London, Westminster, St Margarets
1595 monument to Blanche Parry c1507-1590 who served Queen Elizabeth for 57 years from the monarchs infancy.
"Hereunder is entombed Blanche Parry, daughter of Henry Parry of New Court in the County of Hereford, esquire, gentlewoman of Queen Elizabeth's most honourable bedchamber and keeper of her majesty's jewels, whom she faithfully served from her highness' birth. Beneficial to her kinsfolk and countrymen, charitable to the poor, insomuch that she gave to the poor of Bacton and Newton in Herefordshire seven score bushels of wheat and rye yearly for ever, with divers sums of money to Westminster and other places for good uses. She died a maid in the 82nd years of her age, the 12th of February 1589"
Bilingual Blanche was born c1507/08 to Henry ap Harry Esq of Newcourt Bacton and Alicia daughter of Simon Milborn esq (grand daughter of Miles ap Harry by Jane Stradling flic.kr/p/48V5Ck neice of William Earl of Pembroke) . Bilingual in Welsh and English, though brought up in a Welsh cultural environment . She came with her aunt Blanche Herbert Lady Troy to the English court of Henry VIII. Lady Troy served as Lady Mistress to 2 of Henry VIII's children, Elizabeth and Edward. Aged about 25 Blanche worked alongside her aunt in the royal nursery and would later write in her own epitaph that she was the future Queen Elizabeth I's cradle-rocker. Blanche remained in Princess Elizabeth's household, and along with Katherine Champernowne-Ashley, shared in the many perils of Elizabeth youth. Blanche may have accompanied her to the Tower of London when she was imprisoned by her sister, Mary Tudor on suspicion of giving support to the Wyatt Rebellion, . She was with Elizabeth after she was released from prison and confined to Woodstock and then Hatfield and was also with her when she received the news of her succession to the throne..
Blanche was one of the first people to receive an appointment in Elizabeth I's household; as Keeper of Her Majesty's Jewels also looking after her most personal belongings, books, letters and papers, linens and furs.
When Katherine Ashley died in 1565 Blanche took over her duties as Chief Gentlewoman of the Privy Chamber. As the woman in charge of Queens inner-sanctum, she was a powerful woman, sought out by those who wished to petition the queen or seek favour She also wrote minor correspondences on her behalf,
and rode and hunted with the queen
Blanche never married and became independently wealthy, she was granted wardships and estates in Herefordshire, Yorkshire, and Wales.
In 1576-77, Blanche wrote her first will, which was supervised by her cousin William Cecil, Lord Burghley and commissioned her own monument in Bacton Church www.flickr.com/photos/52219527@N00/8647983115/ where she had worshipped as a child .. The inscription on the monument includes the phrase, "with maiden Queen a maid did end my life"
Blanche began to lose her eyesight in old age which would have affected her work, but the queen did not part with her.
In her last will of 1589 she asked to be buried at St Margarets Westminster near her nephew John Vaughan, a wealthy woman she left more than 6 diamonds, 8 pieces of plate, some weighing as much as 60 ounces, one set of wall hangings, 3 carpets, c £2000, 9 pieces of jewellery that did not contain diamonds including "a chain of gold and girdle which the Queen gave me", 12 napkins, 1 towel, over 6 annual annuities from rents, and clothing. She left her "best diamond" to Elizabeth and "a pair of sables garnished with 8 chains of gold". There were generous bequests to her relatives and friends including William Cecil, Sir Christopher Hatton, Lady Dorothy Stafford and her "very good friend the Lady Cobham, one gold ring"
She was buried in the late evening of Friday 27th February, at the queens expense "befitting a baroness" although she herself had left £300 for her burial. Her chief mourner being her great niece Frances Lady Burgh.
She is also shown with the queen in a window brought from Bacton to Atcham www.flickr.com/photos/52219527@N00/2058632951/
a href="http://beingbess.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/on-this-day-in-elizabethan-history_12.html" rel="nofollow">beingbess.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/on-this-day-in-elizabeth...
