , , and .

Host or Publisher Southwark Cathedral