The brief life of William Shakespeare's son Hamnet is now quite well known, thanks to Maggie O'Farrell's novel, but Hamnet also had a twin sister Judith, who outlived her brother by many decades. Now it's time for Judith to take centre stage in the highly anticipated novel The Owl Was a Baker's Daughter by Professor Grace Tiffany. 

Judith lived through a time of chaos and conflict when cavaliers clashed with roundheads and religious fervour threatened to tear the kingdom apart. Grace Tiffany joins Professor Suzannah Lipscomb to talk about themes in Judith's life that resonate deeply with our world today, from religious extremism to the challenges faced by women in male-dominated professions. 

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.

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What happens when a small island faces the might of the Ottoman Empire?

In 1565, Malta was the setting for a brutal clash between the forces of the Ottoman Empire and the defiant Knights of the Order of St.John, warrior monks led by the iron-willed Jean de Valette. This extraordinary siege pitted faith against empire, innovation against desperation, and a handful of defenders against an unstoppable superpower.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Professor Marcus Bull about the battle that reshaped Mediterranean power dynamics, shattered Ottoman invincibility, and forged legends that still echo in Malta’s fortified walls today.

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.

Theme music from All3Media. Other music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

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Professor Suzannah Lipscomb delves into the world of Stuart-era recipe books, in which medicine, cookery and women's roles combine in fascinating ways. She discovers how these volumes were far more than just cookbooks, offering a window into how women collected and shared knowledge, and how female identity was shaped within the domestic sphere.

Suzannah's guest Dr. Kimberley Connor introduces the intriguing 1675 recipe book of Margaret Baker, which includes everything from plague preventatives to culinary delights, for example a simple spiced eggy bread that was both a tasty breakfast and a remedy for back pain.

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

Theme music from All3Media. Other 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. 

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Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake 425 years ago this month. His crime? Radical thinking which clashed with the ideas of the Roman Catholic church. But his extraordinarily colourful life, ideas and tragic fate continue to resonate in our modern understanding of the universe and the ongoing tension between scientific inquiry and religious authority.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by best-selling author S.J. Parris - pen-name for journalist Stephanie Merritt - who has written a series of novels with Bruno as the main protagonist. Together they delve into the life of a revolutionary and engaging character who took on the church in the 16th century and paid the ultimate price.

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.

Theme music from All3Media. Other music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Related episodes:

Shardlake and its Creator C.J. Sansom: https://podfollow.com/not-just-the-tudors/episode/9da9830fbb5f8145748d9dbfe2f5baf03637989c/view

Elizabeth I's Spymaster Walsingham: https://podfollow.com/not-just-the-tudors/episode/ffbad5666898e744e85314aa57727d74048cc467/view

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The German Peasants' War - which happened exactly 500 years ago - saw peasants across Germany, Switzerland and Austria rise up against oppressive lords in a bid for freedom and social reform.  This was a pivotal and cataclysmic moment in European history, as transformative as the French Revolution and as deadly as World War I. 

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Lyndal Roper, author of Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants' War, to explore this moment of rebellion, hope and bloodshed that reshaped the landscape of early modern Europe.

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

Theme music from All3Media. Other 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. 

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The opulent halls of 17th and 18th-century Versailles were not just filled with dazzlingly dressed courtiers and royal intrigue. They also positively buzzed with scientific discovery and innovation, making the French royal court a crossroads of science and power. 

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb visits a fascinating exhibition at London's Science Museum which peels back the gilded layers of the famous palace to reveal its lesser-known role as a hotbed of scientific thinking. Along the way, she hears about innovative and dangerous new surgeries, sees the Sun King's actual pet rhinoceros as well as the world's most famous watch, designed for Marie Antoinette.

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.

Theme music from All3Media. Other 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. 

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How did a lowly orange seller become the most famous actress of her time and mistress of King Charles II?

In 1660, King Charles II ruled that female stage roles must be played by women, leading to the rise of the 'Covent Garden Goddesses'. As a result, Nell Gwyn - born 375 years ago this month - went from being a humble orange seller to a celebrated actress and Charles II's most enduring and famous mistress.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb explores how Nell Gwyn became an 'It girl' - one of England's first celebrities and cherished folk heroine - with Professor Laura Engel and Charles Beauclerk, Earl of Burford, a direct descendant of Nell Gwyn and King Charles II.

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.

Theme music from All3Media. Other 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. 

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The famous saying "I think, therefore I am" was the cornerstone of the philosophy of Rene Descartes, who died 375 years ago this month at the age of 53. His groundbreaking ideas shaped Western thought and continue to influence our understanding of existence, knowledge and the nature of reality. Descartes' ground-breaking approach involved questioning all beliefs to determine those which are absolutely certain. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Catherine Wilson to discuss Descartes' ideas and how they continue to resonate in modern philosophy, science and even popular culture.

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.

Theme music from All3Media. Other 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. 

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Professor Suzannah Lipscomb delves into the dramatic story of the first European encounters with the indigenous people of Australia. She's joined by Professor Alistair Paterson who sheds light on the reported events of February 1606 when the Dutch unexpectedly stumbled upon the shores of Cape York Peninsula. Together, they'll examine the far-reaching consequences of this first contact and its impact on centuries of Australian history.

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.

Theme music from All3Media. Other music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Related episodes:

Batavia: The Worst Shipwreck in History >

The Founding of Cape Town >

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For our final foray into the shadowy Renaissance world of the Borgia Dynasty, we explore the enigma that was Lucrezia Borgia, whose life navigating a perilous patriarchal landscape was enmeshed in scandals and power struggles. 

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Distinguished Professor Diane Ghirardo dissect the myths and reveal the truths surrounding Lucrezia Borgia, from her role as a political pawn to the allegations of her involvement in dark deeds, ending with her eventual emergence as a respected figure seeking redemption. 

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.

Theme music from All3Media. Other music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb discusses the impact of the Little Ice Age, a period of significant cooling from the 15th to early 19th centuries that caused widespread famine, drought, and socio-economic upheaval across the Northern Hemisphere. She's joined by Professors Madeline Bassnett and Laurie Johnson who share insights from their joint research project on how England adapted to severe weather conditions. Discover fascinating historical accounts and learn about humanity's resilience in the face of climate adversity.

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

Theme music from All3Media. Other 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. 

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