Letter from Marmion to Sir Francis I Willoughby

The Middleton Manuscripts contains a letter that bears the date the 28th October and, due to its contents, must have been written between 1575 and 1583 although its precise year is unknown. It was written by a man called Marmion to Sir Francis I Willoughby. Marmion, who at that time was the servant of Elizabeth (Bess of Hardwick), Countess of Shrewsbury, was writing of his desire to enter the service of Sir Francis. In this letter Marmion told Sir Francis of events in the Countess’ household including quarrels between the Countess and her husband, George Talbot 6th Earl of Shrewsbury. He also referred to the imprisonment in their household of Mary, Queen of Scots.

In 1568, Queen Elizabeth I imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots, and Talbot was selected as her keeper. Mary remained as his prisoner until 1585. In May 1570, she was first conveyed to Chatsworth, which is where the first part of Marmion’s letter was written, and in the following October she was moved to Sheffield Castle, which was the Earl’s principal residence and where the second part of Marmion’s letter was written. From that time, Mary was kept primarily at Sheffield with the occasional visit to Chatsworth or a few other places. The date range of this letter can be narrowed further because Marmion refers to Francis as a knight and he was not knighted until the end of July 1575.

Portrait of Sir Francis I Willoughby. Courtesy of Lord Middleton

Although the surname of Marmion is more closely associated with the ownership of Middleton in the 12th and 13th centuries, the surname returned to the household in the form of gentlemen servants in the 15th century. These Marmions are believed to have been descendants of a lesser branch of the Willoughby family as a result of the marriage of Sir Hugh Willoughby and Margaret de Freville’s daughter Alice to John Marmion.

The following are extracts from the full letter of Marmion’s pleas to Sir Francis:

Right worshipful, my special earnest desire hath been a long time that once I might be dissolved and bestow myself altogether at Wollaton, which sole and the sole’s master I have always unfeignedly loved. I am sorry with all my heart to see my Lady in such danger. That house is a hell, and her Ladyship being furnished with few, or rather not one, about her which faithfully love and honour her.

I told your worship at your being last at Haddon of a broil betwixt my Lord and Lady, wherein my Lord hath made me play a part. His Lordship chargeth her and me to be devisors for the disabling of his service to Her Majesty.

He made surely a very honourable conclusion that if she would not remove me, he could never be brought to think that she loved him, but he would remove me and shut her Ladyship up without suffering any servants about her than of his own placing, with diverse other idle words tending much to naughty purposes. Yet or ever I depart, I am sure his Lordship will end most quietly with me, but by his leave I will strain courtesy.

I find me able to do you good service: and this I trust you will hold yourself assured that I will be to the last day of my life a most faithful man towards you and all your causes. And though I speak it, methinks Wollaton House should not be without a Marmion. I beseech your worship’s good consideration of my humble suit, and not to refuse Marmion, who never willingly departed from you, but is most joyful if he may in this sort return unto you.

Chatsworth, 24th October.

God send me good luck! My Lord makes men believe that he will fight with me in his own person, but use makes his fight terribly perfect. I dare gauge my life, he will not suffer my departure. But I will be resolute. Sir, I reckon me one of yours.

Sheffield, 28th October.

Further Reading: W. H. Stevenson, Report on the Manuscripts of Lord Middleton, Historical Manuscripts Commission, 1911. pp.152-155.

Author - Debbie Jordan, Middleton Hall Volunteer.

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