Sean Mcglynn

Henry VIII’s windfall from the monasteries was shockingly short-term

James Clark reveals that the treasure seized from the monks was soon squandered on useless fortifications

Henry VIII monk- hunting by John Leech, 1850. [Alamy]
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  • The Dissolution of the Monasteries: A New History

    James Clark

    Yale, pp. 689, £25

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Arabella Byrne

Revenge of the rural Barbour

From Spectator Life
Time was, a Barbour meant one thing: the classic Beaufort model that stank of wax, wet dog, and had pockets stuffed with cartridges from a shoot. Naturally, the late Queen Elizabeth modelled it best, standing at Balmoral in hers with her trademark neckerchief. There is an apocryphal tale that, like all die-hard Barbour devotees, the

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