Mabel Browne
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Mabel Browne, Countess of Kildare (c. 1536 – 25 August 1610) was an English courtier. She was wife of
Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare (1525 – 16 November 1585), also known as the "Wizard Earl" (a sobriquet also given to Henry Percy), was an Irish peer. He was the son of Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare and his second wife Eli ...
, Baron of
Offaly County Offaly (; ) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe. It was formerly known as King's County, in honour of Philip II of Spain ...
(25 February 1525 – 16 November 1585). She was born into the English
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
Browne family whose members held prominent positions at the courts of the Tudor sovereigns for three generations. Mabel served as a gentlewoman of Queen Mary I's
privy chamber A privy chamber was the private apartment of a royal residence in England. The Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber were noble-born servants to the Crown who would wait and attend on the King in private, as well as during various court activities, f ...
, and enjoyed the Queen's favour.


Family

Mabel was born in
Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...
, England in about 1536, to Sir Anthony Browne,
Knight of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system, it is outranked in ...
,
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 ...
, and his first wife Alice Gage. Her paternal grandparents were Sir Anthony Browne,
Standard Bearer of England The Standard Bearer of England was once an important office within the English army, especially during the times when Kings were still present on the battlefield. As standard-bearer Henry de Essex was greatly chastised when he threw down the Engli ...
and Governor of
Queenborough Castle Queenborough Castle, also known as Sheppey Castle, is a 14th-century castle, the remnants of which are in the town of Queenborough on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent in England. The castle and the associated planned town were built on the orders of Kin ...
, and Lucy Neville. Mabel's maternal grandparents were Sir John Gage and Philippa Guildford. She had five brothers, including
Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montagu Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montagu, Order of the Bath, KB, Privy Council of England, PC (29 November 1528 – 19 October 1592) was an English peerage of England, peer during the Tudor period. He was a staunch Roman Catholic, but unswervingly l ...
, and two sisters. One of her aunts was Elizabeth Browne, 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
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 ...
. Mabel's mother died in 1540. When Mabel was about seven years of age, in 1543, her father married Elizabeth FitzGerald, an Irish noblewoman celebrated as ''The Fair Geraldine'' in a
sonnet A sonnet is a fixed poetic form with a structure traditionally consisting of fourteen lines adhering to a set Rhyme scheme, rhyming scheme. The term derives from the Italian word ''sonetto'' (, from the Latin word ''sonus'', ). Originating in ...
by
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, KG (1516/1517–19 January 1547) was an English nobleman, politician and poet. He was one of the founders of English Renaissance poetry and was the last known person to have been executed at the insistence of King ...
. The Brownes were
Roman Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
, but even after the dissolution of the monasteries Mabel's father enjoyed the favour of King
Henry VIII 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. ...
when he was granted the estate of
Battle Abbey Battle Abbey is a partially ruined Benedictine abbey in Battle, East Sussex, England. The abbey was built on the site of the Battle of Hastings and dedicated to St Martin of Tours. It is a Scheduled Monument. The Grade I listed site is now o ...
in East Sussex. Mabel spent her childhood there and at
Cowdray House Cowdray House consists of the ruins of one of England's great Tudor houses, architecturally comparable to many of the great palaces and country houses of that time. It is situated in the parish of Easebourne, just east of Midhurst, West Sussex ...
in West Sussex, which had come into Sir Anthony's possession in 1542. Mabel's father died on 6 May 1548, and his widow married secondly
Edward Clinton, 1st Earl of Lincoln Edward Fiennes, or Clinton, 1st Earl of Lincoln KG (151216 January 1584/85) was an English landowner, peer, and Lord High Admiral. He rendered valuable service to four of the Tudor monarchs. Family Edward Clinton, or Fiennes, was born ...
.


