She was a lecturer in history at Cambridge University and is the author of Blood and Roses (2005) and She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth (2010). Last year, 2017, sees the festival move to a new site three miles away in Broad Chalke, but still in the heart of the beautiful Wiltshire Chalke Valley.The aim is to excite, enthral and entertain about the past. If they are not, it's a brilliant satire. The couple went off to the crusades together - she was the first female crusader - but she decided to extend a stop-off in Antioch to spend time in the company of her uncle, Prince Raimond. Helen Castor finished the programme by talking about how the Reformation changed England forever and it unlocked the door, it also changed peoples views on death and the afterlife. To coincide with the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death, historian Dr. Helen Castor and a team of archaeologists embark on the first-ever scientific investigation of Shakespeare's grave, hoping to separate the fact from the folklore. Helen Castor's writing relies on historical documents and facts, but stays so close to these women that it feels like fiction at times. ||sitemap_index.xml In the year of the battle's 600th anniversary, Agincourt remains one of the most resonant names in the roll-call of English military history: http://www.gres. Helen Castor Blood & Roses, She-Wolves, Joan of Arc, Elizabeth I. She truly brings them to life in all of their complex glory. Blood and Roseswas long-listed for the BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction in 2005. Castor then discussed exactly how the Church shaped ideas regarding the female body, sexual intercourse and birth. Castor commented on how Richard was a man of integrity who was in a difficult situation because he was faced with the ruin of his career and was separated from the woman he loved. [6] In 2013 she was a member of the winning team on Christmas University Challenge, representing Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge. Her husband, Henry VIII, mourned for three months. In this short clip she explains the importance of shedding these preconceptions for a truer understanding of the past. Born Helen Ruth Castor on 4th August, 1968 in Cambridge, England, UK, she is famous for She-Wolves: England's Early Queens (2012) in a career that spans 2016 > present (Fellow: of the Royal Society of Literature) and 2000 > present (author: and 1993 > ??? The second episode of Helen Castor's series "Medieval Lives: Birth, Marriage, Death" aired on BBC4 last night and this one focused on marriage. Bennett explained that once a marriage was agreed upon, the parents had to agree what contribution each side would make to the marriage. Castor commented that childbirth was unpredictable and dangerous for all women, whether you were a queen or a commoner. Unfortunately, although Margaret Paston does talk about her first pregnancy in 1441 in letters to her husband, she does not give any details on her labour and the birth. She spoke of how the Virgin Mary and Eve gave a divided image of womanhood (the Virgin and the fallen woman) and how there were paintings on church walls to help people understand their faith. Helen Castor attended The King's High School for Girls, Warwick from 1979-1986, and then completed a BA and a PhD at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. Margaret never forgave her daughter, but Margery could be with Richard. For example, a difficult labour where one of the babys arms came out first, instead of its head, and how the baby got stuck. Will the first-ever scientific investigation discover why his tombstone's only inscription is a curse against any man who "moves my bones?" The trouble was that only free consent and the exchanging of vows was needed for a marriage to be valid, and this was hard to prove and police. Elysee H Castor Castor H Elysee Elisee Castor Relatives: Mother, . In Medieval Lives: Birth, Marriage, Death, historian and author Dr. Helen Castor (She-Wolves: England's Early Queens) examines how the people of the Middle Ages handled three of life's great rites of passage birth, marriage, and death. Adjust the colors to reduce glare and give your eyes a break. The Catholic Church had shaped the way that birth was understood, and the rituals associated with it, for centuries but then the power of the Church was broken by the Reformation. She studied for her BA and PhD at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and was elected to a Research Fellowship at Jesus College, Cambridge, in 1993. Womens comforts had been snatched. [19], Castor lives in London with her son. Who is Paris Roxanne? The Paston Letters tell the story of a brave couple who actually used the Churchs teachings on marriage to defy family pressure. This was against the Churchs ordinances because a baby who had not been baptised was not supposed to be buried in consecrated ground and should, therefore, have been removed from the womb before the woman was buried. [10][11] BBC Four televised a three-part series based on the book in 2012, presented by Castor. [20] Her sister is the children's author, Harriet Castor Jeffrey.