Mary Mildmay Fane, Countess Of Westmorland
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Mary Fane, Countess of Westmorland ( Mildmay; c. 1582 – 9 April 1640) continued her mother
Grace Mildmay Grace, Lady Mildmay (née Sharington or Sherington; ca. 1552–1620) was an English noblewoman, memoirist and medical practitioner. Her autobiography is one of the earliest existing autobiographies of an English woman. Originally from Wiltshire, ...
's interest in physic and was a significant author of spiritual guidance and writer of letters.


Family background

Mary was the daughter and eventual sole heiress of Sir
Anthony Mildmay Sir Anthony Mildmay (died 1617) of Apethorpe Hall, Northamptonshire, served as a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire (UK Parliament constituency), Wiltshire from 1584 to 1586 and as List of ambassadors from the Kingdom of England to France, ...
(d. 1617), of
Apethorpe Hall Apethorpe Palace (pronounced ''App-thorp''), formerly known as "Apethorpe Hall", is a Grade I listed country house, dating to the 15th century, close to Apethorpe, Northamptonshire. It was a "favourite royal residence" for James I. After res ...
, Northamptonshire, and Grace Sherington (1552–1620), who was daughter and co-heir of Sir Henry Sherington (''alias'' Sharington) (c. 1518-1581) of
Lacock Abbey Lacock Abbey in the village of Lacock, Wiltshire, England, was founded in the early 13th century by Ela, Countess of Salisbury, as a nunnery of the Augustinian order. The abbey remained a nunnery until the Dissolution of the monasteries in ...
, Wiltshire. Mary built an imposing monument to her parents at Apethorpe Church in 1621, the sculpture attributed to
Maximilian Colt Maximilian Colt (alias Maximilian Coult) (died after 1641) was a Flemish sculptor who settled in England and eventually rose to become the King's Master Carver. Life Colt was a Calvinist, born in Arras apparently as Maximilian Poultrain, who sett ...
. On 15 February 1598/99, Mary married Francis Fane, and he became the Earl of Westmorland. They lived at Apethorpe and in London, at the Old Savoy.


Writing and Letters

Mary Mildmay Fane collated and transcribed her mother's medical works, a bequest of over 2,000 sheets of paper. Grace had dedicated her volume of 'Spiritual Meditations' to Mary, writing of scripture as a gift to "Mary, the Lady Fane, wife of the Honourable Knight, Sir Francis Fane". Mary later passed this blessing to her newly married daughter Grace, Countess of Home, in a letter of January 1627. She composed the verse carved on the gallery mantelpiece at Apethorpe:
Rare & ever to be wisht maye sownde heere
Instruments w ih fainte sp ites & muses cheere
Composing for the Body, Soul, and Eare
Which sicknes, sadnes, & Foule spirits feare
Mary wrote a 'Book of Advices to the Children' for her sons Francis and Mildmay. She also wrote letters of advice to Francis. Other surviving letters include a group of business letters sent to
Emmanuel College, Cambridge Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth I. The site on which the college sits was once a priory for Dominican mo ...
, six letters to her daughter Grace Fane, Countess of Home, concerning her health and hopes of pregnancy, and a number of letters of petition to Viscount Dorchester and others. Her handwriting includes a distinctive ampersand, which also appears in her daughters' writings. After her daughter, Grace, Countess of Home died at Apethorpe in 1633, as her executrix, the Countess of Westmorland disputed her property with the Mary, the dowager Countess of Home. She obtained the favour of Charles I, who wrote to the
Court of Session The Court of Session is the highest national court of Scotland in relation to Civil law (common law), civil cases. The court was established in 1532 to take on the judicial functions of the royal council. Its jurisdiction overlapped with othe ...
in Edinburgh on her behalf on 5 May 1634. On December 1635 she wrote to Secretary Windebank thanking him for royal letters sent in her favour and asking him to prevent the king taking the side of her adversary, the Countess of Home, who was then in London. Westmorland explained that Home had the advantage of continual residence and acquaintance in Edinburgh. She asked him to keep her business secret. On 6 May 1639 Mary wrote a letter to Secretary Windebank advising against sending an army to Scotland in the first Bishop's War. The letter has sometimes been attributed to her daughter-in-law, Mary Vere. A later reader endorsed it as, "A very sencible and Prophetick letter". She wrote that the Scots were better prepared and better suited for war;
"The Scots have many spies which flock about the King; and they cannot but know how the state of this kingdom stands, and be encouraged, knowing how uncertainly a war will be maintained, which is to be maintained out of prerogative, imposition, and voluntary contributions. They know our divisions, and the state of their own combination; and that they have a party amongst us, and that we have none amongst them, and they are a people that can live of nothing, and we, that can want nothing without discontentment and mutiny, and our men and horses so unused to war, that if his majesty attempt any thing before they be better exercised, the dishonour is likely to be increased ...
They say the women in Scotland are the chief stirrers of this war. I think it not so shameful for women of England to wish well to the peace of these nations, whether it be by word or writing; yet I pray you, when you read this letter, to burn it, that it might not rise up in any body's judgement but yours, against me, to tax my zeal with ignorance, who would willingly sacrifice my own life to the quenching of this fire."
Writing to her daughter Rachel Fane on 9 January 1640, Mary, now dowager countess, called herself an old hen, her daughter Katherine a chick, and praised Mary Vere; "the olde hen left at home, with her best chick, my daughter of Westmorland hath proved a good Christmas woman & has made on, & allowed of much mirth". Mary died at Stevenage on 9 April 1640 and was buried at Apethorpe.


