In my last post, I mentioned that after the execution of their father, Jane Seymour and three of her sisters came to live with their aunt Elizabeth, Lady Cromwell. As the following letter to William Cecil indicates, Lady Cromwell wasn’t entirely happy about having four young girls (the oldest of the four, Margaret, was twelve) […]
The Other Jane Seymour: A Follow-Up Letter Read More »
Tudor England possessed not one but two Lady Janes who were noted for their learning, whose parents aspired to marry them to the king, and who died tragically young. The first Lady Jane needs no introduction; the second probably will: Lady Jane Seymour. Jane Seymour, niece to Henry VIII’s queen by the same name, was
The Other Lady Jane Read More »
One episode of Katherine Parr’s life that almost never fails to be mentioned is the battle between her and Anne Stanhope, Duchess of Somerset, for precedence following Katherine’s remarriage to Thomas Seymour. Thomas was the younger brother of Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, Lord Protector to Edward VI. As generally reported, the Duchess of Somerset,
The Great Precedence Battle of Katherine Parr and Anne Somerset Read More »
Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford and Duke of Somerset, married twice: the first time to Katherine Fillol, the second time to Anne Stanhope. Though his first wife was repudiated and died in obscurity, her descendants would ultimately succeed to the dukedom of Somerset. Katherine Fillol was the daughter of Sir William Fillol. She and Edward
The Marital Misadventures of Edward Seymour Read More »
First, a visit from the Bard: I do not now fool myself, to let imagination jade me; for every reason excites to this, that my lady loves me. She did commend my yellow stockings of late, she did praise my leg being cross-garter’d; and in this she manifests herself to my love, and with a
How To Marry a Duchess: A Valentine’s Day Post Read More »
In October 1551, Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, and his wife Anne were committed to the Tower. (The duke would be executed on January 22, 1552, the duchess would remain a prisoner until released by Mary I in August 1553.) Here, from Henry Ellis’s Original Letters Illustrative of English History, are the items that the
What the Well-Dressed Couple Brought to the Tower Read More »
Anne Stanhope, Duchess of Somerset, will be making an appearance in my work in progress. While doing research yesterday, I stumbled upon her will, printed by John G. Nichols in an 1845 issue of the Gentleman’s Magazine. I’ll probably be posting about her more later, as she is a fascinating woman, who was the subject
The Last Will of Anne Stanhope, Duchess of Somerset Read More »