Today’s post is a fascinating guest article from historical novelist Suzannah Dunn, whose latest novel, The May Bride, is narrated by Henry VIII’s third wife, Jane Seymour.
Be sure to leave a comment after Suzannah’s guest post for your chance to win 1 of 5 copies of Suzannah’s novel!
This giveaway has now ended!
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Over to Suzannah Dunn…
Chances are, if you’re a Tudor afficionado, you’ve come across the Seymour family scandal of the 1520s. But you’re probably thinking: Remind me again? It’s not your fault: there’s almost nothing, officially, to know. As far as I’m aware, the historical record gives us only this: Edward Seymour – eldest brother of Henry VIII’s third wife, Jane, and, ultimately, Lord Protector of England during the reign of Henry and Jane’s young son – repudiated his first wife, Katherine Fillol/Filiol, sometime in the early years of their marriage, sending her to a nunnery and disinheriting their two infant sons. His reason? Well, for that, we have only the rumour that he believed she’d had an affair with his father.
Edward Seymour, c. 1537.
Perhaps you think that kind of carry-on was normal for the Tudors: repudiated wives, nunneries. But far from it – although, interestingly, another man, at exactly this time, was trying very hard to set aside his own wife. ‘Man’, ‘wife’? King, queen, no less: Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. Try as the king might, though, it took him seven years and the wrenching of England from Rome, and even then you couldn’t really have called it a success.
No, what happened at Wolfhall was drastic even then, and particularly so for a family such as Edward’s. The Seymours of the 1520s were not who they’d become in the following two decades thanks in different ways to Edward and his maverick younger brother, Thomas. The Seymours of Katherine Filliol’s time were by all accounts well-respected country people; the father was Justice of the Peace for Wiltshire. They weren’t at court, didn’t keep company with the characters we read about, the characters who still, from five hundred years back, grab our attention.
Thomas Seymour
And Edward himself: I simply couldn’t square this awful story with what I knew of him. He was ambitious in what I think of as the right way, by which I mean he was hardworking, diplomatic, capable and cautious. You can debate the success or otherwise of his years as de facto ruler of England, but there’s no denying that the far-reaching changes of Edward VI’s reign – crucial in shaping English culture as we recognise it today – happened under his protectorate. He was nothing if not forward-thinking.
A man, surely, I felt, who’d have gone to any lengths to avoid personal scandal. But, then, in a sense that’s exactly what he did, because how better to deal with a supposedly errant wife than to shut her up in a nunnery.
So, what’s the truth of it? What’s a matter of historical record? Katherine was co-heiress (with her sister) of Sir William Filliol/Fillol, of Woodlands at Horton, in Dorset, which was within fifty miles of the Seymour’s Wiltshire home of Wolfhall. Edward and Katherine married in the early 1520s, when they themselves were in their early twenties, and went on to have two sons (John and Edward). In 1527, Katherine’s father re-wrote his will shortly before his death to stipulate that neither Katherine nor Edward nor their children receive ‘parts or parcell’ of his estate, and that Katherine receive an annual pension of £40 on condition that she live in ‘some honest house of Relegion of wymen’. By an Act of Parliament in 1530, Edward had the terms of that will set aside. He was re-married by 1536, which can only mean that Katherine had either died or become a nun. In 1540, he received a grant through Parliament permitting him to alter his succession to the children of his second wife.
The rumour of adultery comes from a marginal note in Vincent’s Baronage, added well after the deaths of everyone concerned, which translates from the Latin to claim that Katherine was ‘repudiated’ because, after the marriage, she had ‘known the father’.
And there we have it; that’s all what we have.
Just think of what we don’t know. Did Katherine and Edward marry for love? As newlyweds, where did they live? – at Wolfhall? And then what really did happen? was it really as the Latin scribble has it? And if so, how did it happen? (Perhaps we shouldn’t assume that if there was a liaison, it was consensual on Katherine’s part.) And – sorry to be indelicate – how much of it happened? – how long was it going on? When? And then how did it ever come to light? What did Katherine admit to, what did she deny or attempt to explain away? Who did or didn’t believe her? How did Edward’s father answer the accusation? What sanctions – if any – did he face, and how did he live it down, both inside and outside the family? How did Edward, himself, live it down? – because he certainly did, going from strength to strength. Where did Katherine go, and what were the terms of her confinement? Did she ever see her sons, and what did they grow up knowing? What was her ultimate fate?
And those two little boys? In my experience, that’s what people most often want to know, and history books do give us an answer of sorts. Both sons are said to have been with Edward in the Tower when he was indicted for treason (on largely trumped up charges) in the late 1540s, John dying there (of illness) a few months after his father’s execution. Edward Junior became High Sheriff of Devon: in other words, he seems to have gone on to have a respectable career, and, indeed, family life, because after the death of the 7th Duke of Somerset in the eighteenth century, the line of descendancy reverted so that it is from him, Katherine’s second son, that the current Duke is descended.
