South Kensington Living
Tudor and Jacobean
Tudor refers to the reigns of Henry Tudor and his descendents. Plain Henry Tudor became Henry VII (1485 - 1509) when he defeated Richard III at Bosworth. His son was Henry VIII (1509 - 1547). Edward VI (1547 - 1553) was Henry VIII's son. He was succeeded by his sister, Mary (1553 - 1558) who was Henry VIII's daughter by Catherine of Aragon. She was succeeded by her sister, Elizabeth (1558 - 1603), Henry VIII's daughter by Anne Boleyn. Elizabeth left no heirs so James I (the son of Mary Queen of Scots) succeeded her in 1605 and the Tudor period ended.
Jacobean (a Latinised version of James) refers to the reigns of James I (1603 - 1625) and his descendents. He was succeeded by his son Charles I (1625 - 1649). Charles I was beheaded and replaced by the Commonwealth and Oliver Cromwell. But his son Charles II (1660 - 1685) returned as king in 1660. Charles' brother, James II (1685 - 1688) succeeded him. James II was dethroned in favour of his daughter, Mary (1689 - 1702) who married William of Orange. She was succeeded by her sister, Anne (1702 - 1714). She died without heirs, and Parliament gave the Crown to George, the Elector of Hanover, who brought in the Georgian age.
There are stone-built buildings from the Tudor and Jacobean era, such as palaces and country houses. But there are practically no Elizabethan or Jacobean houses in London and the era had little impact on future London street houses. Few were brick-built; and most had just one room per floor. So the design of the modern brick-built house is essentially a product of the Georgian period.
