A WHO’S WHO OF TUDOR WOMEN: J-M
compiled by
Kathy Lynn Emerson
to update and correct
her very out-of-date
WIVES AND
DAUGHTERS, THE WOMEN OF SIXTEENTH-CENTURY ENGLAND (1984)
NOTE: this document exists
only in electronic format
and is ©2008-10 Kathy Lynn
Emerson (all rights reserved)
ELIZABETH JACKSON
see ELIZABETH PICKERING
MOTHER JAK
see MARGARET GIGS; SYBIL HAMPDEN; JANE THE FOOL
JANE THE FOOL (d.1558+)
Jane the Fool was as much a fixture at the Tudor court as Henry VIII’s fool, Will Somers. John Southworth, in Fools and Jesters at the English Court offers evidence that she was there as early as 1537 and may have been there earlier, as the female fool in Queen Anne Boleyn’s household. She was the type of fool known as an “innocent”—probably mentally retarded and possibly suffering from physical disabilities. She had a “keeper” assigned to her. According to records cited in Carolly Erickson's Bloody Mary, Jane wore beautiful gowns but the hose and shoes of a clown and she had her head shaved regularly at fourpence per barbering. In December, 1537 she was in Princess Mary’s household. She may have been taken over by Queen Katherine Parr in 1543, but she was again with Mary Tudor when she became queen. Jane the Fool survived into the reign of Elizabeth but then disappears from the records. Biographies: see the chapter on Jane in Southworth’s book. Portraits: Again, following Southworth, Jane is probably the figure on one side of the portrait of Henry VIII and his family at Hampton Court. This makes sense, since the figure on the opposite side is Will Somers. Others argue that the woman is “Mother Jak,” Prince Edward’s nurse, but Mother Jak herself is the object a good deal of confusion. The Holbein sketch labeled “Mother Jak” is actually Margaret Gigs, Sir Thomas More’s foster daughter. Nineteenth-century historian Agnes Stickland suggested that Jak was short for Jackson, but offered no proof. Another unsubstantiated story I’ve seen online is that “Mother Jak” haunts Hampton Court. In reality, the most likely “Mother Jak” was an anonymous wet nurse hired to take care of Prince Edward. She was replaced, when her services were no longer needed to feed the infant prince, by Sybil Hampden, Mrs. Penne, the gentlewoman who was Edward’s chief nurse (a “dry” nurse) from October 1538-1544.
CATHERINE JAQUEMAN (1535-1590)
ELIZABETH JENKS OR GYNKES (1510-December 16, 1558)
Elizabeth Jenks was the daughter of William Jenks (1484-1571), a wealthy London spice merchant, and Elizabeth Adams. In 1535, she married Richard Rich (1496-June 12,1567), an ambitious young lawyer who later became baron Rich. She bore him five sons and ten daughters, including Robert, 2nd baron Rich (1537-February 27,1581), Sir Hugh (d.1554), Elizabeth, Winifred (d.1578), Ethelreda or Audrey, Frances, Mary, Dorothy, and Agnes and probably Nicholas (1550-1600), Edward, and Richard. Portraits: a sketch by Holbein at Windsor; portrait after Holbein in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
DOROTHY JERMYN
see DOROTHY BADBY
ANNE JERNINGHAM
ANNE JERNINGHAM or JERENGAN (d.1559)
Anne Jerningham was the daughter of Sir Edmund Jerningham of Somerleyton, Suffolk (d.1515) and Margaret Bedingfield (c.1476-1504). She was at court before May of 1511, when she received a half-year's wages (100s). She was listed as a chamberer on October 9, 1514, when King Henry VIII's sister, Mary Tudor, married King Louis XII of France. She was one of the few English attendants allowed to remain in France after the wedding. Sir Edward Grey (d. before 1517), eldest son of Thomas Grey, first Marquis of Dorset, was also allowed to remain and they were married soon after, probably in France. As Lady Anne Grey, Anne remained in Mary Tudor's service, accompanying her back to England after she (Mary) wed the duke of Suffolk. It is at this point that confusion begins. In spite of W. H. Challen's "Lady Anne Grey" in the January 1963 Notes and Queries, in which he not only sorts out Anne Jerningham's marriages but also those of Anne Barlee (d.1558), a concurrent "Lady Anne Grey," subsequent publications, including the otherwise excellent account of the Field of Cloth of Gold in 1520 by Joycelyne G. Russell (1969) and Walter C. Richardson's superb biography of Mary Tudor (1970), misidentify Anne Jerningham, most commonly calling her the eighth daughter of the first Marquis of Dorset. As far as I have been able to determine, the first Marquis of Dorset never had a daughter named Anne. It was Anne Jerningham, now Lady Anne Grey because of her marriage, who was in Mary Tudor's service in 1516 and carried the infant Henry Brandon at his christening. Widowed by the spring of 1517, Anne was in Norfolk, in the household of the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk, when Queen Catherine of Aragon paid a visit. With her, I assume, came Mary Scrope Jerningham, Anne's stepmother, who was one of the queen's ladies. Richardson confuses matters even further by identifying the person who "contrived" an engagement for Lady Anne Grey as Anne Jerningham and calling her another of Mary Tudor's ladies. He does not seem to realize that Anne Jerningham and Anne Grey were the same person. He bases his conclusions on the Duke of Suffolk's letter to Cardinal Wolsey, written on March 17, 1517 with the intention of making sure no blame fell upon him over the secret betrothal of one of his wife's ladies to a ward of the king for whom Suffolk was responsible. It says, in part, that "Mrs. Jerningham" (Mrs. was the abbreviation for Mistress and so could mean either a single or a married woman) "took her daughter-in-law (ie. step-daughter) aside and privately insured young Berkely unto the Lady Anne Greye one of the Queen, my wife's ladies." Since no given names are included, several online genealogies that wrongly assume that Lady Anne Grey is the youngest daughter of the Marquis of Dorset also misidentify "young Berkely" as Thomas Berkeley (1505-1534), grandson of the Baron Berkeley of 1517. Both his age and the fact that his father and grandfather were still living argue against this. Richardson says he is John Berkeley, son and heir of Sir Maurice Berkeley or Barkley of Yate, Gloucestershire, and one of the king's wards. This is also incorrect, on two counts. John was not Sir Maurice's son. In 1515, Sir Maurice bought the wardship and marriage of John Berkeley, son and heir of Richard Berkeley of Stoke Gifford, Gloucestershire, but he would have been too young in 1517 to figure in the marriage plans of Lady Jerningham. The article in Notes and Queries speculates on other possibilities to have been "young Berkely" but comes to no definite conclusions as to his identity except that he was probably a distant connection of the family at Yate. In any case, he was apparently one of the king's wards and the Duke of Suffolk did not want to be accused of trying to marry him off without the king's permission. He suggested in his letter to Wolsey that an example should be made of Mrs. Jerningham, but apparently, since the secret engagement had not progressed very far, she was not punished for her transgression. Challen does note, however, that Anne Jerningham's will mentions "my son Sir John Barkley" and "my son William Barkley, Esquire." However, all the other sons and daughters listed are actually stepchildren. This suggests that Anne continued to have some sort of relationship with the youth she was briefly engaged to, but not that they actually married and had children. In fact, Anne had no children with any of her husbands, and she did have three more of them. Her second husband was Henry Barlee of Albury, Hertfordshire (c.1487-November 12,1529). It is not clear when she married him, but even if she had wed by 1520, she'd still have been listed as Lady Anne Grey at the Field of Cloth of Gold. This Lady Anne Grey is unlikely to have been Anne Barlee, Anne Jerningham's sister in law. She is identified as both the daughter of the first Marquis of Dorset (the one who doesn't exist) and as the widow of Richard Clement (Anne Barlee). However, Clement's first wife did not die until 1528, and Anne Barlee may not even have been married to Lord John Grey, son of the first Marquis of Dorset, by 1520. As for Anne Jerningham, at some point before 1531, her second husband died and she married Sir Robert Drury of Hawstead, Suffolk (d. May 2,1536). Her fourth husband, to whom she was wed by 1543, was Sir Edmund Walsingham of Chislehurst, Kent (d. February 9, 1549/50), who was Lord Lieutenant of the Tower from 1521-1543. Anne was buried on April 6, 1559 beside her first husband in the church of St. Clement Danes, London.
ANNE JERNINGHAM or JERNEGAN (June 28,1516-before May 28,1581)
Anne Jerningham was the daughter of Sir John Jerningham of Somerleyton, Suffolk (c.1497-1558) and Bridget Drury. She married Sir Thomas Cornwallis (c.1519-December 24,1604), who was arrested briefly for recusancy in 1570, and was a gentlewoman of the privy chamber to Queen Mary in 1555. Her children were Elizabeth (1547-1628), Alice, Mary (d.c.1627), Sir William, and Sir Charles Cornwallis.
