SEYMOUR. A noble English family of Nor man descent, originally settled at Saint-Maur in Normandy. In 1497 the head of the family, Sir John Seymour, was employed in suppressing the insurrection of Lord Audley and the Cornish rebels, and subsequently accompanied King Henry VIII. on his wars in France, and to the Field of the Cloth of Gold. One of his daughters, Lady Jane, became the wife of Henry VIII., and mother of Edward VI. His fourth sou, Thomas, rapidly rose into favor. He was sent on impor tant missions, given command of a portion of the fleet, made a Privy Councilor. and after Henry VIII.'s death, according to the wish of the mon arch, was created Baron Seymour of Sudeley and Lord High Admiral. He then endeavored to win the hand of Elizabeth, but, failing in his at tempt, he secretly married Henry's widow, Catha rine Parr. A rivalry at once sprang up between him and his eldest brother, Edward, the Lord Pro tector Somerset, whom he wished to supplant. His machinations at length gave color to a charge of treason brought against him by the council; a bill of attainder was passed by the Lords and Seymour was executed March 20, 1549. His brother, Edward, who held many high positions in the Conrt of Henry, was created Viscount Beauchamp of 'ladle in 1536, and Duke of Som erset in 1546-47. He secured the confidence of
the King so far that he was left by him one of his executors and one of the council of the young Prince Edward. He was subsequently made Lord High Treasurer, and eventually 'Protector and Governor of the King and his realms.' (See EDWARD VI.) His fall, after a two years' ten ure of power, was followed by an attainder of his honors. A son of the Protector by his second was created by Elizabeth Earl of Hertford. The grandson of the latter William. who succeeded him in the Earldom of Hertford, was also sent to the Tower of London for marry ing Lady Arabella Stuart (q.v.), cousin of James I. of England, hut subsequently played a conspicuous part in the royal cause in the civil wars and obtained in his own favor a reversal of his ancestor's attainder. His ducal title passed to a cousin, on whose death it was inherited by Charles Seymour, known in history as the 'proud Duke of Somerset,' a nobleman who filled several high posts in the courts of Charles 11., William III., and Anne.