Family and Children

Mary and Francis had seven sons and six daughters:


Sons

*
Mildmay Fane, 2nd Earl of Westmorland Mildmay Fane, 2nd Earl of Westmorland (24 January 1602 – 12 February 1666), styled Lord le Despenser between 1624 and 1628, was an English nobleman, politician and writer. Life One of seven sons of Francis Fane by his wife Mary Mildmay, ...
(24 January 1602 – 12 February 1666), a poet and Member of Parliament. *Thomas Fane, died in infancy * Francis Fane (c. 1611–1681?) of Fulbeck. He was a Royalist governor of
Doncaster Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...
, and afterwards of
Lincoln Castle Lincoln Castle is a major medieval castle constructed in Lincoln, England, during the late 11th century by William the Conqueror on the site of a pre-existing Roman fortress. The castle is unusual in that it has two mottes. It is one of only ...
. He was the great-grandfather of Thomas Fane, 8th Earl of Westmorland. *Anthony Fane (1613–1643), a colonel in the Parliamentary army, who was injured at the siege of
Farnham Castle Farnham Castle is a 12th-century castle in Farnham, Surrey, England. It was formerly the residence of the Bishop of Winchester, Bishops of Winchester. History Built in 1138 by Henri de Blois, Bishop of Winchester, grandson of William I of En ...
on 9 December 1642 and died at his home in
Kingston upon Thames Kingston upon Thames, colloquially known as Kingston, is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, south-west London, England. It is situated on the River Thames, south-west of Charing Cross. It is an ancient market town, notable as ...
early the following year. *Colonel George Fane (c. 1616 – April 1663), a Royalist officer and later Member of Parliament. *William Fane *Robert Fane


Daughters

*Grace Fane (1604-1633), who married
James Home, 2nd Earl of Home James Home, 2nd Earl of Home (died 1633) was a Scottish nobleman. Biography James was the son of Alexander Home, 1st Earl of Home and Mary, Countess of Home. Known as "Lord Dunglass", he became Earl of Home when his father died in London in April ...
(died 1633). *Mary Fane (1606-1634) married, after 18 May 1625, Dutton Gerard, 3rd Baron Gerard (1613-1640), grandson of
Thomas Gerard, 1st Baron Gerard Thomas Gerard, 1st Baron Gerard (c. 1564 – 15 January 1618) was a Staffordshire and Lancashire landowner and politician, a member of six Parliament of England, English parliaments for three different constituencies. Although a prominent membe ...
*Elizabeth Fane (b. 1608), who married John Cope, and secondly William Cope, by whom she was grandmother of Sir John Cope * Rachel Fane (1614-1681), who married of
Henry Bourchier, 5th Earl of Bath Henry Bourchier, 5th Earl of Bath (1587 – 16 August 1654) of Tawstock in Devon, was an English Peerage, peer who held the office of Lord Privy Seal and was a large landowner in Ireland in Limerick and Armagh counties, and in England in Devo ...
(1593-1654), of Tawstock Court, Devon. *Frances Fane. Died unmarried, some time before 9 April 1640. *Catherine Fane.


References


External links


'Physic & Lace Bonnets': Examining a letter from the Countess of Westmorland to her daughter Grace, Countess of Home

Letters from the Countess of Westmorland to her daughter Grace, Countess of Home, in Scotland
{{DEFAULTSORT:Westmorland, Mary Mildmay Fane, Countess of 1580s births 1640 deaths 17th-century English women writers 17th-century English writers
Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a female given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religion * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also called the Blesse ...
British spiritual writers British letter writers Women letter writers English countesses Wives of knights