Elizabeth Wilmot, Countess of Rochester facts for kids
Elizabeth Wilmot, Countess of Rochester (born Malet; 1651 – August 20, 1681) was an English heiress. She was the wife of John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, a well-known poet and courtier. Elizabeth was the daughter of John Malet and Unton Hawley.
Meeting John Wilmot
John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester was very interested in Elizabeth Malet and wanted to marry her. However, she did not want to marry him. On May 26, 1665, he tried to take her away against her will.
The famous diarist Samuel Pepys wrote about Elizabeth Malet. He described her as a "great beauty and fortune" from the North of England. Pepys also noted the scandal of Rochester trying to take her. He wrote that Elizabeth was with her grandfather, Francis Hawley, 1st Baron Hawley, in a coach. At Charing Cross, Rochester's men stopped the coach and took her away.
The King was very angry about this event. Rochester was caught near Uxbridge and sent to the Tower of London.
Despite this event, Elizabeth Malet later forgave Rochester. They were married on January 29, 1667.
After their marriage, Rochester spent a lot of time in London. Elizabeth Wilmot stayed at their home, Adderbury House in Oxfordshire. She lived there with Rochester's mother, Anne Wilmot, Countess of Rochester, her own mother, Elizabeth Hawley, and Rochester's nieces, Eleanor and Anne Lee. Anne Lee later became the poet Anne Wharton.
Elizabeth's Children
Elizabeth and John Wilmot had four children:
- Charles Wilmot, 3rd Earl of Rochester (born 1670 or 1671 – died 1681)
- Lady Anne Wilmot (born 1669 – died 1703). She married Henry Bayntun and later Francis Greville. Her descendants include the Earls of Warwick.
- Lady Elizabeth Wilmot (born 1674 – died 1757). She married Edward Montagu, 3rd Earl of Sandwich. Her grandson, John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, is famous for whom the sandwich is named. Elizabeth herself was known for being very smart and witty.
- Lady Malet Wilmot (born 1676 – died 1708 or 1709). She married John Vaughan, 1st Viscount Lisburne. Her descendants include the Earls of Lisburne.
Later Life and Legacy
Elizabeth Wilmot passed away in 1681. She was around 29 or 30 years old. This was a little over a year after her husband, John Wilmot, died. Her son Charles also died soon after her.
Elizabeth Wilmot was also a poet. Some of her poems can be found in a special manuscript. This manuscript is now kept at the University of Nottingham. It includes songs and a part of a pastoral poem that is believed to be written by Elizabeth Wilmot. Some of her work has been published in a collection called Kissing the Rod: An Anthology of Seventeenth-Century Women's Verse.
See also
- List of kidnappings
- List of solved missing person cases
Images for kids
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Elizabeth Wilmot (née Malet) by Peter Lely
