Celia Imrie Who Do You Think You Are?


Celia Imrie

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My mother was quite a toff.

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She did try to tell me how we were related to William the Conqueror,

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but I just found it too uncomfortable.

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I didn't want people to think that I was posh.

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She was proud of her heritage

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and couldn't quite understand why I was trying to squirm out of it.

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I just wanted to go and be an actress and not be judged.

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Actress Celia Imrie has starred in more than 150 stage,

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film and television productions, including Acorn Antiques.

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And if that's what marriage entails then, quite frankly,

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cousin Harriet, the answer is no, no...

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The answer is no, no, no!

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During her 40-year career,

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she's appeared in everything from Star Wars to Calendar Girls.

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Ladies and gentlemen, you have 20 minutes, please. Thank you.

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I adored my mother.

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I loved her especially for breaking all the rules because

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there were immensely strict rules for the way she was brought up.

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I remember my mother talking about people who'd got gumption.

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She really did. She had a great spark.

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So I'm quite intrigued about the female line.

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Well, I can't believe that there isn't something courageous,

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rather than people just having cups of tea all over the place.

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I would be shocked but intrigued

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if there were any criminals in the family.

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Please don't let me find a lot of boring relatives,

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that would be awful.

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Celia Imrie has never married

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and lives in London with her only son, 18-year-old Angus.

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Angus has a passion for politics.

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I'm not quite sure where that's come from, as a matter of fact.

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Tony Benn is his hero.

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He's been out canvassing for the Labour Party.

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He's very moral and very fair,

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and I'm intrigued as to know whether there's anything, um,

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in that line in my family - not that I know of,

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but...I'd be fascinated.

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Because I remember my mother often saying,

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"Well, of course, it's all in the genes."

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All the time. Any excuse, "It's all in the genes."

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Celia was born in Surrey in 1952.

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Her father, David, was a doctor.

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Her mother, Diana, came from a long line of English aristocrats.

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I know that my father was from working-class Glasgow

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and I'm very proud of my Scottish heritage.

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My mother's side, I know, is intriguing

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and, because I wasn't listening

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when she was trying to tell me, I'm fascinated to find out more.

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I'm on my way to see Patricia, my cousin, who is an absolute hoot.

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It's a very good way to start the journey.

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And I think she's got lots of family secrets and photographs,

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and knew my grandparents much better than I did.

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My dear!

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What a treat to see you.

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How really lovely.

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This is coals to Newcastle, for heaven's sake.

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-Oh, not at all.

-I knew it would be.

-What fun.

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I know you know all the secrets, so I want to find out now, please.

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Well, I know a few, darling, I know a few.

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-This is The Croft.

-It's The Croft...

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Where our grandfather Lumley, up there, Lumley Cater,

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and grandmother Adeline lived from 1921.

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Now here's a little picnic during the shoot.

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Adeline stood so well.

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-Yes, except no ankles.

-No ankles.

-Just like me.

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Well, I have no... I've got tree trunks. Tree trunks.

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Well, isn't that the most miserable thing?

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You have to see your grandfather acting.

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-They had a village fete every year.

-Major... Major costumes going on.

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-Yes. Thespian number one.

-Yes.

-Lumley.

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Where do you get your acting from, may I ask?

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-Well, I did wonder, you see.

-Yes.

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-Mums.

-Yes.

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Looking very naughty. No flowers. She forgot her flowers.

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She probably threw them off.

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So can you remember my mother's wedding

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and the furore it might have caused?

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It did really, because she was 34,

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which in those days was quite advanced.

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-On the shelf.

-Well, dusty.

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SHE LAUGHS

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I mean, very dusty.

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She was engaged, I think, three times, officially.

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-Oh!

-Oh, yes. A ring on finger, you know.

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-Oh, really? I knew Sir George.

-Oh, yes, he was very nice, but dull.

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-Yes.

-Oh, dull.

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-I remember him grey. I do.

-Oh, dull. Anyway, not for her.

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-No, no.

-So a third ring goes back into the pot.

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And, oh, Lumley is in despair.

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He was determined for Aunt Diana, your darling mother, to be titled.

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-Oh, well.

-Imperative to have a title. "You can't marry a doctor.

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"I'm sorry. You can't. No, you can't."

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And the awful word coming in now is trade.

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-Trade.

-Trade. Cardinal sin. "No, I'm sorry, he's trade."

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-Blimey!

-Yes.

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That...that obvious?

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It was all right to be the King's physician.

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-Or a surgeon, perhaps.

-Or a surgeon, perhaps,

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but only to the Royals or somebody really important like that.

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Just calling yourself Doctor simply wasn't good enough.

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-I've never heard that before.

-No. "He's trade."

-Whoa, lordy.

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Sorry. I'm sorry.

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So this is '38.

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Patricia, do you know anything before that though?

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Well, yes...

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Are you going to show me a surprise?

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Yes. Well, this is really done by a cousin of ours.

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But as we can see here, at the very bottom,

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we've got Charles George Lumley Cater, our grandfather,

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marrying Adeline Louisa Blois.

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-Right.

-Right. Now where do we go?

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Here she comes, and who has she come from?

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Baronet, Baronet, Baronet, Baronet,

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Baronet, Baronet, Baronet, Baronet...

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and eventually we've got crowns and things, you see.

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-They are grand, aren't they?

-Rather grand.

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Do you know that this all for real? Cos obviously somebody's...

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-As far as I know...

-..done it in hand.

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-As far as I know.

-Must be.

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The family talked quite, um, bluntly about my father,

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and my grandfather referred to him as "trade"

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when he was a perfectly fully-qualified doctor.

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That was quite shocking, actually.

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But anyway, my mother got her own way, so yahoo!

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And then I had this marvellous family tree presented to me.

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So I'd love to find out more about that.

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And I do want to find a link for Angus's passion to politics.

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Celia is on her way to the Parliamentary Archives,

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where records for the House of Lords and the House of Commons are held,

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to meet Professor Ronald Hutton.

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She's hoping he can help her find out whether there are any

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political links in the family tree she's been given.

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I wondered, with my son's passion for politics,

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whether I might be able to find out something.

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What is your son's politics?

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He's been out canvassing for the Labour Party.

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Perfect. So what you're after is a red-hot political radical.

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Parliament is the upper class at business.

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So if you go back here,

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you get through a couple of Dukes of Rutland, and then you hit gold.

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Here you have William Lord Russell,

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who's your great-grandfather times eight.

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William Russell was born in 1639

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and was the third son of the Earl of Bedford.

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Russell became a Whig MP during the 1670s,

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when English politics was in turmoil.

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The political scene was divided between two great parties.

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Their names are familiar to us even now. The Whigs and the Tories.

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If you're a Whig, you believe that power comes from the people

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rather than from the monarch.

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The Tories believe that the King should be trusted rather than the people.

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And the King on the throne... is this guy -

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King Charles II.

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He's personally responsible for a lot of the tension

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in your ancestor's lifetime.

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Because nobody, in the end, trusts him, he loves being devious.

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He loves making people ill at ease.

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-Oh, dear.

-That's how he feels powerful.

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As King, Charles II had the power to rule as he saw fit.

