Anne Manners, Lady Roos facts for kids
Anne Manners, Lady Roos (born March 9, 1631 – died before January 1697), also known as Lady Anne Pierrepont, was a notable figure in English history. She was the first wife of John Manners, 1st Duke of Rutland. Their marriage ended in a very public way. Their divorce in 1670 was a big deal because it was the first one allowed in England since the Reformation, a major religious change in the 1500s.
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Anne's Early Life and Marriage
Anne was the daughter of Henry Pierrepont, 1st Marquess of Dorchester, and Cecilia Bayning. She married Lord Roos, who later became the Earl of Rutland, on July 15, 1658. He was the heir to a very important family title. Their first child was a daughter, but sadly, she passed away when she was very young.
Later, Anne had a son. Her husband, Lord Roos, did not believe the child was his. Because of this, the boy was named "Ignoto" (which means "unknown" in Latin) when he was baptized. Lord Roos then sent the baby to live with a foster family.
The Historic Divorce
Quick facts for kids Illegitimation of Lady Anne Roos' Children Act 1666 |
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| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act for the Illegitimation of the Children of the Lady Anne Roos. |
| Citation | 18 & 19 Cha. 2. c. 8 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 8 February 1667 |
The situation with Anne and Lord Roos was so unusual that it led to special laws being passed by the English Parliament.
Laws About Children and Remarriage
In 1667, a special law was made. This law stated that any children Anne had after 1659 were not considered legitimate children of Lord Roos. This was a very rare and serious step. Then, in 1670, another law was passed. This second law gave Lord Roos permission to marry again. This was a big deal because divorces were almost unheard of at the time.
Lord Roos, who was a Member of Parliament (MP), usually didn't pay much attention to Parliament. But he became very involved when he needed support for his divorce. After the divorce, Lady Anne Roos started using the name Lady Anne Vaughan.
Royal Interest in the Divorce
King Charles II of England often attended meetings in the House of Lords, where these laws were discussed. A rumor spread that the King might want to use Lord Roos's divorce as an example. People thought he might try to divorce his own wife, Queen Catherine of Braganza, because they did not have any children who survived.
Anne's father tried to challenge Lord Roos to a duel, but it didn't happen. Anne eventually got her son, Ignoto, back and gave him a new name. She later had another son, and these two boys became known as John and Charles Manners.
Lord Roos's Later Marriages
After his divorce from Anne, Lord Roos married Lady Diana Bruce in 1671. He later married a third time to Catherine Wriothesley Noel. He had legitimate children with Catherine.
See Also
