How a Tudor Courtroom Became a Death Trap

Imagine stepping into court expecting justice… and instead walking into a death sentence.

On this day in Tudor history, 25th July 1577, Queen Elizabeth I’s top lawyer, Nicholas Barham, died in Oxford—not by blade or betrayal, but from a silent, invisible killer: gaol fever. Within weeks, over 500 people were dead, including judges, jurors, sheriffs, and townspeople.

In this podcast, I, Claire Ridgway, historian and author, uncover:
- Who Nicholas Barham was and his rise to power
- How gaol fever (epidemic typhus) spread and killed
- What other "Black Assizes" followed
- Why even the powerful weren’t safe from Tudor disease

This story isn’t just about one man—it’s about the dangers of Tudor life, the limits of medical knowledge, and the shocking realities of a justice system where one infected prisoner could doom a whole court. Had you ever heard of the Black Assizes or gaol fever? Let me know in the comments.

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