Elizabeth Southwell, Lady Cromwell
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Southwell called Lady Cromwell (c. 1672 - 1709) was an English
noblewoman, the only daughter of Vere Essex Cromwell, 4th Earl of Ardglass
and wife Catherine Hamilton.
of Oakham, although his Earldom and Viscountship became extinct; she was ranked with the Peeresses at the funeral of Queen Mary II
and the coronation of Queen Anne, but her claim appears to have been a mistake.
Whether she was entitled to succeed her father depends on how the barony was created. A barony by writ descends to an only daughter, if a baron have no sons; a barony by patent follows the rule of descent given in the patent - normally to the male heirs of the grantee, which would exclude daughters.
The Barony of Cromwell has a patent, granted in 1540 to Gregory Cromwell, 1st Baron Cromwell
of Oakham (and his heirs male), son of Henry VIII's Minister Thomas Cromwell
, after his father's fall and execution. But the antiquarian William Dugdale
had claimed in the 1670s that there was also a writ summoning Gregory Cromwell as Baron Cromwell, dated 28 May 1539. Although he gives a text of the writ, the form is not standard, and no writs at all are recorded as being issued on that day - the first day of Parliament, and so rather late to summon men to attend it; the Complete Peerage conjectures that Dugdale saw a reference to Lord Cromwell in the proceedings of the Parliament, deduced that it meant the son - not the father - and supplied the writ he assumed must exist.
, Secretary of State for Ireland, in 1703, a year after the death of his father, Sir Robert Southwell
; their son Edward Southwell
did not call himself Baron Cromwell of Oakham. Her grandson inherited the much older and more distinguished Barony of Clifford
as its 20th holder.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
noblewoman, the only daughter of Vere Essex Cromwell, 4th Earl of Ardglass
Vere Essex Cromwell, 4th Earl of Ardglass
Vere Essex Cromwell, 4th Earl of Ardglass PC was an English nobleman, son of Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Ardglass and Elizabeth Meverell.-Life:...
and wife Catherine Hamilton.
Title
When her father died in 1687, she claimed his title of Baron CromwellBaron Cromwell
Baron Cromwell is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The first creation, which was by writ, was for John de Cromwell in 1308. On his death, the barony became extinct. The second creation came in 1375 when Ralph de Cromwell was summoned by writ to Parliament as...
of Oakham, although his Earldom and Viscountship became extinct; she was ranked with the Peeresses at the funeral of Queen Mary II
Mary II of England
Mary II was joint Sovereign of England, Scotland, and Ireland with her husband and first cousin, William III and II, from 1689 until her death. William and Mary, both Protestants, became king and queen regnant, respectively, following the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the deposition of...
and the coronation of Queen Anne, but her claim appears to have been a mistake.
Whether she was entitled to succeed her father depends on how the barony was created. A barony by writ descends to an only daughter, if a baron have no sons; a barony by patent follows the rule of descent given in the patent - normally to the male heirs of the grantee, which would exclude daughters.
The Barony of Cromwell has a patent, granted in 1540 to Gregory Cromwell, 1st Baron Cromwell
Gregory Cromwell, 1st Baron Cromwell
Gregory Cromwell, 1st Baron Cromwell, KB was an English peer.-Early life:Cromwell was born in Putney, then in Surrey, the first child and only son of Thomas Cromwell, later 1st Baron Cromwell and briefly 1st Earl of Essex, and his first wife, the former Elizabeth Wykys.He was tutored by Sir...
of Oakham (and his heirs male), son of Henry VIII's Minister Thomas Cromwell
Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex
Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex, , was an English statesman who served as chief minister of King Henry VIII of England from 1532 to 1540....
, after his father's fall and execution. But the antiquarian William Dugdale
William Dugdale
Sir William Dugdale was an English antiquary and herald. As a scholar he was influential in the development of medieval history as an academic subject.-Life:...
had claimed in the 1670s that there was also a writ summoning Gregory Cromwell as Baron Cromwell, dated 28 May 1539. Although he gives a text of the writ, the form is not standard, and no writs at all are recorded as being issued on that day - the first day of Parliament, and so rather late to summon men to attend it; the Complete Peerage conjectures that Dugdale saw a reference to Lord Cromwell in the proceedings of the Parliament, deduced that it meant the son - not the father - and supplied the writ he assumed must exist.
Marriage and issue
She married Edward SouthwellEdward Southwell (1671–1730)
Edward Southwell was an Irish politician, the son of Sir Robert Southwell.He sat in the Irish House of Commons for Kinsale from 1692 to 1699, for Dublin University from 1703 to 1713 and then again for Kinsale from 1713 to his death.In 1702 Southwell succeeded his father as Principal Secretary of...
, Secretary of State for Ireland, in 1703, a year after the death of his father, Sir Robert Southwell
Robert Southwell (diplomat)
Sir Robert Southwell was an English diplomat. He was Secretary of State for Ireland and President of the Royal Society from 1690.-Background and education:...
; their son Edward Southwell
Edward Southwell (1705–1755)
Edward Southwell of King's Weston, Gloucestershire was an Irish politician.He was the son of Edward Southwell and grandson of Sir Robert Southwell....
did not call himself Baron Cromwell of Oakham. Her grandson inherited the much older and more distinguished Barony of Clifford
Baron de Clifford
Baron de Clifford is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1299 for Robert de Clifford. The title was created by writ, which means that it can descend through both male and female lines. The de Clifford family settled in England after the Norman conquest and were a notable family in...
as its 20th holder.
Sources
- Complete Peerage