Knowledge

Elizabeth Somerset, Countess of Worcester (1502–1565)

Source 📝

290:
promiscuous, the sister of the counsellor announced she is not the worst sinner in regards to promiscuous behavior. "But you see a small fault in me, while overlooking a much higher fault that is much more damaging," the translated poem reads. She accuses Queen Anne of adultery and tells her brother to look to Mark Smeaton and the queen's own brother, George Boleyn. She claims, "I must not forget to tell you what seems to me to be the worst thing, which is that often her brother has carnal knowledge of her in bed." This accusation formed the basis of charges leading to Anne's demise, although many historical accounts concur that the charges involving incest between Anne and George are trumped-up. Elizabeth Somerset was identified as the privy counsellor's sister referenced in the poem after John Hussee, agent of the Lord Deputy of Calais and factotum of Lord Lisle declared "as to the queen’s accusers, my lady of Worcester is said to be the principal." He acknowledged there were a few other accusers—"Nan Cobham, with one maid more"—but referred to Elizabeth as "the first ground" when it came to raising charges against Anne.
262:
during the dinner holding a fine cloth before the queen’s face when she wanted to spit." There is documentation that Elizabeth secretly borrowed £100 from Anne, suggesting the two were close. She had not repaid that debt by the time Anne was imprisoned in the Tower. There is also record of a payment made on 4 February 1530 by the king's personal purse to a midwife for the countess of Worcester, most likely Anne's doing. This closeness lent credibility to her accusations against the queen. G.W. Bernard, author of
302:
Elizabeth died in 1565, between 20 April when her will was dated and 23 October when her will was probated. She is buried in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales. Elizabeth and Henry left behind four sons and four daughters on record who grew to adulthood, although it is rumored they had two more children
261:
Elizabeth served as one of Anne Boleyn's ladies in her privy chamber and was close to her. After Anne's coronation, a large feast was held. To the queen's right stood the countess of Oxford and to her left, Elizabeth Somerset. As her lady-in-waiting, Elizabeth's "duties included on several occasions
289:
It exposes conflict between one of the king's privy counsellors and his sister whom he observes engaging in adulterous behaviour and "the sister of one of the most strait-laced of the king’s counsellors" whom he observes engaging in adulterous behavior. Once her brother warns her against appearing
293:
Elizabeth was expecting another child in the spring of 1536 during the events of Anne's investigation. Queen Anne became concerned about her former lady-in-waiting's difficulties during pregnancy even as she remained locked up in the Tower. She "much lamented my lady of Worcester… because that her
215:, treasurer of the household and a man who later became very active in the Boleyn inquiries led by her accusations against Queen Anne. In her mother's will, dated 1531, Elizabeth was left a pair of "bedys of gold with tenne gawdies." 17: 586: 612: 294:
child did not stir in her body." Elizabeth gave birth to a daughter that year and named her Anne, perhaps in honor of Anne Boleyn who continued to languish in prison.
30: 461: 428: 212: 266:
explains that as Anne's lady in waiting, "she would have been aware of it, indeed might have been complicit" with any adulterous acts.
307: 122: 253:, had died without issue. Elizabeth married Henry before 1527 and was officially deemed the Countess of Worcester on 15 April 1526. 311: 317: 242: 126: 620: 383: 269:
In 1536, she testified against Anne Boleyn, claiming she engaged in numerous adulterous acts with a handful of men including
238: 208: 111: 278: 250: 246: 227: 219: 749: 641: 739: 759: 714: 694: 671: 231: 327: 469: 719: 204: 143: 764: 494:
The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom, Vol. VIII
