Dorothy Stafford
Dorothy Stafford | |
|---|---|
| Lady Stafford | |
 Portrait of Dorothy Stafford, by an unknown artist, c.1560 | |
| Buried | St. Margaret's Church, Westminster, London |
| Spouse(s) | Sir William Stafford |
| Issue | Elizabeth Stafford, Lady Drury Dorothy Stafford Sir Edward Stafford Ursula Stafford William Stafford Sir John Stafford |
| Father | Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford |
| Mother | Ursula Pole |
| Occupation | Mistress of the Robes |
Dorothy Stafford, Lady Stafford (1 October 1526- 22 September 1604), was an English noblewoman, and an influential person at the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England, to whom Dorothy served as Mistress of the Robes. Dorothy was the second wife of Sir William Stafford, widower of Mary Boleyn. Dorothy and her family were forced into exile in Geneva during the reign of Mary I, due to their Protestant beliefs. Reformer John Calvin stood as godfather to her youngest son.
Family
Dorothy was born on 1 October 1526,[1] a daughter of Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford and Ursula Pole. Her mother was the daughter of Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury, who waould be execution for treason in 1541 by the orders of King Henry VIII. Dorothy had six brothers and two sisters. She, along with her two sisters, was raised by her aunt Elizabeth Stafford, Duchess of Norfolk.[2]
Marriage and children
In 1545, Dorothy married her cousin Sir William Stafford, whose first wife Mary Boleyn, the elder sister of Queen consort Anne Boleyn, had died in July 1543. Sir William was Mary's second husband, her first having been William Carey. Sir William had at least two children by Mary, but they both died young. Sir William and Dorothy together had six children:
- Elizabeth Stafford (1546- 6 February 1599), married firstly, Sir William Drury, by whom she had issue; she married secondly, Sir John Scott.
- Dorothy Stafford
- Sir Edward Stafford of Grafton (1552- 1604), married firstly, Roberta Chapman by whom he had issue; he married secondly, Douglas Sheffield.
- Ursula Stafford (b. 1553), married Richard Drake of Esher, by whom she had issue.
- William Stafford (1554- 1612), married Anne Gryme, by whom he had issue.
- Sir John Stafford of Marlwood Park (January 1556- 1624), married Millicent Gresham, by whom he had issue.
On 23 September 1545, Dorothy's husband was knighted in Scotland by Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford during the War of the Rough Wooing. From then onwards, Dorothy was styled as Lady Stafford.
Dorothy and her family were staunch Protestants; therefore during the reign of Roman Catholic Queen Mary I, the Staffords were forced to go into exile. They chose Geneva, where they befriended John Calvin, who stood as godfather to Dorothy's youngest son, John on 4 January 1556.[3] On 5 May 1556, Sir William died, and Dorothy moved with her small children to Basel.
Elizabeth I's court
In January 1559, following the ascension of Queen Elizabeth I, Dorothy and her children returned to England, where she was received at court. John Calvin had strongly opposed their departure, having wanted to keep his godson in Switzerland. Dorothy was appointed Mistress of the Robes to Queen Elizabeth, and she wielded much influence at the royal court. She used her influence to promote the causes of both her friends and casual acquaintances; in 1569, Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury, seeking a prebend for a colleague, wrote to Dorothy, requesting that she "speak some good word" on the matter to the Queen.[4] In 1576, she broke her leg in a riding accident, but quickly recovered. Two years later, she used her influence to obtain the prestigious post of English Ambassador to France for her eldest son, Sir Edward Stafford.
She held her post at court until the Queen's death in 1603.[5] Her eldest daughter, Elizabeth was a Lady of the Bedchamber, and her son-in-law, Richard Drake, served as the Queen's Equerry.
Death
Dorothy died on 22 September 1604, and was buried in St. Margaret's Church, Westminster. Her effigy and monument are in the North Aisle of the church. The inscription on her monument reads:[6] Here Lyeth the Lady Dorothy Stafford, Wife and Widow to Sir William Stafford, Knight, Daughter to Henry, Lord Stafford, the only son of Edward, the last Duke of Buckingham: Her mother was Ursula, Daughter to the Countesse of Salisbury, the only Daughter to George, Duke of Clarence, Brother to King Edward the Fourth. Shee continued a true Widow from the age of 27 till her Death. She served Queen Elizabeth 40 Yeeres, lying in the Bedchamber, esteemed of her, loved of all, doing good, all she could, to every Body, never hurt any; a continual Remembrancer of the Suits of the Poor.