Seymour

[jossa]

Can anyone tell me the history of someone with the name seymour (poss. Lord seymour) he was married to Arabella in Elizabethan times and was imprisoned by the Queen. His wife helped him escape I believe, I just need to verify some of the facts.

[Drusilla1S]

William Seymour, later the Marquis of Hertford and even later, The Duke of Somerset fell in love with Arabella Stuart. She was the daughter of Charles Stuart, Earl of Lennox. Lennox was the younger brother of Lord Darnley who was married to Mary, Queen of Scots.

The couple were forbidden from marrying by Elizabeth I because she was suspicious of their dynastic claims to the throne of England. Arabella was second in line to her throne after JamesVI of Scotland, but had many supporters because she had been born in England, unlike the Scottish, James.

There was some suspicion that Elizabeth's worry over the affair led to her final illness and death. Although the couple were received by James when he became king, he too forbade their marriage and eventually imprisoned William. The couple escaped to France, but were eventually allowed home and married. Sadly, Arabella died in 1615 before they had any children. (I think).

William then married the daughter of the executed Earl of Essex and his wife, Frances Walsingham. Frances was the daughter of Elizabeth I famous spymaster., Francis Walsingham.

I believe a novel was written quite recently regarding the affair between William and Arabella.

[Drusilla1S]

I think I may have made some mistakes here, because having checked up on my facts a bit more efficiently, it would seem Arabella's brush with Queen Elizabeth was because she wanted to marry Edward Seymour, the elder brother of the William I have mentioned above.

She did eventually marry the younger brother, William and this marriage upset James I and he imprisoned her in the Tower of London, where she went bonkers and died in 1615.

[jossa]

Thankyou!!