#Baron Sudeley

[endlessly-cursed]

HL- Lucie Cromwell

"𝙄 𝙗𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙣𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙂𝙤𝙙."

Name: Lucie Anna Cromwell 

Nicknames: Lady Sudeley 

Birthdate: 13th of November, 1503 

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio 

Personality Type (MBTI): tbd 

Blood Status: Pureblood 

Nationality: British 

Physical Appearance

Hair: Light brown 

Eyes: Blue 

Height: 1.56m 

Weight: 62kg 

Body Type: Average 

Skin Tone: Fair 

Distinguishing Marks (scars, birthmarks, etc.): None 

Background

Hometown

Lucie grew up in the Castle Cromwell, being related to Thomas Cromwell had its perks. She then was sent to the Dowager Duchess to be educated in the best household she could afford. She grew up in the lap of luxury during the Tudor Era 

Family

Mother: Jane Cromwell, neé Macmillan 

Of the Sacred Twenty-Eight family, she was beautiful, erudite, well-mannered and wealthy on her own right. The youngest of fifteen children, she made a less auspicious match than her sisters and had more freedom in the choice of husband. She was betrothed and married at the age of 14 in 1483. In 1485 she turned sixteen and was allowed to live with her husband, but was advised not to consumate the marriage until she was eighteen at least. Given the many wars, her husband wasn’t much at home and was always tired and she nursed his wounds and illnesses until in 1499 he declared his wish to be her husband. In 1500 she fell pregnant with her first son, Ambrose. The labour was stressful and difficult, and put off getting pregnant until she had fully recovered. In 1503 Lucie was born and fell pregnant eight times again, all ending up in miscarriage or stillborn. One only made it to three years old, young Henry, who died of the period’s illnesses. She focused on her surviving children and doted on her only daughter. 

Father: John Cromwell, Baron of Altergham 

A handsome, revered man in the English aristocracy and Ravenclaw alumni, he was beloved enough to have a portrait made and hung in the Ravenclaw tower’s walls. At 24 he was married to the young Jane MacMillan. She was fairly beautiful, daughter of a fertile woman and of a high-standing family and reputation. They were married when she was 14 and in his marriage contract, he was not allowed to be alone with her in a room, but often came to visit her and joked together, and went on low-key dates with her ladies. From the end of the Wars of the Roses in 1486 to the many pretenders trying to invade England, John was often away and came back tired and wounded. He took few mistresses and with his wife’s knowledge. He appreciated that she wasn’t jealous and in repayment came back to her. In 1499 he expressed his wish to have an heir when she felt ready and in 1500 she fell pregnant with their firstborn, a son, Ambrose. The labour was difficult, and Jane was terrified of the ordeal, but in 1502 fell pregnant again and he supported her and though he was not allowed in the birthing chamber, he sent her food, water and goods to let her know that he wouldn’t leave her. They tried for more children, but all ended up in miscarriage or stillborn. One of them survived for a while, little Henry, who died at three years old. He doted on his son Ambrose, the very picture of his mother, and trained him to be the next baron. 

Brother: Ambrose Cromwell 

Lucie loves and admires her brother and the two of them have always been living separately, but in order to survive, they decided to unite forces and try survive in late Victorian England. 

Hogwarts

House: Hufflepuff (1514) Ravenclaw (1800s) 

Best Class: Astronomy, Ancient Runes 

Worst Class: Flying 

Boggart: Her husband being violent towards her 

Riddikulus: He sings an off-tune aria 

Patronus: tbd 

Patronus Memory: Trying on new dresses with her mother 

Mirror of Erised: Reuniting with her family and starting one with her husband 

Amortentia (what she smells like): rosewater, pine wood, apple pie, venison and wine 

Amortentia (what she smells): tbd 

Career

8-11: Student of Maud Parr 

11-15: Hogwarts student and Lady Sudeley 

16-18: Hogwarts student in the 19th century 

19-25: Working different jobs 

26-Retirement: Housewife for the Greenaway family 

Personality & Attitude

Priorities: Finding her way back to her family and husband, her brother’s safety 

Strengths:  Kind, intelligent, accomplished, logical and witty

Weaknesses: Puppies, haughty and a bit conservative 

Stressed: ...Her entire journey to the 1800s 

Calm/Comforted: With a good venison and Malmsey wine 

Favorites

Colors: blue, white, grey and mauve 

Weather: Cloudy 

Hobbies: Sewing, dancing, embroidering, learning languages... the hobbies of a rennaisance woman 

Fashion: At first she dressed the fasion of the 1510s, but during the 1800s, she dresses the fashion of the nobility of the era 

Relationships

Significant Other/Love Interest: Edward Beaufort, Earl of Sudeley (until 1519) 

Twelve years Lucie’s senior, he was betrothed to the twelve-year-old girl when he was 26 and patiently waited until her 18th birthday. In the meantime, he visited her in the company of her aunts and chatted about many things, and he also brought her gifts and wrote her beautiful poems, stating that she was the ‘fairest and most amiable of all maidens’ and the only kiss they’d have was on her hand and eventually the cheek. He ended up infatuated by her, but restrained himself out of respect for the baron, a good colleague at Parliament and court. When he heard she had disappeared, he was adamant to find her and looked for her for five years until he gave up, thinking her dead or eloped and married with another. He was heartbroken and refused to remarry until he turned 34, marrying another woman and having three children with her, his only daughter called Lucie as his long-dead first wife. 

Thane Greenaway ( @potionboy3​ ) 

Lucie stumbled into the intriguing Mr. Greenaway on her final years in Hogwarts and soon she was drawn by his wicked wit. They soon established a friendship and became close friends, having a special connection. Being with him, in a way, healed her wounds from her previous husband, and slowly started to fall for him. However, his guardian, Luca Greenaway became intimidated of her wit, intelligence and experience and feared that she may foil his plans, so he first tried to difame her by accusing her of being a gold-digger, but that plan failed, so he arranged for her to be out of Thane’s life. This didn’t succeed, for her brother Ambrose, with the help of Ezra Greenaway, could prevent Luca’s Machiavellian plan from succeeding. Soon, she also established a friendship with Ezra as well, and later in life would trust him her secret. 

Thane, afraid of losing Lucie, soon contacted her and they reunited, their relationship stronger than ever, and declared their love. After the incident, Thane opened his eyes about Luca and began distrusting him and his intentions, listening more and more often to Lucie. With the help of Ezra once again, Luca was taken away and Thane took over the estate and family fortune of the Greenaway, with Lucie by his side. They went on to marry and have (X) children together. They lived a happy and fulfilling life, and Ezra wrote about Lucie’s adventures from the 16th century to her life by then, all in another name and fictionalising everything. The book was yet another success. 

Friends: Ezra Greenaway ( @potionboy3​ ) 

Lucie had heard of the famous writer Ezra Greenaway and had read his books, but didn’t meet him formally until Luca had tried to be rid of her. Him, alongside her brother, had saved her from a fatal fate, and brought her to safety. The two of them got along well, both being verbose and mature for their ages and having had lost their first loves. They soon teamed up and found evidence against Luca, proving Ezra’s hunch that he indeed murdered Ezra’s father, as well as Thane’s. 

After bringing Luca down and she and Thane married, he was a close friend of the marriage and when she was on her late forties, she told Ezra that she was a time traveller, and he was soon intrigued by her story and wrote a book about her, though, per her request, she asked him not to reveal who she was and he instead made up a character based on Lucie and, after many thorough interviews and proof-reading, he published the book and it became a huge success. Ezra and Lucie remained good friends. 

