Dorothy Bray, Baroness Chandos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dorothy Bray (Braye)
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| Baroness Chandos | |
Portrait by John Bettes the Younger, alleged to be that of Dorothy Braye, Baroness Chandos, c. 1578
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| Born | c. 1524 Eaton Bray, Bedfordshire, England |
| Died | 31 October 1605 (aged 80-81) Minty, Gloucestershire |
| Buried | Rotherfield Greys Church |
| Spouse(s) | Edmund Brydges, 2nd Baron Chandos William Knollys MP |
| Issue | Mary Brydges Katherine Brydges Eleanor Brydges Giles Brydges, 3rd Baron Chandos William Brydges, 4th Baron Chandos |
| Father | Sir Edmund Braye, 1st Baron Braye |
| Mother | Jane Halliwell |
| Occupation | Maid of Honour |
Dorothy Bray (or Braye), Baroness Chandos (born around 1524 – died 31 October 1605) was an English noblewoman. She worked as a Maid of Honour for three of King Henry VIII of England's queens. These queens were Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Dorothy Bray was born around 1524 in Eaton Bray, Bedfordshire, England. She was the youngest child of Sir Edmund Braye, 1st Baron Braye, and Jane Halliwell.
Dorothy had a brother named John Braye, 2nd Baron Braye. She also had five older sisters. Her oldest sister, Anne, was much older than her.
Life at the Royal Court
Dorothy first came to the royal court in 1540. She served as a Maid of Honour to Anne of Cleves, who was King Henry VIII's fourth wife.
When King Henry's marriage to Anne ended, Dorothy continued her service. She became a Maid of Honour to Catherine Howard, whom the King married in July 1540.
Later, in 1543, King Henry married Catherine Parr. Dorothy joined Queen Catherine's household, again serving as one of her Maids of Honour.
Marriages and Children
Around 1546, Dorothy married her first husband, Edmund Brydges. He was the son of John Brydges, 1st Baron Chandos.
Dorothy and Edmund had five children together:
- Mary Brydges
- Katherine Brydges (died before December 1597). She married William Sandys, 3rd Baron Sandys of the Vyne. They had one daughter named Elizabeth.
- Eleanor Brydges. She married George Giffard.
- Giles Brydges, 3rd Baron Chandos (1547- 21 February 1594). He married Frances Clinton de Fiennes. They had two daughters.
- William Brydges, 4th Baron Chandos (born around 1552 - died 18 November 1602). He married Mary Hopton. They had a son, Grey Brydges, 5th Baron Chandos, and a daughter, Frances Brydges.
On 12 April 1557, Dorothy's husband became the 2nd Baron Chandos. From then on, Dorothy was known as Baroness Chandos. In her later years, people sometimes called her "Old Lady Chandos."
Dorothy and Edmund lived at Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire.
Edmund died on 11 March 1573. Their oldest son, Giles, became the next Baron Chandos. The following year, Queen Elizabeth visited Dorothy at Sudeley Castle.
Dorothy later married her second husband, William Knollys MP. He was quite a bit younger than her. The exact date of their marriage is not known.
A portrait painted around 1578 by John Bettes the Younger is thought to be of Dorothy.
Later Life and Death
Dorothy Bray died in Minty, Gloucestershire, on 31 October 1605. She was about 81 years old.
She was buried in Rotherfield Greys Church in Oxfordshire. You can still see a statue of her there. Her grandson, Grey Brydges, 5th Baron Chandos, inherited her property.
Less than two months after Dorothy passed away, William Knollys married his second wife, Lady Elizabeth Howard.
Images for kids
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Portrait by John Bettes the Younger, believed to be Dorothy Braye, Baroness Chandos.
