Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger Lady Scudamore

Mary Scudamore ( Shelton; c. 1550 – 1603) was a courtier to Elizabeth I.

Career

She was a daughter of Sir John Shelton of Shelton Hall, Norfolk and his wife, Margaret Parker. She joined the household of Queen Elizabeth around the year 1567, serving as a

chamberer A chamberer was a female attendant of an English queen, queen consort, or princess. There were similar positions in aristocratic households. Chamberers at court At court, the position was similar to a male groom of the privy chamber. The names of t ...

. Her family reached the zenith of their influence during the reign 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 ...

, when Mary's grandparents,

Sir John Shelton Sir John Shelton (1476/7 – 1539) of Shelton in Norfolk, England, was a courtier to King Henry VIII. Through his marriage to Anne Boleyn, a sister and co-heiress of Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire of Blickling Hall in Norfolk, he bec ...

and Anne Shelton were entrusted with the custody of the future queens Mary I and Elizabeth I, in part because Anne Shelton was the aunt of Anne Boleyn. Also, Mary's aunt, poet

Mary Shelton Mary Shelton (1510-1515 – 1570/71) was one of the contributors to the Devonshire manuscript. Either she or her sister Madge Shelton may have been a mistress of King Henry VIII. Family Both Margaret and Mary were daughters of Sir John Shel ...

, was the King's mistress. In 1571, Mary, as a chamberer, was given an allowance of clothing including satin for a gown, velvet to border and the gown, and sarcenet silk for its lining. She was to receive similar fabric every year. Some of her clothes were gifts from the queen, made by her tailor Walter Fyshe. Mary Scudamore married another courtier, the gentleman usher, Sir John Scudamore of Holme Lacy, Herefordshire. She married him secretly. and their marriage was revealed early in 1575. Elizabeth I was apparently extremely angry that this had been done without her consent, and allegedly attacked Mary, breaking her finger. A courtier wrote that Elizabeth was liberal both with blows and evil words. In October 1574, Elizabeth I gave her, "Mistress Mary Skydmore", a gift of a forepart or skirt front.Janet Arnold, ''Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd'' (Maney, 1988), p. 101.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scudamore, Mary Ladies of the Privy Chamber Chamberers at court 1603 deaths 1550s births 16th-century English women 17th-century English women 17th-century English people Mary Mary Court of Elizabeth I