Rivals: Luca Greenaway 

Luca disliked Lucie from the start. He was intimidated of her wit, intelligence and maturity, and feared that she may stray Thane away from him, so he made it his goal to make both friends apart as much as he could. He always tried to be in the same room or sent spies to see if he could get any dirt on her, though he never found out of her time travelling thing. When Lucie advised Thane about the economic situation of the estate, he tried to make her look like a gold-digger, but Lucie’s wit and admirable way with words persuaded Thane that she meant well. 

Refusing to let go of his status, he sent his most trusted riders to kidnap Lucie and take her out of the country, as far as possible. However, this plan failed, for Lucie’s brother Ambrose and Ezra rescued her before she could step a foot on the boat and he was outraged when he saw her back into the country. 

He knew that Lucie and Ezra were plotting against him, and so, he tried to hide evidence of it. What was worse, it seemed that Lucie’s absence had made Thane’s feelings stronger than ever, and soon he was out of the boy’s favour. When he least expected, he was arrested by the Aurors and sent to prison, and Thane married Lucie. He never saw the light of the day again.  

Trivia

Lucie is an excellent example of a Rennaisance woman: she can sew, dance, converse, history, religion, play instruments, be a hostess, among other qualities of the era 

She is also a Catholic, for when she left in 1519, Henry VIII was still happily married to Queen Catherine of Aragon and England was still Catholic, thus making Lucie a Catholic herself 

When she learns about the Tudors she is at first appalled that a man had so many wives and their fates and the change from Roman Catholicism to Protestanism and after that Anglicanism. She refuses to change her faith for a man’s ill and sinful intentions to be rid of a good woman and have a male heir. 

She and Ambrose change their names to Victoria and Ismael King to not draw too much attention from them. 

Lucie is a Ravenclaw and Ambrose is a Gryffindor 

She hates the odour of the city and was horrified of trains and other vehicles 

She’s the one to struggle the most with changing into a new era and always tries to come back to 1519... to no avail 

She is the direct ancestress of Jasper Greenaway 

[minervacasterly]

5 September 1548: The Death of an Evangelical Royal Consort & Influential Protestant Writer & Defender of her Faith

Six days after Queen Dowager and Baroness of Sudeley had given birth to a daughter she named Mary (after her stepdaughter, the Lady Mary Tudor) Catherine Parr died of puerperal fever. Little before her death, while in a state of delirium she claimed: "Those that are about me care not for me". Her husband, Thomas Seymour, was by her side comforting her the entire time. Jane Grey and other ladies were also with her, reading her the scriptures.

Historian Amy Licence theorizes she could have been infected after the birth by the midwives' unclean hands which would have made possible the passage of bacteria to her body. (The lack of hygiene during childbirth was not uncommon. If she had lived through the same ordeal now she would have been treated right away and saved but as it was, the only medicine then was based on plants and folklore beliefs that Catherine, given her extensive knowledge of the former would have known very well. It is not known if he midwives or she used any of these methods. In any case it was too late, the fever spread rapidly and claimed her on the morning of September fifth).

Her husband was grief-stricken, unable to believe that she was gone that he later said: "I was so amazed that I had small regard to either myself or to my doings".

Catherine was buried days later with full pomp and ceremony, with Jane Grey acting as her chief mourner, walking behind her coffin with Lady Elizabeth Tilney carrying the long train. Catherine Parr was the first Royal and only Queen of Henry VIII's, to have a Protestant Funeral. Miles Coverdale headed the funeral which was in English and concluded it with this eulogy:

"A beautous daughter blessed her arms,

An infant copy of her parents' charms.

When now seven days this tender flower had bloomed

Heaven in its wrath the mother's soul resumed

Our loyal breast with rising sighs are torn,

With saints she triumphs, we with mortals mourn."

Her husband Thomas Seymour, Baron Sudeley and daughter, Mary Seymour, did not survive her for long. Sudeley was arrested at his house while entertaining a guest, and sent to Tower under charges of treason. He was found guilty and beheaded on March 20 1549. Afterwards, their daughter was given over to Catherine Brandon nee Willoughby, Duchess Dowager of Suffolk in whose care she probably died as she disappears from the records a year after.

Despite leaving everything to her husband, the Protectorate took her wealth and this made Sudeley angry, and he ended up conspiring with the Marquises of Dorset (Henry Grey) and Northampton (William Parr -Catherine's brother), against his brother. The Duchess Dowager of Suffolk begged the Council many times to help her with her charge's finances but they never took her pleas seriously until 1550 when Catherine Parr's wealth was given back to her daughter, but by then she was probably sick or dying because she is never mentioned again.

Catherine Parr has gone down in fiction and popular media as nothing more than Henry's nurse and staunch Reformer but she was so much more than that. She and Mary I's mother were the only two of Henry's wives who served as Regents during his absence, and they were two of the most learned women in England who caused great impact on their respective faiths and both were known for being kind and generous. Eustace Chapuys before he left England on the summer 1545, commented that out of all of Henry's Queens, with the exception of Katherine of Aragon, Catherine Parr was the only one who was worthy of her position. She was a good friend with Mary I, who was encouraged by her to translate one of the gospels of the New Testament and who followed her wherever she went.

Sources:

Katherine Parr by Linda Porter

Sister Who Would Be Queen by Leanda de Lisle

In Bed With The Tudors by Amy Licence.

[mary-tudor]

“This is a letter from Lady Jane Grey to her guardian, Thomas, Baron Seymour of Sudeley thanking him for his kindness to her. The document has been annotated with the words; ‘Aged 11 years, perhaps this is the earliest autograph of hers in existence’, 1548. (Catalogue ref: EXT 9/42/2).”

The content is read below:

“My dutye to youre lordeshippe in most humble wyse rememberd withe no lisse thankes for the gentylle letters which I receavyed from you.

Thynkynge my selfe so muche bounde to your lordshippe for youre greate goodnes towardes me from tyme to tyme that I cannenot by anye meanes be able to recompence the least parte thereof: I purposed to wryght a few rude lines unto youre lordshippe rather as a token to shewe howe muche worthyer I thynke youre lordshippes goodnes then to gyve worthye thankes for the same thes my letters shall be to testyfe unto you that lyke as you have becom towardes me a louynge and kynd father so I shall be alwayes most redye to obey your momysons and good instructions as becomethe one uppon whom you have heaped so manye benyfytes. and thus fearynge leste I shoulde trouble youre lordshippe to muche I moste humblye take my leave of your good lordshyppe

your humble servant durynge

my life jane graye.”

[Modernised transcript]

My duty to your lordship is most humble wise remembered with no less thanks for the gentle letters which I received from you thanking myself so much bound to your lordship for your great goodness towards me from time to time that I cannot by any means be able to recompense the least parte thereof. 

I proposed to write a few rude lines unto your Lordship rather as a token to shrew how much worthier I think your lordship’s goodness then to give worthy thanks for the same these, my letters shall be to testify unto you that like as you have become towards me a loving and kind father so I shall be always most ready to obey your motions and good instructions as become one upon whom you have heaped so many benefits and thus fearing less I should trouble your Lordship [too] much I most humbly take my leave of your good lordship.

Your humble servant during my life, Jane Grey

Link: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/significant-people-collection/lady-jane-grey/

[the-quiet-winds]

The Gravity of Tempered Grace (part five)

[part one] - [part two] - [part three] - [part four]

[Part 5: Leave Tonight or Live and Die This Way]

The Life and Times of Jane the Queen, Chapter 12 - The Queen’s Dearest Brothers

“Jane’s brothers, Thomas and Edward, were not subtle in using their sister’s new position as queen to rise through the ranks themselves. Edward, as the Duke of Sommerset, was one of Henry’s most trusted confidants. Thomas became the First Baron Seymour of Sudeley and later married Catherine Parr following Henry’s death.

