Episode 315: The Russell Dukes of Bedford

The Russell family - future Dukes of Bedford - rose from obscure
West Country gentry to the heights of Tudor power. Starting with
John Russell, a trusted courtier of Henry VIII, they built their
fortune from the lands of dissolved monasteries and turned Woburn
Abbey into one of England’s grandest estates.


In this episode, we trace how the Russells survived through the
shifting faiths of the Tudor court, survived rebellion and
revolution, and eventually reshaped London itself through Russell
Square and Bedford Square. From monks to magnates, this is the
story of the family who built both a dynasty and a city.


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