Elizabeth de Vere, Countess of Derby
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth de Vere, Countess of Derby, Lord of Mann (2 July 1575 – 10 March 1627) was an English noblewoman and the eldest daughter of Elizabethan courtier, poet, and playwright Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
.
She was the Lord of Mann
from 1612 to 1627, and prior to holding the title, she had taken over many administrative duties appertaining to the Isle of Man
's affairs. Elizabeth was the first female to rule as the island's Head of state
.
She served as a Maid of Honour to Queen Elizabeth I of England
before her marriage to William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby
. It has been suggested that the occasion of their wedding was the inspiration for William Shakespeare
's A Midsummer Night's Dream
, and that the play was first performed at the couple's wedding festivities.
, Hertfordshire
, the eldest surviving daughter of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford and Anne Cecil
, the daughter of statesman William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
, Queen Elizabeth I's chief advisor and leading member of her Privy Council
. Anne's mother was Baron Burghley's second wife, Mildred Cooke. Elizabeth was baptised
on 10 July.
As Elizabeth's birth had occurred while her father was abroad touring the Continent
, upon his return to England, he accused her mother of adultery and separated from her on those grounds. They were later reconciled in January 1582 when Elizabeth was acknowledged as her father's child.
Elizabeth had two younger sisters, Lady Bridget
and Lady Susan. Her brother, Lord Bulbecke had died in 1583 as an infant, and she had another sister, Frances who died in 1587. She also had an illegitimate half-brother, Edward by her father's notorious affair with Anne Vavasour
, the Queen's Lady of the Bedchamber
. The birth of this child in March 1581, caused the arrest of both her father and his mistress.
Following the death of Anne Cecil on 5 June 1588, Elizabeth and her sisters remained in the household of their maternal grandfather, Baron Burghley where they received an excellent education. In 1591, Elizabeth's father married secondly, Elizabeth Trentham who gave birth to a son Henry
, who would later succeed as 18th Earl of Oxford.
Lady Elizabeth went to court where she served as one of Queen Elizabeth's Maids of Honour. She held this position until her marriage.
, Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton
. When the latter refused the match, he was fined £5,000. Baron Burghley soon found her another husband.
On 26 June 1594 at Greenwich Palace in the presence of Queen Elizabeth and the royal court, she married William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby
, making her the Countess of Derby. It was alleged that William Shakespeare wrote A Midsummer Night's Dream for the occasion of their wedding, and that the play was first performed at the wedding banquet. In the early years of their marriage, the couple's relationship was tempestuous and there were persistent rumours that Elizabeth had had affairs with Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
and Walter Ralegh. The allegations concerning her relationship with Essex were particularly strong in 1596 and 1597. Whether there was any truth in the rumours remains unknown.
They made their principal home at Knowsley Hall
, and together they had five children:
Poet Henry Lok
wrote a sonnet dedicated to Elizabeth, which was published along with Lok's other sonnets by Richard Field
in 1597.
), she, in lieu of her husband, began taking over many administrative duties appertaining to the Isle's political affairs. That same year she attempted to influence business on behalf of the Isle, and there is a letter extant, written on 15 September 1609 by Elizabeth to her uncle Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury
, regarding the shipment of money from the Isle of Man. In 1612, Elizabeth was appointed the first female Lord of Mann
, a title she held until her death in 1627. She was succeeded by her eldest son, James.
, and was buried the next day in Westminster Abbey
, London
. On her tomb, which she shares with her mother, grandmother, and sisters, is her effigy
.
Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford was an Elizabethan courtier, playwright, lyric poet, sportsman and patron of the arts, and is currently the most popular alternative candidate proposed for the authorship of Shakespeare's works....
.
She was the Lord of Mann
Lord of Mann
The title Lord of Mann is used on the Isle of Man to refer to Queen Elizabeth II, who is the island's Lord Proprietor and head of state.-Relationship with the Crown:The title is not correctly used on its own...
from 1612 to 1627, and prior to holding the title, she had taken over many administrative duties appertaining to the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
's affairs. Elizabeth was the first female to rule as the island's Head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
.
