Anne Sackville, Baroness Dacre facts for kids
Anne Fiennes, Baroness Dacre (died 10 May 1595) was an important English noblewoman and a generous supporter of good causes. She is best known for setting up a special hospital and school for poor people and children.
Her Early Life and Family
Anne Fiennes was born Anne Sackville. Her father was Sir Richard Sackville, who managed money for Elizabeth I, the Queen of England. Her mother was Winifred Bridges. Anne had a brother named Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset.
Anne Sackville married Gregory Fiennes. Gregory's family had faced some difficulties, but in 1558, he and his sister Margaret were given back their family titles and rights. Anne and Gregory had one daughter, Elizabeth, but she sadly died when she was very young.
Life in Chelsea
Anne was known for being a strong-willed woman. She and her husband made their home in a famous house in Chelsea, London. This house had once belonged to Sir Thomas More. Anne's brother, Lord Buckhurst, often stayed with them there.
Gregory Fiennes, Lord Dacre, passed away in Chelsea in September 1594. Anne survived him by only a few months, dying in the same house in May 1595. They were both buried in the More Chapel at Chelsea Old Church. A beautiful marble monument was built there to honor them. It shows statues of Anne and Gregory, decorated with flowers.
Her Lasting Gift
Just a few months before she died, Lady Dacre made a very important will. In her will, she made sure that a special place called Emanuel Hospital would be built. This hospital was meant to be a home for twenty poor people (ten men and ten women). It also included a school for twenty poor children.
This generous gift was something Anne and her husband had planned to do together during their lives. The money to support the hospital and school came from their land in Yorkshire.
Lady Dacre also left some of her properties in Chelsea, Kensington, and Brompton to Lord Burghley, who was a very important advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. She also gave a valuable jewel to the Queen and other jewels, including a picture of the Queen, to her brother, Lord Buckhurst.
