The Tudor Rose — Julia Watson

Clarys Gower was the daughter of Francis Gower, tutor to the Princess Mary. She was brought as company for the Princess and to share her lessons. When Princess Mary was dispatched to new tutors Clarys was left in the care of Jane Seymour.

Later Clarys stayed beside Jane during the time of Anne Boleyn, then became her chief lady-in-waiting after her marriage to the king.

When Jane died bearing Henry his only legitimate son, almost her last conscious words to Clarys concerned her papers and she charged her to guard them until after Henry's death.

As Clarys became conscious of the passing years she realized that she would soon no longer be alive to take care of the papers, and so she hid them with a note behind a loose brick in the cellar. This is the story told in those papers.