London, Westminster, St Margarets
1595 monument to Blanche Parry c1507-1590 who served Queen Elizabeth for 57 years from the monarchs infancy.
"Hereunder is entombed Blanche Parry, daughter of Henry Parry of New Court in the County of Hereford, esquire, gentlewoman of Queen Elizabeth's most honourable bedchamber and keeper of her majesty's jewels, whom she faithfully served from her highness' birth. Beneficial to her kinsfolk and countrymen, charitable to the poor, insomuch that she gave to the poor of Bacton and Newton in Herefordshire seven score bushels of wheat and rye yearly for ever, with divers sums of money to Westminster and other places for good uses. She died a maid in the 82nd years of her age, the 12th of February 1589"
Bilingual Blanche was born c1507/08 to Henry ap Harry Esq of Newcourt Bacton and Alicia daughter of Simon Milborn esq (grand daughter of Miles ap Harry by Jane Stradling flic.kr/p/48V5Ck neice of William Earl of Pembroke) . Bilingual in Welsh and English, though brought up in a Welsh cultural environment . She came with her aunt Blanche Herbert Lady Troy to the English court of Henry VIII. Lady Troy served as Lady Mistress to 2 of Henry VIII's children, Elizabeth and Edward. Aged about 25 Blanche worked alongside her aunt in the royal nursery and would later write in her own epitaph that she was the future Queen Elizabeth I's cradle-rocker. Blanche remained in Princess Elizabeth's household, and along with Katherine Champernowne-Ashley, shared in the many perils of Elizabeth youth. Blanche may have accompanied her to the Tower of London when she was imprisoned by her sister, Mary Tudor on suspicion of giving support to the Wyatt Rebellion, . She was with Elizabeth after she was released from prison and confined to Woodstock and then Hatfield and was also with her when she received the news of her succession to the throne..
Blanche was one of the first people to receive an appointment in Elizabeth I's household; as Keeper of Her Majesty's Jewels also looking after her most personal belongings, books, letters and papers, linens and furs.
When Katherine Ashley died in 1565 Blanche took over her duties as Chief Gentlewoman of the Privy Chamber. As the woman in charge of Queens inner-sanctum, she was a powerful woman, sought out by those who wished to petition the queen or seek favour She also wrote minor correspondences on her behalf,
and rode and hunted with the queen
Blanche never married and became independently wealthy, she was granted wardships and estates in Herefordshire, Yorkshire, and Wales.
In 1576-77, Blanche wrote her first will, which was supervised by her cousin William Cecil, Lord Burghley and commissioned her own monument in Bacton Church www.flickr.com/photos/52219527@N00/8647983115/ where she had worshipped as a child .. The inscription on the monument includes the phrase, "with maiden Queen a maid did end my life"
Blanche began to lose her eyesight in old age which would have affected her work, but the queen did not part with her.
In her last will of 1589 she asked to be buried at St Margarets Westminster near her nephew John Vaughan, a wealthy woman she left more than 6 diamonds, 8 pieces of plate, some weighing as much as 60 ounces, one set of wall hangings, 3 carpets, c £2000, 9 pieces of jewellery that did not contain diamonds including "a chain of gold and girdle which the Queen gave me", 12 napkins, 1 towel, over 6 annual annuities from rents, and clothing. She left her "best diamond" to Elizabeth and "a pair of sables garnished with 8 chains of gold". There were generous bequests to her relatives and friends including William Cecil, Sir Christopher Hatton, Lady Dorothy Stafford and her "very good friend the Lady Cobham, one gold ring"
She was buried in the late evening of Friday 27th February, at the queens expense "befitting a baroness" although she herself had left £300 for her burial. Her chief mourner being her great niece Frances Lady Burgh.
She is also shown with the queen in a window brought from Bacton to Atcham www.flickr.com/photos/52219527@N00/2058632951/
a href="http://beingbess.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/on-this-day-in-elizabethan-history_12.html" rel="nofollow">beingbess.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/on-this-day-in-elizabeth...