This week in YouTube May 18
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Did you know that foreign investors are quietly funding lawsuits in American courts through a practice called third-party litigation funding? Shadowy overseas funders are paying to sue American companies in our courts, and they don't pay a dime in U.S. taxes if there is an award or settlement. They profit tax-free from our legal system, while U.S. companies are tied up in court and American families pay the price, to the tune of $5,000 a year. But

But there is a solution. A new proposal before Congress would close this loophole and ensure these foreign investors pay taxes, just like the actual plaintiffs have to. It's a common sense move that discourages frivolous and abusive lawsuits and redirects resources back into American jobs, innovation, and growth. Only President Trump and congressional Republicans can deliver this win for America.

We'll be right back.

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Hey friends, welcome to the Renaissance English History Podcast. This is the weekly highlight reel of videos that I have put out on YouTube. So in case you don't know, you can go over to YouTube and watch all my videos. The channel is History and Coffee, and you can just search for my name as well, Heather Tesco, History and Coffee, and you will get it. And you can subscribe there. Thank you to the many people who already subscribe. And then what I've started doing is

weekly highlight reels of some of the videos that have gone out on YouTube that would be of interest to the podcast listeners as well. So thanks for listening. And you can also, like I said, go over and join me on YouTube history and coffee and search for Heather. And there I am. So let's get right into it.

Today we are going to talk about the dissolution of the monasteries. Very short. So this, the dissolution of the monasteries is like a massive topic, right? Books, many, many books have been written about this. So we're not going to dig in deep, but we're going to do the short little, um,

skimming of it. And I have done fuller episodes on this through the years, especially back in 2017 when it was the 500th anniversary of the 95 Theses. I did a whole big series on the Reformation. I did a full episode on the Disillusion. I've done lots on Cromwell and the Disillusion. So if you want to dig in deeper to that, I'll put links to some of those episodes around below. Who knows? So we're going to talk today just a little bit about some of the famous

priories and monasteries that were dissolved, as well as what happened to those monks and nuns whose livelihood was taken away. Between 1536 and 1540, more than 800 religious houses across England were closed, stripped, and scattered. It was one of the most dramatic transformations in English religious life.

And it wasn't just about breaking with Rome. Henry VIII wanted power, he wanted wealth, and Cromwell delivered both.

monasteries were more than places of prayer they were hospitals they were libraries schools homes hotels for weary travelers their destruction wasn't a nice clean little thing it was loud it was public it was brutal for generations they had shaped the spiritual rhythm of english life and suddenly they were just gone dismantled brick by brick altar by altar with the king's blessing

Let's talk about some of the famous monasteries and abbeys that fell. We'll start with Glastonbury Abbey. Actually, people have noticed I have a lot of Glastonbury stuff around behind me. Those are paintings of Glastonbury. I've got

some cards that you can't see them, but whatever. I've got some paintings over here of Glastonbury. It's one of my favorite places. I love Glastonbury. And nowadays it has like this kind of woo-woo new agey feel to it, which is really cool too. It's this neat mix of like the woo-woo with the history. I really love it. It's one of my favorite places. Anyway, Glastonbury Abbey. It was ancient, wealthy, and steeped in legend. It was rumored to be the resting place of King Arthur. It's

Abbott Richard Whitting was in his 80s when Cromwell's commissioners came. He refused to surrender and that sealed his fate. In 1539, he was dragged to Glastonbury Tor, which is the tower that I have paintings of back there. It's on a hill, this tower on a hill. He was hanged, drawn and quartered as a traitor when he was in his 80s. Thank you very much.

The abbey's treasures were seized, its library was scattered, and its sacred spaces left to rot. This was a sacrilege to many people, obviously. This went beyond politics. This was just sacrilegious.

Then there's Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire had been one of the wealthiest Cistercian houses in Europe. Its lands stretched for miles. Its buildings were grand. The monks surrendered in 1539 without any violence, but the abbey did not survive. The buildings were gutted. The valuables were hauled off and the estate handed to one of Henry's men. Today it stands in ruins, but the scale still impresses.

