Biography of Margaret Russell Countess Cumberland 1560-1616

Before 1548 [her father] Francis Russell 2nd Earl Bedford [aged 20] and [her mother] Margaret St John Countess Bedford [aged 14] were married. He the son of [her grandfather] John Russell 1st Earl Bedford [aged 62] and [her grandmother] Anne Sapcote Countess Bedford [aged 68].

On 7th July 1560 Margaret Russell Countess Cumberland was born to [her father] Francis Russell 2nd Earl Bedford [aged 33] and [her mother] Margaret St John Countess Bedford [aged 27].

On 27th August 1562 [her mother] Margaret St John Countess Bedford [aged 29] died at Woburn, Bedfordshire. She was buried at St Michael's Church, Chenies [Map].

On 11th November 1565 [her brother-in-law] Ambrose Dudley 3rd Earl Warwick [aged 35] and [her sister] Anne Russell Countess Warwick [aged 17] were married. She by marriage Countess Warwick. She the daughter of [her father] Francis Russell 2nd Earl Bedford [aged 38] and [her mother] Margaret St John Countess Bedford. He the son of John Dudley 1st Duke Northumberland and Jane Guildford Duchess Northumberland.

On 25th June 1566 [her father] Francis Russell 2nd Earl Bedford [aged 39] and [her step-mother] Bridget Hussey Countess Bedford [aged 40] were married. She by marriage Countess Bedford. He the son of [her grandfather] John Russell 1st Earl Bedford and [her grandmother] Anne Sapcote Countess Bedford.

In January 1570 Henry Clifford 2nd Earl of Cumberland [aged 53] died. His son [her future husband] George [aged 11] succeeded 3rd Earl of Cumberland, 13th Baron de Clifford, 13th Lord Skipton. Being underage his wardship went to Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland [aged 36] who gave it to [her father] Francis Russell 2nd Earl Bedford [aged 43] whose daughter George subsequently married.

In 1577 George Clifford 3rd Earl of Cumberland [aged 18] and Margaret Russell Countess Cumberland [aged 16] were married. She being the daughter of Francis Russell 2nd Earl Bedford [aged 50] who had been given George's wardship by Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland [aged 43]. She by marriage Countess of Cumberland. She the daughter of Francis Russell 2nd Earl Bedford and Margaret St John Countess Bedford. He the son of Henry Clifford 2nd Earl of Cumberland and Anne Dacre Countess Cumberland [aged 56]. They were third cousins.

Mid-Seventeeth Century copy of a 1583 original. Unknown Painter. Portrait of Margaret Russell Countess Cumberland [aged 22].

On 7th August 1583 [her brother-in-law] William Bourchier 3rd Earl Bath [aged 25] and [her sister] Elizabeth Russell Countess Bath were married at St Mary Major Church, Exeter. She by marriage Countess Bath, Countess Eu. She the daughter of [her father] Francis Russell 2nd Earl Bedford [aged 56] and [her mother] Margaret St John Countess Bedford. They were half sixth cousins.

In 1584 [her son] Francis Clifford was born to [her husband] George Clifford 3rd Earl of Cumberland [aged 25] and Margaret Russell Countess Cumberland [aged 23]. He died aged five in 1589.

On 13th February 1585 [her brother] William Russell 1st Baron Russell [aged 25] and [her sister-in-law] Elizabeth Long Baroness Russel Thornhaugh were married at Watford, Hertfordshire. He the son of [her father] Francis Russell 2nd Earl Bedford [aged 58] and [her mother] Margaret St John Countess Bedford.

On 28th July 1585 [her father] Francis Russell 2nd Earl Bedford [aged 58] died. His grandson Edward [aged 12] succeeded 3rd Earl Bedford, 3rd Baron Russell of Cheneys.

On 21st September 1585 [her son] Robert Clifford was born to [her husband] George Clifford 3rd Earl of Cumberland [aged 27] and Margaret Russell Countess Cumberland [aged 25]. He died aged five in 1591.

Bedford Chapel, St Michael's Church, Chenies. Monument to [her father] Francis Russell 2nd Earl Bedford and [her mother] Margaret St John Countess Bedford.

The armorials on the visible south side being, left to right:

Dudley Arms impaling Russell Arms. [her brother-in-law] Ambrose Dudley 3rd Earl Warwick [aged 56] and [her sister] Anne Russell Countess Warwick [aged 38].

