Margaret Throckmorton later Magdelan (religious name) (1591 – 26 October 1668) was an English prioress of St Monica's convent in Leuven. It was one of seven religious communities on the continent of English nuns escaping discrimination in England.

Life

Throckmorton was born in

Coughton Court Coughton Court () is an English Tudor country house, situated on the main road between Studley and Alcester in Warwickshire. It is a Grade I listed building. The house has a long crenellated façade directly facing the main road, at the cen ...

in 1591. She was one of the nine children of Agnes (born Wilford) and John Throckmorton. Her father died when she was about five. Having taken the religious name Magdalen, she was professed as an Augustinian choir nun on 5 August 1613. She became the prioress of St Monica's in Leuven, a community which her family assisted financially. Her election was not unanimous and she was initially elected for just three years. However her term of office was extended in 1636 and commemorated with a painting. She was eventually appointed for life in 1639. St Monica's was one of seven religious communities on the mainland Europe at the time for English nuns forced to escape discrimination in England. Until 1640, the convent employed the musician John Boult as their chaplain and organist. Boult had been a musician in the service of

Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudor. Her eventful reign, and its effect on history ...

and had been with Margaret Throckmorton when she was professed in 1613. As prioress, she kept the convent solvent by taking in women who wanted to be nuns only if they could bring a good dowry. She had to ride out the plague. In 1636, when Leuven came under siege, she arranged for half the nuns to take temporary refuge elsewhere. Margaret Throckmorton died in

Leuven Leuven (, , ), also called Louvain (, , ), is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipalit ...

on 26 October 1668, and Mary Thimbleby was unanimously elected to succeed her as prioress. At the time, there were 36 nuns. The new prioress was a notable letter-writer.

References

1591 births 1668 deaths 18th-century English Roman Catholic nuns People from Warwickshire Nuns from the Spanish Netherlands {{RC-bio-stub