Sir John Seymour
Sir John Seymour is the father of Edward, Jane and Thomas Seymour, and the patriarch of the Seymour family until his death. He appears as a recurring character in Season Two of The Tudors. Although a nobleman of low standing, Seymour is an old comrade-in-arms of both King Henry and Charles Brandon, and when he wins Henry's favor he encourages Jane (with whom Henry becomes enamored) to allow Henry to court her. At the end of the second season, with Anne Boleyn displaced as Queen and sentenced to death, Seymour is delighted when Henry proposes marriage to his daughter.
While certainly a much kinder father and less ruthless politician than his counterpart, Thomas Boleyn, Seymour is nonetheless ambitious, and agrees with Edward that they must displace the Boleyns if possible. It is unclear if he supports Catholicism like his daughter, as implied by the Boleyns, or if (like his sons, who are far more ruthless than he) he truly supports the Protestant Reformation. John Seymour is played by actor Stephen Brennan.
Season Two[]
John Seymour with his daughter Jane (left) and son Edward (center)
Sir John first hosts Henry and Charles at his home, Wolf Hall, in episode 2.07 after a hunt. Although their visit is totally unexpected, he warmly welcomes them. The three spend the evening reminiscing about their days of war and glory in France. Eventually, John's daughter Jane enters the room and John proudly introduces her to the king; Henry is clearly interested in her from the first. Later in the episode, during the May Day celebrations, Henry thanks Sir John for his previous hospitality and suggests Jane should come to court as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne Boleyn; Sir John agrees, though he counsels Jane not to yield to Henry sexually if he begins courting her.
When the Seymours arrive at court, they quickly detect hostility from their counterparts, the Boleyns. The Boleyn's concern is not without reason; Seymour and his elder son, Edward, are already wondering how they may use Henry's attraction to Jane to their advantage. They discuss the fact that 'some in England' feel the current Queen should be 'displaced'. After Anne suffers a miscarriage of a son at the end of the episode, the Seymours are increasingly treated as the Royal favorites, and Thomas Cromwell even offers them his private chambers at Whitehall Palace to make Henry's courtship easier. When Henry begins his plot to destroy his wife, he urges the Seymours to return to Wolf hall for a few days in 2.09, so as to avoid the ensuing, bloody scandal.
After Anne Boleyn is falsely accused and convicted of adultery, Henry has their marriage nullified and bastardizes their daughter Elizabeth. He comes to Wolf Hall in the Season finale and proposes marriage to Jane; the family happily accepts. As Henry kisses Jane on the lake shore, John Seymour remarks to his son, "That kiss is both her destiny and her fortune."
Season Three[]
John Seymour is not seen in Season Three. In episode 3.03, Edward brusquely informs Jane that he had succumbed to illness and died, which shocks and saddens her.