It could well be argued that every man in Jane’s life - her father, her brothers, and her husband - all simply used her to get what they wanted. Jane’s marriage secured fortune for her aging parents, distinguished titles for her brothers, and, of course, a son who would become king of England. But due to the lack of records from before Jane’s arrival at the court of Queen Catherine, it is unknown how many of her decisions were truly her own, and how many were made for her by the men in her life.”

“He can what?”

Katherine’s face is extremely pale, while the others mostly look a combination of scared and confused. Jane, as expected, doesn’t look fazed.

“He can kill her,” Cathy repeats softly. “He can force her into dangerous situations or to do something stupid-”

“He can crush my heart.”

All eyes in the room fixate on Jane, whose hand has come to rest over her very empty chest as she stares blankly at Anna’s socks.

“He’s telling me right now,” she whispers. “Now… now that everyone knows. He can crush my heart in his hand and kill me. And he isn’t afraid to-”

Her calm monotone is sharply ended by her own piercing squeak. Jane grips at her shirt, gasping for air, almost falling over if Kat and Catherine hadn’t caught her first.

“Leave her alone, dickhead,” Kat hisses, hoping that Henry can somehow hear her through Jane.

Slowly, Jane manages to catch her breath, and genuine fear shines in her otherwise empty eyes as she looks to Cathy for guidance.

“Did he say anything else to you?” Cathy asks gently. “Any idea of what he’s got planned?”

Kat and Catherine help Jane sit on the bed. “He… he said that I’m his one true wife. And that he’ll stop at nothing to have me back.”

“Do you know where he is?” Anne asks.

Jane shakes her head.

“Is he saying anything else to you?”

Jane shakes her head again.

Cathy narrows her eyes slightly. “Did he tell you not to speak?”

This time, Jane nods. Then she winces, hand coming to her chest but receding a moment later.

“Okay, this is what we need to do,” Cathy says. “We all need to keep eyes on Jane. In case Henry shows up or tries to hurt her, we can’t leave her alone. We’ll all take shifts, alright?”

Everyone gives some sort of affirmation, and “Operation Save Jane,” as Kat dubs it, is a go.

Cathy is the first to take Jane-watch, allowing the others to get some much-needed sleep. Gradually, Jane too falls asleep on Cathy’s bed while the bookworm does more research. Of course, there’s very little information about the possession of a heart, but Cathy finds herself reading more about her sister-in-law’s life.

She reads the entirety of “Jane Seymour, The Matron Queen” without much hesitation, and finds herself captivated by the writings of Jane’s life. This book, just as the others about the queens’ lives, focuses primarily on Henry and how Jane entered his life, despite the book supposedly focusing on her.

If they all survive this, perhaps Cathy will just have to rectify that.

She flits a glance over to Jane, who is curled up on her side, sleeping so peacefully one might think her dead.

At that dark thought, Cathy tiptoes across the floor and watches carefully. Okay, good, she’s breathing. 

A few hours later, a still-half-asleep Catherine stumbles into the room, mumbling something about how it’s her turn to watch Jane now, and how Cathy should get some sleep.

“I’m not tired,” Cathy tries to protest. “I can keep watching over her.”

“You need sleep too, love,” Catherine interjects. She looks at her goddaughter, so stubborn and hard-headed, and sighs. “How about I go make us some tea and we can stay up together, alright?”

Cathy seems much more open to that idea, so Catherine tiptoes downstairs into the dark to put a kettle on.

It’s only when she’s alone, in the quiet of the night, that Catherine realizes the gravity of the situation before her. 

There is only three ways this can end: They can either somehow recover Jane’s heart from Henry, they don’t recover the heart and Jane lives out the rest of her days without emotions and being controlled by their vengeful ex-husband, or Jane dies.

A shiver runs down Catherine’s spine at the last option. Jane can’t die. Not when they’ve been given this miraculous second chance. Not when they’ve only just begun to bond.

Not when Jane has barely even experienced life again.

Catherine forces the dark thoughts from her head and brings two cups of tea up to Cathy’s bedroom, where her niece is sitting next to Jane’s sleeping form on the bed.

“Can you believe this is really happening?” Cathy whispers, accepting the mug without even looking at her godmother. “This… this is ridiculous, right?”

“I would say so,” Catherine mumbles. She eases down into the armchair near the bed. “Of all the things I thought I would see in my life, a friend not possessing her heart wasn’t one of them.”

“Well, I didn’t expect to be able to ever walk the Earth again, so the insanity doesn’t stop there.”

Catherine gives half a chuckle and looks to Jane. “How do we do this?”

“All we can focus on now is making sure Henry doesn’t kill her,” Cathy admits quietly. “He could be anywhere in the world right now with her heart. It’s not like we can find him.”

“So what do you suggest we do?”

“Honestly?” Cathy takes a sip of her tea. “We just have to wait. Until he lets slip where he is, until he… I don’t know, shows up here or something. We have to wait for him, but we have to keep Jane safe as well.”

Catherine is silent for a while, then, “this is torture.”

“Agreed.”

“There has to be something-”

“There isn’t,” Cathy sighs. “Not without her heart. And we don’t know where it is.”

They both deflate slightly into their seats, and the lull in activity comes just as Jane’s eyes open suddenly.

Cathy tenses, but doesn’t react at first. Maybe she just woke up.

Jane, without a word, sits up. She doesn’t even flit a glance at either Catherine as she shifts to the edge of the bed and stands. 

Silently, daring not to make the barest hint of a sound, Jane slips out of the room and down the hall.

Cathy and Catherine give her a lead, then follow.

Jane descends the stairs and crosses the living room without disturbing a floorboard or knick knack, headed for the front door.

Her shadows pause at the bottom of the stairs, just out of sight, as Jane unlocks and opens the door.

A tall, large shadow lumbers at the door. Cathy and Catherine are already halfway up the stairs before the shadow even speaks.

But speak the shadow does, a hand gently caressing Jane’s cheek. 

“Hello, love.”

[dailytudors]

Katherine Parr was the sixth and final consort of King Henry VIII of England and Ireland sixth and final consort. She came very close to sharing Anne Boleyn and Kathrine Howard's fate but a possible warning from doctor Butts or one of Henry's councilors who was sympathetic to her plight, or shared her faith, saved her from this. She knelt before Henry and told him that whatever she had caused to displease him was only doing it so she could learn from him, this moved Henry and according to a much later account, he chastised Gardiner and others who had come for her. Katherine was the only other wife besides the first queen Katherine to be appointed Regent during his absence. Henry gave her the authority over all of his subjects and armies. As regent she remained a kind mistress but a firm one. She was an accomplished writer and scholar with two of her books becoming best-sellers. The first one "Prayers and Meditations" was published during his reign in 1545 and it was as the title suggests, a manual for praying. The second one -while written during his reign as well and depicting the king in a divine light, equating him to Moses leading his people out of superstition- had a very Evangelical tone to it and since her brush with death, she chose to keep it hidden and publish it a year after his death.

Joely Richardson (The Tudors) captured her kindness but also her firmness and her religious devotion. The only thing the series missed though was her relationship with her friends and family. She was loved by the people and well thought of by foreign ambassadors. She also enjoyed a good relationship with all her step-children, primarily her royal step-children. For that reason, the only bone to pick with her portrayal in The Tudors is her relationship with the Lady Mary. The show depicted them quickly turning into enemies due to differences in religion. While they certainly were on different sides of the political and religious spectrum, there's no indication that there was ever animosity with them while her tenure as her Queen. Mary was known to be friends with Anne Seymour nee Stanhope an other known reformers. Their friendship broke after Katherine Parr married Thomas Seymour, Baron Sudeley, months after Henry VIII's death.

