Mary GREY
Born: ABT 1545
Died: 20 Apr 1578
Father: Henry GREY (1° D. Suffolk)
Mother: Frances BRANDON (D. Suffolk)
Married: Thomas KEYES 1565, in secret
All daughters of Henry Grey, Marquis of Dorset and later Duke of Suffolk, and Frances Brandon received a high standard of learning, all three received the same advantages and all developed differently. In a later age Jane would have been described as the clever sister; Catherine as the pretty, frivolous one; and Mary as that poor little creature for whom nothing could be done: for she was a dwarf, and very ugly. These counted as nothing to the Dorset's again her daughters uses as political and dynastic catspaws.
In 1553, when her sisters had been married, Mary was betrothed to her cousin, Arthur Grey. The betrothal was later dissolved. Mary, four foot tall and hunchbacked, did not learn from her sister, Catherine's mistakes. In 1565, Mary married secretly, without seeking the Queen's permission. Her husband, Thomas Keyes, was a gatekeeper in the Royal Household. Elizabeth was furious when she discovered Mary's indiscretion, saying her generosity had been abused and she wanted no 'little bastard Keyes'.
Less than two weeks after their wedding the couple were arrested. Mary spent the rest of her life under house arrest while Thomas was sent to Fleet Prison. They never met again. Mary was removed to Chequers, in Buckinghamshire, under the custody of William Hawtrey, Esq., the first of a succession of unwilling gaoler host. After, she was put in charge of Catherine Willoughby, the widow of her grand father.
Mary wrote numerous letters to the Queen, begging to be allowed to take care of Thomas's children from another marriage. Thomas died in 1572. Mary was released from private custody of Sir Thomas Gresham, and went, destitute, to live with her step-father, Adrian Stokes. Elizabeth allowed Mary to attend Court on a number of occasions.
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