Elizabeth Chamber, better known as Elizabeth Stonor (died after 8 December 1602), was an English courtier. She is remembered as the wife of Sir Walter Stonor, and was one of the women chosen to serve

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the Wives of Henry VIII, second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and execution, by beheading ...

, the King's second wife, during her imprisonment in 1536.

Life

She was the daughter of Geoffrey Chamber of Stanmore,

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

and married successively, Sir Walter Stonor, Reginald Conyers, Edward Griffin and

Oliver St John, 1st Baron St John of Bletso Oliver St John of Bletsoe, 1st Baron St John of Bletso (c. 1522 – 21 April 1582) was an England, English Peerage, peer. Personal life He was the son of Sir John St John (Bedfordshire MP) (born 1498) of Bletsoe (Bedfordshire) and Spelsbury ...

. She was a

lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting (alternatively written lady in waiting) or court lady is a female personal assistant at a Royal court, court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking nobility, noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was o ...

to each of

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

's six wives, and was the '' Mother of the Maids'', with responsibility for the conduct of the young

maids 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 ...

. In May 1536, five women were appointed to serve Anne Boleyn while she was imprisoned in the

Tower A tower is a tall Nonbuilding structure, structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from guyed mast, masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting ...

and to report to Sir William Kingston, the Lieutenant of the Tower, and through him to the King's chief minister,

Thomas Cromwell Thomas Cromwell (; – 28 July 1540) was an English statesman and lawyer who served as List of English chief ministers, chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false cha ...

, all that the Queen said. These women included Elizabeth Stonor; Anne Boleyn's aunt, Anne Boleyn, Lady Shelton; Elizabeth Wood, Lady Boleyn, the Queen's aunt by marriage; Mary Kingston, the wife of Sir William Kingston, the Lieutenant of the Tower; and Margaret Coffin, the wife of Anne Boleyn's

Master of the Horse Master of the Horse is an official position in several European nations. It was more common when most countries in Europe were monarchies, and is of varying prominence today. (ancient Rome) The original Master of the Horse () in the Roman Rep ...

, Sir William Coffin. Sir William Kingston described the five as "honest and good women", but Anne Boleyn said that it was "a great unkindness in the King to set such about me as I have never loved".

Marriages

Elizabeth was married four times: * Sir Walter Stonor (died 1551),

Lieutenant of the Tower of London The Lieutenant of the Tower of London serves directly under the Constable of the Tower. The office has been appointed at least since the 13th century. There were formerly many privileges, immunities and perquisites attached to the office. Like t ...

* Reginald Conyers (died 1560) * Edward Griffin of Dingley (died 1569), Attorney General * She married, before 28 August 1572,

(died 21 April 1582)John Harwood Hill, ''History of Market Harborough'' (Leicester, 1875), pp. 5–6.

Notes

References

* * * * *

External links

Elizabeth Chamber
Family tree {{DEFAULTSORT:Chamber, Elizabeth English ladies-in-waiting Saint John of Bletso 1600s deaths 16th-century English women Year of birth unknown Household of Anne Boleyn Household of Catherine of Aragon Household of Catherine Howard Household of Catherine Parr Household of Jane Seymour Household of Anne of Cleves

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ...