Father Sir John Newton Parents Sir John Newton Died October 17, 1592 | Name Frances Baroness Mother Margaret Poyntz | |
Children Maximilian Brooke, Sir William Brooke, Elizabeth Brooke, Frances Brooke, Margaret Brooke Grandchildren William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, Frances More, Frances Sondes Similar People Henry Brooke - 11th Baro, Robert Cecil - 1st Earl of Sa, William Cecil - 1st Baron Bu, Mildred Cooke | ||
Frances Newton, Baroness Cobham (1539 – 17 October 1592) was an English aristocratic woman who served Queen Elizabeth I of England as a Lady of the Bedchamber, and was one of her closest female friends. She was the second wife of William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham.
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Family
Frances was born in 1539, one of the 19 children of Sir John Newton, Knight, of Barr's Court, Gloucestershire and East Harptree, Somerset, who lived in Gloucestershire and died before November 1568 with will probated on 17 November. Her mother was Margaret Poyntz, a daughter of Sir Anthony Poyntz and Elizabeth Huddersfield. Sir John Newton's surname was originally Cradock and he was of Welsh origin.
Career
Frances entered the service of Elizabeth Tudor before 1558, and following the latter's accession to the English throne as Queen Elizabeth I, she continued in her service, becoming one of her Ladies of the Bedchamber. Later in Elizabeth's reign, Frances's sister, Katherine also entered the Queen's service.
Marriage and issue
On 25 February 1560 at Westminster Palace, Westminster, London, Frances married William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham, whose first wife, Dorothy Neville (d.1559), the daughter of George Nevill, 5th Baron Bergavenny by his third wife, Mary Stafford, had died, leaving him a daughter, Frances Brooke, who married firstly Thomas Coppinger (1546-1580), and secondly Edward Becher.
Upon her marriage, Frances Newton was styled Baroness Cobham as her husband had succeeded to the title of Baron Cobham two years previously.
They made their home at the Brooke family seat, Cobham Hall in Kent, where Queen Elizabeth paid them a visit on 17 July 1560 during her summer progress, and many years later on 4 September 1573. Frances was one of the Queen's closest female friends, and Frances preferred to remain at court; however, she returned to Cobham Hall to give birth to her children.
Together William Brooke and Frances had seven children:
Death
Lady Cobham died on 17 October 1592 at Cobham Hall, Cobham, Kent, and was buried in the Cobham Parish Church.
In art
In 1567, Lady Cobham was painted with her husband, children and sister Johanna in a Cobham family memorial portrait by the Master of the Countess of Warwick.