Thomas Seymour was born in c.1508, a younger brother to Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford and later Duke of Somerset, and older brother to Jane Seymour, Queen of England. Their parents were Sir John Seymour and Margaret Wentworth, and their family seat was Wulfhall, in Wiltshire.
As a result of the marriage of their sister to Henry VIII in 1536, Edward and Thomas Seymour's fortunes started to rise; this continued past Jane's death the following death, with the brothers being looked on favourably by the king. By the end of Henry VIII's reign, Thomas was holding more senior military positions, and travelling abroad (mainly to France); however, his competency and success was something to be desired.
Following his nephew Edward VI's accession to the throne in Jan 1547, Thomas was granted a seat on the Regency Council, as well as the title and lands of Baron Seymour of Sudeley. However, this paled in comparison to his older brother Edward, Earl of Hertford, who was granted the title Duke of Somerset, and soon nominated as 'Lord Protector', Thomas subsequently put pressure on his brother to relinquish some of his military titles/positions, and Thomas subsequently took on the role as 'Lord High Admiral'.
By this time, Thomas remained unmarried, and had no known children, legitimate or otherwise. It has been alleged that when the twice-widowed Katherine Parr entered the household of the 'Lady Mary' (the future Mary I) in 1543, she first encountered Thomas; however, it was also around this time that she met the King - Henry VIII. Whilst there were reportedly close feelings for Thomas at this time, Katherine felt that it was her religious duty to marry Henry VIII, as it would also provide her with a platform in which to share her strong developing Protestant beliefs. Katherine subsequently married Henry on 12 Jul 1543, becoming his sixth and final wife.
Shortly following the death of Henry VIII, it appears that Katherine Parr rekindled the relationship with Thomas Seymour; it was he who rode to Greenwich Palace to inform Katherine of her husband's death, having been kept away in his finals days by Edward Seymour. Whilst exact dates are not known, it is estimated that a secret wedding between Katherine and Thomas took place in May 1547, although they continued to maintain separate households for a time.
Not long after the ascension of Edward VI in Jan 1547, negotiations took place between Thomas and Henry Grey, 3rd Marquess of Dorset, regarding his eldest daughter, 9 year old Jane Grey. As kinswoman to the new king, and of the same age, there were assumptions that the pair may marry; Thomas therefore, made the offer to purchase the wardship of Jane Grey. Felt to be of benefit to both parties, Jane Grey moved from her country home at Bradgate Hall, Leicestershire, to Seymour Place, The Strand, London.
At the same time, following the death of her father Henry VIII, Princess Elizabeth (at that time known as 'The Lady Elizabeth' as her birth had not yet been legitimised) was taken into the household of her former step-mother, Katherine Parr, at her property Chelsea Manor. Following the marriage of Thomas Seymour and Katherine Parr in the summer of 1547, Thomas started spending more time at Chelsea, and subsequently Jane Grey, who shared similar educational attributes with Elizabeth, who was about 3 years older than her. Whilst visiting his new wife at Chelsea, Thomas started to act flirtatiously towards the 14 year old Elizabeth, showing affection, "tickling her", "slapping her bottom" and "coming into her room with his nightclothes on". Whilst Katherine had initially dismissed the behaviours as innocent, concerns started to arise due to the persistent nature of these, and associated gossip, also taking into the fact that she was now pregnant. By May 1548, she made the decision to send Elizabeth away from Chelsea to Hertfordshire.
In June 1548, Thomas and Katherine moved their households to the recently renovated Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire; Jane Grey accompanied them to Sudeley, being part of the Baroness' household, where she continued in her education.
On 30 August 1548, Katherine gave birth to her and Thomas's only child: a daughter Mary Seymour, named after Katherine's stepdaughter, The Lady Mary.
However, within days of the birth, Katherine started to develop 'puerperal fever' or 'Childbed Fever'; an infection caused by poor sanitary conditions related to childbirth. She presented with delirium, including paranoia, accusing Thomas of wanting to cause her harm, before succumbing to the infection on 05 September 1548.
On 07 September 1548, Katherine was buried at St Mary's Church at Sudeley, with Jane Grey acting as her chief mourner. Her funeral is known as being the first Protestant funeral conducted in English. As per tradition, Thomas did not attend, with contemporary descriptions that he struggled following her death.
Following the funeral, the household was split up; Jane Grey went back to her parents at Bradgate Hall, Leicestershire, and the baby Mary Seymour was sent to his brother Edward and his family, currently in residence at Syon House. However, by October 1548, Jane Grey was back at Seymour Place, with the wardship arrangement renewed, thanks to further negotiations and financial incentive. However, on his return to court and the Regency Council, there were immediate warning signs, with his predisposed impulsivity and tempestuousness being more evident. Prior to the Autumn 1548, Thomas had expressed his dissatisfaction with the council's decision to nominate his brother as Lord Protector, and had attempted to seek his own power, including by attempting to incite rebellions. Despite the apparent betrayal, Edward Seymour made multiple attempts to save his brother from his own ruin and downfall. On the night of 16 January 1549, Thomas went to Hampton Court Palace, where Edward VI was in residence; his intentions were not clear, but it is suspected that it was to take him away and into his own custody. However, on his entering the Privy Garden outside the king's bedroom, Thomas woke one of his spaniels; in panic, Thomas shot and killed the dog. He ran from the palace, but not before waking the household, who were able to identify him.
On 18 January 1548, Thomas was arrested at his home at Seymour Place; it is known that Jane Grey and her father Henry Grey were present at the time of this arrest. Thomas was subsequently taken to the Tower of London, on charges of treason, and Jane was taken back into the care of her family.
Following Thomas' arrest, suspicion was also placed on Elizabeth; her governess Kat Ashley was arrested and she herself was interrogated. Information regarding their alleged relationship came to light; however, no evidence was found to demonstrate that Elizabeth had supported Thomas' actions.
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