| Mary Seymour (chatsworth) |
Article Index for Mary |
Website Links For Mary |
Information AboutMary Seymour (chatsworth) |
|
Despite the fact that the negotiations were halted due to the death of Queen Mary in 1558 and the Duchess of Suffolk in 1559, the marriage negotiations went ahead and Sir Thomas and young Mary were married in 1565. However, the marriage was an unhappy one as it became apparent that the new Queen Elizabeth did not look favorably upon Lady Mary who was considered no better than a traitor for her relationship with the Duchess of Suffolk who had been an assistant in the elevation of Lady Jane Grey to power. However, the new Queen acknowledged that the late Queen had shown them pardon and therefore she would do the same but she never looked favorably upon young Mary nor any of those who had been connected to the Brandons and the Greys. Sir Thomas was known for his string of affairs and was once confronted by Lady Mary who was subsequently found tumbling down a winding staircase. Sir Thomas mysteriously disappeared in 1567 (two years after the marriage had taken place) and was found a few weeks later in a cornfield, having been stabbed. Popular theories include that while entertaining one of his many mistresses he was stabbed for not paying for services acquired (in other words he was entertaining prostitutes, and was not the well desired gentleman of legend). Following the death of her husband, she entered a courtship with a mere stable hand that was rumored to have assisted her when she was unwell and neglected by her husband. The union was a happy one and they subsequently married in June 1568. In 1569, Mark Chatsworth and Lady Mary gave birth to a daughter Arabella Chatsworth. In 1571, Lady Mary gave birth to a boy, Jack Chatsworth. Lady Mary’s sudden decline in rank during her marriage to a stable hand made for some undesirable living conditions. All revenue that was acquired by Lady Mary from her previous husband was now being used to pay off huge living debts and by 1577, the Chatsworths were living in abject poverty in Southampton with Lady Mary going by the name of Elizabeth Tate to work as a flower girl. The uncomfortable situation that Lady Mary was faced with left its mark when she began to suffer from a lung infection in 1578. The following year, Lady Mary suffered from heart problems, which ultimately led to heart failure on March 25th 1579. Nobody knows for certain where Lady Mary was buried but many historians believe that she is buried in an unmarked grave somewhere in Southampton. Others believe, that friends or distant relatives provided a funeral ceremony fit for her rank in London due to the fact that they felt pity for her. Further historians argue that she may have been buried as Elizabeth Tate with a funeral ceremony befitting a poor flower girl. However, to this day nobody knows. REFERENCE Kelly, R: National Portrait Gallery, Confessions of Lady Chatsworth, Humber Publishers, 2006 |