The SUSPICIOUS Murder Of Sir Thomas Overbury

The murder and death of Sir Thomas Overbury could be considered to come straight from a Shakespearian drama. It's an event that saw incredibly scheming and cunning take place by members of James I's royal court. Today it is a forgotten event, but at the heart of the story are two best friends and a woman who gets caught between them.

Thomas Overbury was a poet and a prominent member of James I's court, and he was best friends with Robert Carr. Carr became one of the favourites of the King, following breaking his leg in a jousting accident with James I and Carr growing very close. When Robert Carr rose to prominence gaining many titles and much power, he relied on Thomas Overbury to help him with matters of court. It was clear that Overbury was the brains behind the partnership, and through Carr he could pass on what he would want to the King. They were key allies and incredibly close friends, however a woman would come between them.

Frances Howard was already married to Robert Devereux, the 3rd Earl of Essex. She fell in love with Carr and Overbury greatly opposed the affair that his best friend and Frances were having. He wrote a poem at the time titled 'A Wife' in which explained the virtues women should have before marriage, and Frances Howard took great offence to this. Overbury was then targeted and was offered a position as the King's ambassador in Russia, but Overbury declined. For this the King threw him into the Tower of London, however during this imprisonment he would be poisoned and mysteriously killed.

When a trial was held, the information that came out was astonishing. So join us today as we look at, 'The SUSPICIOUS Murder Of Sir Thomas Overbury.'

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Music - I Am A Man Who Will Fight For Your Honour - Chris Zabriskie.

[trj]

Another great episode. Thank you for your content.

[ahuddleston]

I love history!
You must have a warning about how addictive your channel is!
Keep up the awesome work!

[burtuppercut]

Superb, really look forward to these videos.

[rinalore]

This is great timing, I just watched a movie about King James.
This is a great doc but I'm quite surprised George Villiers wasn't mentioned and was wondering why?
I think George Villiers was an intelligent man who rose through the school of hard knocks and everyone else had to know someone to get into Court.
💐Thanks for educating.

[jaylopes]

Poor guy at the Tower thinking - °that job to Russia now doesn't seem that bad . . .

👋🇵🇹

[ironmage]

Ah, my daily dose of historical excellence. Thank you!

[mateusgorski]

Nice video bro! I am learning history and english at the same time (because english is not my main language)! Two things that I love and your explanation makes it way better and fun. Hello from Brazil!

[christianfreedom-seeker]

RIP He didn't deserve that. In fact, he was RIGHT to point out that adulterers get nowhere fast and adultry was illegal in England at the time so why did the King so blindly favor his friend and overlooked existing law? Corruption. Sort of like today....

[janettemccubbin]

If you have not done yet, as I can't find a vid, can you do a vid about Lord Darnley please?

[floraposteschild]

Years ago, I read a book about Frances which did backflips defending her as some kind of innocent and the victim of misogyny at James's anti-female court. Whatever I think about James I, yeah no. The evidence against Frances Howard is overwhelming, as the prime mover of the plot.

[pizzaparlor]

Airbrushing the intimate relationship between King James and Robert Carr leads one to wonder what other aspects of this report have been "PG-ed" for polite school consumption.

[chrismagliolo]

I am a descendant of his brother. He purchased a home from his wife’s family, and it still stands today. Bourton House in The Cotswolds.
In 1621, Overbury’s father was knighted, and lived to his early 90s, finally dying in the 1640s. Eventually a younger son made his way to the Virginia Colony near Jamestown and eventually to Bristol. My grandfather’s ancestor settled in Mississippi. There are still Overburys in Gloustershire, as well as many places in the US. The name can also be spelled as Overby, Overbay, and Overbey in the US.

[hashtag]

I know I make a lot of jokes on this channel but I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your outstanding work. Always top notch!👍

[weekendwarriorprospecting]

Your videos are fantastic and very insightful 👌🏻. I'd like to request you make a video about EDWARD TEECH, AKA BLACKBEARD 🧔🏻
Born and raised in Downend Bristol England ( my neck of the woods). Very surprising that his stint as a pirate ☠ was so short yet so dominant 👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[Petermanchannel]

So what I've learned from these videos (which are great BTW) is never get close to the king or queen.

[knownothing]

How about the story of Christopher Marlowe?

[gmpick]

And this story is where the saying “bro’s before ho’s” came from. I think! Well maybe not but it should have.

[alancoe]

King James had time to spend time with the young men of the court because Cecil was doing the drudge work of running the country, as he had in the later part of Elizabeth's reign. Cecil's death and the death of Prince Henry was the beginning of the
fall of public opinion toward the Stuarts. James and then Charles having Catholic wives kept the paranoia pot bubbling as well.

[MrGoldenV]

Was the tower of London painted at any point in history?

[alanhyt]

Write a poem, get a sulfuric acid enema. Another reason to prefer prose.