Tintern Abbey, another one, was set in a river valley in Wales. It was dissolved in 1536. It was one of the earliest casualties of the dissolution. Initially, there was this idea that they would just do the most corrupt houses or the smallest, the ones that weren't really making a profit. But then it moved on to just everything. Like they didn't really have a process for it. It was just kind of like, oh, there's money here. There's wealth. It's an abbey or a monastery. Let's just get rid of it.

So there wasn't really any kind of method to it at all. So Tintern was one of the first ones. Its monastic life ended quietly. The ruins survived. By the 18th century, it had become a favorite subject for poets and painters, transformed from a spiritual center into a symbol of picturesque decay.

waltham abbey had royal connections and deep historic roots it was said to be the house of the tomb of harold godwinson it closed in fifteen forty its buildings they survived for a while but over time they were also dismantled

And the final one we'll mention is Lewis Priory. It wasn't just dissolved, it was obliterated. Cromwell's agents used gunpowder to destroy what remained, leaving very little behind. It was one of the most dramatic erasures of a religious house.

So what happened to all of the people who were living there, the monks and the nuns? Well, for the monks, there were a couple of different options. What happened next depended on your age, your rank, and your obedience. Abbots who cooperated were often rewarded with very generous pensions. Some lived out their days in relative comfort, but the average monk, especially the younger ones, got far, far less. Many were given just very small stipends.

and told to fend for themselves. A few found work as schoolmasters or chaplains, some tried to carry on their religious lives privately, or they became secular clergy under the new Church of England. Others simply vanished into lay life taking up farming or a trade. For men who had spent decades in quiet routine, the upheaval was jarring and often humiliating.

Not everyone went quietly. A handful of abbots refused to surrender their houses. Like we said, with Glastonbury, they were arrested, tried for treason, and executed. In addition to Glastonbury's Richard Whitting, there was also Reading's Hugh Cook, Colchester's John Betch. They died as criminals in the eyes of the crown, martyrs to some, rebels to others.

Now, nuns had a very different outcome. They were in a much worse position because they were not eligible for full pensions. And they also, because they were nuns, they weren't allowed to marry under their church law. With no roles left in a reformed church for them, they often had to go live with relatives. They gathered in informal communities of ex-nuns. A few appealed for housing support. Most faded from the record, their lives effectively erased.

friars were the most vulnerable especially the franciscan friars they were left absolutely destitute their orders did not own property so they had nothing to fall back on some begged some preached quietly others just disappeared completely there was no safety net for them at all

Now, this is just talking about the monks and the nuns. Then there were the communities that they served, these people who had relied on these houses of worship, on these monastic houses for centuries. They were, like I said, the schools, the hospitals. They gave out alms to the poor. They were an essential part of the community. And suddenly Henry just sold off

their, their land and the buildings to the highest bidder. So his henchmen, his people who were loyal to him, got to buy all of those buildings. And this is right when the wool trade is starting to take off even more too and become more profitable. So they started enclosing all the lands to graze sheep. So all of this common land was gone.

And certainly those people weren't about to start handing out alms or provide the same services that the monasteries had before. So it was a real gap, a real hole for people in their communities. And it took a long time to figure out who was going to replace those services and how they were going to be replaced. So it was a massive period of transition for towns and villages that had relied on these spaces. So...

Yeah, a massive upheaval for people all around so that Henry could have more money and land and wealth and power and be in charge of the church.

Anyway, the ruins of many of these monasteries still stand, but the people are gone. Of course, the monks, the nuns, the friars didn't just lose their buildings. They lost communities, they lost vocations, and they lost purpose. Cromwell's reform wasn't about power or profit. It was about control. And it left behind a country that had been spiritually uprooted piece by piece, stone by stone.

