English School Portrait of a Lady 1595-1606

Catherine Howard, Countess of Nottingham ( Carey; c. 1547 – 25 February 1603), was a cousin,

lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom sh ...

, and close confidante of

Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...

. She was in attendance on the queen for 44 years.

Life

Catherine Carey was the eldest daughter of

Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon Knight of the Garter, KG Privy Council of England, PC (4 March 1526 – 23 July 1596), was an English nobleman and courtier. He was the patron of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, William Shakespeare's playing company. ...

and his wife Anne Morgan, daughter of Sir Thomas Morgan and Anne Whitney. Hunsdon was Queen Elizabeth's cousin, being the son of

Mary Boleyn Mary Boleyn, also known as Lady Mary, (c. 1499 – 19 July 1543) was the sister of English queen consort Anne Boleyn, whose family enjoyed considerable influence during the reign of King Henry VIII. Mary was one of the mistresses of Henry VII ...

, and court gossip hinted at a closer connection, since Mary had been the mistress of

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

. Catherine may have joined Elizabeth's household at

Hatfield House Hatfield House is a country house set in a large park, the Great Park, on the eastern side of the town of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. The present Jacobean house, a leading example of the prodigy house, was built in 1611 by Robert Ceci ...

as a child during the reign of Elizabeth's elder sister

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

. On Elizabeth's accession, Catherine and her younger sister Philadelphia came to court as

maids of honour A maid of honour is a junior attendant of a queen in royal households. The position was and is junior to the lady-in-waiting. The equivalent title and office has historically been used in most European royal courts. Role Traditionally, a queen ...

under the auspices of their aunt,

Catherine Carey Catherine Carey, after her marriage Catherine Knollys and later known as both Lady Knollys and Dame Catherine Knollys, (c. 1522 – 15 January 1569), was chief Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth I, who was her first cousin. Biograph ...

, the queen's first cousin and a

Lady of the Bedchamber Lady of the Bedchamber is the title of a lady-in-waiting holding the official position of personal attendant on a British queen regnant or queen consort. The position is traditionally held by the wife of a peer. They are ranked between the Mis ...

.Somerset (1984), p. 61Weiss (2012), p. 32 In July 1563, Catherine married Charles Howard (1536–1624), later 2nd Baron Howard of Effingham, Lord High Admiral of England, and first

Earl of Nottingham :''See also Earl of Winchilsea'' Earl of Nottingham is a title that has been created seven times in the Peerage of England. It was first created for John de Mowbray in 1377, at the coronation of Richard II. As this creation could only pass to ...

(1597). Catherine was appointed First Lady of the Bedchamber by 1572. Her daughter Elizabeth, the queen's goddaughter, was a maid of honour from 1576 until 1583, the year of her marriage. Her daughter Frances, dowager Countess of Kildare, and granddaughter Elizabeth Southwell joined her in the queen's inner circle in the 1590s. Her health began to decline in 1601, and she died at

Arundel House Arundel House was a London town-house or palace located between the Strand and the River Thames, near the Church of St Clement Danes. History During the Middle Ages it was the town house of the Bishops of Bath and Wells, when it was kno ...

on 25 February 1603, only weeks before the death of the queen she had served for 45 years. She was buried at

Chelsea Old Church Chelsea Old Church, also known as All Saints, is an Anglican church, on Old Church Street, Chelsea, London SW3, England, near Albert Bridge. It is the church for a parish in the Diocese of London, part of the Church of England. Inside the Grade ...

on 25 April 1603.

Children

The Earl and Countess of Nottingham had five children: * Frances Howard (buried 11 July 1628). She was married first to

Henry FitzGerald, 12th Earl of Kildare Henry FitzGerald, 12th Earl of Kildare (1562 – 30 September 1597) was an Irish peer and soldier. Background Kildare was the second son of Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare and Mabel Browne. cites His eldest brother died in 1580, and Hen ...

. She was secondly married to

Henry Brooke, 11th Baron Cobham Henry Brooke, 11th Baron Cobham KG (22 November 1564 – 24 January 1618 ( Old Style)/3 February 1618 ( New Style), lord of the Manor of Cobham, Kent, was an English peer who was implicated in the Main Plot against the rule of James I of Engla ...