Marriage

On 28 May 1554, when she was about eighteen years old, Mabel married the eldest brother of her stepmother, Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare, known as ''The Wizard Earl'', whom she had met at the court of King
Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. The only surviving son of Henry VIII by his thi ...
. According to historian
Mary Anne Everett Green Mary Anne Everett Green ( Wood; 19 July 1818 – 1 November 1895) was an English historian and archival editor. After establishing a reputation for scholarship with two multi-volume books on royal ladies and noblewomen, she was invited to assis ...
in her ''Royal and Illustrious Ladies'', the pair actually met at a masked ball and Mabel immediately fell in love with him. FitzGerald was given his sobriquet on account of his interest in
alchemy Alchemy (from the Arabic word , ) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. In its Western form, alchemy is first ...
. They were married in the
Chapel Royal A chapel royal is an establishment in the British and Canadian royal households serving the spiritual needs of the sovereign and the royal family. Historically, the chapel royal was a body of priests and singers that travelled with the monarc ...
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 ...
, who held the Browne family in high esteem. Mabel was a gentlewoman of Queen Mary's
Privy Chamber A privy chamber was the private apartment of a royal residence in England. The Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber were noble-born servants to the Crown who would wait and attend on the King in private, as well as during various court activities, f ...
, and in February, the same year of his marriage to Mabel, FitzGerald had helped suppress the rebellion of
Sir Thomas Wyatt Sir Thomas Wyatt (150311 October 1542) was a 16th-century English politician, ambassador, and lyric poetry, lyric poet credited with introducing the sonnet to English literature. He was born at Allington Castle near Maidstone in Kent, though hi ...
. Mabel went to live with her husband at
Kilkea Castle Kilkea Castle is located northwest of Castledermot, County Kildare, Ireland near the village of Kilkea on the R418 regional road from Athy to Tullow. It was a medieval stronghold, for over 700 years, of the Fitzgeralds, earls of Kildare. H ...
,
Kildare Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 10,302, making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. It is home to Kildare Cathedral, historically the site of an important abbey said to have been founded by Saint ...
, in Ireland, the country where she was to spend most of her life. Together FitzGerald and Mabel had five children.


Issue

# Lady Elizabeth FitzGerald (died 12 January 1617), married Donnchadh MacConchobhair O'Brien, 4th
Earl of Thomond Earl of Thomond was an hereditary title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created twice for the O'Brien dynasty which is an ancient Irish sept native to north Munster. History and background First creation Under the Crown of Ireland Act 1542, K ...
, by whom she had issue. # Lord Gerald FitzGerald, Lord Offaly, Lord Garratt (28 December 1559
Maynooth Maynooth (; ) is a university town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to Maynooth University (part of the National University of Ireland and also known as the National University of Ireland, Maynooth) and St Patrick's College, Maynoo ...
- June 1580), married in October 1578, Catherine Knollys, a granddaughter of
Mary Boleyn Mary Boleyn, also known as Lady Mary, (Antonia Fraser, ''The Wives of Henry VIII'' (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1992), p. 119 – 19 or 30 July 1543) was the sister of List of English royal consorts, English queen consort Anne Boleyn, whose fami ...
. They had a daughter Lettice who married Sir Robert Digby. These were the direct ancestors of the celebrated 19th-century adventuress
Jane Digby Jane Elizabeth Digby (3 April 1807 – 11 August 1881) was an English aristocrat, famed for her remarkable love life and lifestyle. She had four husbands and many lovers, including Edward Law, 1st Earl of Ellenborough, Lord Ellenborough, G ...
. # Lord Henry ''Na Tuagh'' FitzGerald, 12th Earl of Kildare, (1562- 1597
Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...
), married Lady Frances Howard, by whom he had female issue. # Lord
William FitzGerald, 13th Earl of Kildare William FitzGerald, 13th Earl of Kildare ( – March 1599) was an Irish nobleman. Biography FitzGerald was the third son of Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare and Mabel Browne, and the younger brother of Henry, the 12th Earl. Returning from ...
(died April 1599) # Lady Mary FitzGerald (died 1 October 1610), married
Christopher Nugent Sir Christopher Nugent, 6th (or 14th) Baron Delvin (1544–1602) was an Irish nobleman and writer. He was arrested on suspicion of treason against Queen Elizabeth I of England, and died while in confinement before his trial had taken place. F ...
, 14th Baron Delvin, by whom she had issue. # Lady Mabel FitzGerald (b. 1564-d. 1587), married Dudley Bagenal, by whom she had issue.


