Biography of Mary Arundell Countess Arundel -1557

Mary Arundell Countess Arundel was born to John Arundell of Lanherne and Katherine Granville.

After 23rd July 1505 [her future husband] Robert Radclyffe 1st Earl of Sussex (age 22) and Elizabeth Stafford Countess Sussex (age 26) were married. She by marriage Baroness Fitzwalter. She the daughter of Henry Stafford 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Catherine Woodville Duchess Buckingham and Bedford. They were fifth cousin once removed. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.

Before 1st September 1532 [her future husband] Robert Radclyffe 1st Earl of Sussex (age 49) and Margaret Stanley Countess Sussex were married. She by marriage Countess of Sussex. She the daughter of Thomas Stanley 2nd Earl of Derby and Anne Hastings Countess Derby (age 47). They were fourth cousins. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.

On 14th January 1537 Robert Radclyffe 1st Earl of Sussex (age 54) and Mary Arundell Countess Arundel were married. She by marriage Viscountess Fitzwalter. They were sixth cousins.

Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic Henry VIII 1537. 14th November 1537. 1084. [her aunt] Honor Lady (age 43) to the Countess of Sussex.

Commendations to my [her husband] lord (age 54) and you. I have received your letter and perceive your sorrow for the death of the Queen (deceased), yet her Grace was fortunate to live the day to bring forth such a prince. I perceive my lord and you have taken my daughter Anne (age 17) until, by your good suit, she may obtain place again. If she cannot I will send for her and recompense your charges. I did not send them to put you or any of my kin to charge, but to have them with the Queen. Where you write that but for your great charge of kin and other gentlewomen you would have taken Kateryn (age 15) too; it was never my mind to put you to any charge, yet if I were in England and you sent me even three or four I would accept them. I pray you prefer Anne because she was sworn to the late Queen. Where it has pleased my Lord of Rutland (age 45) and my lady at your suit to take Kateryn for the time, I trust they shall be no losers. "Very glad to hear of your great belly, beseeching God to make you a joyous mother." As shortly as I can I will send you your own, with some good wine which I trust ye shall have three weeks before Christmas. Calais [Map], 14 Nov.

Before 1538 [her future husband] Henry Fitzalan 12th or 19th Earl of Arundel (age 25) and Katherine Grey (age 25) were married. She the daughter of Thomas Grey 2nd Marquess Dorset and Margaret Wotton Marchioness Dorset. He the son of [her future father-in-law] William Fitzalan 11th or 18th Earl of Arundel (age 61) and [her future mother-in-law] Anne Percy Countess Arundel (age 52). They were second cousin once removed. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.

On 22nd March 1538 [her son] Unamed Radclyffe was born to [her husband] Robert Radclyffe 1st Earl of Sussex (age 55) and Mary Arundell Countess Arundel.

Before 21st November 1538 [her step-son] Henry Radclyffe 2nd Earl of Sussex (age 31) and Anne Calthorpe 2nd Countess Sussex (age 17) were married. He the son of [her husband] Robert Radclyffe 1st Earl of Sussex (age 55) and Elizabeth Stafford Countess Sussex.

On 31st December 1539 [her son] John Radclyffe was born to [her husband] Robert Radclyffe 1st Earl of Sussex (age 56) and Mary Arundell Countess Arundel.

After 1st May 1542 Henry Fitzalan 12th or 19th Earl of Arundel (age 30) and Mary Arundell Countess Arundel were married. He the son of William Fitzalan 11th or 18th Earl of Arundel (age 66) and Anne Percy Countess Arundel (age 56). They were fifth cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England.

On 27th November 1542 [her husband] Robert Radclyffe 1st Earl of Sussex (age 59) died. His son [her step-son] Henry (age 35) succeeded 2nd Earl of Sussex, 2nd Viscount Fitzwalter, 11th Baron Fitzwalter. Anne Calthorpe 2nd Countess Sussex (age 21) by marriage Countess of Sussex.

On 23rd January 1544 [her father-in-law] William Fitzalan 11th or 18th Earl of Arundel (age 68) died. He was buried at Arundel Castle [Map]. His son [her husband] Henry (age 31) succeeded 12th or 19th Earl Arundel, 9th Baron Maltravers, 9th Baron Arundel. Mary Arundell Countess Arundel by marriage Countess Arundel.

In 1545 [her father] John Arundell of Lanherne (age 71) died.