. *

William Howard, 3rd Baron Howard of Effingham William Howard, 3rd Baron Howard of Effingham (27 December 1577 – 28 November 1615) was an English nobleman, the eldest son of Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham (who as Lord Howard of Effingham famously led the English fleet against the Spa ...

(27 December 1577 – 28 November 1615). Summoned to the Lords as 3rd Baron Howard of Effingham. He was married on 7 February 1596/1597 to

Anne St John Anne St John was an English aristocrat and courtier. She was a daughter of John St John, 2nd Baron St John of Bletso and Katherine Dormer, a daughter of William Dormer of Wing, Buckinghamshire. She married William Howard, 3rd Baron Howard of Ef ...

. *

Charles Howard, 2nd Earl of Nottingham Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...

(17 September 1579 – 3 October 1642). He was married first on 19 May 1597 to Charity White (d. 18 December 1618), daughter to Robert White. Secondly on 22 April 1620 to Mary Cokayne, daughter of Sir

William Cockayne Sir William Cockayne (Cokayne) (1561 – 20 October 1626) was a seventeenth-century merchant, alderman, and Lord Mayor of the City of London. Life He was the second son of William Cokayne of Baddesley Ensor, Warwickshire, merchant of London, so ...

who served as

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional powe ...

in 1619 and Mary Morris. *Margaret Howard, married in 1587 Sir Richard Leveson (died 1605), one child, died in infancy. After a mental breakdown, her

wardship In law, a ward is a minor or incapacitated adult placed under the protection of a legal guardian or government entity, such as a court. Such a person may be referenced as a "ward of the court". Overview The wardship jurisdiction is an ancient jur ...

was awarded to her brother, William, on the death of Leveson and to her father in 1615. * Elizabeth Howard (buried 31 March 1646).

Maid of honour A maid of honour is a junior attendant of a queen in royal households. The position was and is junior to the lady-in-waiting. The equivalent title and office has historically been used in most European royal courts. Role Traditionally, a queen r ...

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...

(1576 until 1583). She married

Sir Robert Southwell Sir Robert Southwell PRS (31 December 1635 – 11 September 1702) was a diplomat. He was Secretary of State for Ireland and President of the Royal Society from 1690. Background and education Robert Southwell was born near Kinsale in County ...

(1563 – c. 1598/9) in 1583. One of their daughters, Elizabeth, also a

maid of honour A maid of honour is a junior attendant of a queen in royal households. The position was and is junior to the lady-in-waiting. The equivalent title and office has historically been used in most European royal courts. Role Traditionally, a queen r ...

to Elizabeth from 1599, was a lover and eventually the third wife of her cousin Sir Robert Dudley, the illegitimate son of the

Earl of Leicester Earl of Leicester is a title that has been created seven times. The first title was granted during the 12th century in the Peerage of England. The current title is in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and was created in 1837. Early creations ...

and Douglass Sheffield. Another daughter, Frances, married

Edward Rodney Sir Edward Rodney (29 June 1590 – 1657) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1621 and 1642. History Rodney was the son of Sir John Rodney of Rodney Stoke, Somerset, and his wife Jane Seymour, daug ...

, and a daughter Catherine (d. 1657) married Sir

Greville Verney, 7th Baron Willoughby de Broke Greville Verney, 7th Baron Willoughby de Broke and de jure 15th Baron Latimer (1586 – 12 May 1642) of Compton Verney in Warwickshire, England, served twice as a Member of Parliament for Warwick, in 1614 and 1621. Origins He was the son and hei ...

(c. 1586 – 1642). Elizabeth Howard was secondly married to

John Stewart, 1st Earl of Carrick John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

, (d. 1644).Weiss (2012), p. 40

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nottingham, Catherine Carey, Countess English countesses Ladies of the Bedchamber First Ladies of the Bedchamber 1540s births 1603 deaths People of the Elizabethan era

Catherine Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria. In the early Christ ...

Daughters of barons 16th-century English women 16th-century English nobility 17th-century English women 17th-century English nobility Burials at Chelsea Old Church Court of Elizabeth I Wives of knights