She served as a Maid of Honour to 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...
before her marriage to William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby
William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby
William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby was an English nobleman. Stanley inherited a prominent social position that was both dangerous and unstable, as his mother was heir to Queen Elizabeth I under the Third Succession Act, a position that fell to his deceased brother's oldest daughter in 1596,...
. It has been suggested that the occasion of their wedding was 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 A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
, and that the play was first performed at the couple's wedding festivities.
Family and early years
Lady Elizabeth was born on 2 July 1575 at Theobalds HouseTheobalds House
Theobalds House , located in Theobalds Park, just outside Cheshunt in the English county of Hertfordshire, was a prominent stately home and royal palace of the 16th and early 17th centuries.- Early history :...
, 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...
, the eldest surviving daughter of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford and Anne Cecil
Anne Cecil
Anne Cecil, Countess of Oxford was the daughter of statesman William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, the chief advisor of Queen Elizabeth I of England, and the translator Mildred Cooke. In 1571, she became the first wife of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford...
, the daughter of statesman William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley , KG was an English statesman, the chief advisor of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State and Lord High Treasurer from 1572...
, Queen Elizabeth I's chief advisor and leading member of her Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
. Anne's mother was Baron Burghley's second wife, Mildred Cooke. Elizabeth was baptised
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
on 10 July.
As Elizabeth's birth had occurred while her father was abroad touring the Continent
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, upon his return to England, he accused her mother of adultery and separated from her on those grounds. They were later reconciled in January 1582 when Elizabeth was acknowledged as her father's child.
Elizabeth had two younger sisters, Lady Bridget
Bridget de Vere
Bridget de Vere, Countess of Berkshire , was an English noblewoman, the daughter of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford. Bridget was brought up by her maternal grandfather, the powerful statesman William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley...
and Lady Susan. Her brother, Lord Bulbecke had died in 1583 as an infant, and she had another sister, Frances who died in 1587. She also had an illegitimate half-brother, Edward by her father's notorious affair with Anne Vavasour
Anne Vavasour
Anne Vavasour was a Maid of Honour ) to Queen Elizabeth I of England, and the mistress of two aristocratic men. Her first lover was Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, by whom she had an illegitimate son - Edward. For that offence, both she and the earl were sent to the Tower of London by the...
, the Queen's Lady of the Bedchamber
Lady of the Bedchamber
This is an incomplete list of those who have served as Lady of the Bedchamber in the British Royal Household...
. The birth of this child in March 1581, caused the arrest of both her father and his mistress.
Following the death of Anne Cecil on 5 June 1588, Elizabeth and her sisters remained in the household of their maternal grandfather, Baron Burghley where they received an excellent education. In 1591, Elizabeth's father married secondly, Elizabeth Trentham who gave birth to a son Henry
Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford
Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford was an English aristocrat, courtier and soldier.-Life:He was born on 24 February 1593 at Newington, Middlesex, the only son of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, by his second wife, Elizabeth Trentham. He succeeded his father as on 24 June 1604.He is said to...
, who would later succeed as 18th Earl of Oxford.
Lady Elizabeth went to court where she served as one of Queen Elizabeth's Maids of Honour. She held this position until her marriage.
Marriage and issue
In 1591, her grandfather proposed a marriage between Elizabeth and his wardWard (law)
In law, a ward is someone placed under the protection of a legal guardian. A court may take responsibility for the legal protection of an individual, usually either a child or incapacitated person, in which case the ward is known as a ward of the court, or a ward of the state, in the United States,...
, Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton
Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton
Henry Wriothesley , 3rd Earl of Southampton , was the second son of Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton, and his wife Mary Browne, Countess of Southampton, daughter of the 1st Viscount Montagu...
. When the latter refused the match, he was fined £5,000. Baron Burghley soon found her another husband.