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But as a member of the Whig Party, Russell believed

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the King's power should be limited by law and Parliament.

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William must stand for the ultimate power of the people

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to decide their own fate,

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and that's the underlying principle of democracy

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and popular politics in any age.

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And it's the way in which we're going to go.

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So in that sense,

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he is a more modern man than some of the others around at the time.

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In the 1670s, England was still suffering from the bitter divisions

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that had caused the Civil War 20 years earlier.

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A battle between Royalists and Parliamentarians,

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it had resulted in the execution of Charles I,

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and in England becoming a republic for a decade.

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Charles II had been restored to the throne in 1660.

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But after the violence of the Civil War,

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he never trusted his people - and they never trusted him.

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There's also something else going on and it concerns

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the taint of Roman Catholicism.

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Roman Catholicism is not just the wrong religion

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to people like your ancestor, it's the wrong politics, and there is

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no Catholic democracy on Earth in your ancestor's lifetime.

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Every Catholic state is encouraged to be a despotism

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ruled by its King or its Duke, whoever is the hereditary ruler.

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And the only democracy left in the world is in the Protestant states.

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Charles II was a Protestant, but he had no legitimate children,

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and so the next in line to the throne was his brother,

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James, who had converted to Catholicism.

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By the end of the 1670s, trust in Charles

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and his brother has eroded to the point at which the Whig Party,

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of which your ancestor is one of the leaders, has decided

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to get an Act of Parliament to stop the King's brother inheriting the throne.

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-This has never been tried before.

-Blimey!

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-You're going to plunge into crisis.

-OK.

-Straight away.

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It's one of the biggest political crises of our political history.

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You can actually read in the words of your own ancestor,

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whose blood flows in your veins, what drove him.

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-You want to go for it?

-Yeah, go for it.

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"We must resolve when we have a Prince of the Popist religion

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"to be Papists, or burn."

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What he sincerely believes is any Catholic King is going to force you

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to be Catholic as well or burn you alive at the stake.

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Religion causes filthy behaviour.

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Especially in this period.

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"I have been long of opinion that nothing

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"but excluding the Duke, etc, can secure us.

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"I should be glad if anything else but this Bill would secure us

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"from Popery, etc, but I know of nothing else that will,

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"therefore I move for it."

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-God, he means business, doesn't he?

-That is absolutely right.

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He tries to push this Exclusion Bill through three times,

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and what the King does each time is on this page - this is 1679.

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"By the King.

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"A Proclamation for dissolving this present Parliament

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"and declaring the speedy calling of a new one."

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Oh, Lord!

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In this period, the King calls and dismisses Parliament at will.

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So what does he do?

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He just stops calling Parliament and puts the Tories in power.

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William is just literally shut up now, isn't he?

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Well, he can talk to the people, but that's pretty dangerous.

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If you stir up a mob, you can be taken into prison for treason.

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Er...let's look at the next document and see what actually does happen.

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It's a pamphlet.

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"True Account and Declaration of The Horrid Conspiracy against the King.

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"The informants say that being in the company of Richard Goodenough,

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"at the Sun Tavern behind the Royal Exchange

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"upon the 15th day of June, 1683,

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"the said Lord Russell told the aforesaid Goodenough,

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"that he would be concerned in it to his utmost,

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"and that he would use all his interest

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"to accomplish the aforesaid design of killing the King."

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-Blimey! "And the Duke of York."

-Yeah.

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Can I just ask you - is this two people overhearing him

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in a pub saying, "Oh, yes, I'd go and kill the King"?

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That's exactly right.

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He absolutely did say it and so they've reported it?

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-Ah, we just don't know.

-Ah.

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These were a couple of wide boys who've come forward

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in order to provide evidence to destroy your ancestor.

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This declaration, where would that appear? It's not a newspaper?

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No. This is a state paper, but it's been published in a pamphlet

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in order to convince the British public, right across the island,

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that this was a real conspiracy to kill the King and his brother.

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But he's going to get into real trouble for this, isn't he?

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He certainly is.

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Er, he's got to stand trial now, and if you want to know

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what happens in the trial, you go to the State Trials.

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William Lord Russell was supposed to have said, apparently,

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that he wanted to kill the King.

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Did he say it?

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This is a reported conversation that took place in a tavern,

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bit like the News Of The World nowadays.

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I wonder what happens next.

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Celia has come to the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn

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to search through the State Trials for the 1680s.

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The trial of Lord Russell, July 13th 1683.

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She's meeting Professor Mark Knights.

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-I've picked out some passages within the trial.

-Yeah.

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Immediately to a rather crucial bit, um, which is the Indictment.

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"The prisoner at the Bar..." God, "prisoner" he's called!

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Mm. Yes, he'd been arrested.

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"..with other traitors named in the Indictment,

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"within the City of London, met and conspired together

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"to bring our Sovereign Lord the King to death,

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"to raise war and rebellion against him, and to massacre his subjects."

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Help!

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The accusation is that Russell was present

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when some of those discussions about seizing the King were taking place.

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But all the evidence that's produced against him is...is indeed hearsay.

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I mean, here's quite a good example of that.

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"You are sure my Lord Russell was there?"

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And who's this Lord Howard?

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Lord Howard is someone who was alleged to have been involved in the plotting,

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who turns King's evidence in order to save his own skin.

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So he's now giving evidence against Russell, his former friend

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and very close ally, in order to save himself. Yes.

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So... "Are you sure my Lord Russell was there?"

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says the Attorney General.

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Lord Howard - "Yes, Sir, I wish I could say he was not."

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What a liar!

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"What did my Lord say?"

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Lord Howard - "Everyone knows my Lord Russell is a person

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"of great judgment and not very lavish in discourse."

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-Yes.

-So he didn't say anything. He was just quiet?

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-He was just there.

-That means he must... Oh, dear.

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So they're assuming quite a lot.

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I find it amazing that there's a great big trial

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about a piece of hearsay.

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About, you know, sort of overheard remarks.

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Although, of course, if you say, "I want the King to be dead,"

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you're in high treason and I suppose, the punishment is death, is that right?

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That's right. Indeed, he wasn't even sure of the charge against him

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until he walks into...into court.

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In this period, people defending themselves against treason

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weren't even allowed legal defence.

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So Russell was defending himself in court.

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And the jury itself was a packed jury.

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-Meaning what?

-Hand-picked men by the Government, um,

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to do essentially the court's bidding.

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-This is all tremendously quickly done.

-Mm.

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Er, this is a couple of hours.

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It all sounds to me rather, um, set up and...I smell lots of rats,

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-I'm afraid.

-Yes. Russell is a very important public figure.

-Mm.

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He's a man of great standing, this virtue and integrity,

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which he's renowned for, carry a lot of sway.

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So they're running quite a risk.

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-He's not a coward.

-No.

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He's a man of great moral, um, belief...

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-Yes.

-..therefore, he's a terrific danger, it seems to me,

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-and magnified if the Government then want to get him out the way.

-Yes.

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He does seem to inspire, um, confidence.

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He also inspires great love in his wife, Rachel.

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Lady Rachel was the daughter of the Earl of Southampton.

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At the time of the trial, she'd been married to William for 14 years

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and they had three children.