ELIZABETH JERNINGHAM (d.1518)
Elizabeth Jerningham was the daughter of John Jerningham of Somerleyton, Suffolk, Suffolk (d.1474) and Agnes Durrell. She was already married to John Denton or Dentonys, about whom nothing is known, when she entered the household of Henry VII’s children as mistress of the nursery to Prince Henry in 1496. Later she was Princess Mary’s governess. She may be identical with the Mistress Denton who accompanied Princess Margaret to Scotland and/or the wardrobe keeper who was later a lady-in-waiting to the queen. David Loades identifies her as the first Lady Mistress of the nursery of Henry VIII's daughter Mary. In May 1515, by then a widow, she was granted a annuity of £50 per annum "for service to the late king and queen." By November 1517, Margaret Bryan was in charge of Mary Tudor's nursery. In 1518, Elizabeth Denton erected a tomb to herself. She lived in some comfort in the Blackfriars Precinct until her death. Philippa Jones’s The Other Tudors: Henry VIII’s Mistresses and Bastards makes the extraordinary claim that Elizabeth Denton was Henry’s first lover and even suggests that his grandmother, Margaret Beaufort, selected her for him. I find this highly unlikely, and note that Ms. Jones, although she did come up with several references to Elizabeth Denton that I had not seen, neglects to identify her other than as a royal servant. She relies on the fact that two grants were made to Elizabeth Denton shortly after Henry took the throne as proof of her claim. A £50 annuity (the same one Loades dates in 1515?) and the keepership of Cold Harbour, Margaret Beaufort’s London house, were generous gifts, but not at all out of line as rewards for long service to the Tudors. Jones herself gives Elizabeth Denton’s wages as £20 per annum as one of Elizabeth of York’s ladies (the year is not clearly stated). She also implies, by the placement of his name in the same paragraph, that Elizabeth was married to William Denton, the queen’s carver. She states that Elizabeth Denton replaced Elizabeth Darcy, Lady Mistress of the Royal Nursery, and that Elizabeth Darcy had retired or died by 1497. I assume that to mean Elizabeth Denton took over in 1497, but again the way the information is given prevents me from being certain. Jones does clearly state that Elizabeth Denton was governess to Henry VII's daughter, Mary Tudor, by 1500 and went to Scotland with Princess Margaret in 1503, returning when King James reduced the number of English attendants Margaret was allowed to keep with her. Then, remarkably, Jones quotes from a novel and wonders whether the author actually saw a portrait of Elizabeth Denton. Excuse me? Trust me on this one. Novels are fiction. Novelists MAKE THINGS UP! Especially the physical appearance of minor characters. That said, Jones does come up with one other detail I did not unearth in my research, a will dated April 26, 1518. Now, I had the date 1536 for Elizabeth’s death from somewhere, but I don't know where that came from. I did know that her tomb dated from 1518. On further consideration, I can see that placing her death and burial in 1518 is more logical.
ELIZABETH JERNINGHAM (before 1515-1558+)
Elizabeth Jerningham was the daughter of Sir Edward Jerningham or Jernegan of Somerleyton, Suffolk (d.1515) and his second wife, Mary Scrope (d. August 15,1548). She was a waiting gentlewoman to Ann Stanhope, Lady Beauchamp until January, 1537, when she became a maid of honor to Ann’s sister-in-law, Queen Jane Seymour. Later she was a maid of honor to Queen Mary. She was following family tradition. Her mother, first as Lady Jerningham and then as Lady Kingston, had been in the queen’s household since the beginning of Henry the Eighth’s reign.
FRANCES JERNINGHAM
see FRANCES BAYNHAM
MARY JERNINGHAM
see MARY SCROPE
JOAN JOCKEY (d. 1585+)
Joan Jockey’s parentage is unknown. Her notoriety comes from her position as the bigamous wife of John de Vere, 16th earl of Oxford (1512-August 3,1562). Oxford was still married to, but separated from his first wife, Dorothy Neville when, at the end of May,1545, he went through a marriage with Joan at Whit Colne Church. Dorothy Neville, who died at some point between December 15, 1545 and January 1548, had separated from her husband some time before May 1545, refusing to live “amongst such a bad companye as were about the Earle of Oxforde,” but divorce at this time in England was difficult and even divorced couples were not legally permitted to remarry. Sometime during the period from 1545-8, Oxford also had a mistress named Anne. Her surname has not survived, but she was the servant of Mr. Cratherode, the tenant at Tilbury Hall, and later married a man named Phillips. According to later depositions, “all theise women were shaken of by the same Earle of Oxforde by the aduise and workings of his Counsell before the said lady Dorothie dyed.” Joan Jockey’s dismissal, however, was singularly brutal. Five men, two of them Oxford’s brothers-in-law and another his trusted servant, John Smith, broke down the door of her house in Earls Colne, Essex, pinned her to the floor, and disfigured her with a knife. Her nose was either cut off or sliced at the base of the nostrils to make her appearance grotesque. Cutting off a woman’s nose was apparently a traditional punishment for a whore. Oxford was involved with another charge of bigamy, as well (see the entry under Margery Golding) but as far as is known he was never held accountable on any charges during his lifetime. Depositions taken in 1585 indicate that Joan Jockey was still alive but no one knew where she was living.
SABINE JOHNSON
ANNE JONES
see ANNE BELLAMY
MARY JONES
see MARY BERKELEY
AGNES JORDAN (d. January 29, 1546)
Agnes Jordan was abbess of Syon in Isleworth, near Sheen, from 1521-1539. She was the sister of Isabel Jordan or Jordayn, prioress and later abbess of Wilton, who was described, in 1528, as "ancient, wise, and discreet." Isabel had died by March 1533. In 1530, Agnes commissioned (with John Fewteren, the confessor-general) a printing of the Mirror of Our Lady, a commenary on the sisters’ office. Syon was a Bridgettine Abbey. The Order of the Most Holy Saviour had been founded by St. Bridget of Sweden (1304-1373). As abbess, Agnes ruled over both men and women and provided lodging for well-to-do ladies who wished to retire from the world. She was both host and jailer to Lady Margaret Douglas from November 1536 until October or November 1537. Margaret was confined because of her unauthorized marriage to Lord Thomas Howard, one of the duke of Norfolk's younger sons. In a letter written to Thomas Cromwell, Agnes complained about the number of manservants Margaret had with her and the possibility that she might use them to send messages to Lord Thomas in the Tower of London. Margaret apparently had both her own servants and Howard's with her until Cromwell intervened. By the time Lady Margaret was confined at Syon a second time in 1540, the nunnery had been dissolved. It was suppressed on November 25, 1539 and the fifty-two choir nuns, four lay sisters, twelve brothers, and five lay brothers dispersed. Agnes received an annuity of £200. She rented a farm house, Southlands, near Denham, Buckinghamshire, and lived there with nine other sisters from Syon. Portrait: a brass plate in Denham Church.
DOROTHY JOSSELYN
see DOROTHY GATES
JUANA OF CASTILE (November 16, 1479-April 12, 1555)
Juana or Joanna of Castile was the daughter of Ferdinand of Aragon (d.1516) and Isabella of Castile (d.1504) and inherited the kingdom of Castile on her mother’s death. She married Philip the Fair, archduke of Austria, duke of Burgundy, and count of Flanders (1478-1506) in 1496. Why include a Spanish queen in a listing of Tudor women? Because Juana and her husband, on their way to Castile, were driven ashore in England in 1506 and remained there for some months, and because Catherine of Aragon was Juana’s sister, and because after Philip’s death, Juana’s name was suggested as a second wife for Henry VII. Juana of Castile is best remembered, however, for being mad. She was passionately devoted to Philip, and extremely jealous. Some even whispered that she might have poisoned him in a fit of rage. After his death, she refused to allow his body to be buried and kept it with her. Her father was eventually forced to intervene and she was locked up for her own safety. In England, however, she made a favorable impression in King Henry. She apparently had a “handsome” figure and was quite beautiful. She had six children with Philip, the last born posthumously: Eleanor (1498-1558), Charles (1500-1558), Isabella (1501-1526), Ferdinand (1503-1564), Mary (1505-1558), and Catherine (1507-1578). Portraits: there are a number of portraits of Juana, including one with her father-in-law, husband, and three of their children (detail below).
ALICE JUDDE (d.1592)
MARY JUDDE
see MARY MIRFYN
ALICE KEBEL or KEBLE (1482-June 8, 1521)
MARGARET KEBELL
see MARGARET BASSETT
ESTHER KELLO
see ESTHER INGLIS
DOROTHY KEMPE (c.1561?-c.1616)
ELEANOR KEMPE
see ELEANOR BROWNE
URSULA KEMPE alias GRAY (x.1582)
Ursula Kempe was a major figure in the 1582 Chelmsford witch trials. She was one of the “cunning folk” who were usually accepted by the community because of their usefulness in finding lost property, “unwitching,” and nursing. Ursula was not married but she did have a son, Thomas Rabbet (b.1574). In 1580, Ursula was hired by the Thorlowe family. Grace Thorlowe suffered from arthritis and her son Davy also had some sort of ailment which Ursula healed with an incantation. The Thorlowes, however, refused to let Ursula nurse their newborn daughter, Joan, and when Joan fell out of her crib and broke her neck on October 6, 1580, they accused Ursula of bewitching her to death. It has been speculated that the charge was made because the Thorlowes hoped to save themselves paying the shilling they owed Ursula for healing Davy and giving Grace a remedy for her arthritis. Whatever their reason, when Ursula went before Brian Darcy, the quarter sessions judge, matters escalated. Darcy was an avid witch hunter. He convinced both Ursula and her son to “confess” and his promise of clemency persuaded Ursula to name four other women as witches: Elizabeth Bennett, Alice Hunt, Alice Newman, and Margery Sammon. Ursula also confessed to having four familiars, two cats (Titty and Jack), a toad (Pigin) and a lamb (Tyffin). In official documents, Ursula Kempe, also known as Ursula Gray, is accused of bewitching Joan Thorlowe on October 3, Edna Stratton (d.February 14, 1582) on November 30, 1581, and Elizabeth Letherdall (d.February 26) on February 12, 1582. Meanwhile, the four women Ursula implicated named nine more: Joan Pechey, Agnes Glascock, Cecily Celles or Sylles, Joan Turner, Elizabeth Ewstace, Anis Herd, Alice Manfield, Margaret Grevell, and Alice Hunt's sister, Anne Swallow. These thirteen women, collectively known as the St. Osyth Witches after Ursula's village, were tried at Chelmsford in Essex on charges of witchcraft. Two were not indicted. Two were discharged but held in prison on other charges. Four were acquitted. Four were found guilty but reprieved. Two, Ursula Kempe and Elizabeth Bennett, were hanged. In 1921, two female skeletons were discovered in St. Osyth, both with iron rivets driven into their knees and elbows. This was done to prevent witches from rising from their graves. On this evidence, they have been identified as Ursula Kempe and Elizabeth Bennett.