The last years of Katherine Parr's life were plagued with emotional distress and personal betrayal. Shortly after her union with Thomas Seymour became known, the enmity and ambitious rivalry between Thomas and his older brother Edward (turned Lord Protector and elevated to Duke of Somerset) grew. Anne Stanhope, quickly demanded that Katherine hand over the crown jewels. This did little to diminish her influence. Katherine's erudition continued to be praised and she remained one of the leading voices in the English Reformation. Among her many admirers was the new King of England, Edward VI, her stepdaughter, Lady Elizabeth Tudor and Lady Jane Grey. The latter got their wish to be placed in her household. Jane soon became Katherine's favorite pupil while her relationship with her stepdaughter became fractured by the improper attentions she received by Thomas Seymour. To prevent a major scandal, she sent her stepdaughter away. The whole ordeal took a heavy toll on Katherine who was pregnant at the time.

Katherine Parr died on the 5th of September 1548, six days after she'd given birth to a daughter she named Mary. Thomas Seymour dug himself to an early grave less than a year later when he was executed for high treason. As for her infant daughter, she disappears from the records after 1549 leading to the conclusion that she died before her second birthday.

Katherine's legacy remains her scholarship, (best appreciated through her two books: "Prayers and Meditations", published during Henry VIII's reign, & "Lamentations of a Sinner" published during the reign of Edward VI) and her example as a model of ideal femininity, diplomacy and religious virtue which heavily influenced Lady Jane Grey and Queen Elizabeth I.

[tiny-librarian]

On this day in Tudor history, 30th August 1548, Catherine Parr, Queen Dowager (sixth wife of King Henry VIII) and wife of Thomas Seymour, Baron Seymour of Sudeley, gave birth to a healthy daughter at Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire. Thomas and Catherine named the little girl Mary after her godmother, the future Queen Mary I. Lady Mary Seymour would soon be orphaned, and by the age of two she had disappeared from the records. What happened to Mary Seymour?

[dragonmartellstark]

AU Tudor: Best Destinations for Henry VIII's Wives (That is, if they had never married him)

Catherine Howard-Duchess of Suffolk (1523-1566)

Catherine knew that the man she considered her "future husband" Francis Dereham, would not return to marry her and the only option she had was to get ahead, she knew that her grandmother Agnes wanted to get her out of her residence and for her to look for a good job in court. English. Luckily for the young woman, she managed to become a companion of Queen Eleanor of England, consort of King Henry VIII of England.

She worked for a year for the queen keeping her company, but in 1542 the queen decided to find a good marriage for her and she settled on Thomas Seymour I Baron Seymour of Sudeley, who was fifteen years older than her maiden. This commitment did not please Catherine very much, who was not attracted to Seymour even though he liked the idea of ​​marrying a beautiful and energetic young woman.

In the year 1544 the wedding took place and it is known that Catherine did not stop screaming like a little girl at the ceremony. A year later the baroness became pregnant and on August 15, 1545, a premature child Thomas Seymour was born, but this baby died two days later. The pregnancy and the death of her son were traumatic for Catherine as she hoped the baby would survive and she thought she could never have more children. Despite this, Thomas Seymour wanted to have more children again to ensure his title of Baron of Sudeley, but Catherine did not become pregnant again and the marriage broke up, returning Catherine to the English court.

In 1546 Catherine Willoughby, widow of Duke Charles Brandon, settled for a time at court with her children at the request of Henry VIII to recover from the pain of losing her husband. At that time, Catherine met the new Duke Henry Brandon, who was twelve years younger than the maiden and it is known that the two had a good relationship.

Two years later Thomas Seymour was found guilty after discovering a conspiracy against the Prince of Wales, Arthur Tudor, supposedly having the prince assassinated and putting his brother, Charles, as heir. Thomas was executed on March 20, 1548 and his title of Baron of Sudeley passed to the Parr family. Catherine was widowed at the age of 25, but she did not feel sad even though she had to dress in mourning for a while. A year later, Catalina was assigned to be the accompanist of Catherine Willoughby with whom she had a good relationship and especially with the Duke of Suffolk, Enrique with whom she played various instruments and went to theater performances.

Around the year 1550 when the duke was 14 years old and Catherine 26, both began a flirtation and made kissing games, it was rumored that Enrique was not a virgin when he was 15 years old and that Catherine was the one with whom he had lost her. A year later the young Duke contracted English sweat and feared for his life being visited by King Henry VIII's doctors, it is known that Catherine was kept in check, but she was genuinely worried about the Duke and during that time she only came out of her alcove to eat and walk a bit.

Enrique managed to recover by the year 1552 even though he remained locked up in his room for two months for security until he was completely well. Catalina visited the young man with whom she talked and even read to him, something unusual for Howard. In 1553 Catherine began a romance with Henry Brandon when the young man was already of legal age and it is known that the young woman left her rooms open for Brandon. Lady Willoughby did not see well that her son spent a lot of time with his companion thinking that she was older and could not give him any children and she thought of looking for a marriage for him, but Henry was already very much in love with his lover and in the year 1554 Catherine became pregnant to everyone's surprise, as it was believed that she was infertile after her first pregnancy.

In 1555 Henry and Catherine were secretly married in a private chapel where only the two of them were, that same year the second son of Catherine and the first of the couple, Charles Thomas Brandon, future Duke of Suffolk, was born and this was a great joy for the couple securing the Duchy of Suffolk for the Brandons. A year later the duke gave his lover a small residence near the duchy where it would be his meeting place and his love nest, also where he would live with his son Charles and it is said that Catherine was a cuddly, loving mother even though a little carefree. In 1557 Catherine became pregnant again and gave birth to a girl that she named Joyce, in honor of her mother Joyce Culpeper who would be the third wife of the Duke of York, Edward Tudor.

Catherine Willoughby did not accept the affair and the children planning to marry her son with one of the daughters of the Duke of Orleans, Henry of Valois, but the young man refused and confessed to having married his lover in secret, declaring Catherine as his Duchess of Suffolk in the year 1559.

That same year Catherine gave birth to her last child, Henry the fourth Duke of Suffolk, and she and her children were installed in the duchy, receiving the treatment of duchess and her children as heirs.

The next it is known that Henry sought the validity of his marriage and that the church accepted his children as legitimate, but it was a failed attempt and Lady Willoughby tried to convince her son to divorce and look for another wife, but the duke turned to deny. In 1563, under strange circumstances, the dukes were able to get her marriage to be valid, supposedly due to the noble origin of Catherine, as she was the granddaughter of Thomas Howard, II Duke of Norfolk, and niece of her successor, Thomas Howard III. But, it is rumored that Catherine seduced the Pope to get the papal dispensation. The life of the dukes was calm even though it is said that Enrique had a passing lover named Mary Salas, but it is unknown what happened to her later. In the year 1566 Catherine began to feel weak after a hunting party and was in bed for a few days until on March 14 of that same year, Catalina Howard was found lifeless at 43 years of age, in her bed. It is believed that she could have been bitten by a poisonous insect or that one of her ladies poisoned her on the orders of Mary Salas, but that is not confirmed.

Henry was in mourning for three years after the death of his wife, but in 1570 he married the daughter of his brother Charles Brandon, Lizeth Brandon with whom he had three daughters. Catherine's sons became Dukes of Suffolk continuing the Duchy by Henry IV Duke.

