Margaret Fiennes, 11th Baroness Dacre
Encyclopedia
Margaret Fiennes, 11th Baroness Dacre (1541 – 16 March 1612) was a suo jure
peeress having been created Baroness Dacre
by King James I of England
in 1604. She was the daughter of Thomas Fiennes, 9th Baron Dacre
who was executed for murder in the year of her birth. His title and lands had been forfeited to the crown. Baroness Margaret's husband was Sampson Lennard
MP.
She was also known as Baroness Dacre of the South.
. In the year of her birth, her father was hanged for the murder of a gamekeeper by the order of King Henry VIII
, and his lands and title were forfeited to the crown.
, Kent
. He was a Member of Parliament
for various constituencies, and from 1590 to 1591, he held the post of High Sheriff of Kent
. Together Margaret and her husband had seven children:
by Queen Elizabeth I
shortly after her ascension to the throne; however upon his death in 1594, it had once again lapsed in abeyance
. On 8 December 1604, King James I created her suo jure Baroness Dacre, and she held this title until her death on 16 March 1612. She was succeeded by her eldest son, Henry.
Suo jure
Suo jure is a Latin phrase meaning "in her [or his] own right".It is commonly encountered in the context of titles of nobility, especially in cases where a wife may hold a title in her own right rather than through her marriage....
peeress having been created Baroness Dacre
Baron Dacre
Baron Dacre is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of England, every time by writ. The first creation came in 1321 when Ralph Dacre was summoned to Parliament as Lord Dacre. He married Margaret, 2nd Baroness Multon of Gilsland, heiress of a large estate in Cumbria centred on...
by King James I of England
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
in 1604. She was the daughter of Thomas Fiennes, 9th Baron Dacre
Thomas Fiennes, 9th Baron Dacre
Thomas Fiennes, 9th Baron Dacre was an English aristocrat notable for his conviction and execution for murder.Dacre was the son of Sir Thomas Fiennes and Jane Sutton daughter of Edward Sutton, 2nd Baron Dudley...
who was executed for murder in the year of her birth. His title and lands had been forfeited to the crown. Baroness Margaret's husband was Sampson Lennard
Sampson Lennard
Sampson Lennard , of Chevening in Kent, was an English Member of Parliament who represented an unusually large number of different constituencies during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I....
MP.
She was also known as Baroness Dacre of the South.
Family
Margaret was born in 1541, the youngest child and only daughter of Thomas Fiennes, 9th Baron Dacre and Lady Mary NevillMary Nevill, Baroness Dacre
Mary Fiennes, Baroness Dacre was the daughter of George Nevill, 5th Baron Bergavenny by his third wife, Mary, daughter of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham....
. In the year of her birth, her father was hanged for the murder of a gamekeeper by the order of King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, and his lands and title were forfeited to the crown.
Marriage and issue
On 10 November 1564 at the age of 23, Margaret married Sampson Lennard (died 1615), who came from a family of landed gentry. They resided at CheveningChevening
Chevening, also known as Chevening House, is a country house at Chevening in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, in England. It is an official residence of the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. He was a 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 various constituencies, and from 1590 to 1591, he held the post of High Sheriff of Kent
High Sheriff of Kent
The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions...
. Together Margaret and her husband had seven children:
- Elizabeth Lennard, married Sir Francis Barnham, by whom she had issue.
- Gregory Lennard (died 1620), he was childless.
- Anne Lennard, married Herbert Morley
- Mary Lennard, married Sir Ralph Bosville
- Margaret Lennard, married Sir Thomas Waller, by whom she had issue, including ParliamentarianRoundhead"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
soldier Sir William WallerWilliam WallerSir William Waller was an English soldier during the English Civil War. He received his education at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, and served in the Venetian army and in the Thirty Years' War...
. - Frances Lennard, married Sir Robert More
- Sir Henry Lennard, 12th Baron DacreHenry Lennard, 12th Baron DacreHenry Lennard, 12th Baron Dacre was an English baron and politician. He was the son of Margaret Fiennes, 11th Baroness Dacre and Sampson Lennard.He was the Member of Parliament for West Looe and Baron Dacre....
(25 March 1570- 8 August 1616), married Chrysogona Baker, by whom he had issue.
Baroness Dacre
The title of Baron Dacre had been restored to Margaret's brother GregoryGregory Fiennes, 10th Baron Dacre
Gregory Fiennes, 10th Baron Dacre was an English courtier.He was the son of Thomas Fiennes, 9th Baron Dacre and Mary Nevill...
by 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...
shortly after her ascension to the throne; however upon his death in 1594, it had once again lapsed in abeyance
Abeyance
Abeyance is a state of expectancy in respect of property, titles or office, when the right to them is not vested in any one person, but awaits the appearance or determination of the true owner. In law, the term abeyance can only be applied to such future estates as have not yet vested or possibly...
. On 8 December 1604, King James I created her suo jure Baroness Dacre, and she held this title until her death on 16 March 1612. She was succeeded by her eldest son, Henry.
In literature and art
- Between 1595 and 1600 her portrait was painted by Marcus Gheeraerts the YoungerMarcus Gheeraerts the YoungerMarcus Gheeraerts was an artist of the Tudor court, described as "the most important artist of quality to work in England in large-scale between Eworth and Van Dyck" He was brought to England as a child by his father Marcus Gheeraerts the Elder, also a painter...
.
- A character loosely based on Lady Dacre can be found in the 1993 novella Candlemass Road by George MacDonald FraserGeorge MacDonald FraserGeorge MacDonald Fraser, OBE was an English-born author of Scottish descent, who wrote both historical novels and non-fiction books, as well as several screenplays.-Early life and military career:...
.