ELIZABETH KENNEDY
see ELIZABETH BRYDGES
ANNE KILLIGREW (d.1632)
DOROTHY KILLIGREW
see DOROTHY MONK
ELIZABETH KILLIGREW
see ELIZABETH TREWINARD
KATHERINE KILLIGREW
see KATHERINE COOKE
MARY KILLIGREW
see MARY WOLVERSTON
BRIDGET KINGSMILL (1574-1600+)
MORPHITA KINGSMILL (d. 1569)
Morphita Kingsmill was the daughter of John Kingsmill (d. May 13,1509), Judge of Common Pleas, and Joan Gifford. She became a nun and in September 1535 was elected abbess of Wherwell in Hampshire. The abbey was supposed to be sold to her brother, John Kingsmill of Sydmonton, Hampshire (d. August 11, 1556), but once it was surrendered, on November 21, 1539, it went to Lord De La Warr instead. Morphita received a pension of £40 per annum. Seven of her former nuns were still living with her when she made her will on March 31, 1569.
SARAH KINGSMILL
MARY KINGSTON
see MARY SCROPE
JOAN KNELL
FRIDESWIDE KNIGHT (d. 1565)
Frideswide Knight was a member of Mary Tudor’s household from 1536-1558. She was a chamberer in 1536. She married a gentleman of Mary’s household, Robert Strelley, in 1548. She received several grants for her service, including the former chantry windmill at Great Bowden, Leicestershire in 1548, Ulverscroft Priory from Queen Mary, and a property called Oxehedd. Frideswide and her husband received the latter from Edward VI in return for surrendering a £10 annuity. She does not seem to have had any children as the heirs to various properties were her nephew, John Wilson, and her husband’s “nephew and heir” William Saville. Frideswide Strelley was the only one of Queen Mary’s ladies who would not pretend that the queen was pregnant after it became obvious that she was not.
CATHERINE KNOLLYS
see CATHERINE CAREY
DOROTHY KNOLLYS
see DOROTHY BRAY
ELIZABETH KNOLLYS (June 15,1549-c.1605)
LETTICE KNOLLYS
see LETTICE PENYSTON
LETTICE or LAETITIA KNOLLYS (November 8,1543-December 25,1634)
Lettice Knollys was the daughter of Sir Francis Knollys (1514-1596) and Catherine Carey (1523/1524-January 15,1569). She was a first cousin to Queen Elizabeth and resembled the queen a good deal. She was probably in exile with her parents during the reign of Mary Tudor but upon Elizabeth’s ascension she came to court as a maid of honor. In late 1560, she married Walter Devereux, Viscount Hereford (September 16,1539-September 22,1576) and by him had Penelope (1562-July 7,1607), Dorothy (1564-August 3,1619), Robert (November 19,1566-February 25, 1601), Walter (1569-1591) and Francis (d.yng.). Her husband was elevated in the peerage to earl of Essex in 1572 and the family seat was at Chartley in Staffordshire, but Lettice was often at court. There a relationship developed with Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester (June 24,1532-September 4, 1588), the queen’s favorite. With Essex in Ireland from 1572 until the winter of 1575/6, Lettice lived in Durham House on the Strand, quite near Leicester House. In the summer of 1575, when Lady Essex and the earl of Leicester were both on progress with the queen, Edward Arden, sheriff of Warwickshire, refused to wear Leicester’s livery for the festivities at Kenilworth Castle because the earl “had private access to the countess of Essex.” According to one account of the incident, Arden called Leicester a whoremaster. The anonymous 1584 pamphlet known as Leicester’s Commonwealth claimed that Lady Essex was pregnant by Leicester immediately before her husband’s return from Ireland and that she had an abortion. Another tale, this one reported by the Spaniard, de Guaras, in December of 1575, was that there was “a great enmity between the earl of Leicester and the earl of Essex in consequence . . . of the fact that while Essex was in Ireland his wife had two children by Leicester.” Acccording to de Guaras, this was openly talked of in London. When Essex returned to Ireland and shortly thereafter died there of dysentery, gossip insisted that Leicester had poisoned his rival. An autopsy proved otherwise but talk did not cease and rumor had the two lovers married soon after. They may have gone through an earlier ceremony, but there was a secret wedding at Wanstead on September 21, 1578 which was witnessed by Sir Francis Knollys, Lettice’s father. She appeared to be with child at the time. Robert Dudley, Lord Denbigh (d.July 19, 1584) was born in 1579. Lettice was at court in July of that year with a new wardrobe that rivaled the queen’s. When her marriage to Leicester became known, the queen is said to have boxed Lettice’s ears and banished her, saying that as but one sun lighted the sky, so she would have but one queen in England. Away from court, Lettice went out of her way to be mistaken for her royal cousin, riding through the streets of London in a carriage with her ladies in coaches behind her. Lettice also began scheming to marry her daughter, Dorothy, to the king of Scotland. When the queen heard of this, in 1583, she swore she would “sooner the Scots King lost his crown” than be married to the daughter of a “she-wolf” and further said that if she could find no other way to check Lady Leicester’s ambition she would proclaim her all over Christendom as the whore she was and prove Leicester a cuckold. These statements, of course, come from Spanish reports, and should be taken with a grain of salt. The Frenchman, Mauvissiere, writing at about the same time, reported that Leicester was greatly influenced by his wife. On December 8, 1585, Leicester was sent to the Low Countries and soon after made Governor General of the Netherlands. Lettice made plans to join him there and set up a court of her own, but the queen prevented her from leaving England. At about that time a rumor started that Leicester was jealous of his wife’s attentions to his Master of the Horse, one Christopher Blount (1565-March 18,1601). This tale gained credence after Leicester’s death. Lettice married Blount less than a year later, in July of 1589. An anonymous manuscript called “Leicester’s Ghost” claimed that Lettice and Blount had poisoned the earl of prevent him from killing Blount and imprisoning Lettice at Kenilworth Castle. Leicester’s will seems to disprove this. It was written on his deathbed in the form of a letter to Lettice. After her remarriage, which angered the queen, Lettice lived primarily at Drayton Bassett in Staffordshire, even though she deemed life there to be fit “only for the disgraced.” In 1597, Lettice’s son Robert, 2nd earl of Essex, made several attempts to reconcile the queen and his mother. He had taken his stepfather’s place as Elizabeth Tudor’s favorite and was eventually able to bring the two women face to face. Lettice presented the queen with a jewel, which was accepted, but a few days later when Lettice requested permission to return to court she was refused. Lettice was living in Essex House in 1599 when her son was under arrest but aside from one visit was not allowed to see him. In February, 1601 when Essex made his ill-advised attempt to take control of the government, Lettice was at Drayton Bassett, but Sir Christopher Blount played an active role in the conspiracy and was tried and executed for treason, as was Essex. Lettice remained at Drayton Bassett for the remainder of her life. Biography: Elizabeth Jenkins in Elizabeth and Leicester deals fairly extensively with Lettice’s life; Oxford DNB entry under "Dudley [née Knollys; other married name Devereux], Lettice." Portraits: effigy on her tomb in St. Mary’s Church, Warwick; portrait by George Gower at Longleat, c. 1585; at least five portraits of Lettice existed in her lifetime in her own households as well as a miniature belonging to a granddaughter.
ANNE KNYVETT
see ANNE PICKERING
CATHERINE KNYVETT (1543-December 20, 1622)
ELIZABETH KNYVETT (c.1574-c.1630)
KATHERINE KNYVETT (1564-September 8,1638)
Katherine Knyvett was the daughter of Sir Henry Knyvett of Charlton, Wiltshire (1539-1598) and Elizabeth Stumpe (d.1585). She married first, Richard Rich (d. before February 27,1581), younger brother of the 3rd baron Rich, and then, in 1583, Thomas Howard (August 24,1561-May 28,1626). He was created Baron Howard of Walden in 1597 and earl of Suffolk by James I. Katherine was rumored to have been Robert Cecil’s mistress, but there seems little foundation for the story. She was reputed to be a great beauty until a bout of smallpox in 1619. She and Thomas Howard had twelve children, including Theophilus (1584-1640), Thomas (d.1660), Elizabeth (1586-1658), Frances (May 31,1593-August 23,1632), Henry, Catherine (d.1672), Charles (d.1622), Robert (1598-1653), William (1600-1672), and Edward (d.1675). When their daughter Frances was tried for the murder of Thomas Overbury, the earl and countess of Suffolk were also brought before the Star Chamber. They were fined £30,000 and imprisoned until the fine was paid. Biography: Oxford DNB entry under "Howard [née Knyvett; other married name Rich], Katherine." Portrait: by William Larkin.
KATHERINE KNYVETT (1578-March 10, 1629)
ANNE KYME
see ANNE ASKEW
CECILY KYME
DOROTHY KYTSON (1531-May 2, 1577)
ELIZABETH KYTSON
MARGARET KYTSON
MARGARET KYTSON (1563-1582)
MARY KYTSON (1566-June 28, 1644)
ELIZABETH LAMBERT (c. 1450-c.1527)
Elizabeth Lambert was the daughter of John Lambert (d.1487), Warden of the Mercer’s Company of London, and Amy Marshall. She is better known to history as “Jane Shore.” How did Elizabeth end up as Jane? Probably because early records of her give no first name, referring to her only as “Mistress Shore,” the name she acquired by her first marriage. Later, writers needed a first name for their fictionalized histories and settled on Jane. However it came about, this young woman was from a good family and taught to read and write. She was married to William Shore, a goldsmith, but the marriage was annulled in 1476 on grounds of his impotence. At about that time, she caught the eye of King Edward IV and became the king’s mistress. Unlike many others who enjoyed Edward’s favors, he kept her until his death in 1483. During that time, her intercession on behalf of Eton College, which Edward wanted to close, earned her that institution’s gratitude. It is due to historians there that we know what little we do of her life. After Edward died, Elizabeth reportedly shared her favors with two noblemen, Thomas Grey, 1st marquess of Dorest and William Hastings, 1st baron Hastings. Neither of them were able to protect her when Richard III declared himself king in his nephew’s stead. Both were accused of treason and “Mistress Shore” faced similar charges. She was charged with sorcery and with conspiring with Edward’s queen, Elizabeth Woodville, to kill King Edward. The accusations were groundless and probably made to coerce her into giving evidence against others. They were reduced to a charge of harlotry and she was made to do penance at Paul’s Cross, after which she was imprisoned in Ludgate. While she was there, the king’s solicitor, Thomas Lynom, fell in love with her and married her, much against the advice of King Richard. Richard, however, eventually pardoned the new Mistress Lynom and the marriage lasted some thirty years during which they had at least one child, a daughter. Most stories say “Jane Shore” died in poverty. This is probably an exaggeration, extrapolated from the account Sir Thomas More left of meeting her during the reign of Henry VIII. She was buried in Hinxworth Church, Hertfordshire. Portrait: her figure appears on her parents’ memorial brass in Hinxworth Church.
