HOUSE OF TUDOR

Information from "Windows Into Our Past A Genealogy of the Cowne, Gough & Associated Families, Volume 2", compiled by Judy Parsons Smith © 1998.

Sir Tudor Fychan ap Grono

Sir Tudor Fychan ap Grono , of Pemmynydd , m. to Margaret .   Sir Tudor Fychan ap Grono, of Pemmynydd & Margaret had:

Maredudd ( Meredith ) ap Tudor

Maredudd ( Meredith ) ap Tudor , son of Sir Tudor Fychan ap Grono , of Pemmynydd & Margaret, m. Margaret Vychan .  Maredudd (Meredith) & Margaret (Vychan)  ap Tudor had:

Sir Owen Tudor

Sir Owen Tudor ,  son of Maredudd (Meredith) & Margaret (Vychan)  ap Tudor, m. Catherine de Valois de France.  Sir Owen & Catherine (de Valois de France) Tudor had:

Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond

Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond, son of Sir Owen & Catherine (de Valois de France) Tudor, b. 1430; d. 1 Nov 1456, Carmarthen Castle, Wales; bur. St. David’s Cathedral, Wales; m. 1 Nov 1455 to Margaret Beaufort of Richmond, Countess of Richmond, b. 31 May 1443.  Edmund & Margaret (Beaufort) Tudor had one (1) child:


HOUSE OF TUDOR, LINE OF MONARCHS

The following Tudor Monarchs are covered in the following section:

Henry VII  
Henry VIII
Edward VI
Mary I
Elizabeth I



Henry VII
1485-1509

Henry VII, King of England

Henry VII, King of England, son of Edmund & Margaret (Beaufort) Tudor , b. 28 Jan 1457[i], Pembroke Castle, Pembrokeshire, England; d. 1 Apr 1509, Richmond Palace, Richmond, Surrey, England; bur. Henry VII Chapel, Westminster Abbey, England; m 18 Jan 1486, Westminster Abbey, London, England to Elizabeth Plantagenet of York, daughter of Edward I V, King of England & Elizabeth (Woodville) Plantagenet , b. 11 Feb 1466, Westminster Palace, London, England; d. 11 Feb 1503, Tower of London, London, England, died in childbirth; bur. Henry Vii Chapel, Westminster Abbey, London, England.

In 1485 Henry Tudor (a descendant of John of Gaunt ), who was living in France, invaded England.  Richard and Henry’s armies met at the Battle of Bosworth field.  Richard was killed during the fighting and Henry Tudor assumed the crown on the battlefield.

From the onset of his reign, Henry was determined to bring order to England after eighty-five years of civil war.  His marriage to Elizabeth of York combined both the Lancaster and York factions within the Tudor line, eliminating further discord in regards to succession.

During his reign, he faced two insurrections.  Both were from  “pretenders", those who claimed a closer dynastic link to the Plantagenets than Henry.  The first, Lambert Simnel posed as the Earl of Warwick, but his army was defeated and he was eventually pardoned and forced to work in the king's kitchen. The second, Perkin Warbeck who posed as Richard of York , Edward V's younger brother (and co-prisoner in the Tower of London); Warbeck's support came from the continent, and after repeated invasion attempts, Henry had him imprisoned and executed.

During his reign, Henry strengthened the monarchy through political innovations designed to outmaneuver the nobility.  The role of the household staff rose above servitude and evolved into a position more equivalent to that of today’s press agents, and personal assistants.  Henry was not one to make appearances, therefore, his staff members were the few persons Henry saw on a regular basis.

During his reign Henry VII , he:

¨      created the Committee of the Privy Council (a forerunner of the modern cabinet) as an executive advisory board.
¨      established the Court of the Star Chamber to increase royal involvement in civil and criminal cases
¨     
imposed forced loans and grants on the nobility, as an alternative to a revenue tax disbursement from Parliament.

