Anne Morgan, Baroness Hunsdon
Encyclopedia
Anne Morgan, Baroness Hunsdon (c.1529 – 19 January 1607) was the wife of Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon
, by whom she had a total of 12 children. On 14 December 1595, she was appointed by Queen Elizabeth I of England
to the office of Keeper of Somerset House
; a post which she held for life. She also served the Queen as a Lady of the Privy Chamber
.
, the daughter of Sir Thomas Morgan and Anne Whitney, herself the daughter of Sir Robert Whitney and Sibell Baskerville. The Morgan family was of Welsh
origin.
, the elder sister of Queen consort Anne Boleyn
. As Carey's mother had once been the mistress of King Henry VIII, many people, including John Hales, vicar of Isleworth, speculated that he was in point of fact, the King's illegitimate son.
Carey was created Baron Hunsdon on 13 January 1559; from that time onward, Anne was styled Baroness Hunsdon. Following her elevation to the rank of a peer's wife, Anne was appointed a Lady of the Privy Chamber
to Queen Elizabeth I, who was also her husband's first cousin and held the couple in high favour. Carey was soon afterward appointed Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms
, making him in actuality, the Queen's personal bodyguard
.
A painting by an unknown artist was done to commemorate a visit by the Queen to Anne and Carey at their manor, Hunsdon House
in Hertfordshire
in September 1571; Anne is believed to be depicted among the Queen's Ladies in the royal procession, as the foremost lady dressed in white.
Anne's portrait was painted by a follower of George Gower
, and is displayed at Hatfield House
.
Together Henry and Anne had 12 children:
Anne's husband had several illegitimate children, including Valentine Carey. One of his mistresses was Emilia Bassano
, believed by many, including A. L. Rowse
to have been the inspiration for William Shakespeare
's sonnet The Dark Lady, due to her black hair and dark complexion. Her son Henry, born in 1592 was possibly fathered by Carey, although he was 68 years old at the time of the child's birth.
. Anne used some of the money to erect a monument to her husband in Westminster Abbey
.
On 14 December 1595, seven months before Carey's death, Queen Elizabeth had appointed Anne to the office of Keeper of Somerset House
, a royal residence where the Queen had lived prior to her ascension to the throne; Anne held the post for life. In 1574, her husband had been made Keeper.
Anne died on 19 January 1607, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. Her will, which was dated 10 January 1607, was proved on 22 January.
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...
, by whom she had a total of 12 children. On 14 December 1595, she was appointed by Queen Elizabeth I of England
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 the office of Keeper of Somerset House
Somerset House
Somerset House is a large building situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, England, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The central block of the Neoclassical building, the outstanding project of the architect Sir William Chambers, dates from 1776–96. It...
; a post which she held for life. She also served the Queen as a Lady of the Privy Chamber
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
.
Family
Anne was born c.1529 at Arkestone, HerefordshireHerefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, the daughter of Sir Thomas Morgan and Anne Whitney, herself the daughter of Sir Robert Whitney and Sibell Baskerville. The Morgan family was of Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
origin.
Marriage and issue
On 21 May 1545, a licence was obtained for the marriage of Anne to Henry Carey, son of Sir William Carey and Mary BoleynMary 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...
, the elder sister of Queen consort 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...
. As Carey's mother had once been the mistress of King Henry VIII, many people, including John Hales, vicar of Isleworth, speculated that he was in point of fact, the King's illegitimate son.
Carey was created Baron Hunsdon on 13 January 1559; from that time onward, Anne was styled Baroness Hunsdon. Following her elevation to the rank of a peer's wife, Anne was appointed a Lady of the Privy Chamber
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
to Queen Elizabeth I, who was also her husband's first cousin and held the couple in high favour. Carey was soon afterward appointed Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms
The Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms is a UK government post since 1945 held by the Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords. Prior to 17 March 1834, the Gentlemen-at-Arms were known as the Honourable Band of Gentlemen Pensioners....
, making him in actuality, the Queen's personal bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
.
A painting by an unknown artist was done to commemorate a visit by the Queen to Anne and Carey at their manor, Hunsdon House
Hunsdon House
Hunsdon House is a historic house in Hunsdon, Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Harlow.It was originally constructed of brick in 1447 by Sir William Oldhall in the shape of a tower...
in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
in September 1571; Anne is believed to be depicted among the Queen's Ladies in the royal procession, as the foremost lady dressed in white.
Anne's portrait was painted by a follower of George Gower
George Gower
George Gower was an English portrait painter who became Serjeant Painter to Queen Elizabeth I in 1581.-Life:Little is known about his early life except that he was a grandson of Sir John Gower of Stettenham, Yorkshire....