MAUD LANE
ESTHER LANGLOIS
see ESTHER INGLIS
MARY LANGTON
see MARY MIRFYN
EMILIA LANIER
see EMILIA BASSANO
JOAN LARKE (d.1529+)
Joan Larke was one of the three children of Peter Larke, variously called a gentleman of Huntingdonshire and a Thetford innkeeper. Peter and his wife reportedly died in Ireland. Joan was also called the sister of John Winter of Bristol. By one account she married Thomas Wolsey (1471-1530) on January 10, 1509 and by another began a liaison with him in 1511. In either case, she lived with him in his house in Bridewell and bore him two children, Dorothy (b.1512), who was adopted by John Clansey and later became a nun at Shaftesbury, receiving a pension under the name Dorothy Clansey when her religious house was dissolved, and Thomas (1513-c.1553), who went by the name Thomas Wynter and was archdeacon of Cornwall from 1537-1543. One source says that Joan’s brother, Thomas Larke (d.1530) was Wolsey’s confessor. Eventually, Wolsey’s advancement in the church made Joan an embarrassment to him. He arranged her marriage to George Legh of Adlington, Cheshire (1497-1529), providing her dowry. Later he helped the Leghs in a property dispute. By Legh, Joan had a son named Thomas (1527-1548)) and daughters named Isabel or Elizabeth (c.1525-1583), Margaret, and Mary. After Legh’s death, Joan married George Paulet, brother of the marquis of Winchester.
MARY LASSELLS or LASCELLES (d.1542+)
Mary Lassells was a nurse to the children of Lord William Howard and his first wife, Katherine Broughton. When Lady Howard died on April 23, 1535, Mary entered the service of Lord William’s mother (Agnes, dowager duchess of Norfolk) as a chamberer. Catherine Howard, the duchess’s step-granddaughter, was also part of that household and Mary was in a position to observe the behavior of Catherine and the other young women living there. She became alarmed by the attention paid Catherine by a music tutor named Henry Manox and took it upon herself to warn Manox that Catherine’s relatives would “undo” him if they found out. Manox told her to mind her own business and boasted that Catherine had promised him her maidenhead. Mary was still in the duchess’s household when Catherine grew tired of Manox and entered into an affair with another man, Francis Dereham. Catherine ordered Mary to steal the key to the maidens’ chamber so that she could let him in. Another of the duchess’s servants, Alice Wilkes, told Mary that Dereham spent his nights in Catherine’s bed. By the time Catherine married King Henry VIII, Mary had wed a man named Hall and was living in Sussex. When her brother, John Lassells, suggested that she use her old acquaintance with Catherine to obtain a post at court. Mary refused, telling him that Catherine was “light, both in living and conditions.” When she provided further details, Lassells, a dedicated reformer, felt compelled to repeat what she had said to Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. Cranmer shared the information with Lord Audley and Edward Seymour, earl of Hertford. The earl of Southampton was sent to Sussex to collect Mary’s testimony, with the end result that Queen Catherine was arrested, charged with adultery, and eventually executed. Unlike others who knew about Catherine’s past, Mary Lassells did not spend any time in prison. Because she had brought the matter to light, the king intervened directly to prevent her arrest. Her brother, however, fared less well. Five years later his zeal for reform led to his execution. He was burnt at the stake for heresy.
KATHERINE LATIMER
see KATHERINE PARR
AGNES LAWSON (c.1493-1567)
Agnes Lawson was the daughter of William Lawson (c.1480-June 19, 1518) and a daughter of Sir Richard Shrsley of Thernham. She was one of four sisters, two of whom became Benedictine nuns. Joan Lawson (d.c.1557) was prioress of Neasham Abbey. Agnes was appointed prioress of St. Bartholomew’s, Newcastle-upon-Tyne c.1523, on the death of the previous prioress, Joan Baxster. The appointment was declared invalid by the Bishop of Durham because it infringed upon his rights, but she was reinstated by a new and “proper” election “in consequence of her personal worth” and in spite of the fact that she was not quite thirty, the age that was the usual minimum for a position of leadership. St. Bartholomew’s was preserved in 1537 but suppressed on January 3, 1540. She received a relatively small pension, only £6, but she must have had other income because she was able to keep a large house in Gateshead, Newcastle together with flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. She had her own chaplain, too. She died at Gateshead and was buried in the parish church. Her will is dated March 14, 1567 (another source says March 11, 1565).
DOROTHY LAWSON
ELIZABETH LECHE (d. January 1601)
Elizabeth Leche was the daughter of Ralph Leche or Leech of Chatsworth. Derbyshire (d.1550) and Elizabeth Leake (1499-c.1570) and the widow of Anthony Wingfield of Sibton, Suffolk (c.1520-April 3, 1593). Her second husband was George Pollard of Tetbury, Gloucestershire. Elizabeth was the half sister of Bess of Hardwick and was living with her in London in 1558, before her first marriage. Elizabeth Leche’s first husband was a gentleman usher to Queen Elizabeth. He had three daughters by his first wife (Katherine Blennerhassett, who d. 1558), Ursula (d.1550-1628), Margaret, and Elizabeth. He does not seem to have had any children with Elizabeth Leche. In 1598-1600, and possibly earlier, a Mistress. Wingfield was mother of maids at the court of Elizabeth. It is possible, though not confirmed, that this was Elizabeth Leche. “Mrs. Wingfield, wife of Pollard” was buried January 6, 1601 in St. James, Clerkenwell (London).
JOAN LECHE or LEECH (1465-April 1530)
Joan Leche was the daughter of Dennis Leech of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire and his wife, Elizabeth. She married twice, first to a mercer, Thomas Bodley (1460-1492), by whom she had four children, including James (1488-before 1530), Elizabeth (1490-before 1530) and Denise (1492-September 10,1561). Joan’s second husband, married in 1493, was Thomas Bradbury (1450-January 1510), a tailor who was Lord Mayor of London in 1509. After his death, she spent twenty years as a widow, during which time she purchased a great deal of real estate and and became very wealthy. She established a perpetual chantry for both her husbands and herself in St. Stephen’s, Coleman Street, where she also had a house. The house was later given as a gift to the Mercer’s Company. Joan endowed a school in Saffron Walden, where her brother was vicar from 1489-1521 and made many other charitable gifts. Her will was dated March 2, 1530 and proved April 26, 1530. More details of her life can be found in Anne F. Sutton’s “Lady Joan Bradbury (d.1530),” in Medieval London Widows, 1300-1500 (edited by Caroline M. Barron and Anne F. Sutton.)
ANNE LEE
ELIZABETH LEE
LETTICE LEE
see LETTICE PENYSTON
MARGARET LEE
see MARGARET WYATT
MARY LEECHE
DOROTHY LEGH
see DOROTHY EGERTON
ISABEL LEGH (before 1510-February 16, 1573)
Isabel Legh, sometimes called Isabel Howard, was the daughter of Ralph Legh (c.1470-c. February 1, 1510) and Joyce Culpepper (c.1480-1521+) and thus a half sister of Queen Catherine Howard. She married, on January 18, 1531, Edward Baynton (1480-November 27, 1544) and had by him three children, Henry (b.1536), Francis (b.1537) and Anne (d.yng). After his death and that of her stepdaughter, Bridget, in 1545, she married James Stumpe of Malmesbury (d.1563), Bridget’s widower, and after Stumpe’s death married one Thomas Stafford, about whom nothing is known. Sir Edward Baynton was vice chamberlain to several of Henry VIII’s queens and his wife was at court at least during the tenure of her half sister. Isabel accompanied Queen Catherine to Syon House and the Tower when she was arrested.
JOAN LEGH
see JOAN LARKE
MARY LEGH
see MARY GROSVENOR
DOROTHY LEIGH
ELIZABETH LEIGHTON
MARGARET LENNARD
see MARGARET FIENNES
JOYCE LEWIS
see JOYCE CURZON
ELLEN or HELEN LEYBURNE
see ELLEN or HELEN PRESTON
DIONYSIA LILY (d. 1532+)
Dionysia Lily was one of the fifteen children of William Lily (1468-December 20,1522), Greek scholar, grammarian, and High Master of St. Paul’s School, and his wife, Agnes (d.August 11,1517). She married John Rightwise or Ritwise (d.1532), another grammarian, who succeeded his father-in-law in the mastership of the school. Rightwise is sometimes credited with writing the play “Tragedy of Dido,” which was acted at Greenwich by the boys of St. Paul’s School on November 10, 1527 for Cardinal Wolsey and the King. The suggestion has been made, however, that Dionysia was the true author. In 1531, Rightwise was removed from the High Mastership of St. Paul’s for neglect of duty. After his death, Dionysia wed James Jacob (d.1560), by whom she had a son, Polydore.