Henry's political acumen was also evident in his handling of foreign affairs. He played Spain off of France by arranging the marriage of his eldest son, Arthur, to Catherine of Aragon , daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella. Arthur died within months, and Henry secured a papal dispensation for Catherine to marry Arthur's brother, the future Henry VII I ; this single event had the widest-ranging effect of all Henry's actions: Henry VIII's annulment from Catherine was the impetus for the separation of the Church of England from the body of Roman Catholicism. The marriage of Henry's daughter, Margaret, to James IV of Scotland would also have later repercussions, as the marriage connected the royal families of both England and Scotland, leading the Stuarts to the throne after the extinction of the Tudor dynasty. Henry encouraged trade and commerce by subsidizing ship building and entering into lucrative trade agreements, thereby increasing the wealth of both crown and nation.

Although Henry failed to appeal to the general populace: he brought the nobility to heel out of necessity to transform the medieval government that he inherited into an efficient tool for conducting royal business. Law and trade replaced feudal obligation as the Middle Ages began evolving into the modern world.

Henry VII, King of England & Elizabeth (York) Tudor had eight (8) children:

1.       Arthur Tudor , Prince of Wales, b. 20 Sept 1486; d. bef. 1509 m. Catherine of Aragon , daughter of Fredinand & Isabella of Spain, d. 1536.
2.      
Margaret Tudor , daughter of James IV of Scotland , b. 28 Nov 1489
3.      
Henry VIII, King of England, b. 28 Jun 1491
4.      
Elizabeth Tudor , b. 2 Jul 1492
5.      
Mary Tudor , 18 Mar 1496
6.      
Edmund Tudor , Duke of Somerset, b. 21 Feb 1499
7.      
Edward Tudor  
8.      
Katherine Tudor , b. 2 Feb 1503

Margaret Tudor

2.  Margaret Tudor , daughter of Henry VII, King of England & Elizabeth (York) Tudor, b. 28 Nov 1489, Westminster Palace, London, England; d. 18 Oct 1541, Methven Castle, Perthshire; bur. Carthusian Abbey of St. John, Perth; m. Aug 1503, Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh, Scotland to James IV Stuart, of Scotland, King of Scotland; m 2nd 4 Aug 1514, Kinnoul Church to Archibald Douglas , 6th Earl of Angus.  The 2nd marriage ended in divorce in 1528.  Margaret m 3rd 3 Mar 528 to Henry Stewart , Lord Methven I

King James IV & Margaret (Tudor) Stuart had:

A.      James Stuart of Rothesay, Duke of Rothesay, b. 21 Feb 1507
B.     
Daughter, b. 15 Jul 1508
C.     
Arthur Stuart , Duke of Rothesay, b. 20 Oct 1509
D.     
James V Stuart of Scotland, King of Scotland, b. 15 Apr 1512
E.     
Daughter, b. Nov 1512
F.      
Alexander Stuart , Duke of Ross, b. 30 Apr 1514  

Archibald Douglas , 6th Earl of Angus & Margaret (Tudor) Douglas had one (1) child:

G.      Lady Margaret Douglas , b. 1515

Henry Stewart , Lord Methven I & Margaret (Tudor) Stewart had one (1) child:

H.      Dorothea Stewart

James V Stuart, King of Scotland

James V Stuart, King of Scotland, son of James IV, King of Scotland & Margaret (Tudor) Stuart, b. 15 Apr 1512, Linlithgow Palace, Scotland; d. 14 Dec 1542, Falkland Palace, Fife; bur. Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh, Scotland; m 1st 1 Jan 1537, Notre Dame, Paris France to Madeleine of France (no issue); m 2nd 9 May 1538 to Mary de Guise de Lorraine [ii]

He was crowned 21 Sept 1513 at the Chapel Royal, Stirling Castle, Scotland.