734: 270: 436: 176: 744: 375: 754: 192: 729: 724: 8: 368: 690: 683: 667: 660: 379: 282: 59: 642:
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=maclaren&id=I10530
333:
Lady Eleanor Somerset, married 1) Sir Roger Vaughan and 2) Henry Johns (died 1584)
287:
A letter containing the criminal charges laid against Queen Anne Boleyn of England.
207:, a trusted courtier at the court of Henry VIII, and his wife, Lucy, a daughter of 492: 223: 184: 159: 587:"Salacious claims of Anne Boleyn's incest in Henry VIII documents placed online" 345:
Lady Joan or "Jane" Somerset, married Sir Edward Mansel (1535-16 October 1597)
708: 323: 130: 274: 188: 163: 84: 191:
and the main informant against her. She may have been a mistress of
92: 211:
and Isobel Ingaldesthorpe. She was also the half sister of Sir
88: 256: 281:, the queen's brother. Her accusations are described in 303:
who survived past infancy, bringing the total to ten:
218:
About 1508, Elizabeth's sister, Anne Browne, married
31:
Elizabeth Somerset, Countess of Worcester (1546–1621)
342:
Francis Somerset (died 10 September 1547, in battle)
685:
The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn: 'The Most Happy'
18:
Elizabeth Somerset, Countess of Worcester (d. 1565)
682: 659: 367: 706: 29:For the wife of the 4th Earl of Worcester, see 374:(First ed.). The History Press. p.  605: 532: 530: 528: 456: 454: 213:William Fitzwilliam, 1st Earl of Southampton 619:. Intellectual Reserve, Inc. Archived from 257:Connection to the Anne Boleyn investigation 666:. New Haven Conn.: Yale University Press. 613:"Elizabeth Browne, Countess of Worcester" 525: 451: 422: 420: 418: 416: 414: 412: 410: 172:Elizabeth Somerset, Countess of Worcester 462:"Elizabeth Somerset, Countess Worcester" 429:"A Who's Who of Tudor Women (Brooke-Bu)" 312:Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland 657: 584: 572: 560: 536: 507: 490: 348:Mary Somerset (died approximately 1578) 318:William Somerset, 3rd Earl of Worcester 243:Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester 226:. By that union, Elizabeth was aunt to 14: 707: 407: 397: 395: 239:Henry Somerset, 2nd earl of Worcester 209:John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu 175: 112:Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester 680: 548: 519: 401: 365: 279:George Boleyn, 2nd Viscount Rochford 247:Elizabeth Somerset, Baroness Herbert 426: 392: 24: 497:. G. Bell & sons. p. 200. 25: 776: 297: 650: 635: 578: 566: 554: 328:John Neville, 4th Baron Latimer 662:Anne Boleyn: Fatal Attractions 617:Family Search: Community Trees 585:Bingham, John (7 April 2009). 542: 513: 501: 484: 359: 264:Anne Boleyn: Fatal Attractions 203:Elizabeth was the daughter of 13: 1: 352: 198: 689:. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell. 370:The Mistresses of Henry VIII 7: 366:Hart, Kelly (1 June 2009). 336:Thomas Somerset (died 1586) 237:She was the second wife of 10: 781: 750:16th-century English women 230:, and her younger sister, 28: 740:English ladies-in-waiting 320:(1527 - 21 February 1589) 155: 136: 117: 107: 99: 73: 65: 58: 38: 760:Household of Anne Boleyn 715:Mistresses of Henry VIII 433:Kate Emerson Historicals 593:. Telegraph Media Group 330:(died 23 February 1583) 658:Bernard, G.W. (2010). 491:Cokayne, G.E. (1898). 249:. Henry's first wife, 50:The Countess Worcester 60:Countess of Worcester 45:The Right Honourable 681:Ives, Eric (2004). 623:on 13 November 2013 220:Sir Charles Brandon 183:; 1502–1565) was a 720:English countesses 563:, pp. 152–153 439:on 20 October 2013 404:, pp. 332–333 324:Lady Lucy Somerset 314:(1536 - 1591/1596) 308:Lady Anne Somerset 205:Sir Anthony Browne 385:978-0-7524-4835-0 283:Lancelot de Carle 232:Lady Mary Brandon 228:Lady Anne Brandon 169: 168: 16:(Redirected from 772: 765:Wives of knights 700: 688: 677: 665: 644: 639: 633: 632: 630: 628: 609: 603: 602: 600: 598: 582: 576: 570: 564: 558: 552: 546: 540: 534: 523: 517: 511: 505: 499: 498: 488: 482: 481: 479: 477: 468:. Archived from 466:Castlewood Guild 458: 449: 448: 446: 444: 435:. Archived from 427:Emerson, Kathy. 