Bridget Wiltshire facts for kids
Bridget Wiltshire (died January 1534) was a close friend and lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn. Anne Boleyn was the second wife of King Henry VIII of England. Bridget was the daughter of Sir John Wiltshire, who lived at Stone Castle in Kent. Her family were neighbours of the Boleyn family. Bridget later married Sir Richard Wingfield.
Life at Court
Bridget Wiltshire was born on an unknown date. Her parents were Sir John Wiltshire and Margaret Graunt. They lived at Stone Castle, in Shurland, Kent.
Bridget started working for Queen Catherine of Aragon sometime before 1520. She was even present at a famous meeting called the Field of the Cloth of Gold in France. This was a big event where King Henry VIII met the King of France. Later, Bridget became a Lady of the Bedchamber for Queen Catherine's successor, Anne Boleyn. A lady-in-waiting was a woman who helped the Queen with her daily life and duties.
Marriages and Children
In 1513, Bridget married her first husband, Sir Richard Wingfield. He was a courtier, which means he worked at the royal court. He was also a diplomat, helping with relations between countries. Sir Richard was also the Lord Deputy of Calais, which meant he was in charge of the English territory of Calais in France.
Sir Richard had been married before to Catherine Woodville. She was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth Woodville, who was King Edward IV's wife.
Bridget and Sir Richard Wingfield had ten children together:
- Charles Wingfield (1513- 24 May 1540), who married Joan Knollys. Joan was the sister of Sir Francis Knollys. She was also the sister-in-law of Catherine Carey, who was Anne Boleyn's niece. Charles and Joan had four children.
- Thomas Wingfield, who became a Member of Parliament. This meant he was part of the group that made laws for the country. He married Margaret Sabyn first, and then Margaret Kerrye. Thomas had children with Margaret Kerrye, including Edward Maria Wingfield, who later helped start a colony in Virginia.
- Jacques Wingfield (1519- 1587), who was a politician.
- Henry Wingfield
- Jane Wingfield, who married Thomas Worlich and later Francis Roe. She had children with Thomas Worlich.
- Mary Wingfield
- Margaret Wingfield, who married Sir Thomas Newman and then a son from the Moyle family.
- Anne Wingfield, who married into the Maidenhead family.
- Elizabeth Wingfield, who married into the Latimer family.
- Catherine Wingfield
Sir Richard Wingfield died in 1525. Bridget then married her second husband, Sir Nicholas Hervey of Ickworth. He was also a courtier and served as an Ambassador to Emperor Charles V. Sir Nicholas was a strong supporter of Anne Boleyn. Bridget and Sir Nicholas had six children: George Hervey, Cecily Hervey, Bridget Hervey, Isabella Hervey, Eleanor Hervey, and William Hervey.
Sir Nicholas died on August 5, 1532. After his death, Bridget married her third husband, Sir Robert Tyrwhitt. Bridget died in January 1534. She had two children with Sir Robert Tyrwhitt: Joan and Arthur Tyrwhitt.