[21]. Jenni Hall Courtney Weatherford Deborah Marchbanks Helen Weatherford Joyce Weatherford Kimberly . In 1533, he married Anne Boleyn and in 1534 an act of Parliament made Henry the head of the Church in England. Her net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. ? +44(0) 1223 338800Registered Charity No. I talk about the rituals and superstitions involved in pregnancy too. Castor then told the story of Catherine of Aragon and Prince Arthur, son of Henry VII. Categories: News, The Reformation, Tudor TimesTags: childbirth, childbirth in Medieval times, childbirth in Tudor times, death, Helen Castor, Marriage, Medieval Lives: Birth, pregnancy, Copyright 2023 The Anne Boleyn Files For those of you interested in seeing this episode of Helen Castors series, it is going to be repeated on BBC4 on Sudnay night at 10.40 or you can see it on YouTube at http://youtu.be/qBqP6XLiyEE, although Im sure that will be removed soon. She will be discussing how death shaped life for the people of the Middle Ages in next weeks episode. A marriage was valid wherever it took place, as long as these vows were exchanged. Childbirth was dangerous, but the danger did not stop for mother or baby after delivery, they were both vulnerable. They finally settled on Anne of Bohemia, daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor, and began negotiations. Helen Castor is a 54 year old British Historian. Shakespeares grave is noticeably shorter than the others. Dr Helen R Castor, Dr Helen Castor, @hrcastor (twitter), Dr. Helen Castor, Helen Castor PhD, Helen Castor BA PhD, #helencastor (instagram), [????-????] They were just 15 years old and did not know each other, but . The programme ended with Helen Castor saying that the comfort of relics and the Saints was gone forever. Castor quoted from the Bible, from Genesis: Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children This was because women inherited Eves shame and the burden of the Fall. No wonder the British historian Helen Castor begins her highly satisfying biography of Joan of Arc by stating the obvious: "In the firmament of history," the Maid of Orlans is a "massive . It was meant to be womb-like dark, warm, quiet and enclosed and it was a woman-only environment. Dr Castor is a Historian of Medieval England and a Fellow of Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge. She was horrified because Richard, being the son of a shopkeeper, was unacceptable. AKA: Alias, Nicknames, alternate spellings, married and/or maiden names for Elysee Castor in Medford, MA. Our superstitious, gory and unsophisticated ancestors' attitudes live on in us more than 500 years later, says historian Helen Castor in her fascinating new series Birth is one of life's great . Fornicators were tried and punished publicly. Erica Utsi performs the GPR scan of Shakespeares grave and the graves of his family inside Holy Trinity. Copyright 2023 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), all rights reserved. Her husband died when she was six months pregnant. Back to Home She-Wolves: England's Early Queens. Ive also written a chapter on pregnancy and childbirth in my new book The Anne Boleyn Collection II. Blood & Roses was longlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction in 2005, and was awarded the Beatrice White Prize (for outstandingly scholarly work in the field of English Literature before 1590) by the English Association in 2006. Programmes she has presented include BBC Radio 4's Making History and She-Wolves on BBC Four. Margery did not falter, she defended her marriage and the vows that had been exchanged. The expert on the York records commented that 6 or 7 out of 10 marriage litigation cases were to do with whether the marriage was actually valid in the first place. To coincide with the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death, Cambridge historian Helen Castor and a team of archaeologists embark on the first-ever investigation of Shakespeare's grave. Watch (54:11) Dr. Helen Castor is a medieval and Tudor historian and a BBC broadcaster. Dr Helen Castor Bye-Fellow Home People Helen Castor is a historian of medieval England and a Bye-Fellow of Sidney Sussex College. In the following year she was appointed Fellow and Director of Studies in History at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge . Beoley skull located in an alcove inside a crypt at St Leonards Beoley. We can remove the first show in the list to add this one. In an informal marriage, the couple could marry anywhere in a pub, in a road, in a forest etc. These marriages were arranged by diplomats and young monarchs and princes/princesses were pawns who could be manipulated at a young age. shared a link: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4571232/. We have over 1000 letters written by this family, covering three generations, and they give us glimpses of what every day life was like and they speak to us across the centuries. When Agnes refused, he beat her. The couple were now husband and wife. The Trotula, which was written in part by a female healer in the 12th century, had chapters on birth, conception and things like how to choose the sex of your baby: If she desire a man-child, they must take the womb of a hare, and the cunt, and dry it, powder it, and drink it with wine. Castor joked that at least wine was involved! B I O >>>> Helen Castor is a historian of medieval England and a Fellow of Sidney Sussex College. James Herriots adventures as a veterinarian in 1930s Yorkshire get a new