Mary Gargrave facts for kids
Mary Gargrave (born in 1576, died around 1640) was an important lady who worked for Anne of Denmark, who was the Queen of England and Scotland. Mary was a "courtier," which means she was part of the royal household and helped the Queen with many things.
Working for the Queen
Mary Gargrave became a maid of honour to Queen Anne in 1603 or 1604, just in time for the Queen's special crowning ceremony. A maid of honour was a young, unmarried lady who served the Queen directly. New rules for the Queen's household were made in 1603. These rules created six spots for maids of honour, a "mother of the maids" (who looked after them), and four "chamberers." Mary's friends in this role included Anne Carey, Elizabeth Roper, Mary Middlemore, Elizabeth Harcourt, and Mary Woodhouse. When Queen Anne passed away in 1619, Mary had served her for 16 years.
In 1605, there was talk that Mary might marry Robert Bertie, Lord Willoughby. However, he ended up marrying someone else.
Rowland Whyte, a writer of the time, mentioned that the maids of honour, including Mary, often danced at Hampton Court Palace. They danced in the Queen's special room, even when important visitors like the Count of Vaudémont from France were there.
Mary was important enough to give New Year's Day gifts to the Queen. In 1608 or 1609, she gave Queen Anne a beautiful and expensive petticoat. It was decorated with fancy gold, silver, and colorful silks. Queen Anne also asked Mary to buy fans to send to her daughter, Princess Elizabeth, who lived in Heidelberg.
When Prince Henry died in 1612, Mary Gargrave received special mourning clothes. This showed she was a close member of the royal staff. On August 20, 1613, Queen Anne was traveling to Bath. She stopped in Wells, Somerset. The mayor of Wells, William Bull, hosted a dinner for the Queen's staff, including Mary and the other maids of honour.
In December 1617, Mary was present when Isabelle Brûlart, the wife of the French ambassador, visited Queen Anne at Denmark House. Mary, along with other important ladies like Lady Blanche Arundell and Mistress Barbara Sidney, greeted the ambassador's wife.
Mary's brother, Richard Gargrave, had some money problems. He sold a family property called Nostell Priory in 1613. After Queen Anne died in 1619, there was much discussion about how her servants would be cared for. Mary was supposed to receive a regular payment of £200 a year, a one-time payment of £1000, and protection from lawsuits. Mary never married and depended on this payment from her time with the Queen, but it wasn't always paid on time.
Mary's Family
Mary Gargrave was the daughter of Sir Cotton Gargrave (1540–1588) and his second wife, Anne Waterton. Their family had homes in Kinsley, Hemsworth, and Nostell Priory, which are all near Wakefield.
Mary's brother, Richard Gargrave, was knighted by King James in York on April 17, 1603. Even though King James and later Queen Anne passed close to her family's homes on their way from Scotland to London, there is no record of Mary meeting them at that time.
Mary also had a sister named Anne (who died in 1634). Anne first married Thomas Venables. Later, she married Sir Edward Bushell, who was a royal equerry (a person who looked after the royal horses). Sir Edward Bushell was a cousin of Robert and Thomas Wintour, who were involved in the Gunpowder Plot. He wrote to Robert Cecil to say he was innocent. Another cousin, Corbett Bushell, worked for Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia, Queen Anne's daughter. Corbett Bushell was badly hurt in a fight in 1613 in Heidelberg.
