Tea at Trianon: Educating the Tudors

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Saturday, February 25, 2023

Educating the Tudors

From Amy McElroy at Janet Wertman's blog:

The educational opportunities of the humble population compared to the aristocracy shows a wide gap in the quality and expanse of their curriculum. The humble would be lucky to read whilst wealthier folks would be learning languages, law, history and arithmetic, amongst other topics. The differences in education even between Henry and his siblings, let alone humble people, is enlightening.

The Tudors had different schools to meet different objectives, some were aimed at the humblest of children whilst others were reserved for the elite. Girls were not allowed to attend the majority of schools reducing the number of opportunities they had to receive a formal education. That does not mean they did not receive any, their education was much more practical and focused on managing their household, keeping accounts and caring for her family. Apprenticeships and domestic service also taught children the skills they needed to earn a living or set up their own household. Apprenticeships may appear to be fairly modern but the Tudors had accomplished guilds which monitored the standards and wages of its members along with the requirements for completing an apprenticeship in a specific trade. Many apprenticeships were formal, with a fee paid, contracts issued and the roles clear for both apprentice and master.

The tutors who taught the royal children and the aristocracy are fascinating in their own right. Many were part of a humanist circle which at the time was encouraging a humanist education amongst ranked society. There are of course names many people will recognise such as Roger Ascham and Juan Luis Vives but I enjoyed finding out more about the more obscure Bernard Andre, John Skelton and Giles Duwes. These men were responsible for tutoring some of the most famous Tudors we know but they were not the only ones to have an influence on education. Sir Thomas More and Desiderius Erasmus encouraged the spread of humanism across England. Whilst writing Educating the Tudors I became captivated by Erasmus so much so that I am currently researching a book on the man himself.

When looking at what they did for fun it is strange to think we still participate in some of the pastimes today. One thing that did surprise me was that the Tudors gambled on everything! Mary I played cards regularly as a girl and Henry VIII lost hundreds of pounds playing dominoes. The Tudors certainly knew how to enjoy themselves, dancing, music and singing were common amongst all classes, though I expect the masques held at the royal court would have been a sight unlike any other. (Read more.)