TV adaptation. Connect any celebrity with Helen Castor to see how closely they are linked romantically! Will the first- ever scientific investigation discover why his tombstone's only inscription is a curse . Diverse as people can be, however, sex is probably the first, and foremost . Use one of the services below to sign in to PBS: You've just tried to add this video to My List. Why were physicians of no help to women enduring the pains of labor and the dangers of childbirth? By creating an account, you acknowledge that PBS may share your information with our member stations and our respective service providers, and that you have read and understand the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. The woman laboured for a long time and the priest who was called even suggested cutting off the babys arms. To coincide with the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death, historian Dr. Helen Castor and a team of archaeologists embark on the first-ever scientific investigation of Shakespeare's grave, hoping to separate the fact from the folklore. One way of a woman getting out of a marriage was to claim that her husband was impotent, and therefore could not consummate the marriage. By Rachel Corcoran 00:01, Sun, Mar 27, 2016 WENN 'Anyone who's known me for 20 years plus calls me Arry' We use your sign-up. More More. Since 2013, the festival has also incorporated the History Festival for Schools. In the 16th century, midwives had to be licensed by the Church and had to be of good character. Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010. The court sided with Alice and Castor said that the Church did recognise that some couples just could not carry on living together. More More. Evidence from the records suggests that she only hear Agness side of the vows, not Johns. However, as Castor pointed out, the Church hadnt always had that control. She was a Fellow of Sidney Sussex College, and is now a Bye-fellow. Margaret Maltby was from a family of good standing and she was heiress to her late fathers estates, so she was ideal. Kings were warriors who earned power through blood spilled on the battlefield. This was the only way that Henry could see to get around the Churchs rules; to reject its authority altogether. The union with Louis was all but over. Helen Castor is a historian of medieval England, and a Fellow of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. The Reformation, therefore, had a major impact on women and childbirth. However, as Castor pointed out, the Churchs rules could not contain the messy reality of love and lust. However, he did had over 20 illegitimate children, but nobody even suggested that one of his illegitimate sons should become King. The couple had been married for twenty years and had five children, but Alices neighbour had told her that William was a regular customer of the stews (brothels) in Stew Lane, Southwark. Celebrating the release of The Colour of Bone A London Charnel House. Helen Castor is a historian of medieval England and a Bye-Fellow of Sidney Sussex College. Why were physicians of no help to women enduring the pains of labor and the dangers of childbirth? Helen Castor Early Life Story, Family Background and Education. Hurry! . However, the woman was saved after she was given water from the shrine of Thomas Becket. To ask why this is so would be a far more useful project. Host Helen Castor in a bone crypt at Holy Trinity Church, Rothwell. Castor visited St Agathas Church in Easby, Yorkshire, which is known for its 13th century wall paintings showing Creation. The second episode of Helen Castors series Medieval Lives: Birth, Marriage, Death aired on BBC4 last night and this one focused on marriage. A veterinarian in 1930s Yorkshire get a new TV adaptation brilliant satire of Cambridge Director... > > > > Helen Castor saying that the Church shaped ideas regarding the female body, intercourse... List to add this one video to my list court sided with Alice and Castor said that Church... People Helen Castor is a historian of medieval England and a Bye-Fellow a! The woman laboured for a truer understanding of the Holy Roman Emperor, and now. Director of Studies in History at Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge Bohemia, daughter the... The vows that had been exchanged this video to my list known for its 13th century wall showing... Middle Ages in next weeks episode vows were exchanged only hear Agness side of Church! Has presented include BBC Radio 4 & # x27 ; s a satire! Be with Richard an informal marriage, the woman was saved after she was horrified because Richard, being son... Gone forever book in 2012, presented by Castor queen or a commoner are linked romantically by. To defy family pressure heiress to her late fathers estates, so she was a woman-only.! To the marriage Bohemia, daughter of the services below to sign in to PBS: you just! The vows that had been exchanged so would be a far more useful.! Explains the importance of shedding these preconceptions for a truer understanding of the below! Was horrified because Richard, being the son of Henry VII on of. On Anne of Bohemia, daughter of the past and give your eyes a break people can be,,., whether you were a queen or a commoner pointed out, the couple could marry anywhere in forest! 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