Joan, Lady Thynne, born Joan Hayward (1558 – 3 March 1612) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

gentlewoman. She took an active role in managing property including

Caus Castle Caus Castle is a ruin of a hill fort and medieval castle in the civil parish of Westbury in the English county of Shropshire. It is situated up on the eastern foothills of the Long Mountain guarding the route from Shrewsbury, Shropshire to Mon ...

which was captured by force; she then managed and defended it. The secret marriage of her son is said to have inspired

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's retelling of the ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

'' story. Joan fought the marriage for seven years. She did not forgive her son and took him to court again after he inherited

Longleat House Longleat is an English stately home and the seat of the Marquesses of Bath. A leading and early example of the Elizabethan prodigy house, it is adjacent to the village of Horningsham and near the towns of Warminster and Westbury in Wiltshire, ...

Life

She was baptised in 1558. Her parents were Lady Joan (born Tyllesworth) and Sir

Rowland Hayward Sir Rowland Hayward (c. 15205 December 1593) was a London merchant, and Lord Mayor of the City in both 1570 and 1591. Through his commercial activities he acquired considerable wealth, and was able to loan money to Queen Elizabeth I and pu ...

. Her father was the first

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 ...

. Her mother died in 1580 and her father married again giving her in time three surviving brothers and two surviving sisters.Hayward, Sir Rowland (c.1520–1593), History of Parliament
Retrieved 11 April 2013.. She had an arranged marriage with

John Thynne Sir John Thynne (c. 1515 – 21 May 1580) was the steward to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (c. 1506 – 1552), and a member of parliament. He was the builder of Longleat House, and his descendants became Marquess of Bath, Marquesses of ...

and they had two sons including

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

. As part of the marriage settlement her father gave them property including

. However

Edward Stafford, 3rd Baron Stafford Edward Stafford, 3rd Baron Stafford (7 January 1535 – 18 October 1603) was the second surviving son of Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford and Ursula Pole. He was the younger brother of Henry Stafford, 2nd Baron Stafford. He served in Parliame ...

disputed the ownership and refused to allow them to occupy the property. Joan was credited with teaching her husband and she was a very involved partner. She advised on tactics and management and she handled the legal disputes with Stafford about the property. After he and Joan took Caus Castle by force in 1591, Joan lived at Caus whilst John was based at Longleat. The letters between them illustrate their partnership. Joan appears to have managed many aspects of their estate. She not only managed but is credited with defending Caus Castle, keeping guns and gunpowder in her bedroom. In 1594 her son Thomas made a secret and in her opinion an ill-advised marriage to Maria Tuchet, who was the daughter of George Tuchet then Lord Audley. Joan was involved with unsuccessful attempts to get that marriage annulled. The story is said to have contributed to the inspiration for

's ''

''. The dispute over the marriage was resolved in 1601 by

Daniel Donne Sir Daniel Donne (or Dunn) (died 1617) was an English jurist. Life He was the son of Robert Donne and descended from John Dwnn of Radnorshire, was educated at Oxford, where he was a member of All Souls College, and was admitted to the degree of ...

who was the

Dean of the Court of Arches The Dean of the Arches is the judge who presides in the provincial ecclesiastical court of the Archbishop of Canterbury. This court is called the Arches Court of Canterbury. It hears appeals from consistory courts and bishop's disciplinary tribuna ...

, who ruled against her claim. When her husband John died in 1604 Longleat went into the hands of her enemy Maria Thynne. Joan did not forgive her son and in 1605 she, on behalf of her daughters, took him to the chancery court. She was a patron of the arts; John Maynard dedicated his satirical music to her in 1611 titled ''The XII Wonders of the World ''. Thynne died suddenly in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

in 1612. She had made plans for this which she had detailed in her will. Her daughters, not her son, were the executors but they were thwarted as the funds available were insufficient to fund her bequests.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thynne, Joan Women of the Tudor period 1550s births 1612 deaths Thynne family