James V & Mary (de Guise de Lorraine) Stuart had three (3) children:  

D1.  James Stuart of Rothesay, Duke of Rothesay, b. 22 May 1540
D2.  Arthur “Robert” Stuart of Rothesay, Duke of Rothesay, b. Apr 1541
D3.  Mary “Queen of Scots” Stuart ,  Queen of Scotland, b. 7 Dec 1542

James V, King of Scotland had a number of mistresses and children by them, they are as follows:

By Elizabeth Shaw he had:

D4.  James Stuart of Kelso and Melrose, Abbot of Kelso & Melrose, b. abt. 1529

By Margaret Erskin he had:

D5.  James Stuart of Moray, Earl of Moray, Regent, b. abt. 1531

By Eupheme Elphinstone he had:

            D6.  Robert Stuart of Orkney, Earl of Orkney, b. 1533

By Elizabeth (Katherine) Carmichael he had:

            D7.  John Stuart of Coldinghame, Prior of Coldinghame, b. abt. 1531

By Elizabeth Stewart he had:

            D8.  Adam Stuart of Charterhouse, Prior of Charterhouse

By Elizabeth Bethune he had:

            D9.  Jean Stuart

Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots

D3.  Mary Stuart , Queen of Scots , daughter of James V, King of Scotland & Mary (De Guise de Lorraine) Stuart, b. 7 Dec 1542, Linlithgow Palace, Scotland; d. 8 Feb 1587[iii], Fortheringhay Castle, Northampton; bur. 1612, Westminster Abbey, London, England; m 1st 24 Apr 1558, Notre Dame, Paris, France to Francis II of France, King of France, d. Feb 1587, beheaded; m 2nd 29 Jul 1565, Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh, Scotland to Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley , d. murdered by the Earl of Bothwell; m 3rd 15 May 1567, Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh Scotland to James Hepburn , 4th Earl of Bothwell.

Mary was beautiful, clever, and charming.  Mary reigned as Queen of Scotland from the time she was just a few days old.  Her mother ruled for her as regent.  Mary grew up in France.

After the death of her husband she became the Queen of France as well.  Mary was in line to become the Queen of England as well due to Elizabeth being not married and have no children which to inherit the throne.

Mary Stuart became Queen of Scots on 9 Sept 1543.  She was crowned at Stirling Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland.  In 1561, Mary went to live in Scotland.  The country of Scotland as well as England was a Protestant country.  After the murder of her 2nd husband, Henry Stuart , Mary married his murderer the Earl of Bothwell.  She was deposed in 1567, and executed in 1587.  Her rule was opposed by a confederation of Scottish nobles, headed by her bastard brother, the Regent Moray, and to these she was forced to surrender at Carberry Hill on 15 Jun 1567.  The Queen was compelled to sign a formal resignation of the crown to her son James.

While in England, Mary was held prisoner from 1568-1587.  While she was being held prisoner she kept plotting to become Queen of England.  She escaped and fought the battle of Langside on 13 May 1568.  She fled to England, but was captured and executed after 19 years in prison.  Later she was accused of aiding a group of men who planned to kill Elizabeth.  After the discovery of the plot she was beheaded.

Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley & Mary, Queen of Scots had one (1) child:

            D3a.  James Stuart ; James I, King of Britain, b. 19 Jun 1566.  For Further Information See House of Stuart

James Hepburn & Mary, Queen of Scots had two (2) children:

            D3b.  child Hepburn, twin, b. Jul 1568
           
D3c.  child Hepburn, twin, b. Jul 1568


Henry VIII
1509 - 1547

Henry VIII, King of England

3.  Henry VIII, King of England,  son of Henry VII, King of England & Elizabeth of York (Plantagenet) Tudor, b. 28 Jun 1491, Greenwich Palace, London, England; d. 28 Jan 1547, Whitehall Palace, London, England; bur. St. George Chapel, Windsor, England; m 1st 11 Jun 1509[iv], Grey Friars Church, Greenwich, England to Catherine of Aragon (widow of his brother), d. 1536.  This marriage ended in annulment in 1553.  He m 2nd 25 Jan 1533, Westminster, London, England to Anne Boleyn , Marchioness of Pembroke, (pregnant at the time of their marriage), d. May 1537, executed for being unfaithful (although records do not indicate such;  This marriage ended in annulment in 1536.  He m 3rd 20 May 1536, York Palace, England to Jane Seymour , d. shortly after child birth; m 4th 6 Jan 1540, Greenwich, England to Anne of Cleves [a German], who he arranged to marry  after  viewing Hans Holbein 's beautiful portrait of the German princess; in person, alas, Henry found her homely and the marriage was never consummated. This marriage ended in annulment in 1540.  He m 5th 28 Jul 1540, Hampton Court,  Palace, England to Catherine Howard , d. beheaded - accused of unfaithfulness; m 6th 12 Jul 1543, Hampton Court, Palace, England to Catherine Parr .

