A turkey in Shakespeare’s England? Absolutely. Missy Dunaway calls it her “timeline touchstone bird”—a reminder that Shakespeare was writing while the Atlantic world was rapidly changing. Hear the full conversation: www.cassidycash.com/ep437

NEW EPISODE: Missy Dunaway set out to illustrate all the birds named in Shakespeare’s plays. Along the way, she discovered fascinating history— and early modern science. She joins us today to tell about her work and the research she uncovered in the process. www.cassidycash.com/ep437

Peruse paintings, illustrations, books, and more featuring cats from Shakespeare’s England and their roles in Elizabethan life. There’s also some bonus episodes from our back catalog on Civet Cats & cats used in the military. Join us inside That Shakespeare Society www.patreon.com/thatshakespe...

"By the end of the 15th century, farmers were using the phrase 'barn cat' — and deliberately not feeding them, because a hungry cat is a far more effective way to protect the harvest from rats and mice."— Helen Parrish, historian, University of Reading www.cassidycash.com/ep436

Shakespeare uses the word “ shrift” 9 times in his works, talking about something you can do, give, present, and attend. What does it mean? Let’s find out, right now, on Weird Word Wednesday.

"In 16th-century England, formal cat breeds didn't exist yet — the cat population was a mix of indigenous European wildcats and mixed-breed cats, most of which were put to work controlling vermin."— Helen Parrish, historian, University of Reading www.cassidycash.com/ep436

NEW EPISODE: Shakespeare mentions cats over 30 times in his plays — so what were cats actually doing in his England? Historian Helen Parish joins me to explore plague scapegoats, witch's familiars, royal pets, and what a 16th-century cat really looked like. 🐈‍⬛ cassidycash.com/ep436

I found a painting from the 16thC w kids playing wa crawfish. I went down a rabbit hole wondering whether Shakespeare would have eaten, or how they cooked, crayfish in the 16thC (Did they call it crayfish, crawdads or crawfish?) Find out all these things right now, on YouTube. youtu.be/yz5OXGfwqHc

This week inside That Shakespeare Society, we've added rare paintings and illustrations of women at work in early modern homes — the visual companion to Ep 435 Members also get an ad free episode, extended cuts, and behind the scenes details. join now www.patreon.com/thatshakespe...

Women made up 50% of the population and 50% of the workforce in Shakespeare's England — working in dairy, brewing, medicine-making, even mining and transport. Being a "housewife" was closer to running a small business than just keeping house. 🧵 Ep 435, That Shakespeare Life www.cassidycash.com/ep435

When Biron calls love “parti-coated” he isn’t talking your festive outwear. Find out what this word means on this week’ s Weird Word Wednesday.

"Women's reputation depended partly on their work.” — Jane Whittle, historian, on the weight the word "housewife" carried in Shakespeare's England 🎙️ Ep 435, That Shakespeare Life www.cassidycash.com/ep435

NEW EPISODE: What did it actually take to run a household in Shakespeare's England? Historian Jane Whittle joins us to unpack the real world behind Shakespeare's 14 uses of the word "housewife" — from good housewife to false housewife to a "franklin's housewife." 🎧 www.cassidycash.com/ep435

The deed of sale where Shakespeare purchased the Blackfriars, the legal dispute when Thomas Nashe tried to give it away from Susanna Shakespeare, + more are inside the Detailed Show Notes for patrons of That Shakespeare Life. Sign up today for these & all our history guides www.cassidycash.com/ep434

"... in the 1630s...[Thomas Nashe, not the playwright, husband of Shakespeare’s granddaughter] tries to leave the property to one of his relatives... Susanna [& Elizabeth] take steps to prevent this happening, leads to a lawsuit.” @LucyMunro www.cassidycash.com/ep434

Shakespeare was long thought to have retired after the Globe burned in 1613. But Lucy argues that his work with Fletcher, his efforts over the Blackfriars property, and his presence in London in 1614 suggest he remained active and was still planning for the future. www.cassidycash.com/ep434

NEW EPISODE: We finally know the exact location of Shakespeare’s missing house in London thanks to the newly discovered evidence found by our guest, @LucyMunro. Join us this week as we explore the archival journey that revealed Shakespeare’s lost London residence. www.cassidycash.com/ep434

One of the most powerful positions in the country, the Master of the Revels gave the thumbs up (or down) on all theater, and could even send a playwright to jail. But what did it take to become a Master of the Revels? Let’s find out, right now on That Shakespeare Life. youtu.be/ZVbNrVG21No

Go behind the scenes of That Shakespeare Life on Patreon! Explore the woodcuts, paintings, and artifacts behind each episode, listen ad-free, preview upcoming guests, vote on topics, and submit questions for the show. Support us at patreon.com/thatshakespearelife

A new addition to homes in the Tudor period were fences to not only keep animals in, but to keep neighbors out, as well as to define (and subdivide) your property. This 1584 castle painting shows brick fencing, wood fencing, and hedges for defining property borders. www.cassidycash.com/ep433

Throwback Thursday! To accompany Ep. 359 on Shakespeare’s will, I created an illustrated guide to his bequests, recipients, family connections, and their value today. Included for Society members or available separately in our shop. www.patreon.com/thatshakespe...

The kitchen was the heart of a Tudor home where not only were meals made, but people gathered, celebrated, and welcomed visitors. www.cassidycash.com/ep433

NEW EPISODE: Come inside a typical Tudor home with our guest, Bethan Watts as she shares about the happenings, objects, and people we would find inside. www.cassidycash.com/ep433

Here’s a brief history of wine for the 16th century along with fun excerpts from a few Italians writing in England at the time who had some bizarre methods of proving out good wine.https://youtu.be/dNmtL-2PS8o

Join us in the member’s area this week for a gallery of inns, taverns, and even a few acrobats and bagpipes that show up in paintings from the 1580s-1610s that reveal what taverns and alehouses were like for Shakespeare’s lifetime. www.patreon.com/thatshakespe...

Despite their reputation for being places of drunken revelry and raucous behavior, there was a standard of behavior known as “good fellowship” that patrons were expected to follow and tavern owners were responsible to enforce. www.cassidycash.com/ep432

Mistress Quickly might be fictional, but the office, or role, of alewife, or woman who ran an alehouse, was a real position, and quite frequently , it would be women who kept order in these establishments. www.cassidycash.com/ep432

NEW EPISODE: Pull up a chair, pour yourself a tankard of small beer, and join us for some Good Fellowship. This week, Mark Hailwood takes us inside the world, the owners, and the surprising customs of alehouses in 16th-century England. www.cassidycash.com/ep432

See bonus images about the Ottoman Turks and paintings of Tunis and more inside the Detailed Show Notes for this week’s episode: www.patreon.com/thatshakespe...

A 17th-century European map of the Barbary Coast, encompassing Morocco and the Ottoman-affiliated territories of Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli. www.cassidycash.com/ep431