As for all those unanswered questions, here’s what I think…My guess is that Katherine and Edward did marry for love, or at least something like it, because they married at an age that was, for their class, relatively young; neither would have been under pressure to marry at that time. Edward could have – and, in the light of what happened, should have – waited until he’d begun to make a career for himself at court; he could have then married one of the in-crowd. His second wife – the scarily ambitious Anne Stanhope – was an ideal match for him.
I suspect the young newlyweds did live at Wolfhall, and I wonder if the few months that Edward spent away in France (having joined the Duke of Suffolk’s brief, unsuccessful campaign of 1527), had something to do with what went wrong. I’ve read that Edward discovered poems written for his wife by his father, but as far as I know, that’s unsubstantiated. What is true, though, is that Seymour senior was friends, when younger, with the poet John Skelton. A few words, here, about Edward’s father, John: he’d ‘married up’, and was younger than his wife; I calculate that he’d have been in his mid-forties at the time of the scandal. Not old, then, as it’s easy to assume. I’ve come across a claim that he had an illegitimate son before he married, but, actually, that doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.
And Katherine: where did she end up? Well, she was a Dorset girl living in Wiltshire. Two of England’s wealthiest, most powerful nunneries were in Dorset and Wiltshire: Shaftesbury and Wilton. But whether a repudiated wife from a prominent family would be sent to a major house, as befitted her origins, or, on the contrary, precisely because of those origins, buried away somewhere obscure, I don’t know. Forty pounds per year, though, compares favourably with the Prioress of Shaftesbury’s pension of twenty pounds per year, and the Prioress of Wilton’s ten, almost a decade later at the time of dissolution.
Reading and thinking my way through all this, I began developing my own take on what might’ve happened that was so catastrophic at Wolfhall in the mid-1520s. Something was dawning on me. Dates are patchy, but Jane Seymour was most likely around fifteen when her brother married and seventeen when the terrible situation blew up at home. Mid-teens when her father was accused of fathering a child with his own daughter-in-law.
Jane Seymour by Hans Holbein the Younger
What do we know of the Jane who endured this calamity? Almost nothing – which actually, I think, tells us a lot. She was the eldest girl in a large family, but with three older brothers: heavily imposed-upon in the domestic sphere, almost certainly, and overshadowed. Those brothers of hers were notably handsome, but to judge from the Holbein portrait of Jane when she became queen, she was – to say the least – no looker. There’s no record of her having travelling or lived away from home during her girlhood nor having been educated beyond, presumably, the basics. In adulthood, she was, reputedly, traditional in her religious leanings, and her needlework was much admired. She was a spinster in her late twenties when the king turned his attention to her. I don’t think it’d be too wide of the mark to describe her as shy.
A shy, plain fifteen year old joined at Wolfhall by the bride of the brother who was fast becoming a star. It intrigued me, the relationship between those two girls. Jane was at a formative age, and I couldn’t help but imagine her in thrall to Katherine. What, then, did Jane know – or not know – of what went wrong? In the aftermath, when Katherine was despatched to a nunnery, Jane went to Catherine of Aragon, that gentlest and most pious of queens: Jane appears in records of the queen’s household from around this time. Which, ironically, was exactly when the king made his first, tentative move to persuade his queen to stand down, step aside, pursue a religious vocation. How bizarre that Jane should come – perhaps for refuge, perhaps for rehabilitation – from a home in which exactly that had just happened, only to have to witness the same all over again, but writ large. Very large, because Catherine of Aragon was no Dorset girl; she was a princess of the Holy Roman Empire, crowned queen of England, loyal spouse of two decades’ standing and mother of the sole heir to the throne. She had right on her side and she knew it. She wasn’t going to go quietly. Thus ensued seven long desperate years of resistance, which Jane, close at hand, would have witnessed and lived through.
Before long, what had started for me as a fascination with how and why Katherine Filliol was more or less wiped from history had grown to become as much about her plain, shy little sister-in-law, Jane Seymour: how and why Jane had ended up best able of all the women in England to take the throne the day after Anne Boleyn had knelt for the executioner.
Really interesting read and look forward to reading the book!
I would love to read more about Jane Seymour and the Seymour family. They held power for so long–through he reign of Edward VI–it would be interesting to know more about them.
Definitely want to read more about Jane Seymour. Would love to win this!
Looks intriguing. I can’t wait to read.
Sounds very interesting. I’d love to read this books interpretation. Fingers crossed I win.
Love Tudor history….sounds like an interesting read
I love history! I would love to read a story about Jane Seymour. Because I don’t know much about her.
Thanks for writing this Tudor story through Jane’s perspective. I can’t wait to read it.
This sounds fascinating! I’ve always wanted to know more about Jane Seymour. Especially from her point of view (such as it is!)
I would love to read this!! There seems to be so little written about Jane Seymour, as compared to the other wives…very excited for this!
So excited to read this book about Jane Seymour. Am an Assistant Librarian of a small Library in Northern Ontario. You would be surprised at how many of our patrons love historical fiction, and the Tudor period. Would love to win so I can read myself (of course!), then donate to the Library.
England’s history has always fascinated me more than anything else therefore this book seems to be worth reading.
This sounds very interesting!
great article! I love any and all Tudor books !
oohh this sounds extremely interesting, i do love history and period books and dramas x
Would love to win this so I can read more!