AU Tudor: Los mejores destinos para las esposas de Henry VIII (Es decir si ellas nunca se hubieran casado con el)

Catalina Howard-Duquesa de Suffolk (1523-1566)

Catalina sabía que el hombre que consideraba su “futuro esposo” Francis Dereham, no volvería para casarse con ella y la única opción que tenia era salir adelante, sabía que su abuela Agnes quería sacarla de su residencia y que buscara un buen trabajo en la corte inglesa. Para la suerte de la joven logro convertirse en dama de compañía de la reina Leonor de Inglaterra, consorte del rey Henry VIII de Inglaterra.

Trabajo por un año para la reina haciéndole compañía, pero en el 1542 la reina decidió buscarle un buen matrimonio y se decidió por Thomas Seymour I Barón Seymour de Sudeley, quien era quince años mayor que la doncella. Este compromiso no agrado mucho a Catalina quien no se sentía atraída por Seymour pese a que el le agradaba la idea de casarse con una jovencita hermosa y llena de energía.

En el año 1544 se celebro la boda y se sabe que Catalina no paraba de chillar como una niña pequeña en la ceremonia. Un año después la baronesa se quedo embarazada y el 15 de agosto del 1545, nació un niño prematuro Thomas Seymour, pero este bebé falleció dos días después. El embarazo y la muerte de su hijo fueron traumáticas para Catalina ya que tenia la esperanza de que el bebé sobreviviera y pensaba que jamás podría tener mas hijos. Pesé a esto Thomas Seymour quería volver a tener mas hijos para asegurar su titulo de barón de Sudeley, pero Catalina no volvió a quedarse embarazada y el matrimonio se rompió regresando Catalina a la corte inglesa.

En el 1546 Catalina Willoughby, viuda del duque Charles Brandon se instalo un tiempo en la corte junto a sus hijos por petición de Enrique VIII para recuperarse del dolor por perder a su marido. En aquel entonces Catalina conoció al nuevo duque Enrique Brandon, quien era doce años mas joven que la doncella y se sabe que ambos tuvieron una buena relación.

Dos años después Thomas Seymour fue hallado culpable tras descubrirse una conspiración en contra del príncipe de Gales, Arturo Tudor, supuestamente mandar a asesinar al príncipe y poner al hermano de este, Carlos como heredero. Thomas fue ejecutado el 20 de marzo del año 1548 y su titulo de Barón de Sudeley paso a la familia Parr. Catalina quedo viuda con 25 años de edad, pero ella no se sintió triste pese a que tuvo que vestir de luto por un tiempo. Un año después Catalina fue asignada para ser acompañante de Catalina Willoughby con la cual tuvo una buena relación y sobre todo con el duque de Suffolk, Enrique con quien tocaba varios instrumentos e iba a funciones de teatro.

Por el año 1550 cuando el duque tenia 14 años y Catalina 26, ambos iniciaron un coqueteo y hacían juegos de besos, se rumoreaba que Enrique no era virgen cuando cumplió los 15 años y que Catalina era con quien la había perdido. Un año después el joven duque contrajo el sudor ingles y se temió por su vida siendo visitado por los médicos del rey Enrique VIII, se sabe que Catalina se mantuvo a raya, pero estaba genuinamente preocupada por el duque y durante ese tiempo solo salía de su alcoba para comer y pasear un poco.

Enrique logró recuperarse por el año 1552 aun que permaneció encerrado en su cuarto por dos meses por seguridad hasta que estuviera completamente bien. Catalina visitaba al joven con quien platicaba y hasta le leía, algo poco común en Howard. En el 1553 Catalina inicia un romance con Enrique Brandon cuando el joven ya era mayor de edad y se sabe que la joven dejaba sus habitaciones abiertas para Brandon. Lady Willoughby no veía bien que su hijo pasara mucho tiempo con su dama de compañía pensando que ella era mayor y no podría darle ningún hijo y pensó en buscar un matrimonio para el, pero Enrique ya estaba muy enamorado de su amante y en el año 1554 Catalina se quedo embarazada para sorpresa de todos, ya que se creía que era infértil tras su primer embarazo.

En el 1555 Enrique y Catalina se casaron en secreto en una capilla privada donde solo estaban ellos dos, ese mismo año nació el segundo hijo de Catalina y el primero de la pareja, Charles Thomas Brandon futuro duque de Suffolk y esto fue una gran alegría para la pareja asegurando el ducado de Suffolk para los Brandon. Un año después el duque le dio a su amante una pequeña residencia cerca del ducado donde seria su lugar de encuentro y su nido de amor, además donde viviría junto a su hijo Charles y se dice que Catalina era una madre mimosa, amorosa aun que un poco despreocupada. En el 1557 Catalina volvió a quedar embarazada y dio a luz a una niña que nombro Joyce, en honor a su madre Joyce Culpeper que sería la tercera esposa del duque de York, Eduardo Tudor.

Catalina Willoughby no aceptaba el amorío y los hijos planeando casar a su hijo con alguna de las hijas del duque de Orleans, Enrique de Valois, pero el joven se negó y confeso haberse casado con su amante en secreto, declarando a Catalina como su duquesa de Suffolk en el año 1559. Ese mismo año Catalina dio a luz a su ultimo hijo, Enrique cuarto duque de Suffolk y ella junto a sus hijos fueron instalados en el ducado recibiendo el trato de duquesa y sus hijos de herederos.

Los próximos se sabe que Enrique busco la validez de su matrimonio y que la iglesia aceptara a sus hijos como legítimos, pero fue un intento fallido y lady Willoughby trato de convencer a su hijo de divorciarse y buscar otra esposa, pero el duque se volvió a negar. En el año 1563 en extrañas circunstancias los duques pudieron conseguir que su matrimonio fuera valido supuestamente por el origen noble de Catalina al ser nieta de Thomas Howard, II duque de Norfolk y sobrina del sucesor, Thomas Howard III. Pero, se rumorea que Catalina sedujo al Papa para conseguir la dispensa papal.

La vida de los duques fue tranquila aun que se dice que Enrique tuvo una amante pasajera llamada María Salas, pero se desconoce que fue de ella mas adelante. En el año 1566 Catalina empezó a sentirse débil tras una partida de caza y estuvo en cama por unos días hasta que en el 14 de marzo de ese mismo año, Catalina Howard fue encontrada sin vida a los 43 años de edad, en su cama. Se cree que pudo sufrir la mordedura de un insecto venenoso o que alguna de sus damas la enveneno por orden de María Salas, pero eso no esta confirmado.

Enrique estuvo de luto por tres años tras la muerte de su esposa, pero en el 1570 se caso con la hija de su hermano Charles Brandon, Lizeth Brandon con la cual tuvo tres hijas. Los hijos de Catalina llegaron a ser duques de Suffolk continuando el ducado por parte de Enrique IV duque.

[meddlewithmycase]

Catherine Parr alternatively spelled Katherine, Katheryn, Kateryn, or Katharine (1512 – 5 September 1548), was queen consort of England and Ireland (1543–47) as the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII, and the final queen consort of the House of Tudor. She married him on 12 July 1543 and outlived him by a year and eight months. With four husbands, she is the most-married English queen.

Catherine enjoyed a close relationship with Henry's three children and was personally involved in the education of Elizabeth I and Edward VI. She was influential in Henry's passing of the Third Succession Act in 1543 that restored both his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, to the line of succession to the throne.

