Kat Ashley - Middle and Later Years

Middle and Later Years

In 1545 Katherine married Sir John Ashley, Princess Elizabeth's senior gentleman attendant. Sir John Ashley was a cousin of Elizabeth's mother, Anne Boleyn. Katherine was over 40 years old at this date which heavily implies John Champernowne of Dartington is her father as Sir Philip's wife Catherine Carew was only 10 in 1505.

In 1543, Henry VIII had married Catherine Parr. Parr gave Elizabeth a more stable family life and brought Elizabeth to Court. However Henry died in 1547 and was succeeded by his son, Edward VI. Edward's uncles, Edward Seymour and Thomas Seymour tried to get control of him. Shortly after Henry VIII died, Thomas Seymour investigated whether he could be permitted to marry either the Lady Mary, or Elizabeth and was refused. Seymour immediately began courting Catherine Parr. (They had been romantically linked before she became Queen). In her early 30s and still childless, Parr agreed to marry Seymour almost at once, only two months after Henry's death. Seymour and Parr were able to secure royal approval and lived in Chelsea with Kat and the young Elizabeth.

When Thomas Seymour began a flirtation with the 14-year-old Elizabeth, Kat Ashley first thought this amusing. However he entered Elizabeth's bedroom in the morning in his nightshirt and tried to tickle her while she was still in bed. Kat, who may herself have been somewhat infatuated with Seymour, became concerned and advised Catherine Parr, who was later accused of taking part in holding down the Lady Elizabeth while Seymour slashed her gown "into a thousand pieces." Eventually there was a major incident in which Kat said that Queen Catherine had caught Elizabeth in Seymour's arms. Elizabeth was lectured about the need to protect her reputation. However, gossip spread.

The rumours about Thomas Seymour's flirtation with Elizabeth emerged in 1548 as his other political manoeuvres were revealed. On 21 January 1549, Kat Ashley was arrested and taken to the Tower, for possible involvement in Seymour's activities. She told her story and was found to have done nothing treasonous and was released thirteen days before Seymour's execution. Despite detailed questioning, Katherine did not implicate Elizabeth in Seymour's schemes. Blanche Parry, second in the household, was Elizabeth's Chief Gentlewoman while Kat was in prison. By August 1549, Kat had returned to Hatfield and stayed with Elizabeth until Elizabeth was imprisoned in the Tower by Queen Mary in 1554. Kat was allowed to rejoin Elizabeth in October 1555, but she was arrested in May 1556 following the discovery of seditious books. Kat spent three months in Fleet Prison and after her release, she was forbidden to see Elizabeth again. When Mary I of England died in 1558, the order was revoked, and Kat was made First Lady of the Bedchamber. She became influential as a source of information for the Queen and as a means of asking favours of the Queen. She died in the summer of 1565 to Elizabeth's great distress. Blanche Parry then became Chief Gentlewoman of the Privy Chamber.