Very interesting. I’m glad you’ve written a book about Jane, I’ve felt for a while that we know little about her and she doesn’t get the attention and interest that some of Henry’s other queens do. I’d like to get to know her.
Looks so intersting! I woild love to read more about Jane Seymour. Winning this book would be fantastic!
I have always wanted to know more about Jane Seymour so this sounds like a very interesting read and I look forward to reading this!
I’ve always wished for a book that gave us Jane’s side of the story so to speak and more information about he Family! Weather I win or not here’s wishing you Good Luck with your book and more books to come in the future!
Fascinating! Tell us more! Ah the intrigue in every corner of Tudor history. Of course this why we are so mad about it all?
Although Jane is not one of my favorite people, I am interested in reading this book!
It will be fascinating to read what Jane has to ‘say’ about her life, family and the short time she was Queen.
I have read Ms. Dunn’s other books on Tudors times and enjoyed them thoroughly.
I’ve always been intrigued by this wife of Henry VIII that he supposedly loved, actually loved. One wonders if she might have tempered him in later years had she survived, would he have been a better man/king with her influence? Or would she have eventually gone the way of all his other conquests. Interesting food for thought!
Wow! What an interesting read this would be. Definately one for my Amazon wish list but would love to win a copy to go with my growing book collection.
I love Suzannah Dunn’s novels. History is bought to life in an engaging and thought provoking way. Would be elated to win a copy of this exciting book. Pleeeease?!
Oh!! really fascinating! I can’t wait to find out more about the Tudors!
I don’t know a lot about Jane Seymour, but I’d love to know more. This sounds like my kind of book!! Would LOVE to win this!!
Familiar with Thomas and Jane Seymour but most of what I’ve just read is new knowledge for me. Look forward to learning more!
What an awesome addition this book would be! Would LOVE to win it, read it and share with my daughter and friends!
Interesting, would enjoy reading more of the story. Would love to add this to my collection.
I would love to read this book. The Seymour family has always intrigued me!
Very interesting! Can’t wait to learn more
There doesn’t seem to be too much out there about Jane so this is a good opportunity to find out more about her.Very interested to read!!
Would love reading this book. I’ve been reading all about the tutors these past few years. I hope some day to visit all the castles in England. I also enjoy reading all your posts. Good luck everyone! 🙂
My sister and I, are both history teachers, and I have to admit that we love your page, we encourage our students to use this site to be updated in all tudor maters!!!!
Thanks for the chance Natalie. If I win this book I will lend it to my students!!!!
I really want to win a copy of this book!!!!! I´m a great Tudor fan!!! and I love this excellent site!!!
Great article! Thanks for the opportunity and keep on writting Natalie!!!!!!!!!!!
I love any kind of historical tudor fiction. I would love to read this book and hope I win, I have never won anything before!. I want this to be the first time!! 😉 I´m crossing my fingers
Thanks Natalie
Hi everyone! I recently discover this page, and it´s excellent!
The article about the Seymour is great, there are lot´s of whispering around this family, It would be great to know more about them!
Hope I can win the book….!!!! (crossing my fingers already 😉 )
Thanks for the chance!!!
The book looks to be a good one! I’d love to know more about the Seymour family!
Thank you Natalie soooo much!!!
I want to win this book!!!! 🙂 Thanks Natalie for this give away!!!!
It would be an excellent birthday present for me!!!! I´m turning 35 tomorrow!!!
I´m crossing my fingers!!!
good luck everyone!
I don´t know what to say, except for that I want so badly to win this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please, please, please!!!!!! pick me !!!!!!! I have never win anything in my life!!! It would be like a dream come true to have a new tudor book!
Thanks Natalie!
A warm hug!!!!
Hi Natalie!, My wife and daughters are big fans of this page, and lately so do I!!!
I hope a could win this book, so we all could read it!
Thanks for this giveaway and all the others!!! your blog it´s the best
We wish you all the luck!
Hi Natalie and Suzannah!
I would really love to have this book!, it would be the first time I read a novel by Suzannah!!!
Thanks for all!!!!
Stefani
I am fascinated with Tudor history and read everything I can lay my hands on, fictional or not. I would love to win this book. Normally everything is about Anne, Henry and Elizabeth. To read about other members of the family would help to understand the family more.
I am really excited to read this! I am really getting into medieval and Tudor history and love the different variations to the stories we think we know!!
I would love to win this book! Seems incredibly interesting and I would cherish it so since I am a huge historical novel fan!
Anything one reads about this period is thoroughly gripping and wrenching. You aren’t just reading about it, you’re along for the ride as you navigate its complexities.
I also want to congratulate you not only for your blog, but also for your book, it´s a delightful read!
I love any kind of historical fiction and it’s great to see different authors interpretations of characters. I love The Tudors and reading just how shocking life was at court especially around Henry VIII. I would love to read this book and hope I win, I’ve never won anything before.
I would love to win this book. I have been reading your blog for a while now on feedly and love it. I am just starting to learn about the Tudors after seeing the tv show. I would love to learn more and get a better understanding. Hope to see many more post from you. A warm Hug, Greta!