Sunday, November 17, 2013

Question from Ben - Origin of Elizabeth's child by Thomas Seymour story

Where did the story that Elizabeth gave birth to a child of Thomas Seymour and that the child was burned in the fireplaice.Thank for you any answers.

1 comment:

TudorGirl said...

Rumours that Elizabeth was pregnant with Thomas Seymour were circulating when Seymour was arrested. Elizabeth was clearly upset because she wanted to prove that she was not with child (she wrote a letter to the Council).

The story of a child born to Elizabeth comes from Jane Dormer, Duchess of Feria's memoirs. Jane was Mary I Tudor's lady-in-waiting and her close confidante. She was privy to many secrets but I personally believe that she was fed with rumours. Anyway, she claimed that:

“There was a bruit of a child born and miserably destroyed, but could not be discovered whose it was; only the report of the mid-wife, who was brought from her house blindfold thither, and so returned, saw nothing in the house while she was there, but candle light; only, she said, it was the child of a very fair young lady. There was muttering of the
Admiral and this lady, who was then between fifteen and sixteen years of age.”