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0:00:05 > 0:00:10- Many women in history - have drawn our attention.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14- They're intelligent or rich, - beautiful or influential.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18- More often than not, - they are shrouded in mystery.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21- In the mid-sixteenth century...
0:00:21 > 0:00:25- ..the lady who attracted - Wales's most powerful men...
0:00:25 > 0:00:27- ..was Katheryn of Berain.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32- By all accounts, - she was the mother of Wales.
0:00:32 > 0:00:37- Four weddings, six children - and a descendant of Henry Tudor.
0:00:38 > 0:00:43- It was implied that her grandfather, - Sir Roland de Velville...
0:00:43 > 0:00:47- ..was the illegitimate son - of Henry Tudor or Henry VII.
0:00:47 > 0:00:52- Four centuries after her birth, - the Nazis wanted her portrait.
0:00:53 > 0:00:58- We heard that the family had decided - to sell the original painting...
0:00:58 > 0:01:04- ..but at the end of the war, it had - become part of Goering's collection.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08- Today, she is a national icon.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12- Katheryn of Berain - was the Marilyn Monroe of her day.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33- In Clwyd and much further afield, - 400 years ago...
0:01:33 > 0:01:36- ..Katheryn was a celebrity.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41- However, her reputation deteriorated - when stories surfaced...
0:01:41 > 0:01:46- ..claiming she killed her husbands - by pouring lead into their ears...
0:01:47 > 0:01:50- ..and that she accumulated - her wealth by marrying rich men.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54- However, there's more to her - than meets the eye.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00- It wasn't easy to play the marriage - game in Tudor times and win!
0:02:02 > 0:02:05- Uncertainty surrounds - her date of birth.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09- It's thought she was born in 1534 - in the Vale of Clwyd...
0:02:10 > 0:02:14- ..to Tudor ap Robert Fychan - of Berain and Jane Velville.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20- They were a wealthy family in the - area and descendants of Henry VII.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24- Helen Williams-Ellis - married into the family.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27- She's writing a biography - about Katheryn.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31- What choices did women have - at that time?
0:02:31 > 0:02:36- It was expected for women - of that era to get married.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38- The convents had closed.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43- Spinsters were frowned upon - so marriage was the only option.
0:02:43 > 0:02:48- For a wealthy heiress like Katheryn, - marriage was more important.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52- It was vital that she had family - to inherit her money...
0:02:53 > 0:02:56- ..to keep the wealth - within the family.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04- She inherited 1,000 acres on - Anglesey from her mother's family.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09- The Berain estate was 3,000 acres.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12- Therefore, - she was a very wealthy woman.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18- Berain mansion...
0:03:18 > 0:03:23- ..where Katheryn was born, stands - on the outskirts of Llannefydd.
0:03:23 > 0:03:28- It's currently home to Eirian - and Iona Jones and their families.
0:03:28 > 0:03:34- Five generations have lived here and - they've embraced Katheryn's history.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37- Would she have used this room?
0:03:37 > 0:03:42- Yes, it's probable - as this is part of the old hall.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45- She'd have feasted here.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50- This is the original fireplace.
0:03:50 > 0:03:56- During Katheryn's era, there was - a fire in the middle of the floor.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00- This beam dates back to her era.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04- It's quite remarkable - incorporating the linen fold design.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08- The beam looks like - a stack of folded blankets.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11- Therefore, it's a fairly thick beam.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15- What impression have you had - of Katheryn's character?
0:04:15 > 0:04:19- Personally, I believe - that she was very intelligent...
0:04:20 > 0:04:23- ..and influential during that era.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26- She was ahead of her time...
0:04:26 > 0:04:31- ..and was very clever - to have retained her own estate.
0:04:36 > 0:04:37- Katheryn's first marriage...
0:04:38 > 0:04:41- ..was arranged when she - and her suitor were children.
0:04:41 > 0:04:46- Girls were sent to their - prospective husband's family...
0:04:46 > 0:04:48- ..to learn the family's ways.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53- Katheryn was sent to Lleweni - to join the Salusbury family.
