A Noble Lady of Birth

Lady Penelope Devereux background

Lady Penelope Devereux was the daughter of Sir John Devereux and Lady Cecily Bouchier and she was born during the reign of King Henry V of England in the year of 1461.

Sir John Devereux, 9th Baron Ferrers of Chartley and his wife, Lady Cecily Bourchier and they had one other child, Sir Edward Devereux, who was born in 1465 and he was heir to the Baron Ferrers of Chartley.

Sir John Devereux and his wife, Lady Cecily Bouchier served King Henry VI until his defeat and he was replaced with King Edward IV of England on 4 March 1461 and then again on 11 April 1471 for a second time.

King Edward IV was known as the come-back kid and he was the oldest son of Lord Richard, Duke of York and Lady Cecily Neville.

King Edward IV father was Lord Richard, Duke of York who was the second son of Lord Richard, Earl of Cambridge and Lady Anne Mortimer and they were second cousin twice removed, as Lady Anne Mortimer was the great-great-granddaughter of Prince Lionel of Clarence through his daughter, Princess Philippa, 5th Countess of Ulster who married Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March who had Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March who had Lady Anne Mortimer who married Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge and they had Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York who married Lady Cecily Neville, The Rose of Raby and they had four sons, Edward, Edmund, George and Richard, and Anne, Margaret, and Elizabeth.

Their eldest son, Lord Edward was born on (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483), Lord Edmund was born on Edmund, Earl of Rutland (17 May 1443 – 30 December 1460), Lord George was born on George, Duke of Clarence (21 October 1449 – 18 February 1478) and Lord Richard was born on 2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485 and their eldest daughter, Lady Anne of York was born on 10 August 1439 – 14 January 1476, Lady Elizabeth of York was born on 22 April 1444 – after January 1503, and Lady Margaret of York was born on (3 May 1446 – 23 November 1503) and it was Edward of York who became King of England as he staked his claim through his paternal grandmother, Lady Anne Mortimer but he also came from the paternal line of Prince Edmund, Duke of York who was the fourth son of King Edward III as well.

Lord John Devereux was a loyal Yorkist and he had served Lord Richard, Duke of York and he would remain faithful to his sons as his father, Lord William Devereux had done and his only son would also.

Lady Cecil Bouchier would take her two children, Lady Penelope and Sir Edward to the court of King Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth Woodville in 1464, when Lady Penelope was 14 years old and she would be presented to Queen Elizabeth Woodville in 1466 and Lord John was hoping to secure a good and worthy marriage for his daughter, Lady Penelope with a honest gentlemen of the court that could give her a title and home.

Lady Penelope Devereux resembled her maternal grandmother, Lady Mary Grey who was the daughter of Lord Reginald Grey, and she would be presented at court to King Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth Woodville by her mother, Lady Cecily.

In the background her father, Lord John and his son, Sir Edward would be watching from the background when Lady Cecily with their daughter presented Lady Penelope to King Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth Woodville.

Lady Penelope dressed in a white dress with her mother would curtsy in front of King Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth Woodville smiles as Lady Cecily presents Lady Penelope to them and Queen Elizabeth Woodville tells her " Welcome to Court, Lady Penelope and Lady Cecily."

"Thank you, your majesty. We are glad to be here to serve His Majesty and your grace." Lady Cecily tells her.

They curtsy to King Edward and Queen Elizabeth Woodville and they walk away to join Lord John and Sir Edward.

Many mothers are presenting their daughters on the same day at the court in 1461 and standing with his mother is Sir Edward and Lord John.

Lady Penelope is a true beauty, but Lord John is looking for a young man that is the eldest son of a Duke, Marquess, or Earl for his daughter to marry and nothing less.

During the time of King Edward IV there are many Dukes, only one Marquess and many Earls have older sons looking for wife for their sons to marry, and Lord John is willing to provide a very generous dowry to the right young man but only if it is a love match like it was between Lady Cecily and him when they married each other.

The following Dukes have an elder son wanting a wife, but if they are not loyal Yorkists. Lord John won't even consider marrying his daughter to some young man's family that isn't a loyal Yorkist and The Neville's under Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury,

John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford,Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset, Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham,George Hastings, 1st Earl of Huntingdon,Sir Thomas St Leger, Henry Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex, and all of them had a son that needed a bride, but when Lady Cecily Bouchier looks at all the possible suitors she tells her husband, " Listen husband, I don't see but one gentlemen here worth considering for our daughter, and it is Lord Edward Stafford is the heir to the Dukedom of Buckingham."

"We have a Viscount, and several sons of Earls here too." Lord John states.

"What about your uncle's son, Lord Thomas Stafford?" Lord John asks his wife.

"What would we need to ask for a dispensation from Rome for our daughter to marry her first cousin?" Lady Cecily explains, "What about Lord John Howard's son?"

"Lord Howard's son, Lord Thomas is engaged to Lady Elizabeth Tinley." Lord John explains, "My brother has a son." Lord John explains.

"What about your relatives? Lord John asks.

I have so many relatives." Lady Cecily explains, "We could consider Lord Richard Neville son?"

"Oh! That would make Lady Cecily Neville very happy and her son, King Edward IV." Lord John explains.

"Your uncle has a grandson, Lord Henry Bouchier." Lord John tells her.

"Our daughter has to marry Lady Cecily." Lord John tells her.

"Our daughter needs to meet her suitors and they must court her until she is 18 years old." Lady Cecily explains.

"Doesn't Lord John Howard have an aunt, Lady Elizabeth Howard?" Lady Cecily asks.

"It is his half aunt, Lord John Howard grandfather married twice, and his half aunt, is from his grandfather's first marriage." Lord John explains.

"Lord John Howard has a first cousin, Lord John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford." Lord John explains.

"I am afraid that Lord John Howard doesn't get along with his first cousin, Lord John de Vere, because he isn't loyal to King Edward IV." Lord John explains.

"I would consider one of the Neville's." Lord John tells his wife.

"Lady Cecily Neville comes from a large family and perhaps one of her daughters had a grandson." Lord John states.

Lady Penelope Devereux meets the charming Lord Richard Rich, in 1462.

Lord Richard Rich is a distant cousin of The Devereux family through their ancestor, Lord Walter Devereux and Lady Lettice Knolly, and they are also related to The Howard's and Carey's.