John Seymour (Tudor)
Encyclopedia
Sir John Seymour of Wulfhall
in Savernake Forest
, Wiltshire
, KB
(c. 1474 - 21 December 1536) was a member of the English
gentry
and a courtier
to King Henry VIII
, best known for being the father of the king's third wife
, Jane Seymour
.
(c. 1450 - 26 October 1491) of Wulfhall
, Wiltshire, by his marriage to Elizabeth Darell or Darrell (born c. 1451). His paternal grandparents were Sir John Seymour
and Elizabeth Coker. His maternal grandparents were Sir George Darell or Darrell (died c. 1474) and Margaret Stourton (born c. 1433), a daughter of John Stourton, 1st Baron Stourton
and Margery or Marjory Wadham. He was distantly descended from William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke
.
He fought for Henry VII
against the Cornish Rebellion of 1497
at Blackheath in Kent
, and was knighted by the king in the field. For Henry VIII he fought at the Siege of Tournai
in 1513, and he was present at the Field of the Cloth of Gold. He was invested as a Knight banneret
; was High Sheriff of Wiltshire
in 1507, 1518 and 1524; and High Sheriff of Somerset
in 1515-1516. He was also invested as a Knight of the Order of the Bath
.
Seymour was married before 1500 to Margery Wentworth
, who was the daughter of Sir Henry Wentworth
of Nettlestead, Suffolk
, and his wife Anne Say. It was a good marriage since her family was more prominent than his and she was a famous beauty as well, celebrated in the poetry of John Skelton
. They lived in Wulfhall
, outside Savernake Forest
in Wiltshire and had nine children:
He also had an illegitimate son:
Seymour died on 21 December 1536. By royal custom, his daughter Queen Jane did not attend the funeral.
Jane Seymour
, the eldest surviving daughter, was a maid of honour of Henry's first wife, Catherine of Aragon
, and then later of Anne Boleyn
. Henry VIII stayed at Wulfhall with Queen Anne in the summer of 1535 for a few days. In early 1536, Henry declared his love for Jane and began spending increasing amounts of time with her, chaperoned by her brother, Edward. Henry and Jane were officially betrothed the day after Anne Boleyn was arrested and executed on charges of treason, adultery and incest. After Jane became queen on 30 May 1536, her family scaled the social ranks, as was befitting the family of a royal consort.
Her eldest brother, Edward
was made an earl
and eventually a duke
and briefly ruled England on behalf of his nephew, King Edward VI
. Her second brother, Thomas
, was made a baron
and Lord High Admiral
, and in 1547 eloped with Henry VIII's widow, Queen Catherine Parr
. Both men were beheaded for treason, only a few years apart.
Seymour's second daughter, Elizabeth, was married firstly to Gregory Cromwell, son of Henry's new chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, and secondly to John Paulet, 2nd Marquess of Winchester
.
Wulfhall
Wulfhall or Wolfhall is an early 17th century manor house and the site of a deserted medieval village in the civil parish of Burbage , on the edge of Savernake Forest, in the English county of Wiltshire...
in Savernake Forest
Savernake Forest
Savernake Forest is on a Cretaceous chalk plateau between Marlborough and Great Bedwyn in Wiltshire, England. Its area is approximately .It is privately owned by the Trustees of Savernake Estate, the Earl of Cardigan, and his family solicitor. Since 1939 the running of the forest has been...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, KB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(c. 1474 - 21 December 1536) was a member of the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
gentry
Gentry
Gentry denotes "well-born and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past....
and a courtier
Courtier
A courtier is a person who is often in attendance at the court of a king or other royal personage. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
to King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, best known for being the father of the king's third wife
Wives of Henry VIII
The wives of Henry VIII were the six queens consort married to Henry VIII of England between 1509 and 1547. The six women to hold the title 'queens consort' of King Henry VIII were, in order:* Catherine of Aragon ,* Anne Boleyn ,...
, Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour 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...
.
