Mary Cheke
Mary Cheke, Lady Cheke (née Hill; c. 1532 - 30 November 1616) was an English lady of the privy chamber to Elizabeth I, as well as a courtier poet,[1] and epigrammatist.[2]
Mary Cheke, Lady Cheke | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mary Hill c. 1532 |
| Died | 30 November 1616 |
| Occupation | courtier, epigramatist |
| Spouse(s) | Sir John Cheke (1547-1557; his death) Henry Macwilliam (m. 1558) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Richard Hill |
Biography
Born Mary Hill in Hampshire, c. 1532. Her father was Richard Hill (d. 1539), of Hartley Wintney; he had served as Sergeant of the Wine Cellar to Henry VIII. After her father's death, her mother remarried Sir John Mason.
On May 11, 1547,[3] she married Sir John Cheke of Mottistone Manor, an English classical scholar and statesman. They had at least three children, the sons, Henry, John, and Edward.[3] After Mary Tudor became Queen in 1554, Mary Cheke's husband left England. From Calais,[3] he requested of Sir John Harrington to look after his wife.[4] John Cheke died in 1557. Late in the next year, 1558,[1] Mary Cheke married Henry Macwilliam of Stambourne Hall, a royal pensioner,[5] but retained the surname Cheke.[2]
Cheke is remembered as an important attendant to Elizabeth I, and for a "witty poetic exchange" at her court. [2] In the late 1590s,[5] Harrington wrote an epigram with negative connotations regarding women in the Bible, and Cheke wrote back a lyrically-clever counter-epigram, "Erat quaedam mulier (a reply to John Harrington's poem, Erat quidem homo)".[4][5]
Cheke died 30 November 1616.[3]
Selected works
- "Erat quaedam mulier (a reply to John Harrington's poem, Erat quidem homo)", late 1590s
References
- "Cheke [née Hill; other married name Mackwilliam], Lady Mary (c. 1532–1616), gentlewoman of the privy chamber and courtier poet". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-369469. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- Sage, Greer & Showalter 1999, p. 125.
- "MARY HILL (1532-November 30, 1616)". tudorwomen.com. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- Risser, Natalie (2 August 2017). ""A Certain Woman," or A Renaissance Poetry Standoff". The Rosenbach. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- Stevenson, Davidson & Davidson 2001, p. 21.
Bibliography
- Sage, Lorna; Greer, Germaine; Showalter, Elaine (30 September 1999). The Cambridge Guide to Women's Writing in English. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-66813-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Stevenson, Jane; Davidson, Peter; Davidson, Regius Chalmers (2001). Early Modern Women Poets (1520-1700): An Anthology. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-924257-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)