0:04:53 > 0:04:58- Lleweni was home to another - of the vale's famous families.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03- A young Katheryn married the - family's eldest son, John Salusbury.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06- They had two sons, John and Thomas.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12- John Salusbury was a renowned poet.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16- The family knew the literary greats - of the era.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21- Christ Church University in Oxford - houses poetry from Lleweni.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25- It's one of the most important books - in the Welsh language.
0:05:25 > 0:05:31- It was commissioned by Katheryn - to record her own family history.
0:05:32 > 0:05:38- It's an important record - of Katheryn's story.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41- It reveals her family pride...
0:05:41 > 0:05:45- ..and her pride in her - own family's cultural heritage.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49- The book praises Katheryn - as a supporter of poets.
0:05:49 > 0:05:55- She was generous towards the poor - and also visited prisoners.
0:05:55 > 0:06:01- We have poetry by Ben Jonson - who was a friend of John Salusbury.
0:06:01 > 0:06:07- There's also a poem which some claim - was written by Shakespeare.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12- Over the years, - some historians have claimed...
0:06:12 > 0:06:18- ..that Shakespeare's signature - hides under this untidy scribble.
0:06:18 > 0:06:23- There's no proof as yet. - Experts are working on the document.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28- However, there were connections - between Lleweni and Shakespeare.
0:06:28 > 0:06:34- It's believed that Katheryn's son, - John Salusbury, knew Shakespeare.
0:06:34 > 0:06:40- Shakespeare dedicated his poem, - The Phoenix And The Turtle...
0:06:41 > 0:06:43- ..to Sir John Salusbury - and his wife.
0:06:43 > 0:06:49- However, there is no confirmation - that Shakespeare visited Lleweni.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53- What about the claims - that Katheryn had royal blood?
0:06:53 > 0:06:56- Was her grandfather, - Sir Roland de Velville...
0:06:57 > 0:06:59- ..the illegitimate son of Henry VII?
0:07:00 > 0:07:03- This manuscript - houses elegies for Katheryn.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07- Katheryn's last husband - was Edward Thelwall...
0:07:07 > 0:07:12- ..but she was always referred to - as Katheryn Tudor.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17- It could not be said openly...
0:07:17 > 0:07:20- ..that she hailed - from royal lineage.
0:07:20 > 0:07:25- However, there is no doubt - about the insinuation in the poetry.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34- Katheryn was married - to John Salusbury for ten years.
0:07:34 > 0:07:39- Following John's death in 1566, - Katheryn became a young widow.
0:07:39 > 0:07:45- However, she was very wealthy having - inherited land in Clwyd, Anglesey...
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- ..and many houses, farms and mills.
0:07:48 > 0:07:54- It was a huge fortune in the period, - so she wasn't a widow for very long.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04- Many myths surround - Katheryn's marriages.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07- Some believed - she killed her husbands...
0:08:07 > 0:08:12- ..by pouring lead into their ears - to secure their wealth.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16- They claimed - she had seven or eight husbands.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18- She'd bury them in an orchard...
0:08:19 > 0:08:24- ..after killing them by pouring - hot lead into their ears.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26- It was an age-old folk motif.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29- One famous tale says...
0:08:29 > 0:08:33- ..that Katheryn left the funeral of - her first husband, John Salusbury...
0:08:33 > 0:08:38- ..arm in arm with Morris Wynn, - and he proposed to her.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40- Katheryn declined...
0:08:40 > 0:08:46- ..as she had already agreed to marry - Richard Clough on the way there!
0:08:46 > 0:08:50- There are stories - of her burning love letters...
0:08:50 > 0:08:54- ..and people would see and hear - her lovers' ghosts.
0:08:55 > 0:09:01- They've also claimed that Katheryn - was the mother of Shakespeare!
0:09:03 > 0:09:08- Richard Clough, the son of a Denbigh - glove maker, was her second husband.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13- His family lacked the noble status - of the Salusburys...
0:09:13 > 0:09:15- ..but he had a sizeable fortune.
0:09:15 > 0:09:20- He was part of the nouveau riche - and one of Britain's richest men...