Catherine was appointed regent from July to September 1544 while Henry was on a military campaign in France and in case he lost his life, she was to rule as regent until Edward came of age. However, he did not give her any function in government in his will. In 1543, she published her first book, Psalms or Prayers, anonymously. On account of Catherine's Protestant sympathies, she provoked the enmity of anti-Protestant officials, who sought to turn the King against her; a warrant for her arrest was drawn up in 1545. However, she and the King soon reconciled. Her book Prayers or Meditations became the first book published by an English queen under her own name. She assumed the role of Elizabeth's guardian following the King's death, and published a second book, The Lamentation of a Sinner.

Henry died on 28 January 1547. After the king's death, Catherine was allowed to keep the queen's jewels and dresses as queen dowager. About six months after Henry's death, she married her fourth and final husband, Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley. The marriage was short-lived, as she died on Wednesday, 5 September 1548 due to complications of childbirth. Parr's funeral was held on 7 September 1548. Parr's funeral was the first Protestant funeral in England, Scotland or Ireland to be held in English.

[shalebridge-cradle]

Historical References in What Are You Going to Do With Your Life? Chapters 1-3

Because I can’t not do that. Small warning for a mention of animal death.

Chapter 1

The others are familiar, and she can guess who they are – but there shouldn't be any pictures of them left. After Anne’s and Katherine’s executions, all portraits of them were removed or destroyed. There are no surviving portraits of Anne Boleyn from when she was alive;  the picture we normally associate with her was made during the reign of her daughter (though it may be a copy of a lost original portrait). There is no conclusive evidence that any of the portraits meant to depict Katherine Howard are actually her.

The woodcut referenced. I just like it.

 Anne of Cleves was referred to as “The King’s Beloved Sister” after the annulment. This granted her a status at court just below the king’s children.

Catherine Parr’s previous marriages were to Sir Edward Burgh (pronounced and sometimes spelled as Borough), and to John Neville, the third Baron Latimer. She does not introduce herself as Lady Seymour/Sudeley for reasons.

Katherine Howard and Anne of Cleves were reported to have danced with one another during 1541’s New Years’ celebrations, after a politeness duel where each was overly gracious to the other. They both won.

Lamentation of a Sinner’s original title page reads Lamentacion of a synner, made by the moſte vertuous Lady quene Caterine, bewailyng the ignoraunce of her blynd life: ſet fourth + put in print at the inſtant deſire of the right gracious lady Caterine ducheſſe of Suffolke, and the erneſt requeſt of the right honourable Lord William Parre, Marqueſſe of Northhampton. With that capitalisation. Not sure how to feel about the fact we got rid of the long ‘s’ (ſ).

Leading on from the above, how do you spell any of the Catherines’ names? Who knows? Catherine of Aragon (christened Catalina) was known to spell her own English name as Katherine, Katherina, Katharine and Katharina, and her first husband and daughter spelt it Katerine and Kateryn respectively.

Chapter 2

The only thing of note to interpret is Catherine’s weird dream.

A council of lords surrounds a young boy in a crown. She knows this boy. He dips his fingers in ink, runs them over parchment. A robed man – her brother-in-law, Edward – takes it, and weeps. Edward VI signs Thomas Seymour’s execution warrant.

She sees her husband, Thomas, Elizabeth close by. Watches as the order whips in the wind, flies straight and true through her once-beloved’s neck. The execution of Thomas Seymour.

Her ward, Jane Grey, pats the ground in front of her, blindfolded and lost. Mary, her stepdaughter, grey and stern, looms above, clutching a crucifix to the point of drawing blood, dripping down on Jane. Behind them, England burns on a pyre. The execution of Lady Jane Grey, and the reign of Mary I. More on the latter at another time.

Elizabeth, resplendent in pearls and gems, but so much older. Looking forward. The reign of Elizabeth I.

A rose withers and dies, its remains left in an old, dusty tome. She blinks, and all are gone. Nothing more than blood and ash. End of the Tudor dynasty.

But she is iron, and feels nothing./But she is marble, and feels nothing/But she is a memory, and feels nothing. All references to Catherine Parr’s memorial, which was commissioned at some point during the 1850s (the marble effigy was unfinished in 1859).

Chapter 3

Jane’s cough is a reference to both Edward VI’s death of suspected tuberculosis, and a possible cause of death for herself; a pulmonary embolism.

“He’s… at school. Christ’s Hospital School! In Sussex!” He isn’t. Edward VI is buried in Westminster Abbey, along with his grandparents and half-sisters. If the truth was told, and Edward spent his time in the place where all the kings are buried, the worst would be assumed. Christ’s Hospital was founded by Edward, and the school left a stone to mark his grave in 1966. He does spend all his days in the chapel, though.

Dr. Gray and Dr. Carter, whoever they may be… They wrote Gray’s Anatomy – the book. A slightly damaged first edition went for $4800, which ties into chapter 4.

Lamentation of a Sinner was written in the autumn of 1546 at the latest, then published in 1547.

Thomas Seymour attempted to kidnap his nephew in a laughably incompetent coup, where the only casualty was one of King Edward’s dogs (it barked, so Thomas shot it). Thomas was convicted of treason and executed.

[history-of-fashion]

ab. 1615 William Larkin - Portrait of Gray Brydges, fifth Baron Chandos, of Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire

(Yale Center for British Art)

[early20thcenturynerd]

Queen Victoria’s Diary, Two Versions: 8th February 1840. The first photo shows Princess Beatrice’s copy of the diary, while the second shows Lord Esher's typescript.

“She [Queen Victoria] instructed Princess Beatrice to re-write the Journal, after her death, omitting or modifying passages which she considered unsuitable for preservation [...] The original volumes [in Victoria’s own handwriting], once copied, were destroyed, also on the Queen's instructions [...] There are 13 red and gold volumes of the typed transcript of the original Journals which was made for Lord Esher, the first Keeper of the Royal Archives, covering the period from 1832 to February 1840 when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert. (The transcript actually goes up to 16 February, six days after the wedding, as this was the day on which the original volume which included the wedding ended.) This transcript was made without the knowledge of Princess Beatrice.”

- Royal Collection Trust

Princess Beatrice’s Version:

“After my breakfast, signed, wrote letters, & my Journal. - Ld Melbourne came to me after 1. Talked of the Lord Chancellor’s coming to Albert, & of the latter's Commission; of the Trainbearers, & where they were to go, - of other arrangements, &c. - Saw Ct Sebastiani, who was introduced by Ld Palmerston, then saw Mme Sebastiani. Saw Ld Uxbridge, & had a little rest, waiting upstairs, & then went downstairs. At ½ p. 4 the carriage & Escort appeared driving through the centre gate, & up to the door, at which I stood. 

First, stepped out Ernest, then Uncle Ernest & lastly my dearest precious Albert, looking beautiful, & so well. I embraced him & took him by the hand, leading him up to my room, Mama, Uncle Ernest & Ernest, following. Seeing dear Albert's face again put me at rest about everything. After a little while Mama & Uncle must down, Ernest & Albert remaining, with me, the latter soon going to the Ld Chancellor. - I rested, & Albert returned to me at 6, remaining some time. — Besides dearest Albert, Uncle & Ernest, Ld Melbourne, the Dss of Sutherland, Ld Byron, Ld Torrington, (being in waiting) Ld Uxbridge Ld Erroll, Ld Albemarle, Mr Byng, Col: Grey, Stockmar, Kolowrath, Alvensleben, Baron von Löwenfels, Herr von Gruben, Pölnitz, & Mr Seymour, dined. Dearest Albert, wearing his ribbon of the Garter, led me in, & I sat between him & Uncle Ernest. I felt so happy at having him near me again. 

