Margaret Croft facts for kids

Margaret Croft was an important English lady who lived a long time ago. She was born into a noble family and later worked for a queen. She died in 1637.

Croft Church at Croft Castle, Herefordshire

Margaret's Family

Margaret Croft was the daughter of Sir Herbert Croft and Mary Bourne. Her family lived at Croft Castle in Herefordshire, England.

Her father became a Catholic and died in France. Her brother, Herbert Croft, also became Catholic for a while but later returned to the Church of England. He became a Bishop of Hereford. Margaret and her sister Mary sometimes disagreed with their father's religious writings. He even wrote a book in 1619 that was a reply to their ideas.

Margaret had several sisters. Her sister Mary married Richard Tomkyns. Another sister, Lucy Croft, married Sir Dudley Carleton, who was a diplomat. Elizabeth Croft married Sir Thomas Cave.

People sometimes confused Margaret Croft with another "Margaret Crofts" who worked for royalty. However, Margaret Croft's will (her last wishes) shows that she was indeed the one who served the Queen of Bohemia.

Working for the Queen of Bohemia

"Margaret Crofts told Lucy Hay, Countess of Carlisle scandal from The Hague"

In 1623, Margaret Croft became a lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia. Elizabeth was the daughter of King James VI and I of Scotland and England. Margaret was often called "Mrs Crofts" at court.

In 1625, Queen Elizabeth wrote letters about one of the sons of the Earl and Countess of Mar. This young man had asked to marry Margaret Croft. Queen Elizabeth thought Margaret was "an honest discreet woman." However, the marriage did not happen. The Earl of Mar said his son could not marry Margaret. This was likely because Margaret's family was not as high-ranking as the Mar family.

Margaret Croft might have written a funny story about a trip Queen Elizabeth took in 1625. This story was written in French. It was very different from the usual formal reports about royal trips. It even included funny moments with another lady-in-waiting, Elizabeth Dudley, Countess of Löwenstein.

Elizabeth's son, Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine, later helped Margaret's brother, Herbert Croft. He spoke to the Archbishop of Canterbury on Herbert's behalf in 1636.

Leaving the Queen's Service

Margaret Croft returned to England in 1637. She had upset Queen Elizabeth, who wanted to keep the reasons for Margaret's dismissal a secret. The Queen did not want to harm Margaret's chances of getting help from King Charles I. She also did not want the reasons to become public.

Queen Elizabeth's son, Charles Louis, wrote about Margaret in May 1637. He mentioned that Margaret had argued with his sister, Elisabeth of the Palatinate. He also said Margaret had been rude to Lord Craven.

In another letter in June 1637, Charles Louis wrote more about Margaret. He said she had gossiped about many people at Queen Elizabeth's court in The Hague. He thought she should stay in London, where she could cause less trouble.

Margaret Croft died in London in 1637. She was buried in Westminster Abbey on December 14, 1637. In her will, she hoped Queen Elizabeth would pay her debts from her time in The Hague. She also owed money for clothes she bought in London.

The Erskine Connection

A historian named Nadine Akkerman has suggested something interesting about Margaret Croft. She thinks Margaret's connection to the Erskine family might have led to a book being written much later. This book was about the childhood of Princess Elizabeth (the future Queen of Bohemia).

The book was published in 1772. It was likely written or published by Frances Erskine. Historians now see this book as a "secondary source." This means it's not a direct account from the time it describes. The book also includes some details that didn't exist back then, like a microscope.