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She works tirelessly, um, on his behalf, um,

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both at this time, at his trial, and then subsequently as well.

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-So, double whammy of danger to the Government then?

-Yes.

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-So, they're two together.

-And what's more, um, Russell knows that,

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he knows that he's known for his love for his wife,

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and he asks whether she can take notes about the trial.

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-So, she sits...

-Clever man.

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..right at the start of the trial, she says...

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He says, "Is it OK for... for her to take notes?"

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So, she's there for everyone in the court to see how close

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-they are together.

-Very good!

0:19:080:19:11

Shall we see what the outcome is?

0:19:110:19:13

Yes, let's. 14th July, 1683.

0:19:130:19:16

The Attorney General again.

0:19:160:19:18

Attorney General - "My Lord Russell, Your Lordship has been indicted

0:19:200:19:25

"and tried and found guilty of high treason.

0:19:250:19:29

"That you be carried back again to the place from whence you came

0:19:300:19:34

"and from thence be drawn upon a hurdle...

0:19:340:19:37

"..to the place of execution..." Oh, Lord!

0:19:400:19:44

"..where you shall be hanged by the neck, but cut down alive...

0:19:440:19:49

"..your entrails and privy members cut off from your body

0:19:500:19:54

"and burnt in your sight." Oh, Lord!

0:19:540:20:00

"Your head be severed from your body and your body divided into four parts

0:20:000:20:04

"and disposed at the King's pleasure."

0:20:040:20:07

Oh, dear! This is really awful, isn't it?

0:20:090:20:12

-Mm. It's a gruesome sentence.

-No coming back.

0:20:120:20:15

That's... But, I mean, is that the usual?

0:20:150:20:19

Is that something that would be read out

0:20:190:20:22

for anybody who does high treason

0:20:220:20:24

or is that a particularly horrible one? I mean, God!

0:20:240:20:28

For a man of Russell's status, um, it was unusual,

0:20:280:20:32

-it's a degradation of a...

-Yes.

-..of a very noble man.

0:20:320:20:36

I mean, for him to have his...himself cut off all over the place

0:20:360:20:41

and then have to look at it.

0:20:410:20:43

Yes. This is a propaganda trial essentially.

0:20:430:20:47

The punishment is a signal that the Government wants to give,

0:20:470:20:50

that anybody plotting or planning to plot against the regime

0:20:500:20:54

had better watch out, because this would be the result.

0:20:540:20:58

And he's a very noticeable figure to do it to.

0:20:580:21:01

-Exactly.

-And a well-loved one.

0:21:010:21:03

Yes. How better to make your point?

0:21:030:21:06

I so hope you're going to say that something happened in the end

0:21:060:21:10

and somebody came and saved him.

0:21:100:21:11

Well, for the next bit of the story,

0:21:110:21:13

-we need to go just across the way into Lincoln's Inn Fields.

-Let's.

0:21:130:21:18

It seems so violent, this sentence,

0:21:240:21:26

that I just can't believe that...

0:21:260:21:28

Did he have anybody else appealing for him?

0:21:280:21:30

His wife is very active, pulling strings.

0:21:300:21:34

His father was a wealthy man and his father raises money

0:21:340:21:37

in an attempt to try and buy his son's freedom -

0:21:370:21:40

that doesn't work.

0:21:400:21:41

-This plaque tells its own story.

-Oh, my goodness!

0:21:430:21:47

"Near this spot was beheaded William Lord Russell,

0:21:470:21:50

"a lover of constitutional liberty."

0:21:500:21:53

So, the sentence was commuted, as you can see, to a beheading

0:21:540:21:58

rather than the hanging, drawing and quartering

0:21:580:22:02

that we looked at in the trial. And this was the concession.

0:22:020:22:06

What? That he could have his head chopped off instead of having it all shoved in his mouth!

0:22:060:22:11

Oh, dear.

0:22:110:22:13

This is a printed pamphlet which sets out the events of that day,

0:22:130:22:18

um, and it includes a speech

0:22:180:22:21

that was made by Russell, um,

0:22:210:22:24

to the crowd that's assembled here.

0:22:240:22:26

"I was never fond of much speaking, much less now.

0:22:260:22:31

"In the words of a dying man, I profess I know of no plot,

0:22:310:22:34

"either against the King's life or the Government.

0:22:340:22:38

"But I have now done with this world and I'm going to a better.

0:22:380:22:42

"I forgive all the world heartily,

0:22:420:22:45

"and I thank God I die in charity with all men."

0:22:450:22:49

Oh, dear, this is awful.

0:22:490:22:51

"And I wish all sincere Protestants may love one another

0:22:510:22:55

"and not make way for Popery by their animosities.

0:22:550:23:00

"I pray God forgive them, and continue the Protestant religion

0:23:000:23:04

"amongst them, that it may flourish so long as the sun and moon endures.

0:23:040:23:11

"I am now more satisfied to die than ever I have been."

0:23:110:23:14

-Oh, dear.

-I'm sorry.

0:23:180:23:19

I never even knew him, but I just think it's so awful.

0:23:190:23:22

Yes.

0:23:220:23:23

-If you want to know more about the rest of Russell's story...

-I do.

0:23:250:23:29

..and perhaps the legacy of this lover of constitutional liberty...

0:23:290:23:33

Wouldn't he be happy, though, to have that under his name?

0:23:330:23:37

I think he would, he would be, er, happy with that...

0:23:370:23:39

To have that as the memory.

0:23:390:23:41

But there's much more that you could find out about the legacy of...

0:23:410:23:45

-of Russell at the family seat, which is Woburn Abbey.

-Oh!

0:23:450:23:50

I'm very proud that in my genes is someone of such courage

0:24:100:24:15

and conviction.

0:24:150:24:17

The speech that my eight times great-grandfather made

0:24:190:24:23

just before he died quite floored me

0:24:230:24:27

that somebody should have such courage at that moment.

0:24:270:24:30

And also the plaque that was written underneath his name,

0:24:300:24:33

"William Lord Russell, lover of constitutional liberty."

0:24:330:24:37

Somebody wrote that - somebody thought that that's how

0:24:370:24:40

he would be remembered for ever.

0:24:400:24:43

And I just want to find out what happened after he died.

0:24:430:24:46

I hope he didn't die for nothing.

0:24:470:24:50

Celia has come to Woburn Abbey to meet historian Dr Ted Vallance.

0:25:000:25:04

The rooms that we're walking through now are ones

0:25:060:25:09

that date from the 17th century, so he walked through...

0:25:090:25:12

-As a child.

-..these rooms. Yeah.

0:25:120:25:14

What a place to grow up in.

0:25:140:25:16

Don't know if you can see here, this painting we've got...

0:25:160:25:19

-Oh, the trial!

-Yeah.

0:25:190:25:21

It is rather a wonderful painting for such an obviously grim moment.

0:25:210:25:26

Yes. Yes.

0:25:260:25:28

These two people here are presumably

0:25:280:25:32

-the informants from the Sun Tavern, would they be?

-Yes.

0:25:320:25:36

Oh, they look horrible pigs.

0:25:360:25:38

Yeah. Yeah.

0:25:380:25:39

-I love Rachel's adoring face.

