Elizabeth Spencer, Baroness Hunsdon
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Spencer, Baroness Hunsdon (29 June 1552 – 25 February 1618) 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 pastoral
poem Colin Clouts Come Home Againe
. She herself translated Petrarch
. Her first husband was George Carey, 2nd Baron Hunsdon
, the grandson of Mary Boleyn
, sister of Queen consort Anne Boleyn
.
, Northamptonshire
, England, the second eldest daughter of Sir John Spencer of Althorpe and Katherine Kytson. She had three brothers, Sir John, Sir William, and Sir Richard; and three sisters, Anne, Katherine, and Alice
. In the year of her birth, Elizabeth's father held the office of High Sheriff
of Northamptonshire, and the following year was Member of Parliament
for Northamptonshire.
, Archbishop of Canterbury
, Elizabeth married her first husband, George Carey, the eldest son of Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon
and Anne Morgan
. As George was a grandson of Mary Boleyn, sister of Queen Anne Boleyn, this made him a close relative to Queen Elizabeth I
who held the Hunsdons in high favour. From 23 July 1596, when her husband succeeded to the title, Elizabeth was styled Baroness Hunsdon.
Together George and Elizabeth had one daughter:
Elizabeth's husband, Baron Hunsdon died in 1603. Shortly before January 1613, she married her second husband, Ralph Eure, 3rd Baron Eure.
"Ne may I, without
blot of endless blame,
You, fairest Lady leave out of this place,
Remembrance of your gracious name
Wherewith that courtly garlond most ye grace
And deck the world."
Besides Edmund Spenser, to whom she was distantly related, she was a patron of Thomas Nashe
and composer John Dowland
.
Elizabeth's miniature portrait was painted by Nicholas Hilliard
on an unknown date.
, London
.
Pastoral
The adjective pastoral refers to the lifestyle of pastoralists, such as shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage. It also refers to a genre in literature, art or music that depicts such shepherd life in an...
poem Colin Clouts Come Home Againe
Colin Clouts Come Home Againe
Colin Clouts Come Home Againe is a pastoral poem by the English poet Edmund Spenser and published in 1595. It has been the focus of little critical attention in comparison with the poet's other works such as The Faerie Queene, yet it has been called the "greatest pastoral eclogue in the English...
. She herself translated Petrarch
Petrarch
Francesco Petrarca , known in English as Petrarch, was an Italian scholar, poet and one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch is often called the "Father of Humanism"...
. Her first husband was George Carey, 2nd Baron Hunsdon
George Carey, 2nd Baron Hunsdon
George 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....
, the grandson 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...
, 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...
.
Family
Elizabeth was born on 29 June 1552 in AlthorpAlthorp
Althorp is a country estate of about and a stately home in Northamptonshire, England. It is about north-west of the county town of Northampton. The late Diana, Princess of Wales is buried in the estate.-History:...
, 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,...
, England, the second eldest daughter of Sir John Spencer of Althorpe and Katherine Kytson. She had three brothers, Sir John, Sir William, and Sir Richard; and three sisters, Anne, Katherine, and Alice
Alice Spencer
Alice Spencer, Countess of Derby was an aristocratic English woman, and a noted patron of the arts. Poet Edmund Spenser represented her as "Amaryllis" in his pastoral poem Colin Clouts Come Home Againe and dedicated his The Teares of the Muses to her. Her first husband was Ferdinando Stanley, 5th...
. In the year of her birth, Elizabeth's father held the office of High Sheriff
High Sheriff
A high sheriff is, or was, a law enforcement officer in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.In England and Wales, the office is unpaid and partly ceremonial, appointed by the Crown through a warrant from the Privy Council. In Cornwall, the High Sheriff is appointed by the Duke of...
of Northamptonshire, and the following year was Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Northamptonshire.
Marriages
On 29 December 1574, by licence from Matthew ParkerMatthew 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...
, Elizabeth married her first husband, George Carey, the eldest son of 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 Anne Morgan
Anne Morgan, Baroness Hunsdon
Anne Morgan, Baroness Hunsdon 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...
. As George was a grandson of Mary Boleyn, sister of Queen Anne Boleyn, this made him a close relative to Queen Elizabeth I
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...
who held the Hunsdons in high favour. From 23 July 1596, when her husband succeeded to the title, Elizabeth was styled Baroness Hunsdon.
Together George and Elizabeth had one daughter:
- Hon. Elizabeth Carey (24 May 1576- 23 April 1663), married firstly Sir Thomas Berkeley, by whom she had issue. Sir Thomas Chamberlain was her second husband.
Elizabeth's husband, Baron Hunsdon died in 1603. Shortly before January 1613, she married her second husband, Ralph Eure, 3rd Baron Eure.
Patron of the arts
Elizabeth was a noted patron of the arts and a scholar. She translated Petrarch's works, She was the inspiration for Edmund Spenser's Muiopotmos in 1590, and she was represented as "Phyllis" in his pastoral poem Colin Clots Come Home Againe, with her sisters Anne and Alice representing "Charillis" and "Amaryllis". Elizabeth was also commemorated in one of Spenser's dedicatory sonnets to the Fairie Queene:"Ne may I, without
blot of endless blame,
You, fairest Lady leave out of this place,
Remembrance of your gracious name
Wherewith that courtly garlond most ye grace
And deck the world."
Besides Edmund Spenser, to whom she was distantly related, she was a patron of Thomas Nashe
Thomas Nashe
Thomas Nashe was an English Elizabethan pamphleteer, playwright, poet and satirist. He was the son of the minister William Nashe and his wife Margaret .-Early life:...
and composer John Dowland
John Dowland
John Dowland was an English Renaissance composer, singer, and lutenist. He is best known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come, heavy sleep" , "Come again", "Flow my tears", "I saw my Lady weepe" and "In darkness let me dwell", but his instrumental music has undergone a major revival, and has...
.
Elizabeth's miniature portrait was painted by Nicholas Hilliard
Nicholas Hilliard
Nicholas Hilliard was an English goldsmith and limner best known for his portrait miniatures of members of the courts of Elizabeth I and James I of England. He mostly painted small oval miniatures, but also some larger cabinet miniatures, up to about ten inches tall, and at least two famous...
on an unknown date.
Death
Elizabeth died on 25 February 1618, and was buried on 2 March in Westminster AbbeyWestminster 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,...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.