I drank wine with Ld Melbourne when Albert's health was given out: His Royal Highness Pce Albert. After dinner Albert & Ernest shook hands with Ld Melbourne. In talking to me afterwards he said he thought Albert looked very well, & that he considered it such a good thing that Albert had attended Service in Canterbury Cathedral. I sat on the sofa with him, Ld Melbourne sitting near us. He admired the diamond Garter Albert was wearing, saying it was ‘very handsome’, & I told him it was my gift. I had also before dinner, given a diamond star & badge, I had worn.”

Lord Esher’s Version:

“Got up at ½ p.9 and breakfasted at 10. Wrote to Lord Melbourne and the Duke of Cambridge. Saw dear Eos, who arrived with dearest Albert's valet last night. Signed. Wrote my journal. Played and sung. At 10 m. p.1 Lord Melbourne came to me and stayed with me till 10 m. to 2. He was very well; I returned him a letter from the Duke of Sussex he had sent me. Talked of a note from Anson about Gardner he had sent me; ‘I've seen Lord Carrington,’ he said, ‘he's very reasonable on both sides’, and had told him it would be ruin to Gardner to resign now, though he saw the necessity of the case; that what I had heard was only alleged (which is true), and one can't know if he never said to Lady G. that he disapproved of her conduct. 

This is all true; Lord Carrington will try and stop his attending the Wedding, and that he mustn't take his Waiting at present; talked of the Chancellor's coming to Albert; of A.’s commission; Eos &c.; of the Train-bearers and where they were to go to; Lord M. had been to Lady Stanhope's for half an hour last night, which I scolded him for; she rather hinted at being in the Chapel; talked of Drawing-rooms; Parties &c.; of the Duke of Sussex; and of inviting Lord Sudeley and Lord and Lady Lurgan to the Chapel; of seeing the Sebastianis; of letting Lord M. know when M. know when A. arrived. - Saw Count Sebastiani, who was introduced by Lord Palmerston. I then saw Mme. Sebastiani. Wrote my journal. Saw Lord Uxbridge. Lay down. Remained waiting upstairs,- then downstairs. 

At ½ p.4 the Carriage and Escort appeared, drove through the centre Gate, and up to the door; I stood at the very door; 1st stepped out Ernest, then Uncle Ernest, and then (my dearest precious) Angel, looking beautiful and so well; I embraced him, and took him by the hand and led him up to my room; Ma., Uncle Ernest, and Ernest following. I embraced him now again, and he looked so dear and so well; seeing his dear dear face again put me at rest about everything. I gave him a fine new Ivory and Enamel stick; they remained a little while, and then Uncle and Ma. went down and then Ernest and dearest Albert stayed; then he went down to see the Chancellor. Wrote to Lord M. Lay down. 

My beloved Albert came to me at 6 and stayed with me till 5 m. to 7. So dear and kind; but he still felt giddy from the seasickness. Wrote my journal. At 10 m. to 8 we dined. Besides dearest Albert, Uncle, and Ernest,- Lord Melbourne, the Duchess of Sutherland, Lord Byron (Lord Torrington being in waiting), Lord Uxbridge, Lord Erroll, Lord Albemarle, Mr.Byng, Col: Grey, Stockmar, Kolowrath, Alvensleben, Baron de Lowenfels, M. de Grüben, and M. de Pölnitz, and Mr.Seymour, dined here. These six last stay in the house. Dearest Albert with his ribbon and Garter on, led me in, and I sat between him (to my left) and Uncle Ernest. Lord Melbourne sat next Lady Sandwich who sat near Albert. Dearest Albert, I felt so happy to have him near me again. 

I drank wine with Lord M.; when dearest Albert's health was given: His Royal Highness Prince Albert - Lord M. was much affected. The gentlemen got up with the ladies. After dinner Albert and Ernest shook hands with Lord Melbourne. ‘I think they look very well,’ Lord M. said, when he came up to me, ‘I think he (A.) looks very well.’ Talked of their passage; Lord M. said it was such a very good thing that Albert attended service in the Cathedral at Canterbury. I sat on the sofa with my beloved Albert, Lord Melbourne sitting near me. Talked of the gentlemen who Uncle had with him. Lord M. admired the diamond Garter which Albert had on, and said: ‘Very handsome’. I told him it was my gift; I also gave him (all before dinner) a diamond star, I had worn, and badge. 

I said to Lord M. I feared this cold would end in a cough; ‘God! you should keep very quiet tomorrow,’ Lord M. said anxiously and earnestly; I said I had been lying down; ‘You should as much as you can,’ he said. Talked of young Seymour being like his family. Lord M. made us laugh excessively about his new Coat, which he said laughing: ‘I expect it to be the thing most observed.’ Talked of Uncle Leopold; his walking so much, &c. I pressed Lord M. not to go to the party of his sister,&c. Stayed up till 10 m. p.11. I kissed my precious Albert.”

[endlessly-cursed]

𝑳𝑼𝑪𝑰𝑬 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑨𝑴𝑩𝑹𝑶𝑺𝑬 𝑪𝑹𝑶𝑴𝑾𝑬𝑳𝑳, 𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑨𝒍𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒉𝒂𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑳𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝑺𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒚

Both siblings were born in the 16th century (1501 & 1503) and were not only aspiring members of Henry VIII's court, but renowned Hogwarts students.

Lucie was married at the age of 12 to the Earl of Sudeley, though didn't live with him yet and was to be sent to carry on her wifely duties at the age of 18.

Her brother Ambrose was the only son of the Baron of Altergham and was to marry a renowned daughter of a viscount... When a trip to an eerie pond at night before their respective weddings brought them instead to the late 19th century... Three hundred years ahead of their time!

The siblings appreciated each other, but didn't see eye to eye due to the time being. To survive, they'll have to get along just fine... It shouldn't be so difficult... Right?

[minervacasterly]

Jane Grey, Protestant Prodigy

There is no question that Jane Grey was for all intent and purposes a prodigy, even for her times. Today we expect children to learn the basics. But back in the sixteenth century, things were different, especially for noblewomen, who were expected to make their families proud by finding a suitable husband who’d make a powerful ally. In the case of Jane Grey, being the eldest of her sisters, meant she had to meet most of society’s expectations. Having royal blood, and being related to the King through her mother, meant that she had to work harder than Katherine and Mary, and just as hard -if not more- than her bastardized cousins, Ladies, Mary and Elizabeth Tudor.

But Jane Grey exceeded everyone’s expectations, especially her father whose continual indulgence made her appreciate him more than her mother who was stricter. When her thirst for knowledge became evident, she became a ward in the Parr household. Queen Dowager Kathryn Parr had recently remarried, for the fourth and last time to her true love, Sir Thomas Seymour, Baron Sudeley. The couple’s manor, Sudeley Castle, became a safe haven for many intellectual curious girls like Jane. Among them was Jane’s cousin, and Kathryn’s favorite royal stepdaughter, lady Elizabeth Tudor. Elizabeth Tudor was nearly Jane’s equal, but after she fell from grace, Jane took her place in Kathryn’s heart.

Jane lamented the Queen Dowager’s death, and after she was returned to her parents, she berated them and begged them to send her back. She wrote how unfair they were treating her. Several historians and novelists have taken this as ‘proof’ that Jane Grey’s mother was a wicked woman and her husband, an indolent fool, or her partner-in-crime who saw their daughter as nothing more than tool in their quest to gain more power. As easy as it is to turn this into a dualistic tale of good and evil, heroes and villains and so on; the truth is that her parents were neither of these things.

Lord Henry Grey, Marques of Dorset and (after the fall of Somerset) Duke of Suffolk, and Frances Brandon, were self-serving aristocrats. This is not unusual given that a family’s number one interest was in promoting their children to other courtiers in the hopes that they would marry into equally or more powerful families to further their riches. Family mattered more than everything else, and this is where religion comes into play as well because it was believed that the best way to raise successful wives and lords, was to instill the fear of god in them. As a result, Jane’s intelligence became highly by Reformers in England and abroad.

