House of Tudor ruled their domains for just over a century. Henry VIII was the only son of Henry VII to live to the age of maturity. Issues around the royal succession (including marriage and the succession rights of women) became major political themes during the Tudor era. The House of Stuart, descended from Henry VII's daughter Margaret, came to power in 1603 when Elizabeth I died and the Tudor line failed. For analysis of politics, diplomacy and social history, see Tudor period. The Tudors descended on Henry VII's mother's side from John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, one of the illegitimate children
Tudor House Museum, Weymouth a single dwelling, which he furnished in the style of an early 17th-century home of a middle-class family. In order to furnish it, he travelled all over the UK and Europe to buy genuine Tudor and Stuart articles. In 1977, at the time of his death, the house was bequeathed by Lewis to the newly established Weymouth Civic Society, who continue to own and operate the house today. The Civic Society volunteers provide guided tours of the house during opening hours. The tour gives an insight into the history of Weymouth in the early 17th century during its heyday as