Elizabeth Seymour

Elizabeth Seymour, Lady Cromwell

Elizabeth Seymour (Lady Cromwell), second daughter to Sir John Seymour of Wulfhall and Margery Wentworth, was born in c. 1518 (at Wulfhall) and died on 19 March 1568. She was the wife of Gregory Cromwell, son of Thomas Cromwell, chief minister under Henry VIII. Her elder sister Jane Seymour is widely known for having been Queen of England (1536 - 1537) as the third wife of Henry VIII, having taken over the duties of Anne Boleyn, whose household both sisters had served in previously as maids of honour. Elizabeth went on to serve a total of four "queen consorts" under Henry VIII.

Early Life and First Marriage

Although it is assumed that Elizabeth was indeed born at Wulfhall in 1518, neither the exact place nor time of her birth can be traced back with certainty.

In early 1531, aged 13, Elizabeth became the second wife of Sir Anthony Ughtred in Kexby, Yorkshire. It was shortly after the wedding that Elizabeth was firstly introduced to the court to serve Anne Boleyn, her second cousin, while Sir Anthony had been appointed Governor of Jersey. The marriage spawned two children, Henry (c. 1533) and Margery Ughtred (c. 1535), the latter born after her father's death in October of 1534 in Kexby, where Elizabeth returned after her husband's death.

The Rise of the Seymour Family

As it became apparent that the marriage of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn would not produce any heirs to the throne, the king became increasingly infatuated with Jane Seymour, his wife's maid and Elizabeth's sister. Shortly after Anne's execution, Henry and Jane were married on 30 May 1536, helping the Seymour family to new status and prospects.

Second Marriage

It was during this time that Elizabeth, now fending for herself and struggling financially, turned to Thomas Cromwell in hopes of being "holpen to obtain of the king's grace to be farmer of one of these abbeys if they fortune go down" ([[1]]). Instead, she was married to Cromwell's son Gregory on 3 August 1537 and had five more children: Henry, Edward, Thomas, Catherine and Frances Cromwell. In November of 1537, Elizabeth and Gregory Cromwell attended the funeral procession for Jane Seymour, who had died on 24 October in the process of giving birth to a son. It is assumed that Gregory Cromwell moved his wife and children into Leeds Castle in 1539, following Thomas Cromwell's promotion to Constable of Leeds Castle.

In 1540, Anne of Cleves became the fourth wife of Henry VIII and Queen of England. While Gregory Cromwell took over his father's title of Lord Cromwell when Thomas Cromwell became Earl of Essex, Elizabeth was simultaneously appointed to Anne's household.

Following Thomas Cromwell's abrupt fall from power, his subsequent beheading and the annulment of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleve's marriage in 1540, Elizabeth continued to serve as an attendant at the court, now under Queen Catherine Howard, as a favour of the king.

In 1551, Elizabeth lost her husband Gregory Cromwell to sweating sickness. After the arrest of her brother Edward, his youngest four daughters were placed in Elizabeth's care in 1552 and she was in return supported financially. However, Elizabeth seemed to have been unable to cope with the task and was eventually freed from the agreement the following year.

Third Marriage

With the Seymour family name now having lost most of its prestige, mainly due to the association with Thomas Cromwell, and with most of her relatives dead, Elizabeth was married for the third and last time in 1557, to John Paulet, Baron St. John. The marriage would remain without children.

Death

Elizabeth died 19 March 1568, survived by her husband. Her final resting place is St. Mary's Church in Hampshire.

Sources

• "Elizabeth SEYMOUR (B. Cromwell)." Elizabeth SEYMOUR (B. Cromwell). N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Jan. 2017.[[2]]

• "Elizabeth Seymour, Lady Cromwell." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 03 Jan. 2017.[[3]]

• "Family of Queen Katherine: Elizabeth Seymour, Lady Cromwell." Tudorqueen6. N.p., 24 Feb. 2013. Web. 03 Jan. 2017.[[4]]

• Larson, Rebecca. "Elizabeth Seymour, Lady Cromwell." Tudors Dynasty. N.p., 12 Nov. 2016. Web. 03 Jan. 2017.[[5]]

• Norton, Elizabeth. Jane Seymour: Henry VIII's True Love. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Amberley, 2010. Print.