The New Murrey and Blue blog

Thanks to the works of Douglas Biggs (cited below) I have learned something new and interesting about King Richard II. When he went to Ireland in 1399, he took a woman with him.

The lady in question was a knight’s widow called Margaret Sarnesfield. Although her origins are uncertain, it is probable that she was one of the Bohemians who came to England with Queen Anne. She married Sir Nicholas Sarnesfield in 1389 and was widowed in 1394 – by coincidence, the very same year that Queen Anne died.

Margaret is listed in the paperwork as one of the King’s ‘servants’ but is conspicuous as being the only female member of what was essentially a military operation. (Albeit there was a court of sorts in Dublin, headed by the Duke and Duchess of Surrey and it is possible, indeed likely, that the Duchess had some other English ladies or gentlewomen in her entourage).

Margaret is also recorded as having her own apartment at Eltham Palace. Was this the medieval equivalent of a ‘grace and favour’ lodging? To be allocated a permanent lodging at court was something usually restricted to those of the highest rank, such as the King’s uncles. So this was certainly a rare favour.

Margaret retained this lodging under Henry IV, at least for a time, and she received confirmation of the generous grants of land and annuities Richard had bestowed on her. Although later the Prince of Wales hassled her over certain lands he regarded as inalienable parts of the Duchy of Cornwall, and Margaret had to accept an annuity in lieu.

Margaret was a long-lived lady and did not pass away until 1447. The exact nature of her relationship with Richard II can only be a matter of conjecture.

Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense.

Sources:

Douglas Biggs

“Patronage, Preference and Survival: The Life of Lady Margaret Sarnesfield, c. 1380-1447,” 2011, The Ties that Bind: Essays in Medieval British History in Honor of Barbara Hanawalt.

Three Armies in Britain – The Irish Campaign of Richard II and the Usurpation of Henry IV, 1397-99.