0:09:20 > 0:09:25- ..giving Katheryn - even more power and wealth.
0:09:25 > 0:09:30- Richard Clough worked - as a moneylender in the Netherlands.
0:09:30 > 0:09:36- He was incredibly rich, similar to - a stockbroker or hedge-fund manager.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41- She was aware that she'd have - to move to Antwerp with him.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45- It's also thought - that she visited Spain...
0:09:45 > 0:09:50- ..and travelled through France, - Brabant and Flanders.
0:09:55 > 0:10:00- When Katheryn wasn't in Antwerp, - she lived at Bachegraig, Denbigh.
0:10:00 > 0:10:06- As a prominent Renaissance figure, - Clough wanted to flaunt his wealth.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10- There was no better way - than to build a grand house.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15- Bachegraig was the first brick house - to be built in Wales.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19- The original house was influenced - by Dutch architecture.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25- In Antwerp, Clough was an agent - to the banker, Sir Thomas Gresham...
0:10:25 > 0:10:28- ..the founder of the Royal Exchange.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32- Due to the political - and religious unrest...
0:10:32 > 0:10:35- ..they moved - to the safety of Hamburg.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40- In 1568, they commissioned - a portrait of Katheryn...
0:10:40 > 0:10:43- ..by Adriaen van Cronenburgh.
0:10:45 > 0:10:50- This is the iconic portrait - of Katheryn at the National Museum.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52- As I delved further into her life...
0:10:53 > 0:10:56- ..I learnt that this - is one of many portraits of her.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01- Some are fake whilst others are - copies of the original Cronenburgh.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08- I became interested - in Katheryn of Berain...
0:11:08 > 0:11:12- ..when I married - Jonathan Clough Williams-Ellis.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17- The Clough element of his name - derives from Richard Clough...
0:11:17 > 0:11:20- ..who was her second husband.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22- This copy was made...
0:11:22 > 0:11:27- ..before the original portrait at - the museum in Cardiff was cleaned.
0:11:27 > 0:11:32- Therefore, features of the painting - aren't easily distinguished.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36- It's rather dark and dirty, - but I'm very fond of it.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40- The copy was made - for a Flintshire stately home.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44- The owner sold the original - and kept the copy in its place.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48- The original - went on an adventure...
0:11:49 > 0:11:52- ..before reaching its home - at the museum.
0:11:52 > 0:11:58- We've heard that the family decided - to sell the original painting.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- It was sold at an auction in Spink - in London...
0:12:01 > 0:12:05- ..but I don't know - where it went from there.
0:12:05 > 0:12:10- Somehow, it was part of the Goering - collection at the end of the war.
0:12:13 > 0:12:18- The National Museum has helped us - to prove for the first time...
0:12:18 > 0:12:24- ..that Katheryn's portrait was - in Germany between 1940 and 1945.
0:12:25 > 0:12:30- During World War II, Hitler's - close friend, Hermann Goering...
0:12:30 > 0:12:35- ..used Nazi force - to strip Europe of its fine art.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38- Katheryn's portrait - was part of his collection.
0:12:44 > 0:12:50- Clough died in Hamburg two years - after the portrait's completion.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53- Katheryn had to return to Wales.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57- Clough wanted his heart - and right hand to be buried...
0:12:57 > 0:12:59- ..at Whitchurch in Denbigh.
0:12:59 > 0:13:04- Katheryn was pregnant - with her fourth child...
0:13:04 > 0:13:08- ..and she had to be particularly - strong in her bereavement.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13- Once again, Katheryn was alone.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18- However, her first marriage to - John Salusbury had given her status.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22- Richard Clough - had also left her his fortune.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26- As a young widow, Katheryn - had more wealth and power...
0:13:26 > 0:13:29- ..than any other woman in Wales.
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0:13:45 > 0:13:50- It's hard to imagine how Katheryn - felt after losing two husbands.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54- She was only 30 - and left to raise four children.
0:13:54 > 0:14:00- Her wealth meant that she would not - live in poverty and die young.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04- Three years - after Richard Clough's death...
