Just curious. Does anyone know what happened to Margaret Wentworth Seymour the mother of Jane, Thomas, and Edward? I know her husband died when Jane was Queen but it seems as if she's never mentioned again.
I haven't come across a whole lot about her, although I did find that she lived into Edward VI's (who was, of course, her grandson) reign and died in 1550. Oh, and BTW, her name was actually Margery, not Margaret. Very easy to get those two mixed up!
I know that Margery had ten children, which was taken as a good sign that her daughter Jane would bear healthy children, and made her all the more attractive to Henry.
Some people believe that the English poet,John Skelton, wrote a poem about her entitled "To Mistress Margery Wentworth." You can view this poem in "The Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1918" (Edited by Arthur Quiller-Couch, 1940.) You might also be able to view the poem on line via Google Books. Type in http://books.google.com/. Then type in "Margery Wentworth" in the search box. The first item should be "English Lyric Poetry 1500-1700." If you click on this title it should bring you directly to Skelton's poem.
One of the latest biographies of Edward VI notes that he did not attend his grandmother's funeral. I have read that kings do not attend funerals, but I also wondered if the comparative lack of pomp might show a lack of enthuasiasm on his part for his relatively low-born Seymour relations.
The Seymours may have been lowborn but Margery is decended from Richard II and Harry Hotspur. Royal blood flowed in her veins.
My research has shown that Margery was actually Christened Margaret but her father nicknamed her Margery and it stuck. He adored her and could deny her nothing which is why he blessed her marriage to a low born knighted by Henry VII at teh battle of the Field of the Cloth of Gold. It was when he was presented at court that he noticed her and fell in love. She was considered a rare beauty and extremely intelligent and educated. She composed poetry herself as well as setting it to music and playing several instruments. Sir John Seymour wrote her many missives and finally won her heart. Marrying into her family significantly raised his standing at court. It is also believed that she was allowed to have a hand in Edward VI's education. It's also believed that she "wore the pants in the house" so to speak, after discovering that her husband, John, had an affair with their son, Edward's, wife and possibly fathered their 3 children. She had the marriage dissolved, the children declared bastards and the woman sent to a convent. She was a woman ahead of her times and demanded respect of both commoners, nobles and royals.
Anonymous - I think you might have mixed up something since there wasn't a battle of the Field of the Cloth of Gold. The "Field" was an extended celebration, etc. at the meeting of Henry VIII and Francis I of France in 1518.
John Seymour 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.
it appears that maragaret wentworth is my cousin as I'm decended from George Acworth whos 3 families higher than Margaret ,Margaret appears to have had 3 husbands her husband died when jane Seymour became queen so shes my direct cousin get in......
Howdy Peggy,
ReplyDeleteI haven't come across a whole lot about her, although I did find that she lived into Edward VI's (who was, of course, her grandson) reign and died in 1550.
Oh, and BTW, her name was actually Margery, not Margaret. Very easy to get those two mixed up!
I know that Margery had ten children, which was taken as a good sign that her daughter Jane would bear healthy children, and made her all the more attractive to Henry.
ReplyDeleteSome people believe that the English poet,John Skelton, wrote a poem about her entitled "To Mistress Margery Wentworth." You can view this poem in "The Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1918"
ReplyDelete(Edited by Arthur Quiller-Couch, 1940.) You might also be able to view the poem on line via Google Books. Type in http://books.google.com/. Then type in "Margery Wentworth" in the search box. The first item should be "English Lyric Poetry 1500-1700." If you click on this title it should bring you directly to Skelton's poem.
RMG
One of the latest biographies of Edward VI notes that he did not attend his grandmother's funeral. I have read that kings do not attend funerals, but I also wondered if the comparative lack of pomp might show a lack of enthuasiasm on his part for his relatively low-born Seymour relations.
ReplyDeleteThe Seymours may have been lowborn but Margery is decended from Richard II and Harry Hotspur. Royal blood flowed in her veins.
ReplyDeleteMy research has shown that Margery was actually Christened Margaret but her father nicknamed her Margery and it stuck. He adored her and could deny her nothing which is why he blessed her marriage to a low born knighted by Henry VII at teh battle of the Field of the Cloth of Gold. It was when he was presented at court that he noticed her and fell in love. She was considered a rare beauty and extremely intelligent and educated. She composed poetry herself as well as setting it to music and playing several instruments. Sir John Seymour wrote her many missives and finally won her heart. Marrying into her family significantly raised his standing at court.
It is also believed that she was allowed to have a hand in Edward VI's education.
It's also believed that she "wore the pants in the house" so to speak, after discovering that her husband, John, had an affair with their son, Edward's, wife and possibly fathered their 3 children. She had the marriage dissolved, the children declared bastards and the woman sent to a convent. She was a woman ahead of her times and demanded respect of both commoners, nobles and royals.
Anonymous - I think you might have mixed up something since there wasn't a battle of the Field of the Cloth of Gold. The "Field" was an extended celebration, etc. at the meeting of Henry VIII and Francis I of France in 1518.
ReplyDeleteJohn Seymour 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.
ReplyDeleteit appears that maragaret wentworth is my cousin as I'm decended from George Acworth whos 3 families higher than Margaret ,Margaret appears to have had 3 husbands her husband died when jane Seymour became queen so shes my direct cousin get in......
ReplyDelete