Margaret (Digges) Palmer (abt. 1587 - 1619)

Born about 1587 in London, England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Wife of Anthony Palmer — married 27 Apr 1614 in St Mary Aldermanbury, London, England

Died 22 Sep 1619 at about age 32 in Putney, Surrey, England

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Biography

Margaret Palmer was the daughter of Thomas Digges, renowned mathematician, astronomer, and sometimes public servant, and Anne Digges (nee St Leger), daughter of Warham St Leger of Ulcombe, Kent^[1][2]. She born in about 1587, as she was said to be "in ye 33d. Year of her Age" at her death in 1619^[3]. Margaret was perhaps born in London, England, or possibly in the family's home county of Kent. She was also the sister of notable English diplomat, Sir Dudley Digges.

In her father's will, written on the 10th of June 1591 and proved on the 1st of September 1595, when Margaret was about 8 years old, she was left "one thousand marks to be paid the day of her marriage" and her mother was left an additional twenty marks per year for her bringing up^[4][5]. Her father also stated in his will that if he died without male issue, his leases were to be divided equally between Margaret and his brother, James Digges (though a codicil added in 1594 revoked all bequests to James)^[4][5].

Margaret married, as his second wife, Sir Anthony Palmer^[6], Knight of the Bath, on the 27th of April 1614 at St Mary Aldermanbury Church in London^[7][8][9]. They had three children^[3][6]:

• John Palmer, died in infancy^[6].
• Dudley Palmer, born about 1617^[6], baptised on the 9th of December 1617 at St Mary Aldermanbury^[10], died about 1666 in Middlesex^[11].
• Anthony Palmer, born about 1619^[6].

Margaret was close with her step-daughter, Philadelphia Palmer, her husband's only living child from his first marriage. After her death, it was said of Margaret that:

She was Fairer than Most Women; Wiser than most Men; Neither, in her own Opinion, longer than she pleas’d her Husband, Whose only Daughter, by a Former Wife, She more love’d and cherish’d, than most Wives do their own.^[3]

In 1617, Margaret's brother, Leonard Digges, completed a translation from Latin to English of Claudian's Rape of Proserpine, which he dedicated to her^[12]. He states:

MY deare Sister, the Dedication of this Poeme can belong to none more fitly, then to your selfe; since (next vnder God) your care of mee in a desperate sicknesse, made me liue to finish it.^[12]

Margaret died in the 33rd year of her life on the 22nd of September 1619 in Putney, Surrey, England^[3]. It is possible she died as a result of complications with the birth of her youngest son, Anthony, who would have been born around the time she died. An impressive memorial was erected by her husband in St Mary's Church in Chilham, Kent^[3][13][14] with a lengthy memorial inscription extolling her various admirable qualities (see Monumental inscription below). She also had a memorial at St Mary's Church in Putney^[15].

Monumental inscription

Tablet on the south side:
Sir Anthony Palmer, Knight of ye Bath erected this Monument in Memorial of D: Margaret, Sister of Sr. Dudley DIGGES of Chilham Castle Knight, his late Loving, Loved Wife, whose Goodness where she lived, and died, since it cannot be buried, in Putney, needs no Epitaph. She was Fairer than Most Women; Wiser than most Men; Neither, in her own Opinion, longer than she pleas’d her Husband, Whose only Daughter, by a Former Wife, She more love’d and cherish’d, than most Wives do their own. Few were so respectfull of their Husband, as She was of her Brother. Few Sisters so affectionately kind unto their Brothers, as She was to her Friends. Few Friends (if any), so chearfully ready to give Councel, Comfort, or Releif, as She was to ye Poor; upon whose Sickness, Lameness, Blindness, her charitable Hands wrought daily cures like Miracles; for Which (no Doubt) God blessed Her with a Threefold Issue, John, Dudley, Anthony. Like her Thoughts, Words, Works, all perfect, Masculine. Of which, although ye blessed First (like to her pious Meditations) stay’d little in this World; The other Two yet live, like those Fruits of her vertuous Knowlege, her Speeches, and her Actions; still calling to Remembrance ye Modest, Awefull, and yet ever witty, pleasing Conversation of her whole Life, that never knew Man’s ill Affection or Womans Envy.^[3]