ANNE LINE
see ANNE HEIGHAM
HONOR LISLE
see HONOR GRENVILLE
MARGERY LISTER
ELIZABETH LITTLETON (1546-1594)
Elizabeth Littleton was the daughter of Sir John Littleton (c.1523-February 15, 1590) and Bridget Pakington (b.1522). She married Sir Francis Willoughby of Wollaton, Nottinghamshire (1546-1596) in late 1564. Her father paid a dowry of £1500 and the cost of her clothing, plus marriage charges and room and board at his house at Frankley with six persons to attend them for three years. Her jointure was to be one third of the estate, excluding profits from coal mines, but this was renegotiated several times during the marriage. In the 1570s the household at Wollaton consisted of 45-50 men but only a handful of women. In 1572, Elizabeth was attended by two gentlewomen, Elizabeth Mering and Marjory Garner. There were also two nurses for the children, Mary the fool, and two other women. Elizabeth bore twelve children in sixteen years but only six daughters lived, Bridget, Dorothy (d.1638), Margaret, Winifred, Abigail, and Frances. She was almost constantly ill, and made frequent trips to London to consult doctors. Relations between husband and wife were antagonistic, and apparently made worse by the interference of servants. At one point Sir Francis confined Elizabeth to certain rooms in the house and took away all her rights in the care of their children. By December, 1579, Elizabeth’s father was writing to her husband to arrange a separate allowance for her. Sir Francis’s complaints against his wife included “her disorderly life,” keeping company he disliked, and “reviling him to his face.” He also suspected her of adultery. This seems unlikely to have been true. Sir Francis, however, did father a son born out of wedlock in 1585. When a separation was arranged, the queen ordered Sir Francis to pay £200 per annum for Elizabeth’s maintenance. Letters exist from the next several years in which Elizabeth begs her husband to take her back, in spite of his treatment of her. For more details of this troubled marriage, see Alice T. Friedman’s House and Household in Elizabethan England: Wollaton Hall and the Willoughby Family. Portrait: painting attributed to George Gower, 1573.
MURIEL LITTLETON
ANNE LOCKE
see ANNE VAUGHAN
MARY LOCKE
see MARY LONG
ROSE LOCKE (December 26, 1526-November 21, 1613)
Rose Locke was the daughter of William Locke or Lok (1480-August 24,1550) and Katherine Cook (d. October 14,1537). She was part of a large family. Her father was a well-to-do London mercer who also served as an occasional agent for the Crown in France and Flanders. Rose married first, on November 28, 1543, Anthony Hickman (d.1573), by whom she had eight children: Mary (b.1547), William (c.1549-September 25,1625), Henry (b.c.1550), Walter (c.1552-before February 1618), another Mary (b.1554), Anthony (c.1560-December 13, 1597), Eleazar (b.c.1562), and Matthew. During Mary Tudor’s reign, Rose’s husband and her brother Thomas were charged with heresy and imprisoned in the Fleet. When they were set free, Anthony left England for Antwerp. Rose, being pregnant, retired to Oxfordshire to give birth, after which she joined her husband abroad. She gave birth to another child in Antwerp. The Hickmans returned to England when Elizabeth Tudor became queen. After Anthony Hickman’s death, Rose married Simon Throckmorton of Brampton, Huntingdonshire (1526?-March 27, 1585) as his second wife. She had no children by him. In 1610, Rose wrote her autobiography from the year 1534 to Queen Mary’s death in 1558. This still exists in manuscript. Biography: Lady Rose Hickman: Her Life and Family by Sue Allen (companion volume to her 2009 novel about Rose Locke); Oxford DNB entry under “Throckmorton [née Lok; other married name Hickman], Rose.” Portrait: unknown artist or date.
MARGARET LONG
MARY LONG or LONGE (c.1518-October 30, 1578)
Mary Long was the daughter of Simon Long of the Isle of Wight and Alice Huglett. She married Thomas Locke or Lok (February 8, 1514-November 9,1556) and by him had six children: William, Rowland, Matthew (c.1553-1599), John, Mary, and Anne. Her sister-in-law, Rose Hickman, chided Mary for keeping her husband in England after he was arrested for heresy and thus contributing to his death. Sometime between 1556 and 1558, Mary wed Dr. George Owen, one of the royal physicians (c.1499-October 18, 1558). Mary Owen may have been the Mrs. Owen living at Cumnor Place at the time of Amy Robsart’s death. She was a widow by that time, and her stepson actually owned the property. Some accounts say that it was William Owen’s wife who was living there, although authorities disagree on that wife’s identity. The DNB gives her name as Anne Rawley. Other sources say that William married Ursula Fettiplace in 1558. At some point after 1558, Mary Long Locke Owen took a third husband, Sir William Allen (b. c.1515) who was Lord Mayor of London in 1572/3. Her son Matthew Locke married his daughter Margaret (1560-August 25, 1624) on July 15, 1577.
ELIZABETH LORD or LORDE (d.1551)
Elizabeth Lord was the daughter of Robert Lord of Kendal House, Driffield, East Yorkshire. She became a nun at Wilberfoss, near York. The prioress there was Margaret Easingwold, who held that post from December 6, 1479 until September 28, 1512, nearly thirty-two years. Elizabeth Lord was confirmed as the next prioress of Wilberfoss on October 18, 1518. The convent specialized in educating young gentlewomen and in 1537 even numbered Thomas Cromwell’s granddaughter among its students. Possibly for this reason, the convent was not dissolved until August 20, 1539. At that time Elizabeth received a pension of £8 per year. Her nine nuns received considerably less. Elizabeth moved in with her sister, Mary Lord (c.1499-1557), by then married to George Gale (1497-1556), a goldsmith and who twice served as Lord Mayor of York. Although she did not attempt to continue in the religious life, she left money in her will, made on January 18, 1551 and proved on February 20, to her former sisters Agnes Barton, Alice Thornton, Joan Andrew, and Margery Browne. In 1553, Elizabeth’s sister and brother-in-law bought the site of Wilberfoss Priory, paying just over £615 for the property. Biography: Oxford DNB under “Lorde, Elizabeth.”
MARY LOUGHER
ANNE LOVELL
see ANNE ASHBY
ELEANOR LOVELL
see ELEANOR RADCLIFFE
ELIZABETH LOVELL
see ELIZABETH PARIS
JANE LOVELL
see JANE ROPER
ELIZABETH LOVETT (1516-August 1577)
Elizabeth Lovett was the daughter of Sir Thomas Lovett of Astwell, Northamptonshire (1493-July 19,1523) and Anne Danvers (1494-July 11,1523). In 1537, she married Sir Anthony Cave of Chicheley, Buckinghamshire (1516-September 9, 1558), by whom she had four daughters: Martha (b. February 24,1546), Anne (February 24,1545-December 31,1594), Judith (b. November 15, 1542) and Mary (November 1, 1556-October 16,1593). In 1559, Elizabeth married her second husband, John Newdigate (1519-1565) of Harefield, Middlesex. His son John (1541-1592) later married her daughter Martha. On July 7, 1566, Elizabeth married a third time, to Richard Weston (1510-July 6,1572) of Roxwell, Essex, a judge, as his third wife. Her daughter Mary married his son Jerome (c.1550-December 31,1603). The story goes that, three times a widow, Elizabeth Lovett erected a monument at Chicheley not to one of her husbands but to the man who had loved her in her youth.
JEANNE LULLIER (d.1584+)
JANE LUMLEY
see JANE FITZALAN
ELIZABETH LUTTON (c.1498-before February 1553)
Elizabeth Lutton was the daughter of Stephen Lutton (d.c.1526) of Knapton. At fourteen, she was veiled as a Benedictine nun at Yedlingham Priory in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The prioress at that time was Elizabeth White (d.c.1526). She was succeeded by Agnes Brayerdricke or Braydericke. Upon learning that Elizabeth Lutton was pregnant, the new prioress sent her to live in a house outside the cloister until the baby was born. The fate of the child is unknown, as is its father’s name, but Elizabeth was permitted to return to the convent. Nearly five years passed without incident. Then, in an attempt to nullify the will of Elizabeth’s grandfather, which left everything to his younger son, Elizabeth’s uncle, and take control of his considerable landholdings, Elizabeth was either abducted or ran away from the convent and married a man named Thomas Scaseby. She claimed she was not a nun, but a judicial inquiry held at Yedlingham on April 30, 1532 found against her. The marriage was annulled and Elizabeth once again returned to Yedlingham as a nun. Her story is included in Runaway Religious in Medieval England c.1240-1540 by F. Donald Logan. When the house was dissolved in August 1539, “Elizabeth Sutton” received a pension of 26s. 8d. Biography: Oxford DNB entry under “Lutton, Elizabeth.”