-Yes.

0:25:390:25:42

And he's sort of quite noble and calm

0:25:420:25:45

-considering what he must be going through.

-Yeah.

0:25:450:25:48

-It's impossible really to imagine, isn't it?

-Mm.

0:25:480:25:51

We've actually got some more paintings in this room through here

0:25:530:25:56

-that you might want to look at which...

-Yes, please.

-..really carry the narrative on.

0:25:560:26:01

If you have a look round here, we've got...

0:26:010:26:03

-Oh, that's him, isn't it?

-Yes.

0:26:030:26:06

And over here, um, we've got this image of Russell in his cell,

0:26:060:26:11

with Rachel and the children.

0:26:110:26:14

I don't know whether he would have approved having a tear on his cheek.

0:26:140:26:18

That makes him out to be all weak and weedy and he simply wasn't.

0:26:180:26:21

You're right. I think he would not have liked

0:26:210:26:24

such an emotional representation of himself.

0:26:240:26:27

Actually, we've got another example of his courage.

0:26:270:26:30

So, I have a letter here, actually in William Russell's hand,

0:26:380:26:43

that he delivered to the Sheriff before his execution.

0:26:430:26:48

And he's producing this to really try and clear his own name,

0:26:480:26:53

to establish his... his kind of legacy.

0:26:530:26:56

"I thank God I find myself so composed and prepared for death.

0:26:570:27:02

"I cheerfully submit to so small a punishment as the being taken off a few years sooner,

0:27:020:27:09

"and the being made a spectacle to the world.

0:27:090:27:13

"I do freely forgive all the world,

0:27:130:27:15

"particularly those concerned in taking away my life

0:27:150:27:18

"and I desire and conjure my friends to think of no revenge."

0:27:180:27:22

-See, I couldn't be so forgiving.

-Mm.

0:27:220:27:26

That's, I mean, that's almost sort of Christ-like to say,

0:27:260:27:29

"Forgive them, they know not what they do," sort of thing, isn't it?

0:27:290:27:32

Yes. He is consciously giving himself up for a form of martyrdom.

0:27:320:27:36

Mm. Did he want it to be shown around?

0:27:360:27:40

Yes. This whole letter wasn't just circulated in manuscript form,

0:27:400:27:44

it was printed, um,

0:27:440:27:46

and as many as perhaps 25,000 copies of this letter was circulated.

0:27:460:27:50

It does help establish this legacy

0:27:500:27:54

and this reputation as a defender of constitutional liberty.

0:27:540:27:58

In 1685, two years after Russell's execution,

0:28:000:28:05

the Whigs' fears of a Catholic monarchy came true.

0:28:050:28:09

Following the death of Charles II, his brother James II became King

0:28:090:28:14

and tried to bring in a Parliament that would do his bidding.

0:28:140:28:17

Spurred into action, seven notable Englishmen invited

0:28:190:28:22

a Protestant Dutch Prince, William of Orange, to overthrow James.

0:28:220:28:27

In November, 1688, William marched on London, driving James into exile.

0:28:320:28:37

In what became known as the Glorious Revolution,

0:28:400:28:44

William of Orange was crowned King of England, Scotland and Ireland.

0:28:440:28:48

Constitutional liberty is at the heart of the Glorious Revolution.

0:28:510:28:55

One of the first things that William does on coming to the throne

0:28:550:28:59

is pass the Bill of Rights, which guarantees certain rights

0:28:590:29:03

and freedoms to the English people.

0:29:030:29:05

As part of the Bill of Rights, King William outlawed absolute monarchy

0:29:070:29:13

and banned Catholics from the throne -

0:29:130:29:16

a law that stands to this day.

0:29:160:29:18

He also paid tribute to William Russell.

0:29:180:29:20

Now, this is a very important document.

0:29:210:29:27

You can touch it, but we can't unroll it.

0:29:270:29:30

-Right.

-So, this is a pardon, quashing William Russell's

0:29:300:29:35

conviction for treason, and you can see attached to it is

0:29:350:29:39

actually the King's seal, the seal of William of Orange as well.

0:29:390:29:42

-Oh, right. Can I touch it?

-Yeah, you can touch it.

0:29:420:29:45

I have got a copy here of what it looks like, um, when unrolled.

0:29:450:29:53

"All records and proceedings related to the said Attainder be

0:29:530:29:57

"wholly cancelled and taken off the file or otherwise defaced

0:29:570:30:01

"and obliterated to the intent the same may not visible in after ages."

0:30:010:30:08

How final.

0:30:080:30:10

-He was even smarter than I thought.

-Mm.

0:30:100:30:13

Because once his fate was sealed...

0:30:130:30:17

..he must have been able to see

0:30:180:30:20

he could have a more lasting effect than if he hadn't died.

0:30:200:30:24

Yes. Absolutely.

0:30:240:30:25

The Glorious Revolution is a real turning point in English history.

0:30:250:30:30

It's the moment where, you know,

0:30:300:30:32

we move from the possibility of absolute monarchy to

0:30:320:30:35

constitutional monarchy with certain rights and freedoms defended in law.

0:30:350:30:41

And what this pardon does is acknowledge William Russell's

0:30:410:30:45

part in that, that his sacrifice is part of the story leading up

0:30:450:30:50

to that turning point, this turning point that really establishes

0:30:500:30:53

a lot of the constitutional freedoms that we enjoy today.

0:30:530:30:57

My eight times great-grandfather has moved things on.

0:30:570:31:00

That's really something I wished for when I realised I had these

0:31:000:31:05

rather well-to-do ancestors, that they, please God, they did

0:31:050:31:10

something with their life and didn't just sit around, and boy, he did!

0:31:100:31:15

Well, resisting authority is a Russell family trait.

0:31:150:31:18

And, in fact, William Russell seems to have inherited this trait

0:31:180:31:22

from his grandmother, Frances Howard, who I think

0:31:220:31:25

you should also take a look at as a very interesting character.

0:31:250:31:28

Celia's back in London to meet Professor Jackie Eales.

0:31:390:31:42

-Good morning, Professor.

-Hello, Celia, I'm Jackie...

0:31:420:31:46

She wants to find out

0:31:460:31:47

what it was that Frances did to resist authority.

0:31:470:31:50

I know Frances Howard went against the establishment,

0:31:520:31:55

so she's my kind of girl.

0:31:550:31:57

And I want to find out about her.

0:31:570:31:59

-Have you seen a picture of her yet?

-No.

0:31:590:32:01

Well, I've got one here. There she is.

0:32:010:32:04

Oh, I say, I rather like her.

0:32:040:32:07

-She was born in 1593.

-Mm.

0:32:070:32:10

She was a member of an aristocratic family.

0:32:100:32:12

Her father was the Earl of Suffolk, so it's a family that's got

0:32:120:32:16

a very high position at Court under James I.

0:32:160:32:20

And, in 1606, they arrange a marriage for her to the young

0:32:200:32:24

Earl of Essex, a man called Robert Devereux.

0:32:240:32:27

We found out a bit more about the marriage here.

0:32:270:32:30

This is a book that was published a little bit later, in the 1650s.

0:32:300:32:37

"The Earl of Essex was 14 years of age..." Oh!

