Margaret Donnington, Countess of Bath

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Margaret, Countess of Bath (c. 1509 – 20 December 1561), née Donnington, was an English Tudor noblewoman. She is notable for the three high-profile and advantageous marriages she secured during her lifetime, and for her success in arranging socially impressive marriages for many of her children. Through her descendants she is common ancestor of many of the noble families of England. [1]

Tudor period historical era in England coinciding with the rule of the Tudor dynasty

The Tudor period is the period between 1485 and 1603 in England and Wales and includes the Elizabethan period during the reign of Elizabeth I until 1603. The Tudor period coincides with the dynasty of the House of Tudor in England whose first monarch was Henry VII. In terms of the entire span, the historian John Guy (1988) argues that "England was economically healthier, more expansive, and more optimistic under the Tudors" than at any time in a thousand years.

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Margaret was the only daughter and sole heiress of John Donington, a member of the Worshipful Company of Salters, and Elizabeth Pye. Through her first marriage she became the owner of Hengrave Hall, where she installed a tomb and stained glass window to the memory of her three husbands, who all predeceased her. She is buried in Hengrave Church. [2]

Worshipful Company of Salters

The Worshipful Company of Salters is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London, 9th in order of precedence. The Company originated as the Guild of Corpus Christi, which was granted a Royal Charter of incorporation in 1394. Further Charters granted the Company the authority to set standards and regulations regarding the products of its members.

Hengrave Hall Grade I listed building in Hengrave, United Kingdom

Hengrave Hall is a Tudor manor house near Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk, England and was the seat of the Kitson and Gage families 1525-1887. Both families were Roman Catholic recusants.

Marriages and issue

First marriage

Her first marriage was to Sir Thomas Kitson, a wealthy merchant and Sheriff of London, as his second wife. [3] Together they had five children:

Thomas Kitson British merchant

Sir Thomas Kitson was a wealthy English merchant, Sheriff of London, and builder of Hengrave Hall in Suffolk.

William Paget, 1st Baron Paget English statesman

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Duke of Devonshire title in the Peerage of England

Duke of Devonshire is a title in the Peerage of England held by members of the Cavendish family. This branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the wealthiest British aristocratic families since the 16th century and has been rivalled in political influence perhaps only by the Marquesses of Salisbury and the Earls of Derby.

Through this marriage Dame Margaret inherited an extensive personal property portfolio, including Hengrave Hall in Suffolk.

Second marriage

Margaret's marriage to the courtier Sir Richard Long took place in 1540, a few months after the death of her first husband. [9] The couple had three children:

Sir Richard Long was an English politician and courtier, for many years a member of the Privy Chamber of Henry VIII.

Third marriage

Her final marriage was to John Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Bath on 11 December 1548, after which Margaret was styled Countess of Bath. [10] Before the marriage she insisted that at the same time as her marriage to Bourchier, his son and heir, Lord FitzWarin, should marry her own daughter from her first marriage, Frances Kitson. The marriage settlement also ensured that Margaret retained control over her property. The Earl and Countess of Bath made Hengrave Hall their primary residence. The couple had two daughters:

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References

  1. Ed. Carole Levin, Anna Riehl Bertolet, Jo Eldridge, A Biographical Encyclopedia of Early Modern Englishwomen: Exemplary Lives (Routledge, 3 Nov 2016). Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  2. Ed. Carole Levin, Anna Riehl Bertolet, Jo Eldridge, A Biographical Encyclopedia of Early Modern Englishwomen: Exemplary Lives (Routledge, 3 Nov 2016). Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  3. Ed. Carole Levin, Anna Riehl Bertolet, Jo Eldridge, A Biographical Encyclopedia of Early Modern Englishwomen: Exemplary Lives (Routledge, 3 Nov 2016). Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  4. Spencer, Sir John (1524–86), of Althorpe, Northamptonshire, and Wormleighton, Warwickshire, History of Parliament Retrieve 28 April 2013.
  5. Carter 2004.
  6. Tasburgh, Thomas (c. 1554 – 1602), of Hawridge, Buckinghamshire, History of Parliament Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  7. Lauder 2002, pp. 152-133.
  8. Corder 1981 , p. 61; Burke, Burke & Burke 1838 , p. 510.
  9. Ed. Carole Levin, Anna Riehl Bertolet, Jo Eldridge, A Biographical Encyclopedia of Early Modern Englishwomen: Exemplary Lives (Routledge, 3 Nov 2016). Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  10. Peter W. Hammond (Ed.), The Complete Peerage or a History of the House of Lords and All its Members From the Earliest Times, Volume XIV: Addenda & Corrigenda (Stroud, Gloucestershire, U.K.: Sutton Publishing, 1998), page 71