Agnes Wenman
Encyclopedia
Agnes, Viscountess Wenman (died 1617) was an English Roman Catholic woman, under suspicion of involvement at the time of the Gunpowder Plot
of 1605. She is correctly referred to either as Agnes Wenman or as Lady Wenman.
in Northamptonshire
, by his wife Mary, daughter and heiress of Thomas Curzon. She came of a Catholic family, and was identified by the Rev. John Morris with the lady at whose house John Gerard, the Jesuit missionary, while disguised as a layman, had a keen discussion with George Abbot, the future archbishop; it was on the eternal state of a puritan who threw himself from a church steeple because he was assured of salvation.
She was a friend of Mrs Elizabeth Vaux, the sister-in-law of Anne Vaux
, the ally of Henry Garnet
. In consequence of some correspondence between them, suspicion fell on Lady Wenman at the time of the Gunpowder Plot, and she and her husband Richard Wenman, 1st Viscount Wenman
were separately examined in December 1605. Sir Richard testified that he 'disliked their intercourse, because Mrs. Vaux tried to pervert his wife.' She was set at liberty after a short confinement in custody. She was buried at Twyford
on 4 July 1617.
She is noted as the translator of the works of Johannes Zonaras from the French of Jan de Maumont. The translation is preserved in manuscript.
Gunpowder Plot
The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was a failed assassination attempt against King James I of England and VI of Scotland by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby.The plan was to blow up the House of...
of 1605. She is correctly referred to either as Agnes Wenman or as Lady Wenman.
Life
She was the eldest surviving daughter of Sir George Fermor of Easton NestonEaston Neston
Easton Neston is a country house near Towcester, Northamptonshire, England, and is part of the Easton Neston Parish. It was designed in the Baroque style by the architect Nicholas Hawksmoor. Easton Neston is thought to be the only mansion which was solely the work of Hawksmoor...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, by his wife Mary, daughter and heiress of Thomas Curzon. She came of a Catholic family, and was identified by the Rev. John Morris with the lady at whose house John Gerard, the Jesuit missionary, while disguised as a layman, had a keen discussion with George Abbot, the future archbishop; it was on the eternal state of a puritan who threw himself from a church steeple because he was assured of salvation.
She was a friend of Mrs Elizabeth Vaux, the sister-in-law of Anne Vaux
Anne Vaux
Anne Vaux was a wealthy Catholic recusant, the third daughter of William Vaux, 3rd Baron Vaux of Harrowden and his first wife, Elizabeth. She and her sister Eleanor Brooksby supported Catholic priests by renting houses where priests could convene safely...
, the ally of Henry Garnet
Henry Garnet
Henry Garnet , sometimes Henry Garnett, was a Jesuit priest executed for his complicity in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Born in Derbyshire, he was educated in Nottingham and later at Winchester College, before moving to London in 1571 to work for a publisher...
. In consequence of some correspondence between them, suspicion fell on Lady Wenman at the time of the Gunpowder Plot, and she and her husband Richard Wenman, 1st Viscount Wenman
Richard Wenman, 1st Viscount Wenman
Richard Wenman, 1st Viscount Wenman was an English soldier and Member of Parliament, with a title in the Peerage of Ireland.-Life:...
were separately examined in December 1605. Sir Richard testified that he 'disliked their intercourse, because Mrs. Vaux tried to pervert his wife.' She was set at liberty after a short confinement in custody. She was buried at Twyford
Twyford
Twyford is the name of more than one place. The place name is Anglo-Saxon and means 'double ford'.-Places:In the United Kingdom:*Twyford, Berkshire*Twyford, Buckinghamshire*Twyford, Derbyshire*Twyford, Dorset*Twyford, Hampshire*Twyford, Herefordshire...
on 4 July 1617.
She is noted as the translator of the works of Johannes Zonaras from the French of Jan de Maumont. The translation is preserved in manuscript.