0:14:04 > 0:14:09- ..she'd married for the third time - and had come to live in Llanrwst.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16- Morris Wynn of Gwydir Castle - was her third husband...
0:14:16 > 0:14:19- ..and Katheryn - was also his third wife.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24- The Wynn family was one - of North Wales's richest families.
0:14:24 > 0:14:30- By marrying Morris, Katheryn became - the stepmother of Sir John Wynn.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36- He lived in a large mansion - to the west in the Vale of Conwy...
0:14:36 > 0:14:40- ..and had a keen interest - in culture.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45- Katheryn saw that - he could offer her stability...
0:14:45 > 0:14:49- ..after her adventures - with Richard Clough.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53- The carefully crafted - wedding agreement...
0:14:53 > 0:14:57- ..took everything - into consideration.
0:15:02 > 0:15:08- Katheryn's drafting of the wedding - agreements indicates her astuteness.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12- She had no intention - of losing her land or possessions.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16- She could add - to her family's wealth and power...
0:15:16 > 0:15:21- ..if her children married - the children of Clough and Wynn.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23- She was complex and cunning.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28- She married Morris Wynn and - her son married Morris's daughter.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33- There aren't any get-out clauses - in these agreements.
0:15:34 > 0:15:40- They are business contracts - that bind the families together.
0:15:40 > 0:15:46- We get the impression that Katheryn - instrumented the contracts.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50- However, the contracts - were signed by the men.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54- These arrangements or contracts...
0:15:54 > 0:15:58- ..were very similar - to the prenup agreements of today.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02- The aim was to - protect inheritance...
0:16:02 > 0:16:07- ..and ensure that a wife secured - enough money to sustain herself.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10- In those days, - when a woman got married...
0:16:10 > 0:16:14- ..all her possessions - were transferred to the husband.
0:16:15 > 0:16:20- On the occasions when a woman - had a substantial inheritance...
0:16:21 > 0:16:25- ..the family would be eager - to draw up a contract.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32- Katheryn and Morris Wynn had two - children called Jane and Edward.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36- This gave Katheryn - a total of six children.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40- How did the aristocracy - treat their children...
0:16:40 > 0:16:43- ..and what sort of mother was she?
0:16:43 > 0:16:47- She didn't have any custodial rights - over her children...
0:16:47 > 0:16:49- ..as she was a woman.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54- It didn't matter that - she was an heiress and their mother.
0:16:54 > 0:16:59- When she married Richard Clough - and moved to Antwerp...
0:16:59 > 0:17:03- ..she lost touch with her sons - from her first marriage.
0:17:12 > 0:17:17- The poets don't mention - Katheryn's motherly nature...
0:17:17 > 0:17:22- ..her love for her children - or their upbringing.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25- There is no evidence - of a mother figure...
0:17:25 > 0:17:30- ..but the poets praise Katheryn - for producing heirs and heiresses.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36- There were dark clouds ahead - for Katheryn.
0:17:36 > 0:17:41- Her firstborn son, Thomas Salusbury, - was a friend of Anthony Babington.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46- He was involved in the 1586 plot - to assassinate Elizabeth I...
0:17:46 > 0:17:50- ..and replace her with the Catholic, - Mary Queen of Scots.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55- When Babington and Thomas Salusbury - were captured...
0:17:55 > 0:18:00- ..there was no other option - but to hang them.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04- Thomas was deleted from history - without trace.
0:18:05 > 0:18:10- The family must have felt - extraordinary shame.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15- The loss of a son must have been - very painful for her.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19- The majority of aristocrats - in North Wales...
0:18:19 > 0:18:24- ..remained silent - when Thomas Salusbury was executed.
0:18:24 > 0:18:30- Here was an aristocrat - who was being executed.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34- If they were rather lax...
0:18:34 > 0:18:38- ..in their attitudes - towards Catholicism...
0:18:38 > 0:18:41- ..and had an open mind - about these beliefs...
0:18:42 > 0:18:45- ..this made them reconsider - their thoughts.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00- What do we know - about Katheryn's own faith?
