Lady Elizabeth Danvers née Neville, later Lady Elizabeth Carey by remarriage (1545/50–1630) was an English noblewoman. She was the mother of Sir Charles Danvers, executed in 1601 for his part in the rebellion of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, and of Sir John Danvers, one of the commissioners who tried King Charles I and signed the King's death warrant.
Family
Elizabeth Neville, born between 1545 and 1550, was the youngest daughter of John Neville, 4th Baron Latimer, and Lucy Somerset, the daughter of Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester, by his second wife, Elizabeth Browne, the daughter of Sir Anthony Browne, Lieutenant of Calais, by his second wife, Lucy Neville, daughter of John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu. She had three elder sisters:
Katherine Neville (1545/6 – 28 October 1596), who married firstly, Henry Percy, 8th Earl of Northumberland, and secondly, Francis Fitton of Binfield, Berkshire. Dorothy Neville (1548–1609), who married Thomas Cecil, 1st Earl of Exeter, eldest son of Lord Burghley. Lucy Neville (c.1549 – April 1608), who married Sir William Cornwallis (c.1551–1611) of Brome, Suffolk.
Life
The antiquarian and biographer, John Aubrey, whose ancestor she was, describes her in his Brief Lives (1693), stating that she had Chaucer at her fingers' ends:
Elizabeth Danvers, his mother, an Italian, prodigeous parts for a Woman. I have heard my father’s mother say that she had Chaucer at her fingers' ends. A great Politician; great Witt and spirit, but revengeful: knew how to manage her estate as well as any man; understood Jewels as well as any Jeweller. Very Beautiful, but only short-sighted. To obtain Pardons for her Sonnes she maryed Sir Edmund Carey, cosen-german to Queen Elizabeth, but kept him to hard meate.
Elizabeth married firstly, Sir John Danvers (1540 – 10 December 1594) of Dauntsey, Wiltshire, the son of Sylvester Danvers (1518–1549?) and his first wife, Elizabeth Mordaunt, second daughter of John Mordaunt, 1st Baron Mordaunt of Turvey in Bedfordshire, and the grandson of Thomas Danvers (d.1532) and Margaret Courtenay, the youngest daughter of Sir William Courtenay (1451–1512) of Powderham Castle, Devon, by Cecily Cheney, the daughter of Sir John Cheney of Pincourt.
Elizabeth Neville and Sir John Danvers had three sons and seven daughters: Sir Charles Danvers (c.1568–1601), who died without issue. Sir Henry Danvers (1573–1644), who died without issue. Sir John Danvers (28 June 1588 – 16 April 1655), who married firstly, about 1609, Magdalen Newport (d.1627), the daughter of Sir Richard Newport of High Ercall, Shropshire. At the time of the marriage, Magdalen Newport had been for twelve years the widow of Richard Herbert of Montgomery Castle, by whom she had ten children, including Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury, and the poet, George Herbert. The year after Magdalen's death, Sir John Danvers married secondly, Elizabeth Dauntsey (d.1636), the daughter and coheir of Sir Ambrose Dauntsey, esquire, by whom he had several children. After remaining a widower for twelve years, he married thirdly, in 1648, Grace Hewes (d.1670), the daughter of Thomas Hewes of Kemerton, Worcestershire, by whom he had a son, John Danvers. Lucy Danvers (1572–1621), who married, before 1545, Sir Henry Baynton of Bromham, Wiltshire. Elizabeth Danvers, who married, as his second wife, Sir Edward Hoby of Bisham Abbey, Berkshire. Eleanor Danvers (d.1601), who married Sir Thomas Walmesley of Dunkenhalgh, Lancashire, from whom are descended the Dukes of Leeds. Anne Danvers, who married, before 1545, Sir Arthur Porter of Lanteney, Gloucestershire. Katherine Danvers, who married Sir Richard Gargrave of Nostel, Yorkshire. Mary Danvers, who predeceased her father. Dorothy Danvers (1590–1650), who married Sir Peter Osborne of Chicksands, Bedfordshire, by whom she was the mother of Dorothy Osborne.