stories and histories BIOGRAPHY OF MARGARET WOTTON

Margaret Wotton was born in 1485, the daughter of Sir Robert Wotton of Boughton and Anne Belknap. Not much is known of her early life; she was first married to William Medley, esquire, in 1505, and this union produced one son, George. Not long after the death of her first husband in February of 1509, she became the second wife of Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset. She is the mother of his children:

Elizabeth Grey

Katherine Grey

Anne Grey

Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk

Lord John Grey of Pirgo

Lord Thomas Grey

Leonard Grey

Mary Grey

She is more often remembered for the many quarrels she engaged in during the minority of her son Henry, over money and his allowance. In October 1530, her husband died, and she was given custody of all his property to preside over until their son, Henry, reached maturity. Her lack of generosity towards Henry shocked her peers as unmotherly and inappropriate behaviour towards a high-ranking nobleman and relative of King Henry VIII of England. In June of 1533, Margaret rode in Anne Boleyn's coronation procession from the Tower of London to Westminster Abbey, and three months later, in September, she stood as one of the godmothers of the future Queen Elizabeth I of England. Despite enjoying favour at court in 1534, she was compelled to answer the charges that she was an "unnatural mother." These charges came about from a long series of quarrels with her son, who had succeeded to the Marquessate of Dorset in 1530, when he was forced to pay a fine of £4000 for breach of contract after he had renounced his betrothal to Katherine Fitzalan, daughter of the Earl of Arundel. As a result, she tried to restrict his allowance throughout his minority, which caused much consternation from her peers, who labelled her actions "unmotherly" and inappropriate behaviour towards a nobleman. Margaret only agreed to Henry's marriage with Lady Frances Brandon, niece of the King, on the condition that her father, Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, would support the couple until her son reached his majority.
In answer to the charges that she was "an unnatural mother," she offered to contribute to her son's advancement "as my small power is and shall be."
Several years later, when he came of age, Henry brought his quarrel with his mother before the Kings' Council, where she belatedly admitted that her son's allowance was not "meet or sufficient to maintain his estate," and she offered to increase it. Henry was not appeased, therefore she moved out of the Grey family seat at Bradgate House; however, Henry would not let her remove her personal property, so in April 1539 she wrote a letter to Thomas Cromwell, pleading with him to order her son to release her goods.
Her son Henry obtained the reversion of the estates she had held during her widowhood on July 12, 1539, which indicates she must have passed away sometime between April and July of that year.

Portrait of Margaret after Hans Holbein.

Sources:

English Aristocratic Women, 14501550: Marriage and Family; Property and Careers, Harris, Barbara Jean, p. 115

Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, Vol. II (2nd ed.), Douglas Richardson

Memoirs of the Court of Queen Elizabeth, Volume 1, Lucy Aikin, p. 9

Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of Henry VIII, Volume 14

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