Cousin Jane and King Henry

Jane Seymour, Queen Consort to King Henry VIII

Jane Seymour is the first to give an heir who lives past infancy, to King Henry VIII.

Jane Seymour our 2nd cousin, 14 removed.

[and below in continuation, Thomas, her brother married the last wife of King Henry, Catherine Parr. Thomas also our 2nd cousin, 14 removed.]

Mary Clifford=Sir Philip Wentworth		common ancestor
Elizabeth Wentworth=Sir Martin de la See	Sir Henry Wentworth=Anne Say	siblings
Joan de la See=Sir Peter Hildyard	Margaret of Wentworth=Sir John Seymour	1st Cousins
Isabel Hildyard=Ralph Legard, Esq.	Jane Seymour= King Henry VIII	2nd Cousins
Joan Legard=Richard Skepper
Edward Skepper=Mary Robinson
Rev. Wiliam Skepper/Skipper=Sarah Fisher
Sarah Skipper=Walter Fairfield
Sarah Fairfield=Thomas Abbe
Tabitha Abbe=John Warner
Abigail Warner=Jacob Kibbe
Abigail Kibbe=Timothy Baker
Hollister Baker=Rebecca Crowell
Erede Baker=Nathan Howes
Jennie Howes=Emil Bechtold
Frederick Emil Bechtold=Marie Caroline Dresser
Bechtold Miller, Bechtold Immel, Cary Bechtold, Bechtold Connolly Jane Seymour (c. 1508 – 24 October 1537) was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as queen consort following the latter's execution for trumped up charges of high treason, incest and adultery in May 1536. She died of postnatal complications less than two weeks after the birth of her only child, a son who reigned as Edward VI. She was the only one of Henry's wives to receive a queen's funeral, and his only consort to be buried beside him in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, as she was the only consort to have a male heir to survive infancy. Jane Seymour was born in Battersea, Savernake Forest, Wiltshire, the daughter of Sir John Seymour and Margery Wentworth. Through her maternal grandfather, she was the great-great granddaughter of King Edward III of England through Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence.[1] [our direct line] Because of this, she and King Henry VIII were fifth cousins. She was a half-second cousin to her predecessor Anne Boleyn, sharing a great-grandmother, Elizabeth Cheney.[2] Her date of birth is a matter of debate. It is usually given as 1509 or even 1510, but it has been noted that at her funeral, 29 women walked in succession.[3] Since it was customary for the attendant company to mark every year of the deceased's life in numbers, this implies she was born in 1508, or 1507 and she had not yet celebrated her 30th birthday. She was not educated as highly as King Henry's previous wives, Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. She could read and write a little, but was much better at needlework and household management, which were considered much more necessary for women.[4] Jane's needlework was reported to be beautiful and elaborate; some of her work survived up to 1652, when it is recorded to have been given to the Seymour family. After her death, it was noted that Henry was an "enthusiastic embroiderer".[5] She became a maid-of-honour in 1532 to Queen Catherine, but Jane may have served Catherine as early as 1527, and went on to serve Queen Anne Boleyn. The first report of Henry VIII's interest in Jane Seymour was in early 1536, sometime before the death of Catherine of Aragon. Jane was noted to have a childlike face, as well as a modest personality.[6] According to the Imperial Ambassador Eustace Chapuys, Jane was of middling stature and very pale; he also commented that she was not of much beauty. However, John Russell stated that Jane was "the fairest of all the King's wives." [7] Polydore Vergil commented that she was "a woman of the utmost charm in both character and appearance."[8] Marriage The Six Wives of Henry VIII  Catherine of Aragon  Anne Boleyn  Jane Seymour  Anne of Cleves  Catherine Howard  Catherine Parr King Henry VIII was married to Jane at the Palace of Whitehall, Whitehall, London, in the Queen's closet by Archbishop Cranmer[9] on 30 May 1536, just eleven days after Anne Boleyn's execution. As a wedding gift the King made her a grant of 104 manors in 4 countries as well as a number of forests and hunting chases, for her jointure, the income to support her during their marriage.[10] She was publicly proclaimed as queen consort on 4 June. Jane’s well-publicized sympathy for the late Queen Catherine and the Lady Mary showed her to be compassionate, and made her a popular figure with the common people and most of the courtiers.[11] She was never crowned, due to a plague in London where the coronation was to take place. Henry may have been reluctant to crown Jane before she had fulfilled her duty as a queen consort by bearing him a son and a male heir.[12] As queen, Jane Seymour was said to be strict and formal. Her motto was "Bound to obey and serve." [12] She was close to her female relations, Anne Stanhope (her brother's wife) and her sister, Elizabeth. Jane was also close to the Lady Lisle along with her sister-in-law the Lady Beauchamp. Jane considered Lisle's daughters as ladies-in-waiting and she left many of her possessions to Beauchamp. Jane would form a very close relationship with Mary Tudor. The lavish entertainments, gaiety, and extravagance of the Queen's household, which had reached its peak during the time of Anne Boleyn, was replaced by a strict enforcement of decorum. For example, she banned the French fashions that Anne Boleyn had introduced. Politically, Seymour appears to have been conservative.[13] Her only reported involvement in national affairs, in 1536, was when she asked for pardons for participants in the Pilgrimage of Grace. Henry is said to have rejected this, reminding her of the fate her predecessor met with when she "meddled in his affairs".