Bourchier Arms impaling Russell Arms. William Bourchier 3rd Earl Bath [aged 28] and Elizabeth Russell Countess Bath

Clifford Arms impaling Russell Arms. George Clifford 3rd Earl of Cumberland [aged 27] and Margaret Russell Countess Cumberland [aged 25].

Around March 1589 [her brother-in-law] Francis Clifford 4th Earl of Cumberland [aged 30] and Grisold Hughes Countess Cumberland were married. She by marriage Countess of Cumberland. He the son of Henry Clifford 2nd Earl of Cumberland and [her mother-in-law] Anne Dacre Countess Cumberland.

On 8th December 1589 [her son] Francis Clifford [aged 5] died.

On 30th January 1590 [her daughter] Anne Clifford Countess Dorset and Pembroke was born to [her husband] George Clifford 3rd Earl of Cumberland [aged 31] and Margaret Russell Countess Cumberland [aged 29] at Skipton Castle [Map]. She married (1) 27th February 1609 her fourth cousin once removed Richard Sackville 3rd Earl Dorset, son of Robert Sackville 2nd Earl Dorset and Margaret Howard, and had issue (2) 1630 her half third cousin twice removed Philip Herbert 4th Earl Pembroke 1st Earl Montgomery, son of Henry Herbert 2nd Earl Pembroke and Mary Sidney Countess Pembroke.

On 24th May 1591 [her son] Robert Clifford [aged 5] died.

On 29th September 1596 [her sister-in-law] Margaret Clifford Countess Derby [aged 56] died.

In 1603 [her brother] William Russell 1st Baron Russell [aged 43] was created 1st Baron Russell of Thornhaugh. [her sister-in-law] Elizabeth Long Baroness Russel Thornhaugh by marriage Baroness Russell of Thornhaugh.

In August 1603 during a plague in London the royal court moved to Basing House, Old Basing. Francis Palmes of Lindley [aged 49] entertained courtiers at his house nearby at Lancelevy, Sherfield on Loddon. The party included [her daughter] Lady Anne Clifford [aged 13], her mother Margaret Clifford [aged 43], Countess of Cumberland and [her sister] Elizabeth Bourchier, Countess of Bath, who used Lancelevy as a base to visit Anne of Denmark [aged 28] and Arbella Stuart [aged 28].

On 9th February 1604 [her sister] Anne Russell Countess Warwick [aged 56] died. She was originally interred at St Marys Church, Watford. The monument subseuently moved to the Bedford Chapel, St Michael's Church, Chenies.

On 24th March 1605 [her sister] Elizabeth Russell Countess Bath died.

On 30th October 1605 [her husband] George Clifford 3rd Earl of Cumberland [aged 47] died. His brother [her brother-in-law] Francis [aged 46] succeeded 4th Earl of Cumberland. His daughter Anne [aged 15] succeeded 14th Baroness de Clifford.

Francis Clifford 4th Earl of Cumberland bequeathed to Anne the sum of £15,000 in lieu of the estates she was legally entitled to. She engaged in a long and complex legal battle to obtain the family estates. In 1643, when Henry Clifford 5th Earl of Cumberland [aged 14] died she regained her estates.

On 27th February 1609 [her son-in-law] Richard Sackville 3rd Earl Dorset [aged 19] and Anne Clifford Countess Dorset and Pembroke [aged 19] were married. The same day that his father Robert Sackville 2nd Earl Dorset [aged 48] died. She the daughter of George Clifford 3rd Earl of Cumberland and Margaret Russell Countess Cumberland [aged 48]. He the son of Robert Sackville 2nd Earl Dorset and Margaret Howard. They were fourth cousin once removed.

On 9th August 1613 [her brother] William Russell 1st Baron Russell [aged 53] died. His son [her nephew] Francis [aged 20] succeeded 2nd Baron Russell of Thornhaugh.

On 24th May 1616 Margaret Russell Countess Cumberland [aged 55] died at Brougham Castle [Map]. She was buried in St Lawrence's Church, Appleby-in-Westmoreland [Map]. Finely carved alabaster. Stuart Hooded Monument, Shroud Monument, with Coronet. By Maximilian Colt [aged 41].