ELEANOR MACCARTHY
MARY MACWILLIAMS
see MARY HILL
FIONNUALA or FINOLA MACDONALD or MACDONNELL (d. c. 1611)
ETHELREDA, AUDREY or ESTHER MALTE (c.1526-c.1555)
Ethelreda Malte, also called Audrey and Esther, was the daughter of John Malte (d.1547), Henry VIII’s tailor, and Joanna Dyngley, although some sources claim she was the natural daughter of the king. Malte, however, claimed her as his own. Joanna Dyngley apparently took no part in her daughter’s life and was married to a man named Dobson at some point after her birth. As for John Malte, he received a sizeable grant of land from the king in 1541, including the manors of Watchenfeld and Offyngton in Berkshire, and another, with Ethelreda, in 1546. John Malte’s will is dated September 10, 1546 and was proved June 7, 1547. In it he calls Ethelreda “Awdrey Malte, my bastard daughter, begotten on the body of Joane Dingley, now wife of one Dobson.” At some point between September 1546 and November 11, 1547, Ethelreda married John Harington of Stepney (1525-July 1,1582). At that time he was in the service of Thomas Seymour, Lord Seymour of Sudeley. Ethelreda and John had one child, a daughter they named Hester (d.1568+). In 1554, Ethelreda was one of Elizabeth Tudor’s attendants during the princess's incarceration in the Tower of London. Ethelreda was still living in October 1555, when she settled Kelston on her husband. Her death occurred before April 1, 1559. Biography: Ruth Hughey’s John Harington of Stepney . Philippa Jones’s The Other Tudors: Henry VIII’s Mistresses and Bastards spends a good deal of time making the argument that Ethelreda’s mother was Joan Moore, daughter of Sir John Moore of Dunkelyn, Worcestershire, who married first Michael Asshefelde, then James Dingley, and finally Thomas Parker of Notgrove and she goes on to say that Joan and Thomas Parker had three sons. She explains the name Dobson as a error in transcription for Dunkelyn. This obviously doesn’t work if Malte’s will specifically reads “Joane Dingley, now wife of one Dobson.” Certainly Malte would know the difference between a place and a person. Jones doesn’t quote that section, but does state that Malte’s will left £20 “to Joan Dyngley, otherwise Joane Dobson.” She further suggests a date of 1535 for Ethelreda’s birth, which is considerably later than other scholars estimate. This allows her to propose Joan as the mysterious mistress of 1534 who was a friend of Princess Mary’s. Since her theory is so speculative, apparently based on the belief that the king would not consort with a lowborn woman like a laundress (Joan's place in the royal household according to other sources), it only surprises me that Jones does not suggest this same Joan Parker as the Mistress Parker who was supposedly Henry VIII’s mistress around 1520! It spite of this flight of fancy, Jones does provide one or two details on Ethelreda that I am prepared to accept. One is the existence of a portrait sold in 1942 to an unknown collector. It is described as three-quarter length with the subject in an “embroidered dress.” At the same time, the portrait of Ethelreda’s daughter Hester also vanished. It was described as a child holding a book. Jones suggests that John Malte lived with his daughter, Bridget Scutt, and that Ethelreda continued to live with the Scutts after his death, marrying John Harington somewhat later than Harington's biographer proposes. Jones also gives Ethelreda an earlier suitor. She believes that Ethelreda was always sickly (the excuse for her husband's interest in Isabella Markham) and died in November 1555 at St. Catherine’s Court. She also suggests, on very little "proof," that Harington had an earlier first wife named Esther. One record Jones quotes calls Ethelreda John Malte’s “bastard daughter Etheldred alias Dingley.” My take: in the usual usage of the time, that would mean Dingley was the name Ethelreda was born with, ie. her mother’s surname at the time. All in all, Jones’s book makes interesting reading, but I don’t believe her conclusions about Ethelreda and others are any more valid than those I present in this who's who, and I have the excuse of being a novelist rather than a scholar.
BRIDGET MANNERS (1577-July 10,1604)
BRIDGET MANNERS
see BRIDGET HUSSEY
DOROTHY MANNERS
see DOROTHY VERNONX
ELEANOR MANNERS
see ELEANOR PASTON
ELIZABETH MANNERS
see ELIZABETH SIDNEY
FRANCES MANNERS (c.1530-September 1576)
Frances Manners was the daughter of Thomas Manners, 1st earl of Rutland (d. 1543) and Eleanor Paston (c. October 12, 1559). She married Henry Neville, Lord Bergavenny (c.1530-February 20, 1586/7) and had one child, Mary (March 25,1554-June 28,1626). As Lady Bergavenny, Frances wrote protestant prayers in both prose and verse, published after her death in The Monument of Matrones (1582), edited by Thomas Bentley. Biography: Oxford DNB entry under “Neville [née Manners], Frances.”
ISABEL MANNERS
MARGARET MANNERS
see MARGARET DYMOKE
ELVIRA MANUEL (1444+-1506+)
Doña Elvira Manuel de Villena Suárez de Figueroa was the daughter of Juan Manuel de Villena Fonseca, señor de Belmonte de Campos, and Aldonza Suárez de Figueroa. She came to England in 1501 as the duenna of Catherine of Aragon and immediately came into conflict with Henry VII by disapproving of his desire to inspect the Spanish princess before her wedding to Henry’s son Arthur. Elvira was married to Don Pedro Manrique, who was also in Catherine’s household. Their son, Inigo, also came to England, as the master of Catherine’s pages. After Prince Arthur’s death, Elvira Manuel claimed that the marriage to Catherine had never been consummated, thus paving the way for a marriage between Catherine and Arthur’s younger brother, the future Henry VIII. Elvira was also in contact with her brother, Don Juan Manuel, who was a servant of Philip of Burgundy. In December, 1505, for promoting Philip’s interests at the expense of those of Ferdinand of Aragon, Catherine’s father, Elvira was told to leave England. She departed on the pretext of visiting a doctor in Flanders about a disease that had already caused her to lose one of her eyes, but she knew that she would not be permitted to return. She had alienated not only King Henry but also Catherine of Aragon. Elvira spend the rest of the life among Spanish exiles at the court of Flanders. Catherine was said never to have spoken her name again.
ELIZABETH MARBERY
see ELIZABETH VENABLES
MARGARET OF AUSTRIA (January 10,1480-December 1,1530)
Margaret of Austria, also known as Margaret of Savoy, was the daughter of Maximilian I (1459-1519) and Mary of Burgundy (1457-1482) and was married in 1497 to Juan of Castile (d.1497), brother of Catherine of Aragon. In 1501, she took as her second husband Philibert II, Duke of Savoy (d.1503). Twice widowed and still young, she preferred being regent of the Netherlands to another marriage. She took over that job, and the guardianship of her brother Philip’s six children, in 1507 and remained regent until her death. She entertained Henry VIII in 1513, after his invasion of France, and was rumored to be about to marry Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk. There was no chance of that, but Margaret did accept his daughter, Anne Brandon, into her household. A very young Anne Boleyn was also part of Margaret’s household for a time. Biographies: several Portraits: There are several portraits of Margaret of Austria, including the one below.
MARGARET OF PARMA (December 28, 1522-January 18, 1586)
Margaret of Parma was the illegitimate daughter of Charles V (1500-1558) and Johanna van der Gheenst. She married first Alexander de Medici, duke of Milan (d.1537) and after he was assassinated, wed Ottavio Farnese, duke of Parma (October 9, 1521-September 18,1586) on November 4, 1538. By her second marriage she was the mother of Alexander Farnese, duke of Parma (1545-1592). In 1557 (some sources say from March until May and others May-June), Margaret was in England with Christina of Denmark, duchess of Lorraine, to help their cousin, Philip II, convince Elizabeth Tudor to marry the duke of Savoy. They did not even succeed in meeting the princess. Margaret’s later political interests continued to be in conflict with Elizabeth’s. She became regent of the Netherlands in 1559 and served in that capacity until 1567. During those years, thousands of textile workers fled the Netherlands for England to escape religious persecution. In 1563/4 the English privateers began to attack merchant shipping. Margaret banned the importation of English cloth in retaliation and Elizabeth responded by forbidding all imports from the Netherlands. Margaret countered by closing Netherlands ports to all English shipping. The ports soon reopened, but there was continued unrest. Philip II added to the tension by taxing the Netherlands heavily. In 1566, William of Orange began to plan rebellion and armed comflict was imminent. Margaret turned the regency over to the duke of Alva in 1567 and retired to Ortona, Italy. Portrait: in the Prado, Madrid.
ANNE MARKHAM
ISABELLA MARKHAM (March 28, 1527-May 20, 1579)
Isabella Markham was the daughter of Sir John Markham of Coltham, Nottinghamshire (1500-1564) and his third wife, Anne Strelley. She married John Harington of Stepney (1525-July 1, 1582) as his second wife. She may have met him when he was imprisoned in the Tower from around February 1549 until early 1550, as her father was Lord Lieutenant of the Tower of London at that time, but other records indicate that she was already in the service of Elizabeth Tudor. Upon Elizabeth’s arrest in March, 1554, Isabella went to stay with a Mr. Topcliffe. Harington had been at Cheshunt with Elizabeth just before that, in January, and was arrested on February 8, 1554 on the basis of a compromising letter connecting him to the conspiracy of Sir Thomas Wyatt. He was held for eleven months and was finally released on January 18, 1555 on a bond of £100. Harington’s first wife, Ethelreda Malte, was one of Elizabeth's attendants for the duration of her incarceration. Isabella was the subject of Harington's poems, all of them written before his wife's death. Isabella returned to Elizabeth’s household in October 1554, when Elizabeth was set free, and remained part of that household after Elizabeth became queen. The date of Isabella’s marriage to Harington is unknown, but it was after April 1, 1559. Their son, John, was christened on August 4, 1560. Queen Elizabeth was his godmother. Their other children were Robert (d. December 6, 1601), Elizabeth (b.1559?), Francis (1564-January 22, 1639), and James (1565-1592). Isabella was a lady of the privy chamber from 1558 until her death and was rarely absent from court. She received the dedication of Thomas Palfreyman’s Divine Meditations in 1572. Biography: Most of the known facts about Isabella are included in Ruth Hughey’s John Harington of Stepney.
GRACE MARNEY (1487-c.1553) Grace was the
daughter of Henry, 1st baron Marney (1447-May 24,
1523) and Elizabeth (Isabel) Wilford. As the wife of
Catherine of Aragon’s custodian, Sir Edmund Bedingfield of Oxborough, Norfolk
(1479/80-1553), she was with the imprisoned queen at Kimbolton
when she died on January 7, 1536. Grace's son, Sir Henry Bedingfield
(1511-1583) was one of Mary Tudor’s supporters
against the duke of Northumberland.
DORCAS MARTIN
MARY MARTYN (1558-1573+)
Mary Denton, née Martyn, was painted by George Gower in 1573 at the age of fifteen, making this, probably, her wedding portrait. But exactly who Mary Martyn was, or what Denton she married, is proving elusive to discover.
