In the news1563
Statute of Artificers passed in 1563
The 1563 Statute of Artificers regulated wages and mandatory seven-year apprenticeships for laborers across the kingdom.
Edinburgh Castle, 29 Jun 1566 – Theobalds House, 6 Apr 1625
24 facts3 sources
The collection records James’s birth in 1566 at Edinburgh Castle. His parents were Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, and Mary, Queen of Scots. His early public life is associated with his baptism, his entry into Edinburgh, and his coronation as James VI of Scotland. 1Birth · 29 Jun 1566, Edinburgh Castle · Probable2Parent · Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley · Confirmed3Parent · Mary, Queen of Scots · Confirmed4Event · Baptism of James VI · Confirmed5Event · Entry of James VI into Edinburgh · Confirmed6Event · coronation of James VI of Scotland · Confirmed
James ruled as monarch of Scotland and, from 1603, as monarch of England and King of Ireland. The evidence presents a chronological discrepancy: one title claim dates his Scottish tenure from 1587, while the summary dates his reign as James VI from 1567. The Union of the Crowns links his Scottish and English identities. 7Title · Monarch of Scotland, 1587–1625 · Confirmed8Title · Monarch of England, 1603–1625 · Confirmed9Title · King of Ireland, 1603–1625 · Confirmed10Known for · James VI and I was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603, until his death in 1625. · Probable11Event · Union of the Crowns · Confirmed
His rule is associated with the Jacobean era, the succession to Elizabeth I of England, and the Gunpowder Plot. The collection records his death in 1625 at Theobalds House, although this date and place are marked as probable rather than fully confirmed. 12Event · Jacobean era · Confirmed13Event · succession to Elizabeth I of England · Confirmed14Event · Gunpowder Plot · Confirmed15Death · 6 Apr 1625, Theobalds House · Probable
Drafted with AI and edited against the collection. Open a citation to see the record, its sources and how certain it is.
1566–1587
Duke of Rothesay
29 Jun 1566
Born in Edinburgh Castle
1587–1625
Monarch of Scotland
1594–1606
9 children are born
1603–1625
King of Ireland
1603–1625
Monarch of England
6 Apr 1625
Dies in Theobalds House, aged 58
He lived through 7 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Edinburgh Castle.
General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.
In the news1563
The 1563 Statute of Artificers regulated wages and mandatory seven-year apprenticeships for laborers across the kingdom.
Getting around
Hiring Post Horses for Travel
The general public could hire horses at stations along royal postal routes, paying a per-mile fee to travel faster. While walking was common at about 3 miles per hour, riders covering long distances could sustain higher speeds by changing to fresh mounts at regular intervals.
In the news1569
England's first known lottery was drawn in 1569 outside St Paul's Cathedral, with tickets costing ten shillings and a top prize of £5,000.
Daily life
Varied access to children's education
Formal schooling was not compulsory; wealthier boys might attend grammar school to learn Latin, while poorer children often began working at home or on farms at age seven. Some young children attended petty or dame schools, often run by women in their own homes, to learn basic reading and religious instruction.
What people wore
Gifts of Clothing on Feast Days
Some of the poorest individuals in Tudor England received garments as ritual gifts from the King or aristocrats during feast days, such as Maundy Thursday.
Music
Common Instruments for Recreation and Festivals
Commoners commonly enjoyed music and dancing at events like church ales, festivals, and alehouses, where bagpipes and fiddles were the instruments most frequently played for recreation.
At the table
Staple Foods: Pottage and Dark Bread
The daily staple for ordinary families was pottage, a thick porridge-like soup made from vegetables, oats or barley, often cooked in a cauldron over an open fire. Bread made from rye or barley was the primary accompaniment, as finer white wheat bread was expensive and generally reserved for the wealthy.