Sarah Harington facts for kids
Sarah Harington (born in 1565, died in 1629) was an English lady who worked at the royal court. She was also known as Sara.
Sarah was the daughter of Sir James Harington of Exton and Lucy Sidney. Her mother's father was Sir William Sidney of Penshurst, Kent. Sarah and her sisters were very supportive of writers and poets. Many authors dedicated their books to them.
Sarah's First Marriage
Sarah Harington first married Francis, Lord Hastings (1560–1595). Their home was the Old Castle at Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
They had several children, including:
- Catherine Hastings, who married Philip Stanhope, the first Earl of Chesterfield.
- Henry Hastings, who became the 5th Earl of Huntingdon after his grandfather.
- George Hastings (died 1641).
- Edward Hastings (died 1617).
- Theodosia Hastings (died 1671), who married Francis Bodenham.
Sarah was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I. This meant she was a close helper and friend to the Queen.
In 1600, a visitor named Louis Verreycken from the Spanish Netherlands met with Queen Elizabeth I. Many important ladies of the court were there, dressed in beautiful white clothes. Lady Hastings was among them, along with her sisters Mabel, Lady Noel, and Theodosia, Lady Dudley.
In 1600, a writer named Sir William Cornwallis younger published his book Essayes. It included a special letter dedicated to three of the Harington sisters: Lady Sara Hastings, Lady Theodosia Dudley, and Lady Mary Wingfield. Their friend and cousin, Lady Mary Dyer, was also mentioned.
In 1603, Lady Hastings traveled to Scotland. She hoped to meet and impress Anne of Denmark, who was the wife of King James VI and I. Her group met the Queen before the official welcoming party arrived. Lady Hastings's group included other members of the Harington family, like Anne, Lady Harington, and her daughter Lucy Russell.
A dictionary called the Table Alphabeticall was dedicated to five of Lucy Sidney's daughters. These were Sarah, Lady Hastings, Theodosia, Lady Dudley, Elizabeth, Lady Montagu, Frances, Lady Leigh, and Mary, Lady Wingfield.
Sarah's Later Marriages
Sarah's second husband was Sir George Kingsmill of Hampshire. He was a judge. He passed away in 1606, leaving Sarah a wealthy widow. He also made sure one of her daughters by Lord Hastings had an income.
Her third husband was Edward, the 11th Baron Zouche (1556–1625). His first wife had died in 1611.
Sarah's fourth husband was Sir Thomas Edmondes (1563–1639). He was a diplomat, which means he represented his country in other nations. He was one of the people who greeted Louis Verreycken at the palace in 1600. His previous wife had died in 1614.
Portraits of Sarah
Artists Isaac Oliver and Cornelius Johnson painted portraits of Sarah Harington. Two paintings by Cornelius Johnson show her at age 63 in 1628. In these portraits, she is wearing a special miniature case. This case has the Greek letter "phi" shown twice and refers to Frederick V of the Palatinate.
In 1628, Sarah's sister, Mary, Lady Wingfield, was in charge of William Mason's will. Mason was from Westminster and left gifts to several women in the Harington family. He owned small portraits of Sarah, Lady Hastings, Catherine, Countess of Chesterfield, and Theodosia, Lady Dudley.
Sarah Harington passed away in 1629.
