Mary Seymour: a historical mystery...

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Catherine Parr died a few days after the birth of her daughter Mary on 30th August 1548. Mary's father, Thomas Seymour, was sent to the block after being charged for high treason less than a year later. 

Seymour knew he would face execution, so shortly before his death, he appointed his late wife's friend the Duchess of Suffolk as his baby daughter's guardian.  

Mary moved to her guardian's family's estate but the Duchess was annoyed at the cost of Mary therefore she wrote to Lord Cecil asking for funds to support the orphan. Cecil granted these in 1549 and the next year Seymour's lands were granted to his infant daughter. However, because Mary never claimed her father's lands, it has lead to the belief that she died around the time of her second birthday. She then disappears from history. 

It is likely that she died in 1550 but there are theories that Mary grew up and married a courtier of James I's wife- Anne of Denmark's court. Unfortunately, due to the lack of proof it is likely that Catherine Parr's only child died an infant.  

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