Mary Middlemore facts for kids

Mary Middlemore (who passed away in 1618) was an important lady at the royal court of Anne of Denmark, who was the Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland. She was a Maid of Honour, which meant she helped the Queen with many things. People even wrote poems about her, and she was involved in a search for hidden treasure!

Mary's Family and Early Life

Mary Middlemore was the oldest daughter of Henry Middlemore. Her father worked for Queen Elizabeth I. He had an important job helping the Queen with her personal matters. He even carried messages to Mary, Queen of Scots in Scotland.

Mary also had a brother named Robert Middlemore. He worked for King James, who became King after Queen Elizabeth. Robert was an "equerry," meaning he looked after the King's horses and helped him with travel. You can still see a monument for Robert and his wife, Dorothy, in a church in Enfield.

After Mary's father died, her mother, Elizabeth, married Sir Vincent Skinner. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) and very ambitious.

Life as a Maid of Honour

Mary Middlemore became a Maid of Honour to Anne of Denmark in December 1603. This was a special role where she helped the Queen every day. There were six Maids of Honour in total, along with a "mother of the maids" and other helpers.

These young women often danced at the palace. For example, Rowland Whyte wrote about Mary and the other maids dancing at Hampton Court Palace for the Queen and a French visitor.

Poetry and Court Life

In 1609, an Italian poet named Antimo Galli wrote a book of poems. In it, he praised Mary Middlemore, even using a clever play on her name, calling her "La Bella Dea D'Amore," which means "The Beautiful Goddess of Love."

The Queen's secretary, William Fowler, also wrote poems for Mary. One poem even included her name, saying his heart burned with more pain in his "middle" than Mary had ever felt. He also made an Italian anagram of her name, "Madre di mill'amori," meaning "mother of a thousand loves."

A Court Incident

Around Christmas in 1609, something dramatic happened. Sir Edward Herbert got into a fight with a Scottish gentleman. The gentleman had snatched a ribbon from Mary Middlemore's hair while they were at the Queen's rooms in Greenwich Palace. Sir Edward wanted to fight a duel to defend Mary's honor, but the King's advisors stopped him.

The Scottish man was an usher (a kind of attendant) to the Queen, named "Boghvan." This person might have been a musician named James Bochan, who taught dance steps for the royal plays called masques.

Later Years and Treasure Hunting

When Prince Henry, the Queen's son, passed away in 1612, Mary Middlemore was given special mourning clothes. In 1613, she joined the Queen on a trip to Wells, Somerset.

Queen Anne even had a portrait of Mary Middlemore at her palace, Oatlands. In 1615, Mary received a new horse from the Queen.

In 1617, King James gave Mary Middlemore a special permission. She was allowed to have workers search for treasure in the ruins of old abbeys like Glastonbury Abbey and St Albans Abbey. Sadly, she died later that year, so she might not have found any treasure. This gift might have been connected to her stepfather, Sir Vincent Skinner, who had faced financial problems.

Mary Middlemore passed away from a lung illness called consumption on January 3, 1618, at Whitehall Palace. She was buried the next day at Westminster Abbey.