Margaret Willoughby

  General Notes:

Margaret was the daughter of Sir Francis Willoughby and Elizabeth Lyttelton. On Feb. 15, 1587/88 in Brington, Northamptonshire, England, she married Sir Robert Spencer, 1st Baron Spencer of Wormleighton. He was the son of Sir John Spencer and Mary Catlin. Margaret died during childbirth.

Children: Mary, Elizabeth, John, William Spencer, 2nd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton, Richard, Edward, Margaret.

Margaret's pedigree is interesting. Her father was Sir Francis Willoughby, the son of Henry Willoughby and Anne, the daughter of the second Marquess of Dorset. Dorset was a landowner in the vicinity of Althorpe, who had conveyed the manor or Newbottle (now Nobottle) to the first John Spencer in 1511. Dorset's son, the third Marquess, was Lady Jane Grey's father and Margaret's uncle. Lady Jane was the cousin of Margaret Spencer once removed. The only known portrait painted of Lady Jane Grey is at Althorpe.

During 1586 and 1587 Margaret was being courted by her childhood friend Griffin Markham (a soldier and conspirator). This was during the same time that Thomas Markham (father of Griffin) was trying to arrange a marriage between his daughter Margaret Markham and Robert Spencer.

Margaret was buried Oct. 19, 1597 in Brington, Northamptonshire, England.

Margaret married Robert Spencer 1st Baron Spencer, son of Sir John Spencer III, Knight and Mary Catlyn, on 15 Feb 1588 in Brington, Northamptonshire, England. (Robert Spencer 1st Baron Spencer was born in 1570 in Althorp, Daventry District, Northamptonshire, England, died on 25 Oct 1627 in Wormleighton, Stratford-on-Avon District, Warwickshire, England and was buried in St Mary the Virgin with St John Churchyard, Great Brington, Daventry District, Northamptonshire, England.)