Dorothy Stafford
Encyclopedia
Dorothy Stafford, Lady Stafford (1 October 1526 – 22 September 1604) was an English noblewoman, and an influential person at the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England
, to whom Dorothy served as Mistress of the Robes
. Dorothy was the second wife of Sir William Stafford, widower of Mary Boleyn
. Dorothy and her family were forced to seek exile in Geneva
during the reign of Mary I
, due to their Protestant religion. Reformer John Calvin
stood as godfather
to her youngest son.
Through her maternal grandmother, Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury
, Dorothy had a claim to the English throne.
and Lady Ursula Pole. Her mother was the daughter of Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury
, who would be executed for treason
in 1541 by the order of King Henry VIII. Through her grandmother, who was the last surviving member of the Plantagenet dynasty, Dorothy and her siblings had a claim to the English throne. Dorothy had 13 siblings, of whom 12 names are known. She, along with her sister Susan, was raised in the household of her aunt Elizabeth Stafford, Duchess of Norfolk
. Dorothy was the Duchess's favourite niece, to whom she was very generous, giving her many gifts of clothing and money.
, had died in July 1543. Sir William was Mary's second husband, her first having been William Carey, by whom she had a son, Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon
, and a daughter, Catherine Carey. Sir William had at least two children by Mary, but they both died young. Sir William and Dorothy together had six children:
On 23 September 1545, Dorothy's husband was knighted in Scotland by Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford
during the War of the Rough Wooing. From that time onward, Dorothy was styled as Lady Stafford.
Dorothy and her family were staunch Protestants; therefore during the reign of Roman Catholic Queen Mary I, the Staffords were forced to go into exile. They chose Geneva, where they befriended John Calvin
, who stood as godfather to Dorothy's youngest son, John on 4 January 1556. On 5 May 1556, Sir William died, and Dorothy moved with her small children to Basel
.
. In 1563, Dorothy was appointed Mistress of the Robes to Queen Elizabeth, and she exercised much influence at the royal court. She used her influence with the Queen to promote the causes of both her friends and casual acquaintances; in 1569, Matthew Parker
, Archbishop of Canterbury
, seeking a prebend for a colleague, wrote to Dorothy, requesting that she "speak some good word" on the matter to the Queen. In 1576, she broke her leg in a riding accident, but quickly recovered. Two years later, she used her influence to secure the prestigious office of English Ambassador to France for her eldest son, Sir Edward Stafford.
She held her post at court until the Queen's death in 1603, having served her for 40 years. Her eldest daughter, Elizabeth was a Lady of the Bedchamber, and her son-in-law, Richard Drake, served as the Queen's Equerry. Her late husband's two stepchildren by Mary Boleyn also held influential posts at court.
and monument are in the north aisle of the church. The inscription on her monument reads:
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, to whom Dorothy served as Mistress of the Robes
Mistress of the Robes
The Mistress of the Robes is the senior lady of the British Royal Household. Formerly responsible for the Queen's clothes and jewellery, the post now has the responsibility for arranging the rota of attendance of the Ladies in Waiting on the Queen, along with various duties at State ceremonies...
. Dorothy was the second wife of Sir William Stafford, widower of Mary Boleyn
Mary Boleyn
Mary Boleyn , was the sister of English queen consort Anne Boleyn and a member of the Boleyn family, which enjoyed considerable influence during the reign of King Henry VIII of England...
. Dorothy and her family were forced to seek exile in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
during the reign of Mary I
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
, due to their Protestant religion. Reformer John Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
stood as godfather
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
to her youngest son.
Through her maternal grandmother, Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury
Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury
Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury was an English peeress, one of two women in sixteenth-century England to be a peeress in her own right with no titled husband, the daughter of George of Clarence, the brother of King Edward IV and King Richard III...
, Dorothy had a claim to the English throne.
Family
Dorothy was born on 1 October 1526, the youngest daughter of Henry Stafford, 1st Baron StaffordHenry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford
Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford was born in Penshurst, Kent, England the eldest son of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Eleanor Percy, Duchess of Buckingham. Eleanor was the daughter of Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland and Maud Herbert, Countess of Northumberland...
and Lady Ursula Pole. Her mother was the daughter of Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury
Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury
Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury was an English peeress, one of two women in sixteenth-century England to be a peeress in her own right with no titled husband, the daughter of George of Clarence, the brother of King Edward IV and King Richard III...
, who would be executed for treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
in 1541 by the order of King Henry VIII. Through her grandmother, who was the last surviving member of the Plantagenet dynasty, Dorothy and her siblings had a claim to the English throne. Dorothy had 13 siblings, of whom 12 names are known. She, along with her sister Susan, was raised in the household of her aunt Elizabeth Stafford, Duchess of Norfolk
Elizabeth Howard, Duchess of Norfolk
Elizabeth Howard was the eldest daughter of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and the wife of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk...
. Dorothy was the Duchess's favourite niece, to whom she was very generous, giving her many gifts of clothing and money.