0:32:370:32:41

"..and she 13..." Oh, dear!

0:32:430:32:45

"..when they married, too young to consider,

0:32:450:32:49

"but old enough to consent."

0:32:490:32:51

Ooh! How mean, actually.

0:32:510:32:56

Um... "Yet by the advice of friends, separated after marriage,

0:32:560:33:01

"she under her mother's wing, and he visiting France."

0:33:010:33:05

-14 and 13!

-Yes.

0:33:070:33:09

I mean, we tend to think of Romeo and Juliet

0:33:090:33:11

and think this is normal - but it isn't.

0:33:110:33:14

And the average age for first marriage amongst aristocrats

0:33:140:33:17

was 20 to 24. It's very much a political manoeuvre.

0:33:170:33:21

It's a way of cementing relationships

0:33:210:33:23

between the two families.

0:33:230:33:24

Dear, dear.

0:33:240:33:26

At the time of Frances's marriage, the King of England was James I,

0:33:280:33:32

who ruled with almost unrestricted power.

0:33:320:33:35

Courtiers vied for the King's favour

0:33:380:33:40

in a bid to stay inside this circle of influence.

0:33:400:33:43

Although the Howard family were already high up at Court,

0:33:440:33:48

they knew that by marrying their daughter to Essex,

0:33:480:33:51

the King's current favourite,

0:33:510:33:53

they would strengthen their position further.

0:33:530:33:56

And did she like him?

0:33:570:33:58

Well, that's a good question. We need to find out a bit more.

0:33:580:34:02

We see them again over here,

0:34:020:34:05

this is a letter that Frances wrote round about 1611.

0:34:050:34:11

She's about 18, it's about five years into the marriage.

0:34:110:34:14

And it's to her friend.

0:34:140:34:17

"You must send me some good fortune.

0:34:170:34:20

"Alas, I have need of it.

0:34:200:34:23

"Keep the Lord still to me, for that I desire.

0:34:230:34:26

"My Lord is lusty and merry and drinketh with his men and all the content he gives me

0:34:260:34:33

"is to abuse me and to use me as doggedly as before.

0:34:330:34:38

"Remember, I beg for God's sake, and get me from this vile place."

0:34:400:34:46

Oh Lord! "Give Turner warning of all things."

0:34:460:34:50

Poor darling. What a horrible time she's having.

0:34:500:34:53

Well, she's not happy, is she?

0:34:530:34:55

She says the house is "this vile place".

0:34:550:34:58

Her husband is abusing her, uses her "doggedly".

0:34:580:35:02

I wonder what that means, sounds very rude.

0:35:020:35:04

Well, I'm not sure it's got the same meaning as it does now.

0:35:040:35:07

No, probably not, but anyway.

0:35:070:35:09

Now she says, "Give Turner warning of all things."

0:35:090:35:12

Who's Turner?

0:35:120:35:14

Well, Turner is a woman called Ann Turner,

0:35:140:35:16

she's the widow of another Court physician, fashionable doctor,

0:35:160:35:20

but the two women have become very close and Ann Turner is

0:35:200:35:23

really Frances' main confidant at this stage in the proceedings.

0:35:230:35:28

Well, I'm glad she's got a friend.

0:35:280:35:29

Sounds utterly grim, doesn't it?

0:35:290:35:32

She mentions somebody else, doesn't she?

0:35:320:35:34

"Keep the Lord still to me, for that I desire."

0:35:340:35:38

That's not her husband though, surely?

0:35:380:35:41

-That must be somebody else she rather likes?

-Yes.

0:35:410:35:43

I mean, she's saying keep the Lord mine

0:35:430:35:45

because that's what I want, and we know...

0:35:450:35:47

-And who's that?

-This is a man called Robert Carr.

0:35:470:35:51

I've got a portrait of him here for you to have a look at.

0:35:510:35:54

So that's the man in question.

0:35:540:35:56

Oh, much more of a sparkle, hasn't he?

0:35:560:35:58

-A bit like Errol Flynn, isn't he?

-Mm-mm.

0:35:580:36:00

So he's quite good looking. He's a rising star at Court.

0:36:000:36:04

He's becoming, very rapidly, the King's favourite,

0:36:040:36:07

and he's making quite an impression.

0:36:070:36:10

A lot of the Court ladies are smitten with him, and so is Frances.

0:36:100:36:14

Is he showing any sign to her?

0:36:140:36:16

Does he like her or is it a fantasy?

0:36:160:36:18

Well, at this stage, we don't really know

0:36:180:36:21

if anything's happening between them.

0:36:210:36:23

-It's a bit too early to tell.

-Mm.

0:36:230:36:25

But there are rumours going around that something is going on.

0:36:250:36:28

Reputation is everything for women in this period so losing your reputation is...

0:36:280:36:33

-potential disaster.

-And what on earth would her husband have said?

0:36:330:36:38

Well, it makes him a cuckold, so

0:36:390:36:42

for him, it's very damaging indeed. It's very embarrassing.

0:36:420:36:46

Frances is getting into a risky situation because she's caught

0:36:460:36:49

between two very powerful men at court.

0:36:490:36:52

Her husband and the rising young favourite as well.

0:36:520:36:56

She's defying her parents, her father, her mother, her brother

0:36:560:37:01

Also her husband.

0:37:010:37:03

This is a patriarchal society in which women are meant to be

0:37:030:37:05

submissive to the men in the family and she's going against that.

0:37:050:37:08

And these are all very important courtiers with reputations at stake in court.

0:37:080:37:12

-So they're very concerned.

-I rather love her spirit.

0:37:120:37:16

But I fear she's going to get into terrible trouble.

0:37:160:37:19

Well, we've got another letter that she wrote,

0:37:190:37:22

and this is actually to Ann Turner.

0:37:220:37:25

"Burn this letter,

0:37:250:37:28

"sweet Turner, I am out of all hope of any good in this world,

0:37:280:37:32

"for I am not able to endure the miseries that are coming on me.

0:37:320:37:36

"But I cannot be happy so long as this man liveth.

0:37:360:37:39

"If I can get this done, you shall have as much money as you can demand.

0:37:390:37:44

"This is fair play. Your sister, Frances Essex."

0:37:440:37:47

Oh, dear! What's she asking her to do?

0:37:470:37:51

Well, you could read that letter as if she's asking somebody to...

0:37:510:37:54

-Bump him off.

-Exactly.

0:37:540:37:55

She is bonkers to think she's going to get away with it, isn't she?

0:37:550:37:58

Well, the bottom line is that she's going to do things her own way,

0:37:580:38:02

that she's defying everybody.

0:38:020:38:04

My ten times great-grandmother was in the most ghastly marriage

0:38:060:38:10

and I realise that they, you know, weren't able to escape, like I would have done -

0:38:100:38:15

I would never have got married in the first place -

0:38:150:38:18

but I'm very worried for her,

0:38:180:38:20

but I fear that she's not playing about.

0:38:200:38:23

But I also think she's an innocent and is going to get herself

0:38:230:38:25

into terrible trouble and I must find out the next bit.

0:38:250:38:29

Celia's on her way to find out whether Frances did try to

0:38:360:38:40

murder her husband in a bid to escape from her unhappy marriage.