0:19:01 > 0:19:05- The portrait suggests - that she was a religious woman.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09- Her clothes are dark and sombre...
0:19:09 > 0:19:12- ..and she's holding a prayer book.
0:19:12 > 0:19:17- The skull or the memento mori...
0:19:17 > 0:19:20- ..reminds us - of the fragility of life.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23- These are all signs...
0:19:23 > 0:19:27- ..to suggest that it's a portrait - of a Christian figure.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32- The choice of van Cronenburgh - to paint the portrait...
0:19:32 > 0:19:35- ..speaks volumes about her faith.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41- We know for a fact - that he was an ardent Catholic.
0:19:41 > 0:19:46- He started his career in Friesland.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50- He had to leave Friesland - due to his religious beliefs.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52- He refused to give up Catholicism.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57- She wouldn't have chosen - a Catholic artist...
0:19:57 > 0:20:01- ..unless she shared his beliefs.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05- I suspect that Katheryn - was a staunch Catholic.
0:20:05 > 0:20:10- When her eldest son was executed for - his part in the Babington Plot...
0:20:10 > 0:20:13- ..he stood on the gallows - and said...
0:20:13 > 0:20:18- .."So have I lived a Catholic, - shall I die a Catholic".
0:20:18 > 0:20:24- Women were expected to educate - their children in the faith.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33- If she concealed her Catholicism...
0:20:33 > 0:20:37- ..it's possible her choice - of husbands was politically driven.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42- Morris Wynn's death left her - a widow for the third time.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44- She returned to the Vale of Clwyd.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49- Within three years, she'd married - another influential man.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53- Edward Thelwall - was younger than Katheryn.
0:20:53 > 0:20:59- He was the son of an MP and - lived at Plas y Ward near Ruthin.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01- It was a very Welsh household.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06- They supported many poets, - such as Simwnt Fychan.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11- That's the typical culture - which was evident in Plas y Ward.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14- A noble family - and part of the establishment...
0:21:15 > 0:21:19- ..they administered law and order - and were professional people.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25- To the end, Katheryn - carefully planned her life.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30- She was a business woman, - a siren and a virtuous mother.
0:21:30 > 0:21:36- Is there any another woman who made - such an impression in Tudor Wales?
0:21:37 > 0:21:43- She died at Plas y Ward in August - 1591, aged just over 50 years.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48- Thomas Pennant states that she - was buried at Llannefydd Church...
0:21:49 > 0:21:55- ..with a gold locket and a lock - of hair belonging to Richard Clough.
0:21:57 > 0:22:03- No memorial exists - in the Vale of Clwyd to Katheryn.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07- There's nothing to commemorate - this extraordinary woman.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09- Why isn't there a memorial to her?
0:22:09 > 0:22:12- Her mother-in-law, - Dame Sian Salusbury...
0:22:12 > 0:22:16- ..spent a fortune - creating a grand alabaster tomb...
0:22:16 > 0:22:20- ..for her own memorial - at Whitchurch, Denbigh.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25- It grieves me that - there isn't a memorial to Katheryn.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29- She was defined by her marriages...
0:22:29 > 0:22:34- ..as opposed - to her actions or deeds.
0:22:35 > 0:22:40- However, she managed - to retain her inheritance.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44- I wonder if that - was her greatest achievement.
0:22:44 > 0:22:49- She was cunning and used this trait - in order to survive.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53- I don't believe - that she was a wicked person.
0:22:53 > 0:22:58- It's one of the myths surrounding - her that I'd like to dispel.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03- She was a woman of her time - and a contemporary woman.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10- Over the years, - Katheryn's character...
0:23:11 > 0:23:15- ..has been consumed by a host - of wild and dramatic stories.
0:23:15 > 0:23:21- For me, I'll remember that she - survived during a dangerous era...
0:23:21 > 0:23:26- ..by using the only weapon - known to her - marriage.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28- She was an iconic figure.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32- It's no wonder that her story - still fascinates us.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56- S4C Subtitles by Tinopolis
0:23:56 > 0:23:57- .