On 26 June 1594 at Greenwich Palace in the presence of Queen Elizabeth and the royal court, she married William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby
William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby
William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby was an English nobleman. Stanley inherited a prominent social position that was both dangerous and unstable, as his mother was heir to Queen Elizabeth I under the Third Succession Act, a position that fell to his deceased brother's oldest daughter in 1596,...
, making her the Countess of Derby. It was alleged that William Shakespeare wrote A Midsummer Night's Dream for the occasion of their wedding, and that the play was first performed at the wedding banquet. In the early years of their marriage, the couple's relationship was tempestuous and there were persistent rumours that Elizabeth had had affairs with Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
and Walter Ralegh. The allegations concerning her relationship with Essex were particularly strong in 1596 and 1597. Whether there was any truth in the rumours remains unknown.
They made their principal home at Knowsley Hall
Knowsley Hall
Knowsley Hall is a stately home near Liverpool within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, in Merseyside, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building, and is the ancestral home of the Stanley family, the Earls of Derby. The hall is surrounded by of...
, and together they had five children:
- Lady Anne Stanley (c.1600- February 1657), married firstly, Sir Henry Portman; secondly Robert Kerr, 1st Earl of Ancram, by whom she had issue.
- James Stanley, 7th Earl of DerbyJames Stanley, 7th Earl of DerbyJames Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby KG was a supporter of the Royalist cause in the English Civil War.Born at Knowsley, he is sometimes styled the Great Earl of Derby, eldest son of William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby and Lady Elizabeth de Vere. During his father's life he was known as Lord Strange...
(31 January 1607- 15 October 1651), married Charlotte de la TremoilleCharlotte de La TrémoilleCharlotte Marie Clotilde de La Trémoille was a French noblewoman and the daughter of Louis Charles Marie de La Trémoille and his wife, Hélène Marie Léonie Pillet-Will. On 13 April 1910, she married Henri Florent Lamoral, prince de Ligne. they had one son, Jean Charles...
, by whom he had issue. - Sir Robert Stanley (died 1632), married Elizabeth Gorges, by whom he had issue. His line eventually became extinct.
- Elizabeth Stanley (died young)
- Elizabeth Stanley (died young)
In art and literature
Lady Elizabeth's portrait was painted on an unknown date by an artist whose name is not known.Poet Henry Lok
Henry Lok
-Life:He was third son of Henry Lok, a London mercer , by his wife Anne Vaughan, the poet. Michael Lok the traveller was the poet's uncle, and Sir William Lok was his grandfather; Michael Cosworth was his cousin....
wrote a sonnet dedicated to Elizabeth, which was published along with Lok's other sonnets by Richard Field
Richard Field (printer)
Richard Field was a printer and publisher in Elizabethan London, best known for his close association with the poems of William Shakespeare, with whom he grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon.-Life and career:...
in 1597.
Lord of Mann
As the Earls of Derby were the hereditary heads of state of the Isle of Man, and Elizabeth's husband took up the title of Lord of Mann in 1609 (following an Act of ParliamentAct 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...
), she, in lieu of her husband, began taking over many administrative duties appertaining to the Isle's political affairs. That same year she attempted to influence business on behalf of the Isle, and there is a letter extant, written on 15 September 1609 by Elizabeth to her uncle Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury
Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury
Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, KG, PC was an English administrator and politician.-Life:He was the son of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley and Mildred Cooke...
, regarding the shipment of money from the Isle of Man. In 1612, Elizabeth was appointed the first female Lord of Mann
Lord of Mann
The title Lord of Mann is used on the Isle of Man to refer to Queen Elizabeth II, who is the island's Lord Proprietor and head of state.-Relationship with the Crown:The title is not correctly used on its own...
, a title she held until her death in 1627. She was succeeded by her eldest son, James.
Death
Elizabeth died on 10 March 1627 at Richmond, SurreySurrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, and was buried the next day 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,...
, 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...
. On her tomb, which she shares with her mother, grandmother, and sisters, is her effigy
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
.