Biography of Frances Howard Duchess Lennox and Richmond 1578-1639

Around 1526 [her father] Thomas Howard 1st Viscount Howard Bindon (age 6) and Elizabeth Marney Viscountess Howard Bindon were married. She by marriage Viscountess Howard Bindon. He the son of [her grandfather] Thomas Howard 3rd Duke of Norfolk (age 53) and [her grandmother] Elizabeth Stafford Duchess Norfolk (age 29). They were fifth cousin once removed.

Before 25th December 1560 [her future husband] Edward Seymour 1st Earl Hertford (age 21) and Catherine Grey Countess Hertford (age 20) were married in secret by an anonymous clergyman at Hertford House Canon Row. She by marriage Countess Hertford. She the daughter of Henry Grey 1st Duke of Suffolk and Frances Brandon Duchess of Suffolk. He the son of Edward Seymour 1st Duke of Somerset and Anne Stanhope Duchess Somerset (age 63). They were sixth cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England. She a great granddaughter of King Henry VII of England and Ireland.

After 1565 [her father] Thomas Howard 1st Viscount Howard Bindon (age 45) and Gertrude Lyte Viscountess Howard Bindon were married. She by marriage Viscountess Howard Bindon. He the son of [her grandfather] Thomas Howard 3rd Duke of Norfolk and [her grandmother] Elizabeth Stafford Duchess Norfolk.

On 7th June 1576 [her father] Thomas Howard 1st Viscount Howard Bindon (age 56) and [her mother] Mabel Burton Viscountess Howard Bindon (age 36) were married. She by marriage Viscountess Howard Bindon. The difference in their ages was 20 years. He the son of [her grandfather] Thomas Howard 3rd Duke of Norfolk and [her grandmother] Elizabeth Stafford Duchess Norfolk.

On 27th July 1578 Frances Howard Duchess Lennox and Richmond was born to Thomas Howard 1st Viscount Howard Bindon (age 58) and Mabel Burton Viscountess Howard Bindon (age 38) at Lychett, Dorset.

In 1580 [her mother] Mabel Burton Viscountess Howard Bindon (age 40) died.

In 1582 [her father] Thomas Howard 1st Viscount Howard Bindon (age 62) died. His son [her half-brother] Henry succeeded 2nd Viscount Howard Bindon.

In 1582 [her future husband] Edward Seymour 1st Earl Hertford (age 42) and Frances Howard Countess Hertford (age 28) were married. She by marriage Countess Hertford. He the son of Edward Seymour 1st Duke of Somerset and Anne Stanhope Duchess Somerset (age 85). They were half sixth cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England.

Before June 1590 [her future husband] Ludovic Stewart 2nd Duke Lennox 1st Duke Richmond (age 15) and Sophia Ruthven Duchess Lennox were married. She by marriage Duchess Lennox. She the daughter of William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie and Dorothea Stewart Countess Gowrie (age 49). He the son of Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox and Catherine Balsac Duchess Lennox. They were third cousins.

Around March 1592 Henry Prannell and Frances Howard Duchess Lennox and Richmond (age 13) were married.

Around August 1598 [her future husband] Ludovic Stewart 2nd Duke Lennox 1st Duke Richmond (age 23) and Jean Campbell Duchess Lennox (age 45) were married. She by marriage Duchess Lennox. The difference in their ages was 21 years; she, unusually, being older than him. He the son of Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox and Catherine Balsac Duchess Lennox. They were second cousin once removed.

In 1599 [her husband] Henry Prannell died.

On 27th May 1601 Edward Seymour 1st Earl Hertford (age 62) and Frances Howard Duchess Lennox and Richmond (age 22) were married. She by marriage Countess Hertford. The difference in their ages was 39 years. He the son of Edward Seymour 1st Duke of Somerset and Anne Stanhope Duchess Somerset. They were half third cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England.

On 21st July 1612 [her step-son] Edward Seymour (age 50) died.

Diary of Anne Clifford. 28th April 1619. The 28th my Lord (age 30) and I, my Coz. Sackville and Lady Windsor went to the Tower to see my Lady Somerset (age 28), where we saw her little child (age 3)¹. My Lord went to see Earl of Northumberland (age 55)² and I and the Lady Windsor went to see Lady Shrewsbury (age 63)³, and after supper my Lord and I went by water to Channel Row to see my [her husband] Lord of Hertford (age 79)⁴ and his Lady (age 40) where we found my Lady Beauchamp⁵, my Lord Essex's (age 28) Sister, then I went to Arundel House and talked with her about Lords being made Knights of the Garter.

Note 1. "Her little Child," Anne Carr, afterwards married to William 5th Earl and 1st Duke of Bedford (age 2).

Note 2. Henry, 6th Earl, a Prisoner since the time of the Gunpowder Plot.

Note 3. Mary Cavendish, wife of Gilbert 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, was sent to the Tower in June 1611, at the same time with her niece the Lady Arabella Stuart first cousin of King James. Lady Arabella died, in the Tower, in 1615.

Note 4. Earl of Hertford son of Protector Somerset, and his 3rd wife Frances, d. of [her father] Thomas Viscount Howard of Bindon, widow of [her former husband] Henry Pranell, Esq., and married, 3rdly to [her future husband] Ludovick Stuart Duke of Lenox and Richmond (age 44).

Note 5. Lady Frances Devereux (age 19), and wife of William Lord Beauchamp (age 31), afterwards Marquis of Hertford; daughter of Queen Elizabeth's favourite, and sister of the Parliament's General.

On 6th April 1621 [her husband] Edward Seymour 1st Earl Hertford (age 81) died. He was buried at Salisbury Cathedral [Map].

On 16th June 1621 Ludovic Stewart 2nd Duke Lennox 1st Duke Richmond (age 46) and Frances Howard Duchess Lennox and Richmond (age 42) were married. She by marriage Duchess Lennox. He the son of Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox and Catherine Balsac Duchess Lennox. They were fifth cousin once removed.

In 1623 [her husband] Ludovic Stewart 2nd Duke Lennox 1st Duke Richmond (age 48) was created 1st Duke Richmond, 1st Earl Newcastle upon Tyne by King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland (age 56). Frances Howard Duchess Lennox and Richmond (age 44) by marriage Duchess Richmond.

On 16th February 1624 [her husband] Ludovic Stewart 2nd Duke Lennox 1st Duke Richmond (age 49) died. He was buried at Westminster Abbey [Map]. Duke Richmond and Earl Newcastle upon Tyne extinct. His brother [her brother-in-law] Esmé (age 45) succeeded 3rd Duke Lennox. Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox (age 32) by marriage Duchess Lennox.

Before 1636 Marcus Gheeraerts (age 73). Portrait of Frances Howard Duchess Lennox and Richmond (age 57).

On 8th October 1639 Frances Howard Duchess Lennox and Richmond (age 61) died at Exeter House [Map]. She was buried at Westminster Abbey [Map].