All is Lost

This clip opens with bailiffs coming to the Daniell house to claim the £2000 awarded to Lady Essex by the court in a judgement against John Daniell. Jane, her children and maid are cast out of their home. Jane then returns to her letter to King James and asks for his help and for justice. The final sequence sums up the story for us, and it does not end happily for the Daniells. This is one of six clips that make up a play based on the story of the Daniell family in Tudor times. John Daniell was an ambitious gentleman from Cheshire. He had been a supporter of the powerful Earl of Essex, a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I. John hoped to gain power and wealth by serving a powerful patron like Essex. He moved to Hackney with his wife and children in 1600. However Essex fell from favour with Elizabeth in 1602. The Daniells suffered as a result. They had been asked to keep some letters for the Earl of Essex’s wife and when Essex fell this put them in a difficult position. This play tells their story. This clip gives us an insight into how Tudor society worked. Families from the gentry often tried to ally themselves to more powerful families in the hope of getting important jobs or other rewards. The clip shows how the plan backfired for one family. The play is based on genuine documents in the Hackney Archives collection.

Channel: UK National Archives Video Length: 3m 50s Date Found: Wed, Apr 02 2008 10:10 PM Category: History Date Produced: View Count: 27