Lady Margaret Hoby facts for kids

Margaret, Lady Hoby (born Margaret Dakins) was an English writer from the time of Queen Elizabeth I. She is famous for writing the earliest known diary by a woman in English. Margaret grew up in a Puritan family, which meant she was very religious. Her diary, written between 1599 and 1605, shows how important her faith was. However, it doesn't share much about her personal feelings.

Margaret Hoby's Life Story

Margaret Dakins was born in 1571. She was the only child of Arthur Dakins, a wealthy landowner, and his wife Thomasine. Margaret was baptized at Wintringham Church in Yorkshire.

She received her education in the home of Katherine Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon. The Countess was a strong Protestant with Puritan beliefs. She ran a special school for young noblewomen. Other famous students there included Penelope and Dorothy Devereux. Margaret was well-liked by the Countess's husband, Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon. He even helped provide money for her marriage.

As a wealthy heiress, Margaret was a very desirable bride. Her first husband was Walter Devereux. He was a younger son of the Earl of Essex and a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I. They married between 1588 and 1589. Margaret received the manor of Hackness near Scarborough. This property remained hers even after Walter died in 1591 during a battle in France.

A few months later, Sir Thomas Posthumous Hoby tried to marry Margaret, but she chose someone else. She married Sir Thomas Sidney, the younger brother of the famous Philip Sidney. After Sir Thomas Sidney died in 1595, Margaret finally married Sir Thomas Hoby on August 9, 1596. They lived at Hackness but did not have any children.

Margaret spent much of her time at Hackness with her religious advisor, Richard Rhodes. She often helped sick people in her community. She also managed her household and kept detailed records of her expenses. Her diary shows how deeply religious she was in her daily life.

Her Famous Diary

Margaret Hoby's diary is very important because it is the first known diary written by an Englishwoman. It covers the years 1599 to 1605. The diary gives us a great look into the daily life and religious practices of a Puritan family during the Elizabethan era. It describes family prayers, religious exercises, and her own private prayers. Her chaplain, Richard Rhodes, guided her in these spiritual activities. The diary was written as a way for her to reflect on her faith. This style of religious self-reflection in diaries became popular for many years.

The diary clearly shows how important religious observance was to Margaret. For example, she wrote: "After private prayers I did eat my breakfast and then went to church: after, I came home and prayed, then I dined and, when I had talked a while with some of my neighbours, I went again to church: and, after the sermon, I went about the house and took order for diverse things which were to be done in my absence, and, at five o'clock, I returned to private prayer and meditation. After I went to supper, then to lector, and so to bed."

The diary also tells us about how Margaret managed her large estate. This was especially important when her husband was away. She supervised and paid servants, organized linen, played music, and worked in the garden. She even gave medical advice and treated her neighbors and tenants. However, the diary does not reveal much about her personal feelings. Her references to Sir Thomas Hoby are quite formal. Margaret was strong-willed, though. She resisted his request to give him her Hackness property until 1632. Like the famous diarist Samuel Pepys later, Margaret often ended her daily entries with the simple phrase, "And so to bed."

Remembering Margaret Hoby

Margaret Hoby traveled to York and London several times during the years she kept her diary. However, she rarely mentioned big public events in her writings. Margaret died on September 4, 1633. She was buried two days later at St Peter's Church in Hackness. Her husband built a beautiful stone monument there to remember her.

Margaret also built St Margaret's Chapel in Harwood Dale in her memory, but it is now in ruins. Her husband died in 1640. He left his Hackness estate to his cousin's son, John Sydenham. John's son later built another monument to Sir Thomas Hoby in Hackness Church. There is also a memorial window for him in All Saints' Church in Bisham, Berkshire.

Images for kids

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  Old St Margaret's Church in Harwood Dale, built in Margaret Hoby's memory.