Elizabeth Grey, Countess of Kildare
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Grey, Countess of Kildare (c.1497- after 1548), was an English noblewoman, and the second wife of Irish peer Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare
. Her father was Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset
.
She went to France in 1514 as one of the Maids of Honour
of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, and remained to serve the latter's successor, Queen Claude
, in the same capacity.
, Queen consort of King Edward IV of England
.
Elizabeth had 13 siblings, including her eldest brother Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset
, who succeeded their father when he died in September 1501, when she was about four years old. Two years later, their mother, Cecily married Henry Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire
, which caused many quarrels over their inheritance. On one occasion, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was forced to intervene on behalf of King Henry VIII of England
, and he ordered both Cecily and Thomas to contribute to the dowries of Elizabeth and her three surviving sisters.
She was appointed one of the Maids of Honour to Princess Mary Tudor in 1514, and accompanied her to France when the princess set out to marry King Louis XII
. She remained at the French court when Queen Mary's other English ladies were sent home, and stayed on to serve Mary's successor, Queen Claude, consort of the new King Francis I
, in the same capacity. Elizabeth's fellow English Maids of Honour, who also were allowed to remain behind in Queen Claude's household, were Anne Boleyn
, and Mary Boleyn
.
Elizabeth was one of Queen Catherine of Aragon
's attendants at the Field of the Cloth of Gold
in 1520.
, and three daughters. By his marriage to Elizabeth, who was Henry VIII's cousin, Gerald gained much influence at court. Elizabeth was styled as the Countess of Kildare. The match, while advantageous to Gerald, was also partially based on the physical attraction the couple had for one another. Historian Mary Anne Everett Green
described Gerald as having been quite handsome in appearance, and he in turn was pleased by Elizabeth.
In 1523, Elizabeth returned with her husband to Ireland
, where he served as Lord Deputy of Ireland (1524–1525, 1532–1534), and as Deputy to the King's Lieutenant of Ireland (1533). Extant letters she wrote home to England, show that Elizabeth had taken a keen interest in the Irish political situation.
Together Gerald and Elizabeth had at least six children:
In 1531, a private Act of Parliament
assured her an income of £200 per annum as well as the Irish manor of Portlester.
In October 1533, Elizabeth brought her daughter, Elizabeth FitzGerald to the English court. The girl, aged six, became a companion to the infant Princess Elizabeth
, daughter of King Henry VIII, and Elizabeth Grey's erstwhile companion at the French court, Anne Boleyn, whom the King had married in January of that year.
Later, Elizabeth Grey was allegedly part of the conservative faction at court who plotted against Queen Anne.
Elizabeth's husband, the Earl of Kildare, who was imprisoned in the Tower of London
on charges of corruption and plotting rebellion in Ireland, died in 1534. Elizabeth had remained with him, nursing him throughout his imprisonment from July 1534 until his death on 12 December. The Earl had received a gunshot wound at the end of 1532 in an attack he had led against the O'Carroll clan at Birr
.
Elizabeth retired to her brother Leonard's manor of Beaumanoir, in Leicestershire
, while her younger sons were raised at court alongside Prince Edward
. Later her son, Edward joined her.
in 1537. Her own brother Leonard Grey, 1st Viscount Grane
, the incumbent Lord Deputy of Ireland had put down the rebellion. Her eldest daughter, Elizabeth was sent to the household of Princess Mary
at Hunsdon
, and it was during that time that the poet Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
would immortalise the ten year-old girl as "The Fair Geraldine" in his sonnet, The Geraldine which he wrote while he was briefly imprisoned for striking a courtier
.
Her eldest son, Gerald, who could not succeed to the earldom of Kildare as a result of its having been forfeited to the Crown, immediately went on the run in Ireland, where in County Tyrconnell
, along with other disgruntled clans, formed the Geraldine League. When the federation was defeated in Monaghan
in 1539, he fled to the Continent. As a result of Gerald's successful escape, Leonard Grey was attainted and executed for High Treason
in July 1541 at the Tower of London by the orders of Henry VIII. Gerald first went to France, and then Italy, where he would remain until his return to England in 1548, in the company of Elizabeth's chaplain. He was received at court by the new King, Edward VI, who returned his confiscated lands. He succeeded to the title of 11th Earl of Kildare in 1569 in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Elizabeth Grey died on an unknown date sometime after 1548.
Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare
Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare , also known in Irish as Gearóid Óg , was a figure in Irish History. In 1513 he inherited the title of Earl of Kildare and position of Lord Deputy of Ireland from his father.-Family:...
