Margaret Barnes, known in history under her sobriquet Long Meg of Westminster ( fl. 1553), was an English innkeeper. She is an historic person, but the subject of a number of legends and fictional or unconfirmed stories and anecdotes.Carole Levin, Anna Riehl Bertolet, Jo Eldridge Carney,
A Biographical Encyclopedia of Early Modern Englishwomen
' She may have been born Margaret Cleefe, who is found in a contemporaneous register marrying a Richard Barnes on 22 November 1551.'Long Meg of Westminster': a mystery solved." ''Notes and Queries'', vol. 45, no. 3, Sept. 1998, pp. 302+. Margaret Barnes was born in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

but settled 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 ...

early on. She was a

camp follower Camp followers are civilians who follow armies. There are two common types of camp followers; first, the wives and children of soldiers, who follow their spouse or parent's army from place to place; the second type of camp followers have histori ...

laundress in the English army during

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 ...

's campaign to Boulogne 1543–44, during which she is claimed to have shown great courage. Upon her return to London, she married a soldier and opened a successful tavern frequented by soldiers in

Islington Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ar ...

. She is described as a tall and muscular woman, who threatened anyone who caused fights in her tavern by fighting with her outside. In May 1561, she voluntarily appeared before the Bridewell Board of Governors to clear her name following rumors that she ran a Bawdy house. This was instigated by the arrests of several of her associates who were investigated for prostitution. Following this, she moved to

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...

, where a year later she was accused of similar charges.

References

* Carole Levin, Anna Riehl Bertolet, Jo Eldridge Carney,
A Biographical Encyclopedia of Early Modern Englishwomen
' Women in 16th-century warfare 16th-century English businesswomen Businesspeople from London {{England-hist-stub