Biography
Seymour was the eldest son of John SeymourJohn Seymour (died 1491)
John Seymour of Wulfhall, of Stapleford, of Stitchcombe and of Huish, all in Wiltshire was warden of Savernake Forest and a significant English landowner in the counties of Wiltshire and Somerset....
(c. 1450 - 26 October 1491) of Wulfhall
Wulfhall
Wulfhall or Wolfhall is an early 17th century manor house and the site of a deserted medieval village in the civil parish of Burbage , on the edge of Savernake Forest, in the English county of Wiltshire...
, Wiltshire, by his marriage to Elizabeth Darell or Darrell (born c. 1451). His paternal grandparents were Sir John Seymour
John Seymour (1425–1463)
John Seymour of Stapleford in Wilton, Wiltshire, and of Wulfhall in Savernake Forest, Wiltshire was an English landowner and Member of Parliament.-Life:...
and Elizabeth Coker. His maternal grandparents were Sir George Darell or Darrell (died c. 1474) and Margaret Stourton (born c. 1433), a daughter of John Stourton, 1st Baron Stourton
John Stourton, 1st Baron Stourton
John Stourton, 1st Baron Stourton was an English soldier and politician.-Life:He was born at Witham Friary, Somerset, the son of Sir William de Stourton , Speaker of the House of Commons, and Elizabeth Moigne.Stourton served as High Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1426, 1433 and 1437, Somerset and Dorset...
and Margery or Marjory Wadham. He was distantly descended from William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke
William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke
Sir William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke , also called William the Marshal , was an Anglo-Norman soldier and statesman. He was described as the "greatest knight that ever lived" by Stephen Langton...
.
He fought for Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
against the Cornish Rebellion of 1497
Cornish Rebellion of 1497
The Cornish Rebellion of 1497 was a popular uprising by the people of Cornwall in the far southwest of Britain. Its primary cause was a response of people to the raising of war taxes by King Henry VII on the impoverished Cornish, to raise money for a campaign against Scotland motivated by brief...
at Blackheath in Kent
Blackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
, and was knighted by the king in the field. For Henry VIII he fought at the Siege of Tournai
Siege of Tournai
The Siege of Tournai may refer to:* Siege of Tournai : The Count of Flanders and Hainault, Baldwin VI of Hainaut unsuccessfully besieged it....
in 1513, and he was present at the Field of the Cloth of Gold. He was invested as a Knight banneret
Knight banneret
A knight banneret, sometimes known simply as banneret, was a Medieval knight who led a company of troops during time of war under his own banner and were eligible to bear supporters in English heraldry.The military rank of a knight banneret was...
; was High Sheriff of Wiltshire
High Sheriff of Wiltshire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Wiltshire.Until the 14th century the shrievalty was held ex officio by the castellans of Old Sarum.-To 1400:*1066: Edric*1067-1070: Philippe de Buckland*1085: Aiulphus the Sheriff*1070–1105: Edward of Salisbury...
in 1507, 1518 and 1524; and High Sheriff of Somerset
High Sheriff of Somerset
The Office of High Sheriff of Somerset is an ancient High Sheriff title which has been in existence for over one thousand years. The position was once a powerful position responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing law and order in Somerset a county in South West England. In modern times the...
in 1515-1516. He was also invested as a Knight of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
.
Seymour was married before 1500 to Margery Wentworth
Margery Wentworth
Margery Wentworth, also known as Margaret Wentworth was the wife of Sir John Seymour and the mother of Queen Jane Seymour, the third wife of Henry VIII of England. She was the grandmother of King Edward VI of England.-Family:...
, who was the daughter of Sir Henry Wentworth
Henry Wentworth
Sir Henry Wentworth of Nettlestead, Suffolk, KB , de jure Lord Despenser, was the grandfather of King Henry VIII's third Queen, Jane Seymour, and the great-grandfather of Jane's son, King Edward VI.-Life:Sir Henry Wentworth was born about 1448, the only son and heir of the courtier Sir Philip...
of Nettlestead, Suffolk
Nettlestead, Suffolk
Nettlestead is a village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located to the north-west of Ipswich, in 2005 its population was 90....
