Lady Margaret Spencer

Margaret Willougby, the daughter of Sir Francis Willoughby and Elizabeth Lyttelton, was born about 1564. On Feb. 15, 1587/88 in Brington, Northamptonshire, England, she married Sir Robert Spencer, 1st Baron Spencer of Wormleighton. He was the son of Sir John Spencer and Mary Catlin. Margaret died during childbirth on 17 August 1597.1 She was buried on 19 October 1597 at Brington, Northamptonshire, England.

Children: Mary, Elizabeth, John, William Spencer, 2nd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton, Richard, Edward, Margaret.

Margaret's pedigree is interesting. Her father was Sir Francis Willoughby, the son of Henry Willoughby and Anne, the daughter of the second Marquess of Dorset. Dorset was a landowner in the vicinity of Althorp, who had conveyed the manor or Newbottle (now Nobottle) to the first John Spencer in 1511. Dorset's son, the third Marquess, was Lady Jane Grey's father and Margaret's uncle. Lady Jane was the cousin of Margaret Spencer once removed. The only known portrait painted of Lady Jane Grey is at Althorp.

During 1586 and 1587 Margaret was being courted by her childhood friend Griffin Markham (a soldier and conspirator). This was during the same time that Thomas Markham (father of Griffin) was trying to arrange a marriage between his daughter Margaret Markham and Robert Spencer.

Margaret was buried Oct. 19, 1597 in Brington, Northamptonshire, England.

Family

Margaret Willoughby married Robert Spencer, 1st Baron Spencer of Wormleighton, son of Sir John Spencer and Mary Catlin, on 15 February 1587/88 at Brington, Northamptonshire, England.1

Cockayne writes that "during 1586 and 1587 Margaret was being courted by her childhood friend Griffin Markham ('soldier and conspirator') ... At the same time Thomas Markham, father of Griffin, was trying to arrange a match between his daughter Margaret Markham and Robert Spencer, with whom he had 'not concluded ... as he desired' by 25 July 1587, when he refers to Mr. (later Sir John) Spencer's 'hard dealing in matter of matrimony (whereof now I heartily free him.)2' "

Robert Spencer and Margaret Willoughby had seven children:

1. Sir Henry Spencer (1587-1632) married Lady Joan Church, daughter of Sir William Church
2. Mary Spencer (christened 24 August 1588 – 14 July 1658) married Richard Anderson
3. Elizabeth Spencer (christened 30 November 1589 – 19 November 1618) married George Fane
4. Sir John Spencer (6 December 1590 – 16 August 1610)
5. William Spencer, 2nd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton (christened 4 January 1592 – 19 December 1636) married Lady Penelope Wriothesley
6. Sir Richard Spencer (christened 21 October 1593 – 1 November 1661) married Mary Sandys
7. Sir Edward Spencer (christened 2 March 1594 – 16 February 1655/1656) married Margaret Goldsmith
8. Margaret Spencer (14 August 1597 – 6 December 1613)

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References

1. WikiTree contributors, "Margaret (Willoughby) Spencer (1571-1597)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Willoughby-375 : accessed 24 January 2025).
2. Burke's PEERAGE (1913), p. 1310
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Spencer,_1st_Baron_Spencer_of_...
4. https://thepeerage.com/p10527.htm#i105264 cites
   1. [S6] G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume XII/1, page 160. Hereinafter cited as The Complete Peerage.
   2. [S6] Cokayne, and others, The Complete Peerage, volume XII/1, page 159.
   3. [S9] Charles Kidd and David Williamson, editor, DeBretts Peerage and Baronetage (London, U.K.: DeBrett's Peerage, 1999), volume 2, page 1870. Hereinafter cited as DeBretts Peerage, 1999.