Catherine CHAMPERNOWNE

(Kate ASHLEY)

Died: 1565

Father: John CHAMPERNOWNE of Dartington (Sir)

Mother: Margaret COURTENAY

Married: John ASHLEY (Sir)


AshleyKate.jpg (47553 bytes)

Catherine Ashley by an unknown artist
In the collection of The Lord Hastings


Appointed as a waiting gentlewoman to the Princess Elizabeth in Jul, 1536. By the end of 1537 she had become her governess. In 1545 Kat married John Ashley, Elizabeth's senior gentleman attendant.

On Jan 21, 1549 Kat was arrested and conducted to the Tower, for possible involvance in the Seymour plot. She finally confessed in Feb, but to nothing treasonous, and was released 13 days before Seymour's execution. By Aug she had returned to Hatfield. During Mary's reign, Kat remained with the Princess until Elizabeth was imprisoned in the Tower in 1554. She was allowed to rejoin her in Oct 1555, but shortly thereafter a search of Somerset House unearthed a coffer full of seditious books and papers and she was arrested in May, 1556. This time she spent three months in Fleet Prison and after her release was forbidden to see Elizabeth Tudor again. When Mary Tudor died the order was recinded and Kat was made First Lady of the Bedchamber. She was much sought after as a source of information about the Queen and as a means of asking favors of the sovereign.

Her death in the summer of 1565 distressed Elizabeth greatly.

AshleyJohn01.jpg (51427 bytes)

Sir John Ashley

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