Elizabeth Hussey

Elizabeth Hussey, Baroness Hungerford (c. 1510 – 1554) was an English noblewoman who was allegedly imprisoned by her first husband for four years. She was married to Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford of Heytesbury until his execution, then to Sir Robert Throckmorton of Coughton. Through her daughters she was grandmother to two of the Gunpowder Plot conspirators, Robert Catesby and Francis Tresham.

Early life Hussey was born about 1510 in Sleaford, Lincolnshire. She was the daughter of John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford (c. 1465 – 1537) and Anne Grey, Baroness Hussey (c.1490–1545). Her parents held high positions at the Tudor court. Her father was a member of the House of Lords, a Chamberlain to King Henry VIII's daughter, Mary I and travelled to France to take part in the Field of the Cloth of Gold meeting between Henry VIII and Francis I of France in 1520. She was also one of Mary's personal attendants, a member of her court and was imprisoned in the Tower of London for continuing to call her Princess after this had been forbidden by the King.

Marriages Hussey married firstly Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford of Heytesbury (died 1540), as his third wife, in 1532. He was the only child of Sir Edward Hungerford (died 1522) of Farleigh Hungerford, Somerset, and his first wife, Jane, daughter of John, Lord Zouche of Harringworth.

Hungerford's treatment of his wife, which she endured for years, was remarkable for its brutality. In an appeal for protection which she addressed to Thomas Cromwell, chief minister of King Henry VIII, in about 1536, Hussey asserted that her husband had kept her incarcerated at Farleigh Castle for four years, had starved her and endeavoured on several occasions to poison her.

Around this time, her husband was already falling from favour and the privy council investigated unsavoury rumours about him.

They had four daughters, who were raised in the Catholic faith of their ancestors:

Muriel Throckmorton (c. 1547/50–1615), They had six daughters and four sons, Elizabeth Throckmorton, who married Sir Anthony Tyringham of Tyringham, Buckinghamshire, by whom she had a daughter, Elizabeth Tyringham, who married Sir Robert Fisher, the first of the Fisher baronets of Packington Magna. Temperance Throckmorton, who married Sir Randal Brereton (died 1611), by whom she had no issue.

Death and monumental brass effigy Hussey died on 23 January 1554 and was buried in the Throckmorton family vault at St. Laurence's Church, Weston Underwood, Buckinghamshire. She is depicted wearing an embroidered gown with slashed sleeves and her head has a modern replacement.

The Latin inscription reads "Hie jacet tumulata dna Elizabetha Hungerford una filiaru dni Hussey que primum nupta fuit dno Gualtero Hungerford et nuper vxor Roberti Throkmarton Militis que obiit xxiii die Januarii Anno dni Mccccclxxi". This translates to: "Here lies buried Mrs. Elizabeth Hungerford, one of the children of Mr. Hussey, who was first married to Mr. Walter Hungerford, and late the wife of Robert Throckmarton, a soldier, who died the 23rd day of January, in the year of Mcccclxx".