. Her father was Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset
Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset
Thomas Grey, 7th Baron Ferrers of Groby, 1st Earl of Huntingdon and 1st Marquess of Dorset, KG , was an English nobleman, courtier and a man of mediocre abilities pushed into prominence by his mother Elizabeth Woodville's second marriage to the king, Edward IV.-Family:Thomas was born about 1455,...
.
She went to France in 1514 as one of the Maids of Honour
Maids of Honour
Maids of honour were the junior attendants of a queen in the royal households of England and later of the United Kingdom. Anne of Brittany is said to have instituted the queen's maids of honour at the court.-Role:...
of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, and remained to serve the latter's successor, Queen Claude
Claude of France
Claude of France was a princess and queen consort of France and ruling Duchess of Brittany. She was the eldest daughter of Louis XII of France and Anne, Duchess of Brittany....
, in the same capacity.
Family and early years
Lady Elizabeth Grey was born in about 1497, a daughter of Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset, and Cecily Bonville, Baroness Harington and Bonville, one of the wealthiest heiresses in England in the latter half of the 15th-century. Elizabeth's paternal grandmother was Elizabeth WoodvilleElizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Edward IV from 1464 until his death in 1483. Elizabeth was a key figure in the series of dynastic civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses. Her first husband, Sir John Grey of Groby was killed at the Second Battle of St Albans...
, Queen consort of King Edward IV of England
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
.
Elizabeth had 13 siblings, including her eldest brother Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset
Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset
Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, KG, KB was an English peer, courtier, soldier and landowner, the grandfather of Lady Jane Grey, briefly Queen of England.-Early life:...
, who succeeded their father when he died in September 1501, when she was about four years old. Two years later, their mother, Cecily married Henry Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire
Henry Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire
Henry Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire was an English nobleman.Henry, born in Brecknock Castle, Wales, was the younger son of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and of Catherine Woodville, Duchess of Buckingham and Bedford, and thus a nephew of King Edward IV of England...
, which caused many quarrels over their inheritance. On one occasion, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was forced to intervene on behalf of King Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, and he ordered both Cecily and Thomas to contribute to the dowries of Elizabeth and her three surviving sisters.
She was appointed one of the Maids of Honour to Princess Mary Tudor in 1514, and accompanied her to France when the princess set out to marry King Louis XII
Louis XII of France
Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes...
. She remained at the French court when Queen Mary's other English ladies were sent home, and stayed on to serve Mary's successor, Queen Claude, consort of the new King Francis I
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
, in the same capacity. Elizabeth's fellow English Maids of Honour, who also were allowed to remain behind in Queen Claude's household, were Anne Boleyn
Anne 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...
, and 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...
.
Elizabeth was one of Queen Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
's attendants at the Field of the Cloth of Gold
Field of the Cloth of Gold
The Field of Cloth of Gold is the name given to a place in Balinghem, between Guînes and Ardres, in France, near Calais. It was the site of a meeting that took place from 7 June to 24 June 1520, between King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France. The meeting was arranged to increase...
in 1520.
Marriage and issue
She married Gerald "Gearoig Og" FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare in London in about 1522. His first wife, Elizabeth Zouche had died, leaving him a son, ThomasThomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare
Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare , also known as Silken Thomas , was a figure in Irish history.He spent a considerable part of his early life in England: his mother Elizabeth Zouche, was a cousin of Henry VII...
, and three daughters. By his marriage to Elizabeth, who was Henry VIII's cousin, Gerald gained much influence at court. Elizabeth was styled as the Countess of Kildare. The match, while advantageous to Gerald, was also partially based on the physical attraction the couple had for one another. Historian Mary Anne Everett Green
Mary Anne Everett Green
Mary Anne Everett Green, née Wood, was an English historian. After establishing a reputation for scholarship with two multi-volume books on royal ladies and noblewomen, she was invited to assist in preparing guides, or "calendars", to a collection of hitherto disorganised historical state papers...
described Gerald as having been quite handsome in appearance, and he in turn was pleased by Elizabeth.
In 1523, Elizabeth returned with her husband to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, where he served as Lord Deputy of Ireland (1524–1525, 1532–1534), and as Deputy to the King's Lieutenant of Ireland (1533). Extant letters she wrote home to England, show that Elizabeth had taken a keen interest in the Irish political situation.
Together Gerald and Elizabeth had at least six children:
- Lord Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of KildareGerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of KildareGerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare , also known as the "Wizard Earl" , was an Irish peer....