Recusant leanings

While Mabel had enjoyed the favour of Queen Mary, she was less welcome at the court of the latter's successor, Queen
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...
, as Mabel's
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 ...
leanings were well known. She kept a number of priests in her household, including her private chaplain Nicholas Eustace, who was related to the Catholic rebel
James Eustace, 3rd Viscount Baltinglass James FitzEustace of Harristown, 3rd Viscount Baltinglass (1530–1585) James FitzEustace, the eldest son of Rowland Eustace, 2nd Viscount Baltinglass and Joan, daughter of James Butler, 8th Baron Dunboyne. Early life He was born in 1530. Balti ...
, and she hired the suspected Father Compton to serve as the tutor of her children. She was also a close friend 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 ...
, Duchess of Feria, their friendship dating from the time when they had both served in the household of Queen Mary. According to author Vincent P. Carey, Mabel "maintained a refuge and library for the
Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
missionary Robert Rochfort. Despite her overt Roman Catholicism, Mabel was never accused of
treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state (polity), state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to Coup d'état, overthrow its government, spy ...
against Queen Elizabeth, unlike her husband who fell under increasing suspicion of disloyalty in his later years and spent several years in the
Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...
. Elizabeth however had a certain fondness for him and refused to take any decisive action against him. He died in London in 1585, technically a free man, though he was forbidden to leave the city.


Death

Mabel died in Ireland on 25 August 1610. She was about seventy-four years of age. Her last years were greatly troubled by a lawsuit brought against her by her granddaughter Lettice Digby, alleging that Mabel had fraudulently tampered with her husband's
will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...
. Mabel admitted that the will had been altered but insisted that this had been done on legal advice.


In fiction

Mabel Browne is a minor character in
Anya Seton Anya Seton (January 23, 1904 – November 8, 1990), born Ann Seton, was an American author of historical fiction, or as she preferred they be called, " biographical novels". Early life and education Anya Seton was born Ann Seton on January 23, ...
's historical romance
Green Darkness ''Green Darkness'' is a 1972 novel by Anya Seton. It spent six months on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list and became her most popular novel. Plot summary In the 1960s, young Celia Marsdon is a rich American heiress who, upon her marriag ...
, where her brother Sir Anthony Browne Viscount Montagu, his wife
Magdalen Dacre Magdalen Dacre, Viscountess Montagu (January 1538 – 8 April 1608) was an English noblewoman. She was the daughter of William Dacre, 3rd Baron Dacre of Gilsland, and the second wife of Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montagu. Magdalen, a Roman Ca ...
, and Cowdray House are featured prominently.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Browne, Mabel 1530s births 1610 deaths English ladies-in-waiting People of Elizabethan Ireland
Mabel Mabel is an English female name derived from the Latin ''amabilis'', "lovable, dear".Reclams Namensbuch, 1987, History Amabilis of Riom (died 475) was a French male saint who logically would have assumed the name Amabilis upon entering the prie ...
Mabel Mabel is an English female name derived from the Latin ''amabilis'', "lovable, dear".Reclams Namensbuch, 1987, History Amabilis of Riom (died 475) was a French male saint who logically would have assumed the name Amabilis upon entering the prie ...
People from Sussex People from County Kildare 16th-century English women 16th-century English nobility 17th-century English women 17th-century English nobility
Kildare Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 10,302, making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. It is home to Kildare Cathedral, historically the site of an important abbey said to have been founded by Saint ...
Court of Mary I of England