Jane West (aristocrat) facts for kids
Jane West (born 1558, died 1621) was an important English lady from a noble family. She lived a long time ago, during the Elizabethan era, when Queen Elizabeth I ruled England.
Jane was the daughter of William West, 1st Baron De La Warr, who was a powerful nobleman. Her mother was Elizabeth Strange.
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Jane's Marriages and Family
Jane West was married four times during her life, which was not uncommon for noblewomen in her time.
First Marriage: Thomas Wenman
In June 1572, Jane married Thomas Wenman. They had several children together:
- Richard Wenman, who later became the first Viscount Wenman.
- Ferdinand Wenman
- Sir Thomas Wenman
- Elizabeth Wenman, who married Sir Thomas Tredway.
Later Marriages
After Thomas Wenman passed away, Jane married again. Her second husband was James Cressy. They had a daughter named Lettice Cressy. Lettice later married Sir John Tasburgh.
In January 1588, Jane married her third husband, Thomas Tasburgh. Her fourth and final husband was Ralph Sheldon.
Her Famous Portrait
Around the year 1593, an unknown artist painted a portrait of Jane West. This painting is sometimes called "Mrs Ralph Sheldon" because Ralph Sheldon was her husband at the time.
The portrait shows off her beautiful and expensive jewelry. You can see a long rope of pearls around her neck. She also wore a special jewel made of gold and enamel, showing the ancient Greek musician Orpheus playing his lute, surrounded by animals.
Her velvet belt, called a girdle, was also decorated with pearls. A sparkling diamond was set in gold on the front of her belt, with a pearl hanging from it. Queen Elizabeth I herself owned a similar fancy belt around the same time!