, known to history as "The Wizard Earl", (25 February 1525- 16 November 1585), married Mabel BrowneMabel BrowneMabel Browne, Countess of Kildare was the wife of Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare, Baron of Offaly . She was born into the English Roman Catholic Browne family whose members held prominent positions at the courts of the Tudorsovereigns for three generations...
, by whom he had issue. - Lady Elizabeth FitzGerald, known as "The Fair Geraldine" (1527- March 1590), married firstly, Sir Anthony Browne, by whom she had two children who both died young; and secondly Edward Clinton, 1st Earl of LincolnEdward Clinton, 1st Earl of LincolnEdward Fiennes, 1st Earl of Lincoln, KG, also known as Edward Clinton was an English nobleman and Lord High Admiral.-Background:...
. Her last marriage was childless. - Lord Edward FitzGerald (17 January 1528-1597), married Agnes Leigh, by whom he had issue.
- Lady Mary FitzGerald, married Richard Nugent, 3rd Baron Delvin, by whom she had issue.
- Lord Thomas FitzGerald
- Lady Cecily FitzGerald (died after 7 April 1547)
In 1531, a private Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
assured her an income of £200 per annum as well as the Irish manor of Portlester.
In October 1533, Elizabeth brought her daughter, Elizabeth FitzGerald to the English court. The girl, aged six, became a companion to the infant Princess Elizabeth
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...
, daughter of King Henry VIII, and Elizabeth Grey's erstwhile companion at the French court, Anne Boleyn, whom the King had married in January of that year.
Later, Elizabeth Grey was allegedly part of the conservative faction at court who plotted against Queen Anne.
Elizabeth's husband, the Earl of Kildare, who was imprisoned in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
on charges of corruption and plotting rebellion in Ireland, died in 1534. Elizabeth had remained with him, nursing him throughout his imprisonment from July 1534 until his death on 12 December. The Earl had received a gunshot wound at the end of 1532 in an attack he had led against the O'Carroll clan at Birr
Birr
Birr is a town in County Offaly, Ireland. Once called Parsonstown, after the Parsons family who were local landowners and hereditary Earls of Rosse. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe....
.
Elizabeth retired to her brother Leonard's manor of Beaumanoir, in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, while her younger sons were raised at court alongside Prince Edward
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
. Later her son, Edward joined her.
Rebellion in Ireland
Elizabeth's stepson, "Silken Thomas" and her five brothers-in-law were executed for rebellion at TyburnTyburn
Tyburn is a former village just outside the then boundaries of London that was best known as a place of public execution.Tyburn may also refer to:* Tyburn , river and historical water source in London...
in 1537. Her own brother Leonard Grey, 1st Viscount Grane
Leonard Grey, 1st Viscount Grane
Leonard Grey, 1st Viscount Grane , known as Lord Leonard Grey prior to 1536, served as Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1536 to 1540....
, the incumbent Lord Deputy of Ireland had put down the rebellion. Her eldest daughter, Elizabeth was sent to the household of Princess Mary
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...
at Hunsdon
Hunsdon
Hunsdon is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England.Hunsdon village centre contains many old houses, some known to date back to at least the 15th century...
, and it was during that time that the poet Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
Henry Howard, KG, , known as The Earl of Surrey although he never was a peer, was an English aristocrat, and one of the founders of English Renaissance poetry.-Life:...
would immortalise the ten year-old girl as "The Fair Geraldine" in his sonnet, The Geraldine which he wrote while he was briefly imprisoned for striking a courtier
Courtier
A courtier is a person who is often in attendance at the court of a king or other royal personage. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
.
Her eldest son, Gerald, who could not succeed to the earldom of Kildare as a result of its having been forfeited to the Crown, immediately went on the run in Ireland, where in County Tyrconnell
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, along with other disgruntled clans, formed the Geraldine League. When the federation was defeated in Monaghan
Monaghan
Monaghan is the county town of County Monaghan in Ireland. Its population at the 2006 census stood at 7,811 . The town is located on the main road, the N2 road, from Dublin north to both Derry and Letterkenny.-Toponym:...
in 1539, he fled to the Continent. As a result of Gerald's successful escape, Leonard Grey was attainted and executed for High Treason
High treason
High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
in July 1541 at the Tower of London by the orders of Henry VIII. Gerald first went to France, and then Italy, where he would remain until his return to England in 1548, in the company of Elizabeth's chaplain. He was received at court by the new King, Edward VI, who returned his confiscated lands. He succeeded to the title of 11th Earl of Kildare in 1569 in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Elizabeth Grey died on an unknown date sometime after 1548.