Biography of Elizabeth Isham 1578-1664

Autobiography Simon D'Ewes. March 1623. Though the talk of this princely intended match filled the thoughts and discourses of most men;¹ yet did the expectation of another marriage which nearly concerned me, take up a great part of my time in the latter end of the forgoing February, and the beginning of the ensuing March. For my most dear and blessed mother having deceased above four years and eight months now past, and my [her future husband] father (age 56), since his being a widower, falling into treaty with several persons about his second marriage, some of them being in the prime of their youth, I was almost continually agitated and troubled lest he should at last pitch upon some young person altogether unfit for his age; by which means I should not only reap much discomfort in my present life, but it was possible also he might thereby be drawn to gire away the greatest part of his estate to the issue of a second wife, of which I saw daily experience of like cases, to the utter ruin of many ancient and nobly extracted families. Having therefore no thought or hope to get any estate settled on myself by my own matching, by reason of my late miscarriage in my first treaty, which gave me abundant experience of his inconstancy, my next votes and wishes were to see him well and happily mariied to some good and ancient widow, every way fit for him; and accordingly he fell in treaty this February with Dame Elizabeth Denton (age 44), the widow and relict of [her husband] Sir Anthony Denton, Knt., late of Tunbridge, in the county of Kent. She was the eldest daughter of [her father] Thomas Isham, Esq., of Langport in Northamptonshire, deceased, and sister of [her brother] Sir John Isham (age 40), Knt., living. Her age was about forty-five, and her estate, both in ready money and jointure, so considerable and fair, as my father had just grounds even in that respect, she requiring but a reasonable jointure, to desire the match. But she was, besides, very discreet, frugal, and religious, which added to her estate and extraction, being both without exception, occasioned a gentleman, my father's very good friend, to make the motion to him, knowing it to be very seasonable for the good of himself and his children, there being little likelihood that she should add to bis number he already enjoyed, because shte never had any issue by her former husband, although she continued his wife divers years.

Note 1. The anxiety of the public in regard to this matter appears to have exhibited itself very strongly. In the Harl. MSS. occurs the following note: - "Far the Spanish business things seem still far off. On Saturday, at ten in the forenoon, as our fleet passed by Dover towards Portsmouth, there to levictual, arrived there a gentleman of the Prince's Privy Chamber from Spain, who said, either in truth or in jest to content the people, that the Prince would be here before the fleet could be in Spain; and wagers are laid here of hin return hither thia month." This was written in the following July.