Stalker of Norfolk Cheat Sheet
Stalker of Norfolk Historical Cast: A Cheat Sheet
During the course of posting “The Stalker of Norfolk”, which takes place in England at the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, we found ourselves fielding a number of questions about whether or not the non-regular Doctor Who cast characters were, in fact, meant to be the cast of Blackadder II. Perhaps the issue was complicated by my decision to cameo Edmund Blackadder II himself on page 18. The answer is a definite no.
The comic is meant to be a genuine historical story, if you can excuse the references to aliens and time travel. The characters in the story, other than Beverly and the Doctor Who regulars, are all, where possible, taken from actual historical documentation. The thing is, Blackadder II poked fun at exactly the same historical figures and situations, so naturally there are some similarities. To show you what we mean, here is a guide to the source material used for some of the characters in “The Stalker of Norfolk”:
Click on the portrait thumbnails to see the full versions; for the comic thumbnails, click to be taken to the character’s first appearance. Only characters based on a real historical personage are included in this list.
Note bene: the titles beside the names reflect the person’s position at the time of the comic. Many of them changed jobs and ranks as Elizabeth’s reign progressed.
| The Name | The Face | The Comic Version |
| Elizabeth Tudor, Queen of England (b. 1533 – d. 1603) |
Portrait c. 1563, Steven Van Der Meulen |
Image 2009 – 2010, Rich Morris |
| Robert Dudley, Master of Horse (b. 1532 – d. 1588) |
Portrait c. 1560, Steven Van Der Meulen |
Image 2009 – 2010, Rich Morris |
| Amye Robsart, Lady Dudley (b. 1532 – d. 1560) |
There are no extant portraits of Lady Dudley known to exist. Some sources suggest that she was dark-haired, and quite pretty. Amye Robsart and Robert Dudley were famous for beginning as a love-match (“a carnal marriage,” according to the disapproving William Cecil), a situation highly unusual for noble marriages of the era. |
Image 2009 – 2010, Rich Morris |
| William Cecil, Secretary of State (b. 1520 – d. 1598) |
Portrait c. 1560s, Arnold van Brounckhorst
Played in this comic by Richard Attenborough (Still from Elizabeth. Unfortunately.) |
Image 2009 – 2010, Rich Morris. |
| Henry Sidney, President of the Council of the Marches in Wales (b. 1529 – d. 1586) |
Portrait c. 1573, Arnold van Brounckhorst
Played in this comic by Anthony Ainley. (Still from the vastly superior Elizabeth R.) |
Image 2009 – 2010, Rich Morris. |
| John Dee, Scientific Advisor and Court Astrologer (b. 1527 – d. circa 1608/1609) |
Portrait c. 1580s, artist unknown |
Image 2009 – 2010, Rich Morris |
| Katherine Ashley, First Lady of the Bedchamber (b. circa 1490s – d. 1565) |
Portrait c. 1520s, artist unknown. |
Image 2009 – 2010, Rich Morris |
| Jane Pinto, Personal Maid to Lady Dudley (unknown) |
There are no extant portraits of Jane. We know her name thanks to court records from the inquest, where she appeared as a witness. |
Image 2009 – 2010, Rich Morris |
| John Flowerdew, Steward of Syderstone (unknown) |
There are no extant portraits of John. We know his name through Robert and Amye’s personal and business correspondence. |
Image 2009 – 2010, Rich Morris |