0:38:400:38:45

But she's been asked to meet the historian at Lambeth Palace,

0:38:450:38:49

home of the Archbishops of Canterbury for more than 800 years.

0:38:490:38:53

It is most intriguing, because I thought Lady Frances Howard

0:38:550:38:59

was trying to bump off her husband that she was married to and trapped.

0:38:590:39:03

Um, so what on earth has the Archbishop of Canterbury got to do with it?

0:39:030:39:07

She's meeting Dr Laura Gowing.

0:39:070:39:10

Hello. Now, you know all about my great-grandmother, I'm guessing.

0:39:100:39:14

You've come to a Great Hall at Lambeth Palace

0:39:170:39:20

because all marriage is under the jurisdiction of the Church of England.

0:39:200:39:24

The reason it comes to the Archbishop of Canterbury is

0:39:240:39:26

because of the high level of the status of this particular couple.

0:39:260:39:31

This document here records what happened next

0:39:310:39:35

in the Howard marriage.

0:39:350:39:37

"Libel laid down by the Lady Frances Howard against the Earl of Essex.

0:39:370:39:41

"The said Earl of Essex did not carnally know the said Lady Frances.

0:39:430:39:48

"Neither was able to know her nor had any way

0:39:480:39:51

"carnal copulation with her,

0:39:510:39:53

"nor was strength to have it."

0:39:530:39:56

That's a bit explicit for a State paper, isn't it?

0:39:560:39:59

To be talking about this sort of thing...

0:39:590:40:01

It is, but the State needs to know

0:40:010:40:03

whether this marriage can be consummated.

0:40:030:40:06

She's prosecuting her husband on the grounds of impotence.

0:40:060:40:12

She's requesting an annulment.

0:40:130:40:15

If she succeeds in this plea, she will be able to remarry.

0:40:150:40:19

She needs to have an heir. I mean, that's her coin...

0:40:190:40:21

-Yes.

-..is to produce an heir

0:40:210:40:23

and to send her family further on into the future.

0:40:230:40:26

-This isn't at all what I expected was going to happen.

-No.

0:40:260:40:30

I'd better get to the end.

0:40:300:40:32

"The said Earl of Essex had and hath power and ability

0:40:320:40:37

"to have carnal copulation with other women."

0:40:370:40:40

Is he saying this? I can't... This is unbelievable stuff.

0:40:400:40:45

-I can't believe...

-He doesn't want to admit that...

0:40:450:40:49

That he can't do it.

0:40:490:40:50

..he can't have copulation with anybody.

0:40:500:40:52

No, I don't suppose any man would, would they?

0:40:520:40:54

He suggests that the fault is in her and not in him.

0:40:540:40:56

So, Frances was examined by about ten midwives and matrons.

0:40:560:41:00

She's trying to prove both that she's a virgin

0:41:000:41:03

-and that she is capable of intercourse.

-Mm.

0:41:030:41:06

And how you get a team of matrons and midwives

0:41:060:41:08

to prove that is very tricky.

0:41:080:41:10

They decided eventually that she was a virgin and that she was capable.

0:41:100:41:14

-How degrading and awful for her.

-Mm.

0:41:140:41:19

Especially to have so many of them at her.

0:41:190:41:21

Um, but surely in...to be fair,

0:41:210:41:24

he should have to go through something of the sort?

0:41:240:41:27

-Don't tell me he got off scot-free?

-He doesn't have to formally,

0:41:270:41:30

but the Archbishop of Canterbury lets it be known that

0:41:300:41:33

a friend of his said to him that the Earl of Essex had come into his room

0:41:330:41:37

and showed a group of his friends the sufficiency of his matter.

0:41:370:41:42

-Oh, please!

-They'd all said the ladies of Court would trample

0:41:420:41:45

Frances Howard if they knew the truth of it.

0:41:450:41:47

So, clearly that's all he has to do.

0:41:470:41:49

Just go into somebody else's room and just say, "Here we are, boys."

0:41:490:41:53

How awful! That's terrible.

0:41:530:41:57

Mm, mm.

0:41:570:41:58

What Frances is essentially doing here is setting herself,

0:41:580:42:02

her plea, up against the whole institution of marriage.

0:42:020:42:05

It is going to mobilise a lot of forces against her.

0:42:050:42:08

One of her harshest critics was a man named Thomas Overbury.

0:42:080:42:13

Sir Thomas Overbury was a courtier in the Court of King James I.

0:42:150:42:19

A close friend of Robert Carr's,

0:42:190:42:21

he'd worked hard to engineer the charming young Scot's

0:42:210:42:24

rise from obscurity to the King's new favourite.

0:42:240:42:28

In doing so, Overbury secured himself

0:42:310:42:33

a position of influence at Court.

0:42:330:42:35

But when he discovered that Carr intended to marry

0:42:370:42:40

Frances Howard, Overbury realised his position was in jeopardy.

0:42:400:42:44

Overbury does not like the idea

0:42:480:42:50

because it is going to shove him out in terms of Court interests.

0:42:500:42:53

Because then Carr is no longer going to be under Overbury's control,

0:42:530:42:56

he's going to shift into the sphere of the Howards.

0:42:560:42:59

And we can see the interest of a King, as well,

0:42:590:43:01

also moving in that direction towards the Howards.

0:43:010:43:04

So this is... Overbury is ending up increasingly scarily marginalised.

0:43:040:43:09

In order to secure his own interests,

0:43:090:43:12

Overbury began to publicly malign Frances Howard,

0:43:120:43:15

trying to destroy her relationship with Carr.

0:43:150:43:19

Fearing Overbury could derail the politically advantageous marriage,

0:43:200:43:24

the powerful Howard family wanted him sidelined.

0:43:240:43:28

Somehow in that year, Overbury gets offered an Ambassadorship,

0:43:320:43:36

which he doesn't want. He turns it down.

0:43:360:43:39

To turn down an Ambassadorship is potentially a treasonous act,

0:43:390:43:41

so he ends up in the Tower of London for treason.

0:43:410:43:44

Where's Lord Carr in all this? I thought he was his friend?

0:43:440:43:47

Not so interested.

0:43:470:43:49

Now, I'm realising that friend is...there is no such thing.

0:43:490:43:53

-It's all politics.

-Yes.

0:43:530:43:55

On the 15th September, 1613, just as the annulment case is reaching

0:43:550:44:02

its conclusion, something very strange happens to Thomas Overbury.

0:44:020:44:07

On this document here, which is a letter from the newsmonger

0:44:080:44:14

and letter writer, John Chamberlain, we hear what happened.

0:44:140:44:18

"Sir Thomas Overbury died and is buried in the Tower.

0:44:190:44:23

"The manner of his death is not known,

0:44:230:44:26

"but the foulness of the corpse gave suspicion

0:44:260:44:30

"and leaves aspersion that he should die of the pox or somewhat worse."

0:44:300:44:36

Do they think somebody's murdered him, then?

0:44:370:44:39

It sounds slightly suspicious of that, but only very slightly.

0:44:390:44:42

He just dies, nobody pities him, his friends speak indifferently of him.

