Eleanor Verney facts for kids
Eleanor Verney was an important English lady who worked for the royal family. She traveled to Scotland with Margaret Tudor in 1503. Margaret Tudor was the daughter of King Henry VII.
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Early Life and Family
Eleanor was the daughter of Geoffrey Pole and Edith St John. Her brother, Richard Pole, married Margaret Plantagenet in 1487. Margaret Plantagenet was the daughter of George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence. This marriage may have helped to heal the country after the War of the Roses.
Serving Queen Elizabeth of York
Eleanor married Ralph Verney. Ralph was a high-ranking helper, called a chamberlain, to Elizabeth of York. Elizabeth was the wife of King Henry VII. The King gave Eleanor and Ralph the manor of Swerford in Oxfordshire.
In 1487, Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, made Ralph Verney the keeper of the parks at Berkhamsted and Kings Langley. Eleanor and Ralph had a son named John in 1488.
Eleanor became the chief lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth of York. She attended the Queen's coronation at Westminster Abbey on 25 November 1487. Ralph Verney received new clothes, a black velvet jacket and gown, in December 1498.
Daily Duties of a Lady-in-Waiting
Records of Queen Elizabeth of York's personal spending show that Lady Verney often went with the Queen. She also made payments for her. For example, in July 1502, Lady Verney paid the ferryman at Datchet. He carried the Queen across the Thames River.
In August, Queen Elizabeth asked Eleanor to make an offering. Eleanor gave 20 pence at the shrine of Saint Frideswide in Oxford. On 28 August, Queen Elizabeth crossed the Severn River at Chepstow. She was going to Thornbury and Berkeley Castle. Lady Verney was with her. She gave 40 shillings to the Queen's personal money at "Walleston," which might be Woolaston near Chepstow.
Lady Verney also paid painters, Robert Fyll and John Reynolds. They made animal symbols, called heraldic beasts, for the garden at Windsor Castle. Eleanor Verney also wrote her name in a copy of a book called Vitas Patrum. This book is now in the Lambeth Palace library.
Journey to Scotland with Princess Margaret
Queen Elizabeth of York died in 1503. After her death, many of her household members began working for her daughter, Margaret Tudor. Margaret was going to marry James IV of Scotland.
Eleanor and Ralph Verney traveled to Scotland with Margaret. Ralph Verney became Margaret Tudor's chamberlain. Margaret's marriage agreement said she could have 24 English helpers. King James IV later promised to pay them fair salaries.
It is thought that a servant at the Scottish court, Ellen More, who was of African descent, was given a new name after Eleanor Verney when she was baptized.
Life at the Scottish Court
In January 1505, King James IV gave Eleanor Verney a New Year's Day gift. It was fabric for a kirtle, which is a type of dress, and probably a gown. She also received a salary. Other English ladies in Margaret's household, like Elizabeth Berlay and Eleanor Johns, also received payments.
In 1506, Eleanor Verney's two young female attendants received a New Year's Day gift. They were given 11 gold coins strung together like beads on necklaces. Eleanor and Ralph Verney were in Haddington and Coldingham in August 1507.
Return to England and Later Years
Eleanor and Ralph Verney returned to England by 1509. They attended the funeral of King Henry VII. After this, they both joined the household of Mary Tudor. Mary Tudor was soon to become the Queen of France.
In 1516, Eleanor was given a yearly wage of £20. King Henry VIII also granted her a barrel of wine each year starting in February 1517.
Ralph Verney died on 6 July 1528. He was buried at Kings Langley in Hertfordshire. There is a monument with statues of them and their family symbols in All Saints' Church, Kings Langley. Eleanor Verney lived longer than her husband. King Henry VIII gave her a yearly payment in April 1532.