Marriage and issue
In 1545, Dorothy married her distant cousin Sir William Stafford, whose first wife Mary Boleyn, the elder sister of Queen consort Anne BoleynAnne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
, had died in July 1543. Sir William was Mary's second husband, her first having been William Carey, by whom she had a son, Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon
Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon
Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon, of Hunsdon was an English nobleman.He was the son of Mary Boleyn, the sister of Anne Boleyn and also the mistress to King Henry VIII of England...
, and a daughter, Catherine Carey. Sir William had at least two children by Mary, but they both died young. Sir William and Dorothy together had six children:
- Elizabeth Stafford (1546–6 February 1599), married firstly, Sir William Drury, by whom she had issue; she married secondly, Sir John Scott.
- Dorothy Stafford (b.1548)
- Sir Edward Stafford of GraftonEdward Stafford (diplomat)Sir Edward Stafford was an English MP, courtier and diplomat to France during the time of Elizabeth I.He was involved in abortive negotiations for a proposed marriage between Elizabeth and Francis, Duke of Anjou....
(1552–1605), married firstly, Roberta Chapman by whom he had issue; he married secondly, Douglas Sheffield. - Ursula Stafford (b.1553), married Richard DrakeRichard DrakeRichard Drake of Esher , Equerry of the Stable to Queen Elizabeth I, was the son of John Drake, of Ashe, and Amy ; he was a brother of Sir Bernard Drake...
of EsherEsherEsher is a town in the Surrey borough of Elmbridge in South East England near the River Mole. It is a very prosperous part of the Greater London Urban Area, largely suburban in character, and is situated 14.1 miles south west of Charing Cross....
, by whom she had issue. - William StaffordWilliam Stafford (conspirator)William Stafford was an English courtier and conspirator.He was the son of William Stafford of Chebsey, who had been the brother-in-law of Henry VIII of England and the uncle of Elizabeth I...
(1554–1612), married Anne Gryme, by whom he had issue. - Sir John Stafford of Marlwood Park (January 1556–1624), married Millicent Gresham.
On 23 September 1545, Dorothy's husband was knighted in Scotland by Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp of Hache, KG, Earl Marshal was Lord Protector of England in the period between the death of Henry VIII in 1547 and his own indictment in 1549....
during the War of the Rough Wooing. From that time onward, Dorothy was styled as Lady Stafford.
Dorothy and her family were staunch Protestants; therefore during the reign of Roman Catholic Queen Mary I, the Staffords were forced to go into exile. They chose Geneva, where they befriended John Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
, who stood as godfather to Dorothy's youngest son, John on 4 January 1556. On 5 May 1556, Sir William died, and Dorothy moved with her small children to Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
.
Elizabeth I's court
In January 1559, following the ascension of Queen Elizabeth I, Dorothy and her children returned to England, where she was received at court. John Calvin had strongly opposed their departure, having wanted to keep his godson in SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. In 1563, Dorothy was appointed Mistress of the Robes to Queen Elizabeth, and she exercised much influence at the royal court. She used her influence with the Queen to promote the causes of both her friends and casual acquaintances; in 1569, Matthew Parker
Matthew Parker
Matthew Parker was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1559 until his death in 1575. He was also an influential theologian and arguably the co-founder of Anglican theological thought....
, Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, seeking a prebend for a colleague, wrote to Dorothy, requesting that she "speak some good word" on the matter to the Queen. In 1576, she broke her leg in a riding accident, but quickly recovered. Two years later, she used her influence to secure the prestigious office of English Ambassador to France for her eldest son, Sir Edward Stafford.
She held her post at court until the Queen's death in 1603, having served her for 40 years. Her eldest daughter, Elizabeth was a Lady of the Bedchamber, and her son-in-law, Richard Drake, served as the Queen's Equerry. Her late husband's two stepchildren by Mary Boleyn also held influential posts at court.
Death
Dorothy died on 22 September 1604, and was buried in St. Margaret's Church, Westminster. Her effigyEffigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
and monument are in the north aisle of the church. The inscription on her monument reads:
Here Lyeth the Lady Dorothy Stafford, Wife and Widow to Sir William Stafford, Knight, Daughter to Henry, Lord Stafford, the only son of Edward, the last Duke of Buckingham: Her mother was Ursula, Daughter to the Countesse of Salisbury, the only Daughter to George, Duke of Clarence, Brother to King Edward the Fourth. Shee continued a true Widow from the Age of 27 till her Death. She served Queen Elizabeth 40 Yeeres, lying in the Bedchamber, esteemed of her, loved of all, doing good, all she could, to every Body, never hurt any; a continual Remembrancer of the Suits of the Poor. As she Lived a religious Life, in great Reputation of Honour and Vertue in the World, so she ended in continual fervent Meditation, and hearty Prayer to God. At which Instant, as all her Life, so after her Death, she gave liberally to the Poore, and died aged 78, the 22. of September 1604. In whose Remembrance, Sir Edward Stafford, her sonne, hath caused this Memorial of her to be in the same Forme and Place as she herselfe long since required him.