Read the rest here: https://tudorsandotherhistories.wordpress.com/2017/08/12/jane-grey-the-early-years-an-outstanding-prodigy-evangelical-leader-in-the-making/

[oxsix]

The Long Road to Family

Chapter 7- The hole where Something should be

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6

Catherine learns that absence cuts deepest.

Catherine Parr has always been enthused by the prospect of knowledge. The discovery of new information is one of her favourite things, and the new device she now possesses will give her access to a wealth of it. The pursuit of deeper understanding, of discussion, interpretation and debate is her favourite pastime.

Once she gets the hang of it's workings, she uses the device to read about all manner of things. She reads about the past, about how history has progressed since her death, and she is proud, when she first reads about Elizabeth and her long, celebrated reign.

She devours page after page, about science, history, religion, how drastically the world has changed; ploughs through articles about modern society and politics. They fill her with excitement and a desperate drive to know more, to absorb every detail of the transformed world she has woken up in. She wants to know more, more, more. And her every question—even the ones she knows, in the back of her mind, are daft—comes with a comprehensive answer and a range of other suggested sources and ides for her to explore.

As new and confusing as the world seems to be, she can think of nothing better than to see it all, and understand it all. She feels nothing short of blessed to be reborn in this new future. To be given this chance to see, experience and live all over again in a world that seems to be at least a little better than the one she left behind.

She decides to reminisce, a little, about her past life, if only to remember where she came from. And in a moment of desperate anticipation, she remembers the last memories of her time there. The pain, the fear, and the desperate, aching hope that she would make it through this, just to hold her little girl in her arms.

She hovers over the little, blue name beneath her own portrait in the article. She ignores the name above it—the first baron Seymour of Sudeley—the distance time has put between them has culled any remaining affections she might have had for that man and his awful actions; the one she'd been foolish enough to trust.

Swallowing her excitement, she taps the name.

And she finds nothing.

Well, not much more than nothing. Less than 1000 words about her little girl. Who'd been left an orphan after her (bastard) father's execution, and disappeared from historical record altogether soon after. Historians believe she hadn't lived past the age of two. There's little information on the page other than vague speculation, rumours spread in the decades after Catherine's own death.

And a poem that's believed to reference her daughter.

An 'unfit traveller.' Taken at such an early age.

There is no wealth of information to be found here. Only an emptiness. The absence of what could have been.

Catherine had been prepared for too much information. For learning unpleasant things; to have to grapple with their implications. There's nothing she loves more than delving into an enormous document or negotiating her position on a particularly complex issue. She loses herself in the words, and will spend hours, uninterrupted, making sense of new issues.  Every answer found is like a puzzle piece falling into place. A little piece of her world that now makes more sense.

But this absence? A hole where something should be, but isn't? It hangs over her, envelopes all other thought. She isn't prepared for absence.

Catherine puts the phone down. She doesn't read another article that night

_

She doesn't look at it again until it buzzes, aggressively loud from its position on the coffee table next to her.

The sound is sharp, and grating, and it pulls her mind from it's wandering. It startles her, and before she can even think about what it might be, she answers it. And she's talking before her mind can even catch up to her mouth.

"Hi, who's this?" The words spill out and she's only half conscious of it.

"Hi, it's um- it's Anna." The voice on the other end of the line is apprehensive, and Catherine understands why—they hadn't known each other particularly well before, but they certainly weren't on the best of terms, either.

For some reason, Catherine can't find it in herself to hold any of that against her. She's just thankful to hear another voice, to know there's someone there.

So she talks. She jokes, and she discusses some of her findings from earlier. She avoids the topic that hangs on the tip of her tongue. She doesn't want to talk about that right now.

They talk about everything; the new world they've found themselves in, the technology, the culture. How different it all is from their past. They talk about what they're most excited to do, now that they're in this new world.

Catherine's lips move so freely and easily, and she feels more open and relaxed than she has in a long time. She's grateful for the company. All the endless, circling thoughts have been stopped in her tracks. And even though the pain remains, somewhere in the back of her mind, she feels relief.

The conversation focuses her mind, stops it's racing. And when they eventually hang up, the emptiness takes a little longer to creep back in.

_

In the morning, she grabs something small to eat—a breakfast bar, the packet says. She doesn't really know what it is, but its sweet, and it's light enough that she can stomach it without feeling ill.

She gets herself dressed, nothing too fanciful; she doesn't yet have a grasp of what styles are popular or proper in the modern day. She does wear trousers, though, which brings a tiny blip of happiness to her, still fairly low, mood.

It's certainly the biggest highlight of her time since her phone call last night.

She heads out of the house, and towards the location she'd been given. She tried to stop her racing mind in its tracks. Repeating and repeating the same information to her over and over again. Because there just wasn't enough. The lacking. The emptiness of it all bounces around her head. She only hopes that she will find something today. Some semblance of understanding from these women she shares so much in common with, and yet so little all the same.

Anything, she hopes, that can fill this absence within.

[terrifictudor]

The family of Jane Seymour

Sir John Seymour of Wolf Hall in Wiltshire was an English solider and courtier who served Henry VII and Henry VIII until his death in 1536. Not much else is know about him, other than the fact that he was knighted in June of 1497, for his bravery and services, fighting against the Cornish rebels at blackheath.

John Seymour married Margery Wentworth in October of 1478. The couple would go on to have ten children together.

Funnily enough, it is through Margery Wentworth that Jane Seymour is related to Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard. Anne Say [janes grandmother] married Sir Henry Wentworth and produced six children, including Margaret Wentworth, mother of Queen Jane Seymour. While Anne says half-sister, Elizabeth Tylney, married Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey. This marriage produced nine children, including Edmund Howard, father of Queen Catherine Howard, and Elizabeth Howard, mother of Queen Anne Boleyn.

Jane Seymour was the eldest daughter of Sir John Seymour of Wolf Hall in Wiltshire and Margery Wentworth. Jane seymours birthdate is unknown. Most historians believe her to be born around 1504 - 1509. Jane was one of four children, the most notable ones being her brothers, Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley and Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset.

The seymours came from ancient and respectable linage, being traceable to Norman origins. Through janes mother, Margery Wentworth, Jane and her siblings were descendants of Edward III and his son, Lionel, 1st Duke of Clarence. This made Jane and Henry VIII fifth cousins.

Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, breifly ruled England as lord protecter of janes son Edward VI, but was beheaded on the 22 of January 1552.

Edwards brother, Thomas Seymour, suffered a similar fate of decapitation. The reason for Thomas’ beheading is rather unsettling, Thomas Seymour was arrested at Hampton court place, 16th of January 1549, for he attempted to kidnap his nephew, Edward VI. Thomas’ plan was set for failure. As Thomas entered the kings chambers, the kings spaniel awoke and found an intruder, Thomas went to kill the dog, for fear of being bitten. When the king woke, the guards were already there, arresting Thomas and sending him off to the Tower of London.

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[tudorsweekly]

The Disappearance of Lady Mary Seymour

The Disappearance of Lady Mary Seymour

Born At Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire on 30 August 1548, Lady Mary Seymour was the long-awaited child of dowager queen Kateryn Parr, and her fourth husband Sir Thomas, Baron Seymour of Sudeley. The unexpected pregnancy left both parents overjoyed.

In a letter from 9 June 1548, Thomas Seymour writes to his wife:

I do desyer your hignes to kepe the letell knaue so leanne and gantte with your…