0:44:420:44:46

Ten days after his death, the annulment reaches a conclusion

0:44:460:44:50

and is granted.

0:44:500:44:52

Three months later, Howard and Carr marry on the 26th December, 1613.

0:44:520:44:57

And everything in the garden's lovely, but...

0:44:570:45:01

I can't believe... Did anybody worry and wonder about Overbury?

0:45:010:45:06

It took two years for any word to filter through.

0:45:060:45:09

But in 1615, the King hears a rumour

0:45:090:45:13

that all was not as it should have been with the death of Overbuy.

0:45:130:45:16

And he is pushed in the direction of investigating it. And so...

0:45:160:45:20

Ah, by who, though?

0:45:200:45:22

Cos you say the King himself maybe not...

0:45:220:45:24

-It's not clear.

-So, someone else?

0:45:240:45:26

It's various interests. Yes.

0:45:260:45:29

This is a letter from Gervais Helwys, who was

0:45:290:45:32

a Lieutenant of the Tower of London at the time that Overbury died.

0:45:320:45:35

"His physician was his overthrow, and that which wrought it was

0:45:350:45:42

"a glyster." Glyster, I'm not sure what that is?

0:45:420:45:45

A glyster is an enema. Somebody has introduced some poison into the glyster.

0:45:450:45:49

"The apothecary had a servant who was corrupted." Oooh.

0:45:500:45:55

"Who corrupted the servant, I can give Your Majesty no account,

0:45:550:46:01

"neither can I directly say that he ever named

0:46:010:46:04

"any as an actor in this business, but only..." Whoa!

0:46:040:46:10

Mrs Turner.

0:46:100:46:11

-Have you met Mrs Turner before?

-Yes, in the letter Frances sent.

0:46:130:46:16

She's still very much on the scene.

0:46:160:46:18

This is the best drama I've come across for yonks.

0:46:180:46:22

This is going to be a big trial if it comes out.

0:46:220:46:25

So if you want to pursue this further,

0:46:250:46:27

-you need to look in the State Trials.

-I do.

0:46:270:46:30

My ten times great-grandmother, Lady Frances Howard,

0:46:330:46:35

is taking me on a complete roller-coaster of surprises.

0:46:350:46:39

Her friend, Mrs Turner, is now implicated in some wrongdoing,

0:46:390:46:43

i.e, murder. Is Lady Frances involved? I've got to find out.

0:46:430:46:47

When Frances married her second husband, Robert Carr,

0:46:490:46:53

they became the Earl and Countess of Somerset.

0:46:530:46:56

They'd been happily married for almost two years

0:46:560:46:59

when they were arrested and forced to stand trial

0:46:590:47:02

as co-conspirators in the poisoning of Thomas Overbury.

0:47:020:47:06

Celia has come to meet Professor David Lindley to see how the case unfolded.

0:47:150:47:20

Hello, David. You're going to show me the next bit.

0:47:200:47:24

I think that's the general idea. So we'll go in here.

0:47:240:47:27

Thank you.

0:47:270:47:29

I'd love to know who suddenly starts the investigation two years later.

0:47:290:47:34

Well, we're not exactly sure, but it seems to have been Ralph Winwood,

0:47:340:47:37

who was the Secretary of State and an enemy of Robert Carr's.

0:47:370:47:41

-Well, it's a marvellous weapon, isn't it?

-Mm-hm. It is.

0:47:410:47:45

If we he wants to bring them down, obviously.

0:47:450:47:47

Yes, and it was a propitious time to do so.

0:47:470:47:49

Robert Carr was on the way down in the King's favour,

0:47:490:47:53

or so it seemed, so a propitious time perhaps for Ralph Winwood

0:47:530:47:58

-to get his revenge on his political enemies.

-Mm.

0:47:580:48:01

Robert Carr was sent off to the Tower...

0:48:030:48:05

-Mm-hm.

-..but Frances wasn't.

0:48:050:48:07

She was put under house arrest at a nobleman's house in Blackfriars.

0:48:070:48:13

And perhaps the reason for it we can see in this letter,

0:48:130:48:17

which you might like to have a look at.

0:48:170:48:20

So, "November 26th, 1615,

0:48:200:48:23

"His Majesty hath commanded you to take careful order that such women

0:48:230:48:28

"be placed about the Countess of Somerset,

0:48:280:48:31

"who will be answerable that at her delivery she do not miscarry."

0:48:310:48:37

At her delivery. She's pregnant.

0:48:370:48:41

Oh, God!

0:48:410:48:43

And she's about to give birth to your nine times great-grandmother.

0:48:430:48:47

Ah, I didn't get that at all.

0:48:470:48:49

What Winwood is worried about is that she will miscarry or

0:48:490:48:54

that, in some way, she'll be prevented from...

0:48:540:48:57

Yes.

0:48:570:48:59

..being investigated further about the murder of Overbury.

0:48:590:49:02

-But they don't trust her an inch, do they? My goodness.

-Absolutely not.

0:49:020:49:05

They really fear that she's going to somehow slip the net.

0:49:050:49:09

Do you know how pregnant she would be at this point then?

0:49:090:49:12

-Um, about eight months.

-Oh, I see. Right.

0:49:120:49:15

Because on the 9th December, 1615, Ann,

0:49:150:49:19

your nine times great-grandmother, and the mother of

0:49:190:49:23

William Lord Russell, was born while her mother was under house arrest.

0:49:230:49:28

Oh, dear.

0:49:280:49:30

Gosh.

0:49:300:49:31

And then, in March, Frances herself is sent to the Tower.

0:49:310:49:35

They come to fetch her and apparently, with very little notice,

0:49:350:49:40

so that she only has time to shed a few tears over her baby,

0:49:400:49:44

before she's separated from Ann and taken off to the Tower.

0:49:440:49:48

It's quite cruel, isn't it?

0:49:480:49:50

I think the separation from her daughter can't but have been...

0:49:500:49:53

-Horrible.

-..very unpleasant, to put it mildly.

0:49:530:49:58

But what we're getting is this huge build-up of anticipation

0:49:580:50:02

towards Frances's trial,

0:50:020:50:04

and people were paying huge money to get tickets to attend the trial.

0:50:040:50:10

And perhaps we can see what happened because here we are.

0:50:100:50:17

"The Countess of Somerset, all the while the indictment was reading,

0:50:180:50:23

"stood looking pale, trembled and shed some few tears.

0:50:230:50:27

"What sayeth thou? Art thou guilty to this felony and murder?

0:50:270:50:31

"Or not guilty?

0:50:310:50:32

"The Lady Somerset answered, 'Guilty,' with a low voice,

0:50:320:50:37

"but wonderful fearful."

0:50:370:50:39

-Oh, dear.

-She pleaded guilty,

0:50:430:50:45

but she had throughout insisted that her husband played no part in it.

0:50:450:50:51

She tried to, as it were, keep the blame, as it were,

0:50:510:50:55

entirely to herself, which was a bit annoying to the powers that be,

0:50:550:51:00

since, probably, Robert Carr was the real target they were aiming at.

0:51:000:51:03

The thing is, David, I'm finding through this whole story, that

0:51:030:51:07

it's so like a drama that I find it terribly exciting and thrilling.