MARY I (February 18,1516-November 17,1558)
Mary Tudor was the only child of Henry VIII (June 28,1491-January 28,1547) and Catherine of Aragon (December 16,1485-January 7,1536) to live to adulthood. She succeeded her half brother, Edward VI to the throne and married Philip II of Spain (May 21,1527-September 13,1598). She attempted to restore Catholicism to England but died childless and was succeeded by her Protestant half sister, Elizabeth I. Biographies: among others, Bloody Mary by Carolly Erikson, Mary Tudor: A Life by David Loades, and The First Queen of England: The Myth of "Bloody Mary" by Linda Porter. Portraits: Numerous portraits exist, from girlhood on, although many once said to be Mary Tudor have since proven to be other ladies.
MARY OF HUNGARY (September 18,1505-October 18,1558)
Mary of Hungary was the daughter of Philip, archduke of Flanders and king of Castile (1478-1506) and Juana of Castile (November 16,1479-April 12,1555). She married Louis II of Hungary (1506-August 26,1526) on January 13,1522. They had no children. In 1530, upon the death of her aunt, Margaret of Austria, Mary’s brother, Charles V, appointed her regent of the Netherlands. She was generally pro-English, refusing to harbor Reginald Pole in 1537. In 1550, Roger Ascham, best known as Elizabeth Tudor’s tutor, wrote of Mary: “She is a virago . . . she is never so well as when she is flinging on horseback and hunting all the night long.” Once, she made the seventeen day ride from Augsburg to Brussels in thirteen days. She was succeeded as regent by her niece, Margaret of Parma. Portraits: in addition to painted portraits, including a joint portrait with Louis of Hungary, there is a bust in the Kunthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
Catherine Jaqueman was the daughter of Louis Jaqueman of Orléans, France. Her mother was the heir to the Genteron or Gouteron family. Catherine married an exiled English clergyman, William Whittingham (1524-June 10, 1579) in Geneva on November 15, 1556. Whittingham succeeded John Knox to the pulpit there and was one of those involved in producing the Geneva Bible. He did not return to England until May 1560 in order to complete that work. There is little mention of Catherine in England during her husband’s lifetime and it is not known if she accompanied him on several trips to France, where she had been born. He was chaplain to Ambrose Dudley, earl of Warwick, and in 1563 was appointed Dean of Durham. En route to his new post, he preached before Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle. He and Catherine had eight children—Zachery (b. 1557) and Susanna (b.1558), who died young, and Timothy, Sarah, Deborah, Judith (b.1570), Elizabeth, and Daniel (b.1571). They were in Durham during the Rebellion of the Northern Earls in 1569, during which Durham Cathedral was taken over by the rebels. After her husband’s death, Catherine remained in Durham. She was the defendant in a slander case in 1583. She wrote her will on December 9, 1590.
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see ANNE SAPCOTE
see SABINE SAUNDERS.jpg)
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Alice Judde was the daughter of Sir Andrew Judde (c.1490-September 4, 1558) and his first wife, Mary Mirfyn (d.1542). In 1554 she married Thomas “Customer” Smythe (1522-1591), collector of customs duties for the port of London. They had at least thirteen children, twelve of whom lived to adulthood—Mary (b.1554), Ursula (b.1555), Andrew (b.1556; d. yng), John (b.1557), Thomas (b.1558), Henry (b.1559/60), Katherine (b.1561), Joan, Richard (b.1563), Alice (b.1564), Robert (b.1567), Simon (b.1570), and Elizabeth (b. 1572). Alice was a benefactor to her father’s company, the skinners. Portrait: 1579-80 by Cornelius Ketel. NOTE: Smythe commissioned portraits of himself, his wife, and at least eight of their children from Ketel at the end of 1579.
Alice Kebel was the daughter of Henry Kebel or Keble (1452-April 1517), a grocer and merchant of the staple who was Lord Mayor of London in 1510-11 and gave £1000 toward the building of his parish church of St. Mary Aldermary, Budge Row. The name is also found as Keybull and Kebell. She married Sir William Browne of Flambard’s Hall (1467-1514), a mercer who was Lord Mayor of London in 1507-8 and again in 1513-14. They had several children—Anne (d.1581), William, Elizabeth, Robert of Walcot (possibly Alice’s stepson), Matthew, and John of Horton Kirby (before 1513-September 1570). On February 15, 1515, Alice remarried, becoming the third wife of William Blount, Lord Mountjoy (1479-November 8, 1534). Their children were Charles (June 28, 1516-October 14, 1544), Catherine (c.1518-February 25, 1558/9), and Edward. Alice was at the Field of Cloth of Gold in 1520 as part of Catherine of Aragon’s household.
According to the author of Dorothy Kempe’s entry in the DNB, Dorothy was the daughter of William Kempe of Finchingfield, Essex. No one, however, seems to know anything about this particular William while other sources (genealogies) list Dorothy as the child of Robert Kempe of Spains Hall, Finchingfield (c.1515-1557+) and his wife Elizabeth Heigham. The DNB argues that this Dorothy, born c. 1561, would have been too old to still have young children in 1616, when her book, The Mother’s Blessing, was published posthumously. Since it was “left behind for her children,” the author argues, those children must still have been young in 1616. But were they? The youngest, William, was appointed rector of Groton, Suffolk only ten years later. Either he was a prodigy or the children were already adults when their mother died. The two older sons were George and John. Their father was Ralph Leigh or Lee of Cheshire, who served with Essex at Cadiz in 1596. A Ralph Leigh of the Leighs of Adlington Hall died in 1597 and may have been Dorothy’s husband, although the DNB gives c.1616 for her husband’s date of death, but the entry does not identify him in any other way. I am inclined to think that Dorothy, who wrote a book of advice for mothers with religious overtones that went into twenty-three editions between 1616 and 1674, may have composed it well before she died and left instructions to publish it only after her death. This would have been more “respectable” than publishing it while she was still alive. I admit I’m speculating here, but so are others who have tried to identify this lady. Biography: Oxford DNB entry under “Leigh [née Kempe], Dorothy.”
Anne Killigrew was the oldest daughter of Sir Henry Killigrew (c. 1528-1603) and Katherine Cooke (c.1530-December 27,1583). In 1584, she married Sir Henry Neville of Billingbere, Berkshire (c.1564-July 10,1615). Neville was ambassador to France in 1599 but asked to be recalled because of deafness. When he was suspected of involvement in Essex’s rebellion, he was confined to his father-in-law’s house in Lothbury, London. Killigrew forbade his daughter to see her husband until the Privy Council ordered him to let her visit. Neville was fined £5000 and imprisoned in the Tower until 1603. During that time, Anne worked actively for his release. They had ten children—Henry (c.1586-June 29, 1629), William, Charles (d.1626), Richard (d.1644), Edward (d.1632), Elizabeth (c.1588-c.1656), Catherine (c.1585-1650), Frances (d. May 27,1661), Dorothy (d. 1672), and Anne. One genealogy lists Margaret (c.1591-1618) instead of Anne. In about 1619, Lady Neville married George Carleton, Bishop of Chichester (1557/8-May 12,1628), by whom she had a son, Henry.
Bridget Kingsmill was the daughter of Sir William Kingsmill of Sydmonton, Hampshire (1526-November 10, 1593) and Bridget Raleigh (1534-1607). She married Thomas Norris (1556-August 20, 1599), by whom she had one child, a daughter, Elizabeth. In 1598, she visited Simon Forman the astrologer, who wrote of her in his notes: “She hath a truckling in her flesh, like the stinging of nettles, and a rising of blood into her lungs, periplomania, much gravel in the reins, catarrh, fearfulness and trembling . . . she is often in great pain.” Although both A. L. Rowse and Judith Cook identify Lady Norris as Bridget Vere, granddaughter of Lord Burghley and wife of Francis Norris, later earl of Berkshire, and agree from Forman’s other notes that her troubles were caused by a botched abortion, Bridget Vere was only fourteen in 1598 and not yet married to Norris. In addition, the Lady Norris who visited Forman gave her name as “Bridget Kingsmill.” Rowse and Cook explain this by saying it was an alias, the name of Bridget Vere’s maid, but when there is a real Bridget Kingsmill, Lady Norris in 1598, it seems much more logical to me that this was, indeed, she. Forman gives her age as twenty-four when she consulted him. In 1600, after her husband’s death in Ireland, Lady Norris was destitute. She wrote to Sir Walter Raleigh asking for assistance in a letter that is still extant. After that, however, I have so far found no further mention of her. If she was as ill as Forman implies, she probably died soon after.
see SARAH HARINGTON
see JOAN BOCHER
Elizabeth Knollys was the daughter of Sir Francis Knollys (1514-1596) and Catherine Carey (1523/4-January 15, 1569). She is called Cecilia Knollys by Violet Wilson in her Queen Elizabeth's Maids of Honor and Ladies of the Privy Chamber. She was at court as a maid of honor early in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. In 1578, she married Thomas Leighton or Layton of Feckenham (1535-1609) but continued her career as a lady of the privy chamber. Her children with Leighton were a son, Thomas, and two daughters, Anne (d.1628) and Elizabeth (d. January 12, 1633). Elizabeth had died by June 10, 1605, when her annuity of £200 was granted to Elizabeth Howard, Lady Carrick. Portrait: after George Gower, 1577. 
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Catherine Knyvett was the daughter of Henry Knyvett of Charlton, Wiltshire (1510-March 1547) and Anne Pickering (1514-1582). She was a maid of honor in 1562, until she married Henry, 2nd baron Paget (c.1537-December 28, 1568) by whom she was the mother of a daughter, Elizabeth (d. June 29, 1571). By her second marriage, c. 1568, to Sir Edward Cary of Aldenham, Hertfordshire (c.1540-July 18, 1618), she was the mother of Catherine (c.1570-September 24, 1635), Philip (c.1572-June 1631), Adolphus (c.1574-April 8, 1609), Jane (c.1574-January 2, 1632), Henry, Viscount Falkland (c. 1576-September 1633), Frances, Meriall (c.1579-May 15,1600), Anne (August 10, 1580-c.1624), and Elizabeth. As Lady Paget and as Lady Paget-Cary, Catherine was a lady of the bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth. Her second husband was master of the jewel house. Portrait: c.1560-62.