Did you know that foreign investors are quietly funding lawsuits in American courts through a practice called third-party litigation funding? Shadowy overseas funders are paying to sue American companies in our courts, and they don't pay a dime in U.S. taxes if there is an award or settlement. They profit tax-free from our legal system, while U.S. companies are tied up in court and American families pay the price to the tune of $5,000 a year. But

But there is a solution. A new proposal before Congress would close this loophole and ensure these foreign investors pay taxes, just like the actual plaintiffs have to.

It's a common sense move that discourages frivolous and abusive lawsuits and redirects resources back into American jobs, innovation, and growth. Only President Trump and congressional Republicans can deliver this win for America and hold these foreign investors accountable. Contact your lawmakers today and demand they take a stand to end foreign-funded litigation abuse.

this is Paige the co-host of giggly squad. I use ubereats for everything and I feel like people forget that you can truly order anything especially living in New York City it's why I love it you can get Chinese food at any time of night but it's not just for food I order from CVS all the time I'm always ordering from the grocery store if a friend stops over I have to order champagne

I also have this thing that whenever I travel, if I'm ever in a hotel room, I never feel like I'm missing something because I'll just...

Uber Eats it. The amount of times I've had to Uber Eats hair items like hairspray, deodorant, you name it, I've ordered it on Uber Eats. You can get grocery, alcohol, everyday essentials in addition to restaurants and food you love. So in other words, get almost anything with Uber Eats. Order now. For alcohol, you must be legal drinking age. Please enjoy responsibly. Product availability varies by region. See app for details.

Download the free app today.

Today, we are going to talk about Francis Lovell. He's a figure that we don't hear a lot about, but he is remembered as having been the loyal dog of Richard III. And, you know, he makes appearances in historical fiction books from time to time, especially with the rebellion of Lambert Simnel. So he makes appearances there. So we're going to talk about this mysterious character. In

In 1708, workers renovating the old manor house at Minster Lovell in Oxfordshire discovered a skeleton hidden behind a wall. There were no markings, no coffin, just a man in a secret chamber long forgotten. Local legend immediately whispered the name Francis Lovell, a Yorkist who had vanished after the Battle of Stokefield two centuries earlier.

Had the last dog of Richard III died alone, starving in the dark? Let's rewind.

Francis Lovell was born around 1456 into a noble family with deep ties to the northern aristocracy. He inherited the title Baron Lovell and Baron Holland at the age of about eight years old after the death of his father. As a royal ward, he landed in the care of none other than Richard Neville, the kingmaker. It was likely here that he first crossed paths with the young Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

That friendship would become the defining relationship of his entire life. Lovell married Anne Fitzhugh, another Neville connection, and eventually inherited a large estate from his grandmother. By the early 1470s, he was one of the wealthiest men in the kingdom who didn't hold a

hold a dukedom. If Richard III had a best friend, it was Lovell. By 1482, Lovell had served with Richard in the Scottish campaigns and was knighted for his role. When Richard took the throne in 1483, Lovell was all in. He carried the sword of state at the coronation, and his wife Anne walked in the queen's procession. He was made Lord Chamberlain, Chief Butler, and a Knight of the Garter.

But all that loyalty earned him notoriety, too. A Tudor lampoon posted at St. Paul's Cathedral mocked Richard's inner circle. The cat, the rat, and Lovell our dog ruleth all England under a hog. Lovell was the dog, symbolized by his family's silver wolf. Fiercely loyal, but not blind. When

When trouble stirred, like Buckingham's Rebellion later that year, it was Lovell who helped Richard stamp it out. By 1485, Francis Lovell was tasked with defending England's southern coast from invasion. But Henry Tudor, clever man, landed in Wales instead. At the Battle of Bosworth in August, Lovell almost certainly fought alongside Richard III, though no chronicler actually mentions him by name.