Around 1552 John Lumley 1st Baron Lumley (age 19) and [her step-daughter] Jane Fitzalan Baroness Lumley (age 15) were married. She by marriage Baroness Lumley. She the daughter of [her husband] Henry Fitzalan 12th or 19th Earl of Arundel (age 39) and Katherine Grey. They were third cousin once removed. He a great x 3 grandson of King Edward IV of England.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 10th February 1553. The x day of January [Note. Probably February] rod my lade Mare('s) (age 36) grasse from Saynt [John's] and thrugh Flettstrett unto the kyng at Westmynster, with a grett nombur of lords and knyghtes, and alle the [great] women lades, the duches of Suffoke (age 35) and Northumberland (age 44), my lade marqwes of Northamptun (age 26), and lade marqwes of Wynchester, and the contes of Bedfford (age 74), and the contes of Shrowsbere (age 53), and the contes of Arundelle, my lade Clynton (age 26), my lade Browne (age 24) and Browne [sic in manuscript], and many mo lades and gentyllwomen; and at the oter gatt ther mett her my lord of Suffoke (age 36) and my lord of Northumberland (age 49), my lord of Wynchester (age 70), my lord of Bedfford (age 68), and therle of Shrusbery (age 53), the [her husband] therle of Arundell (age 40), my lord Chamburlayn, my lord Admerolle, and a gret nomber of knyghtes and gentyllmen, and so up unto the chambur of pressens, and ther the Kynges (age 15) grace mett her and salutyd her.... owyn a-pon payne of presunmentt and a grett [penalty, as ye] shalle fynd in the actes in secund yere of kyng ... the perlementt tyme of the sayd yere, and nott to be ... plasse as taverns, alle-howses, ines, or wher ... for cummers and gestes, and has commandyd unto alle shreyffes and baylles, constabulls, justes of pesse, or any .. thay shall se truthe (and) justys as thay shalle [inform the] kyng and ys consell, and bryng them to pressun of ... sun or poyssuns as be the offenders ther off for ... her of odur.

On 12th April 1555 [her step-son] Henry Fitzalan (age 17) and Anne Wentworth were married. He the son of [her husband] Henry Fitzalan 12th or 19th Earl of Arundel (age 42) and Katherine Grey.

In 1556 Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk (age 19) and [her step-daughter] Mary Fitzalan Duchess Norfolk (age 16) were married. She by marriage Duchess Norfolk, Countess Surrey. She the daughter of [her husband] Henry Fitzalan 12th or 19th Earl of Arundel (age 43) and Katherine Grey. They were second cousin once removed.

On 30th June 1556 [her step-son] Henry Fitzalan (age 18) died.

Around 23rd August 1557 [her step-daughter] Mary Fitzalan Duchess Norfolk (age 17) died from childbirth at Arundel House [Map].

In 20th October 1557 Mary Arundell Countess Arundel died.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 21st October 1557. The xxj day of October ded my lade the contes of Arundell at Bathe plase in sant Clement parryche with-owt Tempylle-bare.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 27th October 1557. The xxvij day of October my lade was browth to the chyrche, with the byshope of London (age 57) and Powlles qwyre and the master and clarkes of London, and then cam the corse with v baners of armes borne; then cam iiij harolds in ther cotes of armes, and bare iiij banars of emages at the iiij corners; and then cam the chyff mornars, my lade of Wossetur, and my [her former step-daughter] lade Lumley (age 20), and my lord North (age 27), and ser Antony Selenger. [Then came a hundred mourners of men, and after as many ladies and gentlemen, all in black; and a great many poor women in black and rails, and] xxiiij pore men in blake beyryng of torchys, and mony of her servandes in blake cotes beyryng of torchys.

Note. P. 155. Funeral of the countess of Arundel. A full account of this funeral is preserved in the College of Arms, I. 15, ff. 266 et seq. The lady was previously countess of Sussex, and a letter written under that signature in 1537 has been published in Miss Wood's Letters of Royal and Illustrious Ladies, vol. ii. p. 306. "This Mary, doter of sir John Arundell of the West [and widow of Robert earl of Sussex, who died in 1542,] departed this lyff on Wensday the 20. of October 1557, in the 4. and 5. yeres of king Phelyp and quene Mary in the said erl of Arundelles place in St. Clementes parishe called the Danes withowt temple barre in London, and was beryed the xxviij. of October next folowinge." (MS. Harl. 897, f. 79.) The same authority supplies the following record of the earl of Arundel's former wife: "The lady Kateren Maltravers, doter of the lord marquis Dorset, departed owt of this world the fyrst day of May in the xxiiijth. yere of H. 8, (1532,) and lyeth beryed at St. Bartylmewes the lyttell within sir Gyles Capell('s) chapell." (p. 13b.)

Henry Machyn's Diary. 28th October 1557. The xxviij day of October was the masse of requiem song, and a goodly sermon; and after masse her grasse was bered; and all her hed offesers with whytt stayffes in ther handes, and all the haroldes waytyng abowt her in ther cott armurs, and my lord abbott of Westmynster (age 42) [was the] precher, a godly sarman; and my lord of London (age 57) song the masse, and the byshope of (blank) song the masse of the (blank), and ther was a (blank) masse sayd; and after to my lordes plase to dener, for ther was a gret dener.

On 24th February 1580 [her former husband] Henry Fitzalan 12th or 19th Earl of Arundel (age 67) died. His grandson Philip (age 22) succeeded 13th or 20th Earl Arundel, 10th Baron Maltravers, 10th Baron Arundel. Anne Dacre Countess Arundel (age 22) by marriage Countess Arundel.