Television presenter Rob Rinder and historian Ruth Goodman have earned a four-star review for their Channel 5 documentary series finale on Tudor England's 1588 Armada defense.
Writing in his television review, critic Christopher Stevens said the presenting duo redeemed themselves in the final episode of The Tudors With Rob Rinder and Ruth Goodman. Rinder, a barrister and broadcaster, and Goodman, a social historian, had previously strayed close to self-indulgent history by pitting rich against poor and judging the past by current fashions.
However, Stevens praised the finale on British network Channel 5 for delivering rich detail on how economic measures, local archers, and dried fruit protected the realm from Spanish forces.
Mandatory fish days and civilian archers
The episode investigated how Tudor England maintained maritime readiness through dietary legislation. Stevens wrote that he had previously assumed the tradition of eating fish on Friday was rooted in religious practice, but the broadcast demonstrated it was an economic strategy for national defense.
Because the Tudor exchequer could not afford a permanent Royal Navy in peacetime, seafarers had to earn a living as commercial fishermen. To ensure strong market demand for their catches, eating fish every Friday was made compulsory across the country.
Anyone caught eating mutton instead of mackerel could be punished publicly in the stocks. The program highlighted that about 20 per cent of modern British people never eat oily fish, with Rinder showing his own revulsion when tasting a piece of eel.
England also lacked a standing army, relying instead on a fully prepared civilian population. Every male aged between seven and 60 was required by law to own a bow, keep at least two arrows, and remain proficient in archery. Stevens noted that Tudor England was defended more vigorously than the country is today.
How dried currants funded the fleet
The review drew attention to the discovery that dried currants played a central role in national survival. Elizabethans routinely used sun-dried currants to sweeten various dishes, from savory meat pies to lardy cakes.
The exclusive import monopoly for currants belonged to Thomas Cordell, a London shipping magnate who lived in Cheapside, near St Paul's Cathedral, with his wife and at least seven children. Cordell maintained a large fleet of trading vessels to transport cargo into England.
When the Spanish Armada approached off Plymouth Hoe in 1588, the monarch commandeered Cordell's commercial ships to construct a makeshift navy. Around 16,000 men, mostly conscripts, were assembled to crew the fleet.
Heavy casualties from disease after battle
English ships engaged the Spanish fleet in fierce naval fighting and a long pursuit. Despite the heavy combat, only about 100 English sailors were killed during the battle.
However, severe illness struck the fleet on the journey home, resulting in approximately 7,000 deaths from disease among the returning crews.
Stevens concluded his review by reflecting on how commercial imports and trade supported national defense, suggesting readers remember the fallen Tudor seafarers the next time they enjoy a currant bun.
