Lady Blanche Arundell (née Lady Blanche Somerset; 1583 or – 28 October 1649) was an English noblewoman, known as the defender of

Wardour Castle Wardour Castle is a ruined 14th-century castle at Wardour, on the boundaries of the civil parishes of Tisbury and Donhead St Andrew in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Salisbury. The castle was built in the 1390s, came into th ...

, where she defended the castle for nearly a week with just 25 men and her maidservants against a force of 1300.

Biography

Arundell was born Blanche Somerset in 1583 or 1584, daughter of

Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester, KG, Earl Marshal (c. 1550 – 3 March 1628) was an English aristocrat. He was an important advisor to King James I (James VI of Scots), serving as Lord Privy Seal. He was the only son of three children ...

, and

Lady Elizabeth Hastings Lady Elizabeth Hastings (19 April 1682 – 21 December 1739), also known as Lady Betty, was an English philanthropist, religious devotee and supporter of women's education. She was an intelligent and energetic woman, with a wide circle of conn ...

. She danced in the masque at the marriage of Anne Russell and

Henry Somerset, 1st Marquess of Worcester Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

in June 1600. The other dancers, led by

Mary Fitton Mary Fitton (or Fytton) (baptised 24 June 1578 – 1647) was an Elizabethan gentlewoman who became a maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth. She is noted for her scandalous affairs with William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, Vice-Admiral Sir Richa ...

, were Lady Dougherty, Mistress Carey,

Elizabeth Southwell Lady Elizabeth Southwell ( née Cromwell), called Lady Cromwell (1674–1709) was an English noblewoman, the only daughter of Vere Essex Cromwell, 4th Earl of Ardglass and wife Catherine Hamilton. Title When her father died in 1687, she claimed ...

, Mistress Onslow, Bess Russell, and Mistress Darcy. They wore skirts of cloth of silver, waistcoats embroidered with coloured silks and silver and gold thread, mantles of carnation taffeta, and "loose hair about their shoulders" which was also "curiously knotted and interlaced". On 11 May 1607 (date of settlement for the marriage) she married

Thomas Arundell, 2nd Baron Arundell of Wardour Thomas Arundell, 2nd Baron Arundell of Wardour ( – 19 May 1643) was an England, English nobleman son of Thomas Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour and Lady Mary Wriothesley. Life He succeeded to the title of 2nd Baron Arundell of Wardour, ...

, son of

Thomas Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour Thomas Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour (c. 15607 November 1639) was the eldest son of Matthew Arundell, Sir Matthew Arundell of Wardour Castle in Wiltshire (ca. 1532/1534 – 24 December 1598), and Margaret Willoughby, the daughter of Sir ...

, and Lady Mary Wriothesley. They had three children: * Henry Arundell, 3rd Baron Arundell of Wardour * Katherine Arundell * Anne Arundell Arundell was a

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 ...

Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I; as such, she was Queen of Scotland The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional fo ...

John Finet Sir John Finet or Finett (1571–1641) was the English Master of the Ceremonies in the Stuart court. Early life Finet was a son of Robert Finet (d. 1582) of Soulton, near Dover, Kent. His mother was Alice, daughter and coheiress of John Wenlock, ...

described the reception of Isabelle Brûlart, the wife of French ambassador Gaspard Dauvet, Sieur des Marets, at

Denmark House Somerset House is a large Neoclassical complex situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The Georgian era quadrangle was built on the site of a Tudor palace (" ...

on the

Strand Strand may refer to: Topography *The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a: ** Beach ** Shoreline *Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida Places Africa *Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa * Strand Street, ...

in December 1617. He brought her to a chamber in the first court where she was joined by Arundell, Mistress Barbara Sidney (daughter of the Viscountess Lisle), Mistress Southwell of the queen's privy chamber, and Mistress Gargrave (one of her Majesty's maids of honour). A gentleman usher then took Brûlart to the queen in the Privy Chamber. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, Lord Arundell brought together a regiment of horsemen in support of King Charles I, who he led into the

Battle of Stratton The Battle of Stratton, also known as the Battle of Stamford Hill, took place on 16 May 1643, during the First English Civil War. In the battle, the Royalists destroyed Parliament's field army in Devon and Cornwall. Background When the war s ...

in Cornwall on 16 May 1643. He was injured during the battle and died on 19 May 1643. From 2 May 1643, during the absence of her husband, she defended Wardour Castle, near Tisbury, Wiltshire, for six days with only herself, her children, a few maidservants, and twenty-five men against the Parliamentary forces of thirteen hundred menGoddard, p. 21 and artillery commanded by two Parliamentary officers, Sir Edward Hungerford and Colonel

Edmund Ludlow Edmund Ludlow (c. 1617–1692) was an English parliamentarian, best known for his involvement in the execution of Charles I, and for his ''Memoirs'', which were published posthumously in a rewritten form and which have become a major source f ...

. She finally was forced to surrender on honourable terms. However, the terms were not honoured: the castle was sacked and she was removed as a prisoner to

Shaftesbury Shaftesbury () is a town and civil parish in Dorset, England. It is situated on the A30 road, west of Salisbury, near the border with Wiltshire. It is the only significant hilltop settlement in Dorset, being built about above sea level on a ...

. However, due to her illness, she was instead moved to Dorchester. She died at

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

, Hampshire, and was buried at Tisbury. Her will dated 28 September 1649 was probated on 2 November 1649.

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Arundell, Lady Blanche 1580s births 1649 deaths Blanche Arundell Cavaliers Daughters of British earls English baronesses Household of Anne of Denmark People from Wiltshire Blanche Arundell Women in the English Civil War