, and his wife Anne Say. It was a good marriage since her family was more prominent than his and she was a famous beauty as well, celebrated in the poetry of John Skelton
John Skelton
John Skelton, also known as John Shelton , possibly born in Diss, Norfolk, was an English poet.-Education:...
. They lived in Wulfhall
Wulfhall
Wulfhall or Wolfhall is an early 17th century manor house and the site of a deserted medieval village in the civil parish of Burbage , on the edge of Savernake Forest, in the English county of Wiltshire...
, outside Savernake Forest
Savernake Forest
Savernake Forest is on a Cretaceous chalk plateau between Marlborough and Great Bedwyn in Wiltshire, England. Its area is approximately .It is privately owned by the Trustees of Savernake Estate, the Earl of Cardigan, and his family solicitor. Since 1939 the running of the forest has been...
in Wiltshire and had nine children:
- Margery Seymour (1502–1520).
- John Seymour (d. 15 July 1510).
- Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of SomersetEdward Seymour, 1st Duke of SomersetEdward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp of Hache, KG, Earl Marshal was Lord Protector of England in the period between the death of Henry VIII in 1547 and his own indictment in 1549....
(c. 1506-1552). - Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of SudeleyThomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of SudeleyThomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, KG was an English politician.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'...
(c. 1508-1549). - Jane SeymourJane SeymourJane Seymour 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...
, Queen of England (c. 1508/1509-1537). - Elizabeth Seymour, Marchioness of Winchester (c. 1513-1563).
- Sir Henry Seymour of Marwell, HampshireHampshireHampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
(c. 1514 - after 1568). - Dorothy Seymour, married firstly Sir Clement Smyth (died 1562), and had seven children, married secondly after 1562 Thomas Levinthorpe
- Anthony Seymour
He also had an illegitimate son:
- Sir John Seymour (1535 - before August 1599, willWill (law)A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
probateProbateProbate is the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person by resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person's property under the valid will. A probate court decides the validity of a testator's will...
d 4 August 1599), married firstly in 1568 Jane or Joan Poyntz, daughter of Sir Nicholas PoyntzNicholas PoyntzSir Nicholas Poyntz was a prominent English courtier during the latter part of Henry VIII's reign. There is a portrait drawing by Hans Holbein the Younger in the Royal Collection and an oil portrait after the same artist based on the drawing in the National Portrait Gallery, London...
and Joan Berkeley, and married secondly Dyzary Porter, and had issue.
Seymour died on 21 December 1536. By royal custom, his daughter Queen Jane did not attend the funeral.
Notable children
Four of the Seymour children achieved prominence at the royal court—Edward, Thomas, Jane and Elizabeth.Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour 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...
, the eldest surviving daughter, was a maid of honour of Henry's first wife, Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
, and then later of Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
. Henry VIII stayed at Wulfhall with Queen Anne in the summer of 1535 for a few days. In early 1536, Henry declared his love for Jane and began spending increasing amounts of time with her, chaperoned by her brother, Edward. Henry and Jane were officially betrothed the day after Anne Boleyn was arrested and executed on charges of treason, adultery and incest. After Jane became queen on 30 May 1536, her family scaled the social ranks, as was befitting the family of a royal consort.
Her eldest brother, Edward
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp of Hache, KG, Earl Marshal was Lord Protector of England in the period between the death of Henry VIII in 1547 and his own indictment in 1549....
was made an earl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
and eventually a duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
and briefly ruled England on behalf of his nephew, King Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
. Her second brother, Thomas
Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley
Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, KG was an English politician.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'...
, was made a baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
and Lord High Admiral
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
, and in 1547 eloped with Henry VIII's widow, Queen Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
. Both men were beheaded for treason, only a few years apart.
Seymour's second daughter, Elizabeth, was married firstly to Gregory Cromwell, son of Henry's new chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, and secondly to John Paulet, 2nd Marquess of Winchester
John Paulet, 2nd Marquess of Winchester
John Paulet, 2nd Marquess of Winchester was the son of William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester and Elizabeth Capell....
.