Elizabeth Knyvett was the daughter of Sir Henry Knyvett of Charlton, Wiltshire (1539-1598) and Elizabeth Stumpe (d.1585). She married Thomas, Lord Clinton (1567/8-1619), heir to the earl of Lincoln, although he did not inherit the title until 1616. They had eighteen children—Elizabeth (c.1591-July 20, 1624), Anne (1595/6-December 26, 1632), Theophilus (c.1600-May 21, 1667), Dorcas, Frances (c.1603-1626+), Sara, Susan, Arabella (1603-c.1630), Henry, Thomas, Catherine (d. January 7, 1618), Lucy, Edward (c.1604-by 1616), Charles, Robert, Knyvett, John, and James. Five daughters and four sons survived infancy. In 1622, as a widow and with a great deal of knowledge of her subject, Elizabeth published a tract on breastfeeding called “The Countesse of Lincolnes Nurserie.” She dedicated it to Theophilus’s wife. All was not well between them, however. In 1625 Theophilus brought suit against his mother in chancery, attempting to take away from her the guardianship of his three younger brothers. Biography: Oxford DNB entry under “Clinton [née Knevitt], Elizabeth.”
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Katherine Knyvett was the daughter of Sir Thomas Knyvett (d. February 9, 1617) and Muriel Parry (d.1616). She married Edmund Paston of Paston Hall (1585-1623) on April 28, 1603. They had two sons, William (1610-1663) and Thomas (b.1614). Katherine was obliged to play an active role in family legal affairs because her husband was sickly and his father, Christopher Paston, was mentally ill. This also led to the preservation of forty-eight letters written by Katherine and thirty-seven addressed to her or to members of the Paston family. Biography: Oxford DNB entry under “Paston [née Knyvett], Katherine;” Ruth Hughey, editor, The Corresponsence of Lady Katherine Paston, 1603-1627. Portrait: effigy by N. Stone, St. Margaret’s Church, Paston.
see CECILY PLANTAGENET
Dorothy Kytson was the daughter of Sir Thomas Kytson of Hengrave, Suffolk (1485-September 11, 1540) and Margaret Donnington (d.1561). She married Sir Thomas Pakington of Hampton, Worcestershire (c.1530-June 2, 1571). Their children included Sir John (1549-1625), Mary, Catherine (b.1556), Margaret, and two more sons. After her husband’s death at Bath Place, Holborn, Dorothy was his sole executrix and on May 4, 1572 issued a writ in her own name as "lord and owner" of the town of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire to appoint the burgesses. This scandalized the local citizens. Her second husband was Thomas Tasburgh of Hawridge, Buckinghamshire (c.1554-1602). Biography: Oxford DNB entry under "Tasburgh [née Kitson], Dorothy."
see ELIZABETH CORNWALLIS
see MARGARET DONNINGTON
Margaret Kytson was the daughter of Sir Thomas Kytson (October 9,1541-January 28,1603) and Elizabeth Cornwallis (1547-August 2,1628). In 1582, she married Charles Cavendish (1553-June 1617) and died later the same year in childbirth. No children survived her. Portrait: by George Gower, 1580.
Mary Kytson was the daughter of Sir Thomas Kytson (October 9,1541-January 28,1603) and Elizabeth Cornwallis (1547-August 2,1628). In 1583, she married Thomas Darcy (July 5, 1565-1640), later Lord Rivers. When her mother died, Mary took over the patronage of John Wilbye, the madrigalist. She had six childen: Elizabeth (c.1584-March 9, 1650/1), Thomas (1586-c.1606), Mary (c.1588-1627), Edward (b.c.1590), Susan (c.1590-1612), and Penelope (1593-1660/1). According to the Oxford DNB's entry under "Kitson family," Lord Darcy suspected Mary of "unbecoming flirtations, if not outright adultery." Their formal separation in 1594 left Mary with £300 a year and, eventually, the Kytson estates. Portraits: by George Gower, 1583; c.1590; one (according to the DNB) full length portrait in which she holds her deed of separation in one hand.. .jpg)
see MAUD PARR
see DOROTHY CONSTABLE
see ANNE PAGET
see ELIZABETH PEPPARD
see MARY DARCY
see DOROTHY KEMPE
see ELIZABETH KNOLLYS
see MARGERY HORSMAN.jpg)
see MURIEL BROMLEY
see MARGARET DONNINGTON
see MARY FITTON
Jeanne Lullier was the daughter of Nicholas, seigneur de Raucourt and de Guyotte d'Orchamps and the wife of Simon Renard (c.1513-August 8, 1573), Imperial Ambassador to England during the reign of Mary Tudor. They married a few years before he went to London. There was a delay in arranging her safe conduct for the trip to England and as a result the ship in which she crossed the English Channel was nearly captured by French warships. Jeanne was in England for a year, from October 1553 to October 1554. They had seven children: Françoise (b.1544), Jeanne (b.1545), Eleanor (b.1547), Marie (b.1549), Frederic (b.1552), Philippe (b.1554) and Charles (b.1556/60). Portrait: by Antonio Mor, 1557. 
see ELEANOR FITZGERALD
Fionnuala MacDonald was the daughter of James MacDonald of the Isles (d. August 1565) and Lady Agnes Campbell (c.1515-c.1590). She was raised at the Scottish court. Her father was killed in battle by Shane O’Neill, but four years later, her marriage and that of her mother were part of an alliance between Irish and Scottish clans. In August 1569 on Rathlin Island, Fionnuala married Hugh Dhubh (the Black) O’Donnell, chief of Tyrconnell (c.1535-November 2, 1600) as his second wife. Her mother married Shane O’Neill’s successor, Turlough Luineach O’Neill (c.1530-1595). Their dowries were armed men rather than money. One account says 400-500 Campbells and 700 MacDonalds from Kintyre while another calls them 1200 Scottish mercenary troops. “By these two women,” an English agent in Ireland wrote, “arisith all mischief against the English in the Pale.” Certainly they were both active in the effort to preserve Ulster from English rule. Fionnuala became known as “Iníon Dhubh” (Dark Girl). With O’Donnell she had seven children—Nuala (d.1611+), Hugh Roe (the Red) (1572-August 30,1602), Rury (1575-1608), Manus (d. October 24, 1600), Mairghaed (d. 1608+), Máire (d.1662) and Cathbarr (d.1608). In 1587, Sir John Perrot plotted to kidnap Hugh Dhubh, his wife, and their oldest son Hugh, but only Hugh Roe fell into English hands. He was imprisoned in Dublin Castle. This so angered Fionnuala that she vowed to restore him to all his rights as an Irish chieftain so that he might defeat the English. In 1588 she threatened to hire Spaniards to stir up trouble. That same year she arranged the assassination of Hugh Gallagher (d.1588), who stood in the way of her plans. Donal, her husband’s son by his first marriage (some sources say illegitimate son) fell in battle against Fionnuala's forces in 1592. In January 1592, Hugh Roe had finally escaped from Dublin. It took almost a year for him to recover his health but in the meantime his mother persuaded her ailing husband to relinquish leadership to the younger man. On April 24, 1592, Hugh Roe became “the O’Donnell” in the last enkinging ever held in Ireland and then united with Hugh O’Neill, who had married his half sister Siobhan (d.1591) in 1574, to rebel against the English. His mother “joined a man’s heart with a woman’s thought” and the rising she fomented lasted until James I succeeded Queen Elizabeth in 1603. King James created Fionnuala’s younger son, Rury, earl of Tyrconnell, Hugh Roe having died the previous year, but the truce did not last. In 1608 Rury and other members of the family, including his sister Nuala, fled to Louvain and then to Rome. Fionnuala retired to Kilmacrennan. Biography: slightly different versions of her life are found in three Oxford DNB entries, for her husband, her son, and her mother ("Campbell, Lady Agnes").
Bridget Manners was the daughter of John Manners, 4th earl of Rutland (d. February 24, 1588) and Elizabeth Charleton (d. March 1594). Bridget was eleven when her father died and her mother, who had other children still at home, agreed to let Bridget’s step-grandmother, Bridget Hussey (d. January 12, 1601), widow of the 2nd earl and by that time also countess of Bedford, take over the girl’s education. Young Bridget played the lute but was otherwise uneducated. She went to Woburn Abbey in June 1588, taking with her a maid named Mary Harding. Letters from Bridget’s mother and from Mary still exist, giving more details of the arrangement. After a year in the household at Woburn Abbey, Bridget went to court as a maid of honor to Queen Elizabeth. There she was a great success, not only with the queen, who eventually made Bridget her carver, but also with the gentlemen. Barnabe Barnes wrote a poem in her praise, "To the Beautiful Lady The Lady Bridget Manners," in which he called her "fairest and sweetest of all those sweet, fair flowers." She was courted by the earls of Southampton, Bedford, and Northumberland and by Lord Wharton. It was her mother’s wish, however, that she marry Robert Tyrwhitt of Kettleby, Lincolnshire (c.1573-1617), who was her (Elizabeth Charleton’s) ward and Bridget seems to have been happy with this choice. She took a month’s leave of absence from court and the marriage took place at Belvoir Castle in August 1594. The queen, however, had not given her approval for the match and she was not pleased when she heard of it. The couple was separated by royal decree and Tyrwhitt was imprisoned in the Tower. Bridget returned to court in the hope of winning Queen Elizabeth’s forgiveness, which she eventually did, although the fact that her brother, the young earl of Rutland, agreed to pay £1300 of her £2500 marriage portion to the Crown may have been a factor. The Tyrwhitts had four children: William (c.1598-1642), Robert, Bridget (d.1614), and Rutland. According to the monument her husband erected in Bigby Church, Bridget was “of speech affable, of countenance amiable, nothing proud of her place and fortunes, and usynge her grace rather to benefit others than herself.” Portraits: effigy on her father’s tomb.
see ISABEL HOLCROFT.jpg)
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see ANNE ROOS
see DORCAS ECCLESTONE.jpg)
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