Frideswide Strelley (died 1565), was an English courtier. She served as chamberer 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 ...

from 1533 onward.

Career

Frideswide Strelley was a daughter of John or Leonard Knight, of

South Duffield South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz' ...

in the parish of

Hemingbrough Hemingbrough is a village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England, approximately from Selby and from Howden on the A63 road, A63. It was in the historic East Riding of Yorkshire, but since 1974 has come under North Yorkshire. The village ...

, and his wife Isabella Langholme. She was an aunt of William Knight and distantly related to the family of

Guy Fawkes Guy Fawkes (; 13 April 1570 – 31 January 1606), also known as Guido Fawkes while fighting for the Spanish, was a member of a group of provincial English Catholics involved in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. He was born and educate ...

. The Knight family had inherited lands at nearby Spaldington, and her father is sometimes named as "John Knight of Spaldington". She joined the service of Lady Mary, later Mary I, first as a

chamberer A chamberer was a female attendant of an English queen regnant, queen consort, or princess. There were similar positions in aristocratic households. Chamberers at court At court, the position was similar to a male groom of the privy chamber. The n ...

, from as early as 1533, and was later ranked as a gentlewoman. She was said to have previously been a

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 ...

Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, historical Spanish: , now: ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England as the Wives of Henry VIII, first wife of King Henry VIII from their marr ...

. In the accounts of Lady Mary, she appears as "maistres Knight" from 1537 and was given sums of money, once for buying fish. She had a servant or "man". In 1548, she married

Robert Strelley Robert Strelley (by 1518 – 23 January 1554), of Great Bowden, Leicestershire, was an English politician, soldier, and courtier to Mary I of England. He was a Member (MP) of the Parliament of England for Leicestershire in October 1553. Strell ...

. As "Mrs Sturley", Frideswide Strelley rode in procession at the

coronation of Mary I of England The Coronation of the English monarch, coronation of Mary I of England, Mary I as List of English monarchs, Queen of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland took place at Westminster Abbey, London, on Sunday 1 October 1553. T ...

on 30 September 1553, dressed in silver and gold, her horse mantled with crimson velvet. The Imperial diplomats

Simon Renard Simon Renard, Sieur of Bermont and Lieutenant of Aumont or Amont, (1513- 8 August 1573) was a Burgundian diplomat who served as an advisor to Emperor Charles V and his son Philip II of Spain, who were also counts of Burgundy. Renard had the c ...

and the Count d'Egmont thought she, Susan Clarencieux and Jane Russell were Mary's most intimate confidantes, and as supporters of the Spanish marriage plan ought to be sent gifts of jewellery. Mary gave Strelley gifts. On 6 May 1554, she took delivery of a length of carnation velvet from the royal wardrobe. It was said that during Mary's reign the Privy Council called her "mother", apparently on account of her gravity of character. A woman at court in charge of the maids of honour at court could be called the "

mother A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...

", but there is no other evidence of Strelley having this role. She may have been one of the older women, ''ancianas'', present with Mary I who are mentioned in Spanish accounts of her wedding at Winchester, although there is no reason to suppose she was older than Mary herself. Strelley is noted for a story that she did not believe the queen was pregnant, unlike other courtiers including Susan Clarencieux who were discreet about their doubts. When Mary I accepted that she was not pregnant, she thanked Frideswide Strelley for her honesty. Mary gave her the lands of Charley Priory and

Ulverscroft Priory Ulverscroft Priory is a former hermitage and priory in Ulverscroft, Leicestershire. History The priory was founded by Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester, in 1139, as a hermitage for eremites of the Order of St Augustine. Before 1174, fo ...

in Leicestershire. She attended Mary's funeral in December 1558, and died in 1565.

Mary Jean Stone Mary Jean Stone (born at Brighton, Sussex, in 1853; died at Battle, Sussex, 3 May 1908) was an English historical writer. Life She was educated in Paris and at Aschaffenburg in Germany, where she acquired a knowledge of French, German, and It ...

''History of Mary I, Queen of England'' (London, 1901), p. 351
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Strelley, Robert 1565 deaths Court of Mary I of England Year of birth uncertain Chamberers at court English ladies-in-waiting