[14] Jane put forth much effort to restore Henry's first child, Princess Mary, to court and heir to the throne behind any children that Jane would have with Henry. Jane brought up the issue of Mary's restoration both before and after she became Queen. While Jane was unable to restore Mary to the line of succession, Jane was able to reconcile her with Henry.[12] Eustace Chapuys wrote to Charles V of Jane's compassion and efforts on behalf of Mary's return to favour. A letter from Mary to Jane shows that Mary was grateful to Jane. While it was Jane who first pushed for the restoration, Mary and Elizabeth were not reinstated in the succession until Henry's sixth wife, Queen Catherine Parr, convinced him to do so.[15] In early 1537, Jane became pregnant. During her pregnancy, she developed a craving for quail, which Henry ordered for her from Calais and Flanders. During the summer, she took no public engagements and led a relatively quiet life, being attended by the royal physicians and the best midwives in the kingdom.[16] She went into confinement in September 1537 and gave birth to the coveted male heir, the future King Edward VI of England at two o'clock in the morning[17] on 12 October 1537 at Hampton Court Palace.[18] Death Edward was christened on 15 October 1537, without his mother in attendance, as was the custom. Both of the King's daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, were present and carried the infant's train during the ceremony.[19] After the christening, it became clear that Jane Seymour was seriously ill.[20] Jane Seymour's labour had been difficult, lasting two nights and three days, probably because the baby was not well positioned.[21] According to King Edward's biographer, Jennifer Loach, Jane Seymour's death may have been due to an infection from a retained placenta. According to Alison Weir, death could have also been caused by puerperal fever due to a bacterial infection contracted during the birth or a tear in her perineum which became infected. "Within a few weeks of the death of Queen Jane there existed conflicting testimonies concerning the cause of her demise. The two official versions (carrying the approval of the crown) admitted to Englishmen at home that (1) Prince Edward had been delivered by Caesarean section after his mother had died, and to the English ambassadors and the French court that (2) the queen died of a great cold and improper foods some time after the birth of a son. The unapproved and anti-Henrician view offered another explanation and argued that (3) the queen had been 'cut before she was dead' in order to save the life of the child. This interpretation of the death of Queen Jane obviously blackened Henry's reputation as a husband and silently warned European monarchs to reject matrimonial proposals from such a self-serving king. Since Caesarean section was permitted only on dead or dying mothers, and since there was considerable evidence that the queen lived a number of days after the prince's birth, Henry's actions in 1537 would have been universally condemned." [22] Jane Seymour died on 24 October 1537 at Hampton Court Palace at Kingston upon Thames.[13]
__________________________________________________________________ Jane's brothers were also into the power game. Edward Seymour held high positions. Thomas Seymour married, (kept secret for a long time) the widow of King Henry VIII, Catherine Parr. Upon Henry's death she became one of the wealthiest persons in the realm. Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Lord Seymour of Sudeley Lord Seymour of Sudeley, Nicholas Denizot. Born c. 1509 Died 1549 Spouse(s) Catherine Parr Parents John Seymour Margery Wentworth Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, KG (c. 1509 – 20 March 1549[1]) was an English nobleman and politician who married Catherine Parr, widow of King Henry VIII. Contents   [hide]  1 Early life 2 Family's royal connection through marriage 3 Downfall 4 Lineage 5 References 6 Bibliography Early life [edit] Thomas spent his childhood in Wulfhall, outside Savernake Forest, in Wiltshire. Historian David Starkey describes Thomas thus: "tall, well-built and with a dashing beard and auburn hair, he was irresistible to women." A prominent Tudor courtier, Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, described Thomas Seymour as "hardy, wise and liberal... fierce in courage, courtly in fashion, in personage stately, in voice magnificent, but somewhat empty of matter." Family's royal connection through marriage [edit] The Seymour family's power grew during Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn, to whom Jane Seymour was a lady in waiting. As Anne failed to give King Henry a son, the Seymour brothers saw an opportunity to push their sister Jane in the King's direction. Henry married Jane 11 days after Anne's execution in May 1536, and she gave birth to their son and only child — the future Edward VI — in October of the following year. It was the elder brother, Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, who benefited most from his sister's marriage to the King. Historians have speculated whether the division between Edward and Thomas began at that time, as Thomas unsurprisingly began to resent his brother and the relationship between them began to dissolve. Although Thomas was named Lord High Admiral, he was consumed by jealousy of his brother's power and influence. In 1543, John Neville, 3rd Baron Latimer, died leaving a wealthy widow, formerly Catherine Parr. An attachment then developed between Catherine and Thomas. Unfortunately for Thomas, Henry VIII also became interested in Catherine and eventually married her, having been impressed with her dignity and intelligence. Jealous of Seymour's attentions to Catherine, the King sent Thomas away on a diplomatic mission to the Netherlands. Thomas also served as a Knight of the shire for Wiltshire in 1545. Henry VIII died in January 1547, leaving Catherine one of the wealthiest women in England. Thomas had been made Master-General of the Ordnance in 1544 and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports in 1545. He returned to court a few months before Henry's death and saw his brother Edward become Lord Protector of England and, in effect, ruler of the realm asRegent for his nephew, Henry VIII's minor son and successor, the short-lived Edward VI. As part of an "unfulfilled gifts clause" left unmentioned in Henry's will, Thomas was granted the title Baron Seymour of Sudeley. However, Thomas's fervent desire was to unseat and replace his brother as Lord Protector. Though Thomas Seymour's name had been linked to Mary Howard, Duchess of Richmond, he was still unmarried at the time of the King's death. One view is that Thomas schemed to marry either Mary or Elizabeth, Henry VIII's daughters by his first two marriages, and there were rumours that he attempted to pursue a relationship with Elizabeth, still in her early teens. If he hoped for such a marriage as a route to power, he was unsuccessful, though his secret marriage to Catherine Parr, Elizabeth's guardian, in late April 1547 was viewed by some as an attempt to become close to Elizabeth. Certainly, many regarded this marriage as having occurred too quickly after the King's death. Anne Stanhope, Somerset's proud wife, disliked Catherine and Thomas, and began to turn many people in court against them. To demonstrate her hatred, Anne kept the Queen's jewels, which were also claimed by Catherine. Elizabeth had gone to live with her stepmother in Chelsea after Henry VIII's death. Thomas, therefore, acquired the guardianship of Elizabeth and also of Lady Jane Grey, another young member of the household. The over-ambitious Thomas started to make advances toward Elizabeth, sneaking into "the Lady Elizabeth's chamber before she was ready, and sometimes before she did rise; and if she were up he would bid her good morrow and ask how she did, and strike her upon the back or on the buttocks familiarly..." Thomas, while doing this, was often only partly dressed. He was 40; she was just 14. As gossip began to spread, Kat Ashley, Elizabeth's governess, implored Seymour to quit his bedroom antics. Indignant, Thomas retorted, "By God's precious soul, I mean no evil, and I will not leave it!" Strange episodes followed as he continued his advances towards Elizabeth. Historian David Starkey writes, "He may have even sexually abused her; at the very least he abused his power."[2] Elizabeth was confused by these affairs. Sometimes she acted as if it were all a game; other times she would become offended. Although Elizabeth's governess at one time averred that the Queen had found Elizabeth in Seymour's arms (implying a sexual encounter or close to it), she later withdrew the story. Catherine did, nevertheless, try to save Elizabeth's reputation by sending her away to the house of Anthony Denny in Hertfordshire. However, when Catherine died in childbirth in August 1548, Thomas renewed his attentions to Elizabeth. Thomas also bribed a man called John Fowler, one of King Edward VI's closest servants, from whom he received information that the King frequently complained about the lack of pocket money he received. Thomas smuggled money to the King and began to voice open disapproval of his brother's administrative skills. As Lord High Admiral, he was able to control the English navy, and he openly asked people for support in case of a coup. As admiral, he also encouraged piracy, after bidding to capture the pirate Thomas Walton, Thomas Walton instead made an agreement for a share of all booty seized by him. He was completely and thoroughly indiscreet in his bid for power. Thomas seems also to have hoped to finance a coup by bribing the vice-treasurer of the Bristol Mint, Sir William Sharington. Sharington was responsible for debasing the coinage in Bristol and he had been fiddling the account books and keeping the majority of the profit. When Thomas learned of the scheme, he blackmailed Sharington. Downfall [edit] By the end of 1548, Thomas's plans had been reported to the Privy Council by an informant. The Bristol Mint was investigated and Sharington revealed all. Somerset attempted to protect his brother and called a council meeting that Thomas was supposed to attend in order to explain his actions. However, Thomas did not appear and developed a plan to kidnap the King. On the night of 16 January 1549, Thomas broke into the King's apartments at Hampton Court Palace. He entered the privy garden and awoke one of the King's pet spaniels. Alerted, the dog tried to bite Thomas, who killed it with a sword.[3] The guards arrested Thomas, and he was sent to the Tower of London. On 18 January, the council sent agents to question everyone associated with Thomas, including Elizabeth. On 22 February, the council officially accused him of 33 charges of treason. Somerset delayed signing the death warrant, so the council went to Edward VI for his signature. On 20 March, Seymour was executed at the Tower, dying "dangerously, irksomely and horribly." His daughter by Catherine Parr, Mary Seymour, was placed in the care of the Duchess of Suffolk, Catherine Brandon. Mary should have been left wealthy, but her mother, dying at her birth, had left her entire fortune to Thomas. When Thomas was executed, the crown confiscated everything he had, including Catherine's bequest. The child appears to have died around the age of two, when she disappears from the historical record. The title "Baron of Sudeley" passed to Catherine Parr's brother, William.[citation needed]