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Were you taught about Mary Queen of Scots being in Sheffield at School

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I get really annoyed whenever I watch a T.V. programme or read anything about Mary Queen Of Scots, there is NEVER a mention that she spent around thirteen years here in Sheffield, winter in the Castle and Summer at the Manor Lodge. I lived five minutes walk from the Manor Lodge and saw it around ten times a week but I cant recall being taught anything about Mary at school. Is Sheffield a dirty word? if she had been imprisoned York or London that bit of history would be always included in which ever film or documentary about Mary.

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I went to school in the 50's & 60's in Sheffield and I loved history, but it wasn't until I read Jean Plaidys' book The Captive Queen in my early twenties that I was made aware of her imprisonment in Sheffield Castle!

It seems to me in fact, that my generation at least, were deliberately kept ignorant of the rich history of our immediate surroundings. This is not to say that we didn't get a good grounding in the subject - we did - the kings, queens, wars, battles, dissolution of the monastries, the industrial revolution and of course the mining and steel industries were well drummed home as well as the many tales of Empire, but I personally left school at 15 with no idea of the history of my own city and I just wondered if anyone else felt the same?

 

we were never taught much at my school it was not like they do today and choose what they want to study in what subject they wanted to study my grand kids who have lived in new Zealand since they were about 3 and 7 wn they both started school the were taught in the normal way when they moved up to secondary or high school they were allowed to choose which lessons they wanted hey could do it like if they wanted so learn about maths and English the dreaded subjects loathed by my class mates including me especially algebra, logarithms and other stuff. why do kids have to learn algebra and logarithms how many people have used these 2 logs and alg or like me never I couldn't tell you how and what you would use them for because I have loathed them so much that's why I am a little bit scared od spelling grammar so maybe I should have listened a bit more but not knowing about I have got through life ok

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It was mentioned in passing, but not as in-depth as I think it ought to have been.

 

MQoS would have had pretty much a full retinue of staff, as befitted an anointed queen. She would have had a large complement of attendants, even though as time passed she had fewer and fewer of her faithful retainers, as the staff were replaced with those faithful to the Protestant court of Elizabeth.

 

She was held in Sheffield and other castles/ homes like Chatsworth, and hardwick hall, which were owned by the talbots, (her gaoler was George Talbot, husband of bess of Hardwick, whose ornate tombs are actually in the cathedral in Sheffield)

 

Being MQoS gaoler practically bankrupted the talbots.

 

It was only when I got older I cottoned on to the links with MQoS, and the Tudor court... and the names of roads in Sheffield, not just Surrey st, norfork st, talbot Shrewsbury, etc, etc, (being the names/titles of the talbots) queen Mary road, paulet Guildford, babington, smeaton, kenninghall, Cary, and so on.

There were two pubs in park/Arbourthorne area named for her:-the Scottish queen, on Park hill, and the captive queen on the Norfolk park, and the legend (whether true or no, is most intriguing!) that Arbourthorne was named for MQoS 'arbour' of 'thorns' attached to the manor, and where she would ride out to hunt.

 

Your short , but very concise resume , of the history of Mary is excellent. She was moved to almost every secure place in England in order that the usurping tudors did not have to assassinate the the rightful heir to the english throne - as they did with Richard 111.

It is ironical that the the present system - government, media, etc., bestows so much attention , support and favour upon Scotland and its people at the time of their impending referendum for independence . I do hope that the Scots see through this smoke screen .

England are past masters at duplicity , and they have demonstrated this in their teachings of history. It would be interesting , were the system , big business and westminster to keep their noses out of the internal affairs of another legitimate country and let its people decide their own destiny .

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Your short , but very concise resume , of the history of Mary is excellent. She was moved to almost every secure place in England in order that the usurping tudors did not have to assassinate the the rightful heir to the english throne - as they did with Richard 111.

It is ironical that the the present system - government, media, etc., bestows so much attention , support and favour upon Scotland and its people at the time of their impending referendum for independence . I do hope that the Scots see through this smoke screen .

England are past masters at duplicity , and they have demonstrated this in their teachings of history. It would be interesting , were the system , big business and westminster to keep their noses out of the internal affairs of another legitimate country and let its people decide their own destiny .

They should give England the vote as well., we would be independent tomorrow no more tax payers money thrown at Scotland and Northern Ireland.

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You see just how much this part of her history has been brushed over when you realize she spent more of her life round here than she did in Scotland...

As for feeling sorry for her, I think she paid us all back in full by inflicting her son and the whole Stuart line on England...

 

And why did she come to England in the first place ? to escape being assassinated by the Scots...

Edited by grinder

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I have no wish to be insulting but the standard of some of the contributions on this subject is unbelievably crass.

 

What is even more amazing is people write the most abject nonsense when via google and some basic research they could educate themselves and even possibly, add to the debate.

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I have no wish to be insulting but the standard of some of the contributions on this subject is unbelievably crass.

 

What is even more amazing is people write the most abject nonsense when via google and some basic research they could educate themselves and even possibly, add to the debate.

 

Thank you Alan for your most welcome post.

There have been some very unexpected responses to my original post, but each to his own, I say.

It was just my personal experience of school history that I wanted verifying or denying - which was basically that we had very little to do with British history until the advent of the Industrial Revolution and even then ordinary Sheffielders, we in the schoolroom and our ancestors, played very little part in that!

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Thank you Alan for your most welcome post.

There have been some very unexpected responses to my original post, but each to his own, I say.

It was just my personal experience of school history that I wanted verifying or denying - which was basically that we had very little to do with British history until the advent of the Industrial Revolution and even then ordinary Sheffielders, we in the schoolroom and our ancestors, played very little part in that!

 

All part of Sheffield being very slow to blow it's own trumpet. Maybe with the proposed plans for Sheffield Castle there'll be an upsurge in local history. There's lots of it and very interesting it is.

 

Incidently, the Sheffield flood was the biggest natural disaster in Europe, but got barely a mention in Parliament, and even in Sheffield a lot of people know little about it. So this is a historical problem, (excuse the pun...)

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Were you taught about Mary Queen of Scots being in Sheffield at School

 

I thought she was brought up in France.

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My schooling was in the mid 60's - I had an interest in history, but at school it was so boring, railways, railways and railways! My gran had a love of history, and from her I heard about Mary and have always enjoyed reading about her ever since. I have always felt sorry for Mary, yes I think she was easily led and did not pick her freinds/lovers wisely, but I do have an attachment to her, she was an annointed queen and was put to death by her cousin, and she must have endured such hardship. No wonder she suffered with arthritis, being cooped up in those draughty castles and houses:confused::confused:

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While I was at Manor Lane Elementary School 1947-51, we went on a trip around Manor Castle. The old lady who showed us around told us that Mary Queen of Scot's ghost haunts the place. Stayed with me all these years.

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