Martha, Lady Giffard born Martha Temple (1639–1722) was an English letter writer and biographer. She was at her brother's side as he brought about the

Triple Alliance Triple Alliance may refer to: * Aztec Triple Alliance (1428–1521), Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan and in central Mexico * Triple Alliance (1596), England, France, and the Dutch Republic to counter Spain * Triple Alliance (1668), England, the ...

in 1668 bringing peace to England and its neighbours.

Life

Giffard was born in 1638. Her parents were John Temple and Mary (daughter of Dr. John Hammond, of Chertsey, Surrey) and her mother died the year she was born. She had two elder brothers who survived childhood, William and John. She had an at home education. In February 1654 she was in Ireland with her brother William in Dublin. This was the year that he would marry for love to

Dorothy Osborne Dorothy Osborne, Lady Temple (1627–1695) was a British writer of letters and wife of Sir William Temple, 1st Baronet. Life Osborne was born at Chicksands Priory, Bedfordshire, England, the youngest of twelve children of Sir Peter Osborne, Lieu ...

on Christmas Day. The marriage would last until 1695. On 21 April 1662 she married a royalist Sir Thomas Giffard, baronet of

Castlejordan, County Meath Castlejordan () is a village and townland in County Meath, Ireland. It is located in the south of the county, close to the border with County Offaly, to the south of Kinnegad. The townland of Castlejordan has an area of approximately , and ...

who was a relation of Lord Halsbury. It was a short marriage as he died of natural causes on 4 May of the same year. She would not marry again and she was known for controlling her passion, although she was exchanging letters with the diplomat and potential suitor Sir William Godolphin. She was involved with Royalist politics as she travelled with her brother, William. They living in Brussels in 1667 and he sent his family home. She understood languages and she travelled with him to diplomatic meetings in Amsterdam and The Hague leading up to the 1668 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle and the end of her letters to Godolphin. The treaty was underwritten by the

, that her brother took the credit for, ending a war and bringing England peace with its neighbours.

Death and legacy

In 1722, she died and she left money to Esther Johnson and Jonathon Swift's sister Mrs Fenton who had been her companion in 1711. Her biography of her brother, ''The life and character of Sir William Temple, Bart.,'' was published in 1728 with the author named as "a particular friend".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Giffard, Martha 1639 births 1722 deaths English letter writers Women letter writers 17th-century letter writers 17th-century English women writers 17th-century English writers 18th-century biographers 18th-century English non-fiction writers 18th-century English women writers