That's never a good sign for your legacy. Two lists of the dead even include him. But Lovell wasn't dead. He had escaped. He fled to sanctuary at Colchester. Then he slipped away again. By early 1486, Lovell was orchestrating a fresh rebellion in Yorkshire. His aim was to capture or possibly assassinate Henry VII, who was planning a progress there. Now he failed, bad

badly. He tried again, alone, in York. He failed again. This man is like the epitome of if at first you don't succeed, try, try again, right? It's like you only fail when you stop trying. He just never stopped trying. He, though had nowhere left to turn by this point, he escaped to the continent, finding shelter with Margaret of York, Edward IV's sister, a staunch Yorkist who had no intention of giving up the fight to the Tudors. And

And that's where his story escalates. Lovell played a central role in the next major Yorkist scheme, the Lambert-Simnel affair. A boy was paraded as Edward VI, allegedly the son of the Duke of Clarence. Now, Lovell backed the plan alongside John de la Pole, the Earl of Lincoln, and sailed with Simnel to Ireland. There, the child was crowned in Dublin Cathedral.

The invasion force landed in England and met Henry's army at Stoke Field in 1487. It was June of 1487. It was a brutal clash. Arguably, this was actually the final battle of the Wars of the Roses. Lincoln was killed. Lovell was last seen fleeing the battlefield. And then nothing happened.

A Scottish safe conduct was issued for Lovell in 1488, but there's no record he ever arrived. One story claimed that he lived out his days in secret, maybe even in Scotland. Another claimed he died trying to escape Stoke and was quietly buried at Gedling Church near the battlefield. A final story, the most dramatic, says that he returned to Minster Lovell, hid in his secret chamber, and died there in solitude.

Romantic? Very. Plausible? Eh, not really. Francis Lovell was loyal until the very end. He was a soldier, a friend, a rebel, and finally a mystery, a history's mystery. A man who clung to a lost cause long after most had let it go. The dog who vanished without a trace. If you really want to dig into Francis Lovell's story even more in historical fiction, you

He has a central role in the book. It's historical fiction, Time Slip. So there's time travel involved. I love the books by Nicola Cornick. They're so good. And The Last Daughter of York deals with Francis Lovell. So definitely check that out if you want to get into his story even more. Thanks so much for listening to this week's YouTube Highlights.

Remember, you can go over and subscribe. History and Coffee, Heather Tesco, you will find me there. And we'll be back again next week with more highlights from what went out on YouTube throughout the week. Thanks so much. Have a great week.

Did you know that foreign investors are quietly funding lawsuits in American courts through a practice called third-party litigation funding? Shadowy overseas funders are paying to sue American companies in our courts, and they don't pay a dime in U.S. taxes if there is an award or settlement. They profit tax-free from our legal system, while U.S. companies are tied up in court and American families pay the price to the tune of $5,000 a year. But

But there is a solution. A new proposal before Congress would close this loophole and ensure these foreign investors pay taxes, just like the actual plaintiffs have to.

It's a common sense move that discourages frivolous and abusive lawsuits and redirects resources back into American jobs, innovation, and growth. Only President Trump and congressional Republicans can deliver this win for America and hold these foreign investors accountable. Contact your lawmakers today and demand they take a stand to end foreign-funded litigation abuse.

this is Paige the co-host of giggly squad. I use ubereats for everything and I feel like people forget that you can truly order anything especially living in New York City it's why I love it you can get Chinese food at any time of night but it's not just for food I order from CVS all the time I'm always ordering from the grocery store if a friend stops over I have to order champagne

I also have this thing that whenever I travel, if I'm ever in a hotel room, I never feel like I'm missing something because I'll just...

Uber Eats it. The amount of times I've had to Uber Eats hair items like hairspray, deodorant, you name it, I've ordered it on Uber Eats. You can get grocery, alcohol, everyday essentials in addition to restaurants and food you love. So in other words, get almost anything with Uber Eats. Order now. For alcohol, you must be legal drinking age. Please enjoy responsibly. Product availability varies by region. See app for details.