, and is displayed at Hatfield House
Hatfield House
Hatfield House is a country house set in a large park, the Great Park, on the eastern side of the town of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. The present Jacobean house was built in 1611 by Robert Cecil, First Earl of Salisbury and Chief Minister to King James I and has been the home of the Cecil...
.
Together Henry and Anne had 12 children:
- Sir George Carey, 2nd Baron HunsdonGeorge Carey, 2nd Baron HunsdonGeorge Carey, 2nd Baron Hunsdon KG was the eldest son of Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon and Anne Morgan. His father was first cousin to Elizabeth I of England....
(1547- 8 September 1603), married Elizabeth SpencerElizabeth Spencer, Baroness HunsdonElizabeth Spencer, Baroness Hunsdon was an aristocratic English woman, a scholar, and a patron of the arts. She was the inspiration for Edmund Spencer's Muiopotmos, was commemorated in one of the poet's dedicatory sonnets to the Faerie Queene, and was represented as "Phyllis" in the latter's...
, by whom he had one daughter, Elizabeth. - Sir John Carey, 3rd Baron HunsdonJohn Carey, 3rd Baron HunsdonJohn Carey, 3rd Baron Hunsdon was an English peer, politician and Governor of Berwick-upon-Tweed.He was born the son of Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon and was the younger brother of George Carey, 2nd Baron Hunsdon and the grandson of Mary Boleyn. It is alleged that his father was the illegitimate...
(died April 1617), married Mary Hyde, by whom he had issue. - Henry Carey
- Thomas Carey, died young.
- Thomas Carey, died young.
- William Carey
- Sir Edmund Carey (1558–1637), married three times (Mary Crocker, Elizabeth NevilleElizabeth DanversElizabeth Danvers née Neville, later Elizabeth Carey by remarriage was a learnéd English noblewoman...
, Judith Humphrey), and had issue. - Robert Carey, 1st Earl of MonmouthRobert Carey, 1st Earl of MonmouthRobert Carey, 1st Earl of Monmouth was an English nobleman and courtier. He was the youngest son of Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon and Anne Morgan, daughter of Sir Thomas Morgan and Anne Whitney.As a young man he accompanied several diplomatic missions abroad and took part in military expeditions...
(1560- 12 April 1639), married Elizabeth Trevannion, by whom he had issue. - Unnamed son
- Katherine Carey (c.1547- 25 February 1603), married Charles Howard, 1st Earl of NottinghamCharles Howard, 1st Earl of NottinghamCharles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham , known as Howard of Effingham, was an English statesman and Lord High Admiral under Elizabeth I and James I...
, by whom she had five children. - Philadelphia Carey (c.1552- 1627), married Thomas Scrope, 10th Baron Scrope, by whom she had issue.
- Margaret Carey, married Sir Edward HobyEdward HobySir Edward Hoby was a diplomat, Member of Parliament, scholar, and soldier in England during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I...
.
Emilia Lanier
Emilia Lanier, also spelled Lanyer, was the first Englishwoman to assert herself as a professional poet through her single volume of poems, Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum...
, believed by many, including A. L. Rowse
A. L. Rowse
Alfred Leslie Rowse, CH, FBA , known professionally as A. L. Rowse and to friends and family as Leslie, was a British historian from Cornwall. He is perhaps best known for his work on Elizabethan England and his poetry about Cornwall. He was also a Shakespearean scholar and biographer...
to have been the inspiration for William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's sonnet The Dark Lady, due to her black hair and dark complexion. Her son Henry, born in 1592 was possibly fathered by Carey, although he was 68 years old at the time of the child's birth.
Widowhood
When Anne's husband died on 23 July 1596, he left his family in debt. Queen Elizabeth paid for his funeral expenses, and gave Anne a gift of £400, as well as an annual pension of £200 from the ExchequerExchequer
The Exchequer is a government department of the United Kingdom responsible for the management and collection of taxation and other government revenues. The historical Exchequer developed judicial roles...
. Anne used some of the money to erect a monument to her husband in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
.
On 14 December 1595, seven months before Carey's death, Queen Elizabeth had appointed Anne to the office of Keeper of Somerset House
Somerset House
Somerset House is a large building situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, England, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The central block of the Neoclassical building, the outstanding project of the architect Sir William Chambers, dates from 1776–96. It...
, a royal residence where the Queen had lived prior to her ascension to the throne; Anne held the post for life. In 1574, her husband had been made Keeper.
Anne died on 19 January 1607, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. Her will, which was dated 10 January 1607, was proved on 22 January.