He came to the throne of England on 24 Jun 1509.  He was crowned at Westminster Abbey, London, England.  Henry VII I was given the title of Fidei Defensor by Pope Leo X .

Henry VIII was the energetic, youthful, and handsome king.  He avoided governing in person.  He preferred to journey the countryside hunting and reviewing his subjects.

Matters of state were left in the hands of others, most notably those of Thomas Wolsey , Archbishop of York. Cardinal Wolsey virtually ruled England until his failure to secure the papal annulment that Henry needed to marry Anne Boleyn in 1533. Wolsey was quite capable as Lord Chancellor, but his own interests were served more than that of the king: as powerful as he was, he still was subject to Henry's favor - losing Henry's confidence proved to be his downfall.

The early part of Henry's reign, however, saw the young king:

¨      invade France,
¨     
defeat Scottish forces at the Battle of Foldden Field (in which James IV of Scotland was slain), and
¨     
write a treatise denouncing Martin Luther's Reformist ideals, for which the pope awarded Henry the title "Defender of the Faith".

During the 1530's, Henry increased his involvement in government, and brought about a series of events which would greatly altered England, as well as the rest of Western Civilization.  Just a few of these events are:

¨      Separation of the Church of England from Roman Catholicism. A by-product of Henry's obsession with producing a male heir,  to that end he was in constant need of annulments from the pope in order to remarry.
¨     
Henry, became the Supreme Head of the Church of England, this was acknowledged easily by only slight alterations in worship ritual instead of a wholesale reworking of religious dogma.
¨     
This moved England into an era of "conformity of mind" .  By 1536, all ecclesiastical and government officials were required to publicly approve of the break with Rome and take an oath of loyalty.
¨     
Henry moved away from the medieval idea of ruler as chief lawmaker and overseer of civil behavior, to the modern idea of ruler as the ideological icon of the state.
¨     
The royal staff continued the rise in status that began under Henry VII , eventually to rival the power of the nobility.

Two men, in particular, were prominent figures through the latter stages of Henry's reign: Thomas Cromwell and Thomas Cranmer.  1)  Cromwell, an efficient administrator, succeeded Wolsey as Lord Chancellor, creating new governmental departments for the varying types of revenue and establishing parish priest's duty of recording births, baptisms, marriages, and deaths.  2)  Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, dealt with and guided changes in ecclesiastical policy and oversaw the dissolution of the monasteries.

Henry VIII & Catherine (of Aragon) Tudor had six (6) children:

A.      Daughter, b. 31 Jan 1510
B.     
Henry (1), Duke of Cornwall, b. 1 Jan 1511
C.     
Henry (2), Duke of Cornwall, b. Nov 1513
D.     
Son, b. Dec 1514
E.     
Mary I, Queen of England, b. 18 Feb 1516
F.      
Daughter, b. 10 Nov 1518

Henry VIII & Anne (Boleyn) Tudor had three (3) children:

G.      Elizabeth Tudor , b. 7 Sept 1533; future Elizabeth I, Queen of England
H.     
Henry Tudor , Duke of Cornwall, b. 1534
I.        
Son, b. 29 Jan 1536

Henry VIII & Jane Seymour had one (1) child:

J.       Edward VI, King of England, b. 12 Oct 1537

Henry VIII had several mistresses among them, Elizabeth Stafford and Elizabeth Blount .

