Elizabeth Bowes facts for kids

Elizabeth Bowes (born Elizabeth Aske; 1505 – around 1572) was an English woman who followed the Protestant faith. She lived as an exile for a time and was connected to John Knox, a famous religious reformer. He was her son-in-law.

Her Early Life and Family

Elizabeth Aske was born in August 1505. Her father was Roger Aske, and her mother was Margery Sedgwick.

When Elizabeth and her sister Anne were young, their parents and grandfather passed away. This meant they inherited land. In 1510, their care was given to Sir Ralph Bowes, who would become Elizabeth's future father-in-law.

Anne Aske married Ralph Bulmer. In 1521, Elizabeth Aske was set to marry Richard Bowes (born around 1497), Sir Ralph's youngest son. The King allowed Richard to use half of William Aske's lands when he married Elizabeth. Richard Bowes often worked in the border areas of England, but he mostly lived at Aske.

Life in Berwick and Meeting John Knox

In 1548, Richard Bowes became the captain of Norham Castle. Elizabeth and her children moved north to be with him, living in Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Elizabeth was a very religious person. She was greatly influenced by the Protestant Reformation, a big change in the Christian church. In 1549, she met John Knox, who was also living in Berwick.

Knox wanted to marry Elizabeth's daughter, Margery Bowes. However, Richard Bowes was proud of his family and did not want his daughter to marry Knox. Despite this, Knox and Margery decided to marry anyway in July 1553.

Around this time, Knox was facing difficulties. Queen Mary had just become queen, and she was against Protestants. Knox's letters to Elizabeth were secretly read by others. In January 1554, he had to leave England.

Life as an Exile

In June 1556, Elizabeth and Margery traveled to Geneva to join Knox. Margery and Knox had two sons while living there.

Knox returned to Scotland in 1559. His wife, Margery, followed him soon after. After a short stay in England, where Queen Elizabeth I was now on the throne, Elizabeth Bowes also went to be near her son-in-law. Knox even asked the Queen for permission for her journey.

In 1560, Margery passed away. Even after her daughter's death, Elizabeth stayed close to Knox, away from her own family. She died around 1572. After her death, Knox wrote about their friendship and how he helped her with her worries about her faith.

Her Family

Elizabeth married Richard Bowes (who died on November 10, 1558). They had five sons and seven daughters:

• Ralph Bowes
• Francis Bowes
• Sir George Bowes (died August 20, 1580)
• Christopher Bowes
• Robert Bowes
• Bridget Bowes, who married Thomas Hussey
• Anne Bowes, who married Marmaduke Vincent
• Muriel Bowes, who married John Jackson
• Marjorie/Margery Bowes, who married the Scottish reformer John Knox
• Elizabeth Bowes, who married George Bainbrigge
• Margaret Bowes, who married Thomas Middleton first, and then Ambrose Birkbeck
• Jane Bowes