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Anne, Lady Hungerford (née Dormer; 1525–1603) was an English lady of the royal court during the reign of
Queen Mary I Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 and Queen of Spain as the wife of King Philip II from January 1556 until her death in 1558. She made vigorous a ...
, and poet.


Biography

Anne was a daughter of Sir
William Dormer Sir William Dormer, Order of the Bath, KB (died 17 May 1575) was a Tudor Period, Tudor knight, captain and politician. Biography William Dormer was born before 1514, the only child of Sir Robert Dormer of West Wycombe and of Wing, Buckinghamshir ...
by his first wife, Mary, daughter of Sir William Sidney and Anne (née Pakenham). She was the sister of
Jane Dormer Jane Dormer, Duchess of Feria (6 January 1538 – 13 January 1612) was an English lady-in-waiting to Mary I who, after the Queen's death, married Gómez Suárez de Figueroa y Córdoba, 1st Duke of Feria and went to live in Spain, where she wo ...
, a
lady in waiting A lady-in-waiting (alternatively written lady in waiting) or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but ...
to
Queen Mary I Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 and Queen of Spain as the wife of King Philip II from January 1556 until her death in 1558. She made vigorous a ...
, and later wife of the
Duke of Feria Duke of Feria () is a hereditary title in the Peerage of Spain accompanied by the dignity of Grandee, granted in 1567 by Philip II to Gómez Suárez de Figueroa, 5th Count of Feria. The name makes reference to the town of Feria in Badajoz. C ...
. Both Anne and Jane were prominent
recusant Recusancy (from ) was the state of those who remained loyal to the Catholic Church and refused to attend Church of England services after the English Reformation. The 1558 Recusancy Acts passed in the reign of Elizabeth I, and temporarily repea ...
s. In 1558 Queen Mary gave permission for Sir Walter Hungerford, who had earlier been married to the Queen's
Maid of Honour A maid of honour is a junior attendant of a queen in royal households. The position was and is junior to the lady-in-waiting. The equivalent title and office has historically been used in most European royal courts. Tudors and Stuarts Traditi ...
, Anne Basset, to marry Anne Dormer as his second wife. In 1568 Hungerford sued for divorce, alleging that his wife had tried to poison him some years earlier, and that she had committed adultery with William Darrell (of Littlecote, Wiltshire), and had had a child by him. Hungerford failed to prove the allegations in court, and subsequently spent three years in
Fleet Prison Fleet Prison was a notorious London prison by the side of the River Fleet. The prison was built in 1197, was rebuilt several times, and was in use until 1844. It was demolished in 1846. History The prison was built in 1197 off what is now ...
for his refusal to support his wife or to pay the £250 in costs awarded against him in the divorce suit. Two letters from Lady Hungerford, written in 1570, speak of her impoverished circumstances. Through the offices of the
Earl of Leicester Earl of Leicester is a title that has been created seven times. The first title was granted during the 12th century in the Peerage of England. The current title is in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and was created in 1837. History Earl ...
, Lady Hungerford obtained licence in 1571 to visit her dying grandmother, Jane Dormer (née Newdigate), who was living in the English Catholic expatriate community at
Louvain Leuven (, , ), also called Louvain (, , ), is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the sub-municipalities of ...
. She never returned to England, choosing to remain in
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
herself. On 29 March 1586,Hardy dates the letter to 1589. she wrote from
Namur Namur (; ; ) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is the capital both of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Namur stands at the confl ...
to Sir
Francis Walsingham Sir Francis Walsingham ( – 6 April 1590) was principal secretary to Queen Elizabeth I of England from 20 December 1573 until his death and is popularly remembered as her " spymaster". Born to a well-connected family of gentry, Wa ...
, requesting that he protect her daughters from her husband's attempts to disinherit them. In his will, dated 14 November 1595, Hungerford left two farms to his mistress, Margery Bright, and the residue of his estate to his half brother, Sir Edward Hungerford, with remainder to the
ale Ale is a style of beer, brewed using a warm fermentation method. In medieval England, the term referred to a drink brewed without hops. As with most beers, ale typically has a bittering agent to balance the malt and act as a preservative. Ale ...
heirs ... of 'any woman' he dwardshould 'afterwards marry'. After making his will, having heard rumours that his wife was dead, Hungerford married Margery Bright. Sir Walter Hungerford died in December 1596 in Farleigh Hungerford Somerset, and was succeeded by his half brother, who was sued by both Lady Anne Hungerford and Margery Bright, for
dower Dower is a provision accorded traditionally by a husband or his family, to a wife for her support should she become widowed. It was settlement (law), settled on the bride (being given into trust instrument, trust) by agreement at the time of t ...
. Lady Hungerford was granted 'generous' dower', and died at Louvain in 1603. It is unclear if Bright received a dower.


Marriage and issue

Sir Walter and Lady Anne Hungerford had a son and three daughters: * Edmund Hungerford, who died in December 1585 without issue. * Susan Hungerford, who married firstly Michael Ernley of Cannings,
Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...
, and, secondly, John Moring, and, thirdly, Sir Carew Reynolds, MP for
Callington Callington () is a civil parish and town in east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom about north of Saltash and south of Launceston. Callington parish had a population of 4,783 in 2001, according to the 2001 census. This had increased to 5,78 ...
* Lucy Hungerford, who married firstly Sir John St. John of
Lydiard Tregoze Lydiard Tregoze is a small village and civil parish on the western edge of Swindon in the county of Wiltshire, in the south-west of England. Its name has in the past been spelt as Liddiard Tregooze. The parish includes the small village of Hoo ...
, and, secondly, Sir
Anthony Hungerford of Black Bourton Sir Anthony Hungerford (1567–1627) of Black Bourton in Oxfordshire, Deputy Lieutenant of Wiltshire until 1624, was a member of parliament and a religious controversialist. Origins Hungerford was born in 1567 at Great Bedwyn in Wiltshire, the so ...
. * Jane Hungerford, who married Sir John Carne of Ewenny, Glamorganshire, Wales.


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * * cites Charles Mosley, editor, ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage'', 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, USA: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 1, page 1168. * * * ;Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hungerford, Anne 1525 births 1603 deaths English Roman Catholics English women poets English expatriates in Belgium Court of Mary I of England Wives of knights