0:51:070:51:12

But actually, the truth is, she's very, very young,

0:51:120:51:17

she's only just had her first baby, which is quite an emotional,

0:51:170:51:21

well, a hugely emotional thing.

0:51:210:51:24

Worse, the baby's been ripped away from her.

0:51:240:51:27

She herself is only about 20, her baby's only five months old.

0:51:270:51:34

She's an enormously vulnerable person at this moment.

0:51:340:51:39

It's not surprising that she is "wonderful fearful"

0:51:390:51:43

at the charge that's levelled against her,

0:51:430:51:46

-particularly bearing in mind the likely implications.

-Mm.

0:51:460:51:50

And here we might just read the sentence.

0:51:500:51:54

"The Lord Highest Steward says - Frances,

0:51:560:51:59

"Countess of Somerset, it is now my part to pronounce

0:51:590:52:03

"judgment that thou shalt be carried from hence to the Tower of London

0:52:030:52:07

"and from thence to the place of execution where you are to be

0:52:070:52:10

"hanged by the neck till you be dead, and Lord have mercy upon your soul."

0:52:100:52:15

Oh, dear.

0:52:150:52:16

And the following day, the same sentence is passed on her husband.

0:52:190:52:24

So, they go back to the Tower...

0:52:240:52:26

-Together.

-..both condemned to death.

0:52:260:52:29

Oh, dear.

0:52:310:52:32

And so...we'd better go to the Tower to see what happened next.

0:52:320:52:38

Oh, dear. OK.

0:52:380:52:40

The awful thing is that, at the beginning of this whole story,

0:52:420:52:46

I said... Well, I'm fascinated by criminals, you see,

0:52:460:52:49

and I wondered whether there were any criminals in my family tree.

0:52:490:52:53

-Uh-oh!

-Well, and here you've got two.

0:52:530:52:56

It's awfully sad, though. Well, murderers, as well.

0:52:560:53:00

I am extremely proud to be related to this rather wonderful woman, um,

0:53:020:53:07

because let's say the Earl of Essex was impotent and all she wanted was

0:53:070:53:14

to have a baby, then the marriage that I always imagine, the whole act

0:53:140:53:20

of marriage being a trap, she really was trapped, aged 13, let's say.

0:53:200:53:26

This terrible sort of loveless life she was going to have, but she

0:53:260:53:29

didn't sit down and do what...play by the rules, she absolutely didn't.

0:53:290:53:34

She stood up and was publicly humiliated, um, but made a stand

0:53:340:53:42

and now she's on her way to the Tower.

0:53:420:53:45

-Raven behind us.

-Yes.

-That's rather marvellous.

0:53:520:53:55

The Raven himself, his horse.

0:53:550:53:57

Here we are in the space that both Robert

0:53:580:54:02

and Frances were waiting essentially for execution.

0:54:020:54:06

But then, I've got something to show you...

0:54:060:54:09

-OK.

-..for the next... Perhaps go over here

0:54:090:54:12

and perhaps you'd like to look at this document here.

0:54:120:54:15

This is a letter from John Chamberlain, who was a news gatherer of the period.

0:54:150:54:22

So July 20th, 1616, "The lady's pardon was signed the other week.

0:54:220:54:28

"The special reasons and inducements for it were for the great

0:54:280:54:33

"and long services of her father, family and friends,

0:54:330:54:37

"her own penitence and voluntary confession."

0:54:370:54:42

Does this mean she got off?

0:54:420:54:45

Yes. The pardon was signed.

0:54:450:54:47

But for her husband, Robert Carr,

0:54:470:54:49

wasn't pardoned formally for another, um, seven or eight years.

0:54:490:54:53

-Oh, dear.

-But they lived here, in the Tower, for six years.

0:54:530:54:58

-In this room?

-In, well, rooms in this...

0:54:580:55:01

And what happened to the baby?

0:55:010:55:02

Probably being looked after by her sister.

0:55:020:55:06

They are finally released in 1622 when Frances would be about 30.

0:55:060:55:12

-She's been through hell.

-Mm-hm.

0:55:120:55:15

Um, now that they're out, is it all all right or not?

0:55:150:55:19

There is some evidence that it wasn't.

0:55:190:55:22

Well, I can hardly be surprised, actually.

0:55:220:55:24

That Robert blamed Frances for, in essence, ruining his career.

0:55:240:55:31

So how awful, aged 13 or whatever it is, she got into

0:55:310:55:34

this loveless marriage with the Earl of Essex, now she's 30,

0:55:340:55:39

and her life's been one big struggle really for, you know, to...

0:55:390:55:46

I mean, she had two years of bliss, and then...

0:55:460:55:50

-this is like eight years of hell.

-Yes.

0:55:500:55:54

And now she comes out and they hate each other.

0:55:540:55:56

It must have been difficult, certainly.

0:55:560:55:59

-But...but they stuck together, they didn't separate.

-Mm.

0:55:590:56:02

Because Frances actually died

0:56:020:56:06

only ten years after they were released

0:56:060:56:10

and, in here, there's an account of her death.

0:56:100:56:14

"She died before him. Her death was infamous.

0:56:140:56:18

"The loathsomeness of her death made it as conspicuous

0:56:180:56:23

"as on the house top.

0:56:230:56:25

"For that part of her body which had been the receptacle of most

0:56:250:56:29

"of her sin, grown rotten, pardon the sharpness of these expressions

0:56:290:56:35

"for they are for the glory of God who often makes His punishments

0:56:350:56:41

"in the balance of His justice of equal weight with our sins."

0:56:410:56:45

Oh, dear. Who's writing this?

0:56:460:56:49

This is Arthur Wilson, who was a historian of the period, and what

0:56:490:56:54

he's really doing is immortalising Frances as the female transgressive.

0:56:540:57:01

Now she died of breast cancer and uterine cancer,

0:57:010:57:06

and yet he represents this as the punishment for her sin.

0:57:060:57:12

Well, who's he to say?! Dear Lord!

0:57:120:57:15

-Hasn't she been through enough?!

-Mm-hm.

0:57:150:57:17

The Earl of Essex, her former husband, knew this historian.

0:57:170:57:22

Is that terrible payback going on somewhere, do you think?

0:57:240:57:27

Sounds like it, doesn't it?

0:57:270:57:29

What upsets me is, can you imagine if a man had died of the pox, say?

0:57:290:57:34

-I bet the description wouldn't be so loathsome.

-Mm-hm.

0:57:340:57:38

And to have such a judgment put on them.

0:57:380:57:41

What it tells us is this is how Frances Howard has been

0:57:410:57:45

-essentially seen from that day to this.

-To this.

0:57:450:57:48

I think this wild weather

0:57:550:57:57

and this wild place to be is perfect for my ancestors.

0:57:570:58:00

I'm so proud to be related to such fantastically brave, loyal,

0:58:000:58:06

noble people.

0:58:060:58:07

They could have shut up and said nothing,

0:58:070:58:10

but they all spoke out and were courageous, especially Lady Frances.

0:58:100:58:15

I'm so proud that I'm not related to wishy-washy people,

0:58:170:58:20

drinking tea all over the place. Quite the reverse.

0:58:200:58:24

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