424: 405: 399: 390: 389: 373: 363: 339:Charles Somerset 179: 95: 79: 78:Elizabeth Browne 47: 46: 36: 35: 21: 780: 779: 775: 774: 773: 771: 770: 769: 735:Somerset family 705: 704: 703: 697: 674: 653: 648: 647: 640: 636: 626: 624: 611: 610: 606: 596: 594: 583: 579: 571: 567: 559: 555: 547: 543: 535: 526: 518: 514: 506: 502: 489: 485: 475: 473: 472:on 14 July 2014 460: 459: 452: 442: 440: 425: 408: 400: 393: 386: 364: 360: 355: 300: 259: 224:Duke of Suffolk 201: 193:King Henry VIII 185:lady-in-waiting 160:Lady-in-waiting 151: 83: 82: 80: 77: 69:1526—1565 54: 53: 44: 43: 34: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 778: 768: 767: 762: 757: 752: 747: 742: 737: 732: 727: 722: 717: 702: 701: 695: 678: 672: 654: 652: 649: 646: 645: 634: 604: 577: 565: 553: 541: 524: 512: 500: 483: 450: 406: 391: 384: 357: 356: 354: 351: 350: 349: 346: 343: 340: 337: 334: 331: 321: 315: 299: 296: 258: 255: 200: 197: 167: 166: 157: 153: 152: 150: 149: 146: 144:Anthony Browne 140: 138: 134: 133: 119: 115: 114: 109: 105: 104: 101: 97: 96: 75: 71: 70: 67: 63: 62: 56: 55: 52: 51: 48: 40: 39: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 777: 766: 763: 761: 758: 756: 753: 751: 748: 746: 745:Browne family 743: 741: 738: 736: 733: 731: 728: 726: 723: 721: 718: 716: 713: 712: 710: 698: 696:9780631234791 692: 687: 686: 679: 675: 673:9780300162455 669: 664: 663: 656: 655: 643: 638: 622: 618: 614: 608: 592: 591:The Telegraph 588: 581: 575:, p. 153 574: 569: 562: 557: 551:, p. 333 550: 545: 539:, p. 154 538: 533: 531: 529: 522:, p. 332 521: 516: 509: 504: 496: 495: 487: 471: 467: 463: 457: 455: 438: 434: 430: 423: 421: 419: 417: 415: 413: 411: 403: 398: 396: 387: 381: 377: 372: 371: 362: 358: 347: 344: 341: 338: 335: 332: 329: 325: 322: 319: 316: 313: 309: 306: 305: 304: 298:Personal life 295: 291: 288: 284: 280: 276: 272: 267: 265: 254: 252: 251:Lady Margaret 248: 244: 241:, the son of 240: 235: 233: 229: 225: 221: 216: 214: 210: 206: 196: 194: 190: 186: 182: 178: 173: 165: 161: 158: 154: 147: 145: 142: 141: 139: 135: 132: 128: 124: 121:9, including 120: 116: 113: 110: 106: 102: 98: 94: 90: 86: 76: 72: 68: 64: 61: 57: 49: 42: 41: 37: 32: 27: 19: 755:1500s births 684: 661: 651:Bibliography 637: 625:. Retrieved 621:the original 616: 607: 595:. Retrieved 590: 580: 573:Bernard 2010 568: 561:Bernard 2010 556: 544: 537:Bernard 2010 515: 510:, p. 71 508:Bernard 2010 503: 493: 486: 474:. Retrieved 470:the original 465: 441:. Retrieved 437:the original 432: 369: 361: 301: 292: 286: 275:Mark Smeaton 271:Henry Norris 268: 263: 260: 236: 217: 202: 180: 171: 170: 148:Lucy Neville 26: 730:1565 deaths 725:1502 births 597:10 November 476:12 November 189:Anne Boleyn 164:Anne Boleyn 709:Categories 627:9 November 443:9 November 353:References 326:, married 310:, married 199:Early life 156:Occupation 85:Betchworth 549:Ives 2004 520:Ives 2004 402:Ives 2004 108:Spouse(s) 285:'s poem 222:, later 137:Parents 127:William 93:England 693:  670:  382:  277:, and 245:, and 181:Browne 129:, and 89:Surrey 66:Tenure 118:Issue 691:ISBN 668:ISBN 629:2013 599:2013 478:2013 445:2013 380:ISBN 131:Lucy 123:Anne 103:1565 100:Died 81:1502 74:Born 187:to 177:née 162:to 711:: 615:. 589:. 527:^ 464:. 453:^ 431:. 409:^ 394:^ 378:. 376:25 273:, 234:. 195:. 125:, 91:, 87:, 699:. 676:. 631:. 601:. 480:. 447:. 388:. 174:( 33:. 20:)

Index

Elizabeth Somerset, Countess of Worcester (d. 1565)
Elizabeth Somerset, Countess of Worcester (1546–1621)
Countess of Worcester
Betchworth
Surrey
England
Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester
Anne
William
Lucy
Anthony Browne
Lady-in-waiting
Anne Boleyn
née
lady-in-waiting
Anne Boleyn
King Henry VIII
Sir Anthony Browne
John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu
William Fitzwilliam, 1st Earl of Southampton
Sir Charles Brandon
Duke of Suffolk
Lady Anne Brandon
Lady Mary Brandon
Henry Somerset, 2nd earl of Worcester
Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester
Elizabeth Somerset, Baroness Herbert
Lady Margaret
Henry Norris
Mark Smeaton

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.