By Elizabeth Blount he had one (1) child:

K.      Henry Fitz Roy , Duke of Richmond, b. 1519


Mary I
1553 - 1558

Mary Tudor (Mary I, Queen of England)

E.  Mary Tudor , daughter of Henry VII I, King of England & Catherine (of Aragon) Tudor, b. 18 Feb 1516[v], Greenwich Palace, London, England; d. 17 Nov 1558, St. James Palace, London, England; bur. Westminster Abbey, London, England; m 25 Jul 1554, Winchester Cathedral, England  to Philip II Habsburg , of Spain, King of Spain (father, Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire).

She was an unusually intelligent child.  By the age of nine she replied to in Latin to an oration made by some Flemish commissioner of the same tongue.  Her father, Henry VII I, was taken by her abilities and arranged to have her study Spanish, Italian, and French.  Mary I, suffered through a terrible childhood of neglect, intolerance, and ill-health. She was a staunch catholic from birth, constantly resisting pressure from others to renounce her faith, a request she steadfastly refused.  After her father’s divorce to her mother, she was not even permitted to see her on her deathbed. 

Mary Tudor was crowned as Mary I, Queen of England on 30 Nov 1553, Westminster Abbey, London, England.  She was known as Mary Tudor or  Mary the Catholic.  Mary I began her reign amid a scene of great rejoicing. Her first act was to repeal the Protestant legislation of her brother, Edward VI.  This action hurling England into a phase of severe religious persecution. In 1555, Mary began her persecution of the Protestant in England. Although the persecution came mainly from a desire for purity in faith than from vengeance. At the time of her death in 1558, almost 300 men and women had been burned at the stake because they refuse to return to the Catholic, earning Mary the nickname, "Bloody Mary." She had no issue.

England suffered during the reign of Mary I: the economy was in ruin, religious dissent reached a zenith, and England lost her last continental territory.


Elizabeth I
1558 - 1603

Elizabeth I, Queen of England

G.  Elizabeth I, Queen of England, daughter of Henry VII I & Anne Boleyn , b. 7 Sept 1533, Greenwich Palace, London, England; bapt. 10 Sept 1533; d. 23 Mar 1603, Richmond Palace, London, England; bur. Westminster Abbey, London, England.

Elizabeth I was crowned Queen of England on 15 Jan 1558, Westminster Abbey, London, England.  She was known as the “Virgin Queen”.  It was from this title that the Commonwealth of Virginia takes it’s name.  One of Elizabeth’s favorite courtier was Robert Deveraux, the Earl of Essex.

Although she entertained many marriage proposals and flirted incessantly, she never married or had children. Elizabeth, the last of the Tudors, she died after a very successful forty-four year reign at seventy years of age. Good Queen Bess, as she came to called, maintained a regal air until the day she died.

Elizabeth inherited a tattered realm:

1)      dissention between Catholics and Protestants;
2)     
the royal treasury had been bled dry by Mary and her advisors;
3)     
the  loss of Calais left England with no continental possessions for the first time since 1066;
4)     
many (mainly Catholics) doubted Elizabeth's claim to the throne.
5)     
France posed  a threat to the realm, having a strong footland in Scotland and Spain.


Edward VI

Elizabeth proved most calm and calculating (even though she had a horrendous temper) in her political acumen, employing capable and distinguished men in carrying out royal prerogative.

Elizabeth's reign was of the more constructive periods in English history. Literature bloomed through the works of Spenser, Marlowe, and Shakespeare. Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh were instrumental in expanding English influence in the New World. Elizabeth's religious compromise laid many fears to rest. Fashion and education came to the fore because of Elizabeth's penchant for knowledge, courtly behavior, and extravagant dress.

Edward VI, King of England

J.  Edward VI, King of England, son of Henry VII I & Jane Seymour , b. 1537; d. Jul 1553, of tuberculosis.  He ruled from 1547 to 1553.  No issue.

Edward VI, ascended the throne at age nine, upon the death of his father. He was betrothed to his cousin, Mary Queen of Scots , but deteriorating English-Scot relations prohibited their marriage. The frail, Protestant boy died of consumption at age sixteen having never married.