Saints Talk
Dr Amy Blakeway
War, Destruction, and Reform: the early years of Mary, Queen of Scots
- Date
- Tuesday 22 June 2026
- Time
- 5.15 pm BST
- Location
- Microsoft Teams
Dr Amy Blakeway is Senior Lecturer in Sixteenth-Century Scottish History in the School of History and the Institute for Scottish Historical Research. Her research focuses on sixteenth-century Scottish political life in local, national and international contexts.
Amy is the author of numerous articles and three books on sixteenth-century Scotland, the most recent of which, 'War and Governance in Scotland, 1543-1559: Destruction, Reconstruction, and Reform' is published this month by Edinburgh University Press. The research in this book is the basis for the current Wardlaw Museum exhibition 'War, Destruction and Reform: the early years of Mary, Queen of Scots'.
In this talk Amy explores the impact of the largest Tudor invasion of Scotland on the lives of ordinary folk, and how the country was governed, connecting the influence of war-driven inflation, a cost of living crisis, and high taxation to post-war social tensions and disruption. The talk will especially draw on highlights from the University's collections - including some on display in the exhibition - such as the earliest Burgh Records of Cupar and Crail, which the University is privileged to preserve on behalf of our neighbours, sharing the new research drawn from these precious records to show the significance of local stories in a national context.
Following the talk, attendees can ask questions in a live question and answer (Q&A) session.