Tablet on the north side:
Reader, know; This Margaret Lady PALMER, in ye 33d. Year of her Age, died, most Christianly, at Putney, in Surrey, The 22d. of September, 1619. In Whose Memory This Monument was set up, by her Husband; Whose Grief says, her Virtues and Abilities, far above ye Power of her Sex, did shew more lively in her Actions, than weak Words can express; and took away wth. her, at her Departure, so much Joy from him and her Friends, as only Heaven can repaire.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Hovenden, Robert, ed., The visitation of Kent : taken in the years 1619-1621 by John Philipot, Rouge Dragon, Marshal and Deputy to William Camden, Clarenceux (London: Harleian Society, 1898), p. 65, https://archive.org/details/visitationofkent00camd/page/64/mode/2up (accessed 9 Jan 2024)
2. ↑ Stow, John, Anthony Munday, and Humphrey Dyson. The Survey of London (1633): Cripplegate Ward. The Map of Early Modern London. Ed. Janelle Jenstad. https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/stow_1633_CRIP2.htm?showDraft=true (accessed 9 Jan 2024)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6} Faussett, Rev. Bryan, (1757). Some Monumental Inscriptions of Chilham Church. Kent Archaeology. https://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/research/monumental-inscriptions/chilham (accessed 9 Jan 2024)
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} The National Archives. Reference: PROB 11/86/204; Decription: Will of Thomas Diggs of London; Date: 01 September 1595. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D931315 (accessed 9 Jan 2024)
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Green, Nina. (2014). TNA PROB 11/86/204. The Oxford Authorship Site. http://www.oxford-shakespeare.com/Probate/PROB_11-86-204.pdf (accessed 9 Jan 2023)
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4} Hovenden, Robert, ed., The visitation of Kent : taken in the years 1619-1621 by John Philipot, Rouge Dragon, Marshal and Deputy to William Camden, Clarenceux (London: Harleian Society, 1898), pp. 199-200, https://archive.org/details/visitationofkent00camd/page/198/mode/2up (accessed 9 Jan 2024)
7. ↑ Marriage: "England Marriages, 1538–1973", FamilySearch Record: V5KS-CMK (accessed 9 January 2024), Margaret Mrs Diggs marriage to Anthony Paulmer Knight Barronett on 27 Apr 1614 in St Mary Aldermanbury, London, England.
8. ↑ Marriage: "England, Boyd's Marriage Indexes, 1538-1850", FindMyPast Transcription (subscription required, accessed 9 January 2024), Margaret Diggs marriage to Anth Paulmer in 1614 in London, England.
9. ↑ Marriage: "London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812", Ancestry.com record (subscription required, accessed 17 March 2024), Mrs Margaret Diggs marriage to Anthony Paulmer Knight Barronett on 27 April 1614 in St Mary Aldermanbury, City of London.
10. ↑ Son's Baptism: "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", citing Digital film/folder number: 7; FHL microfilm: 845246, FamilySearch Record: JQ1N-VX6 (accessed 9 January 2024), Dudley Palmer baptism on 9 Dec 1617, son of Anthony Palmer, in St Mary Aldermanbury, London, England.
11. ↑ Son's Administration: "Prerogative Court Of Canterbury Administrations 1660-1700", Archive: The National Archives; Reference: PROB 6/41 f.230; Folio: 230, FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (subscription required, accessed 9 January 2024), Dudley Palmer administration on 27 Dec 1666. Residence: Middlesex, England; Notes: "Grays Inn", Mdx.; Administration: Ad. to Edw. Digges, esq., cousin and n. of k. (revk'd and Adm. d. b. n. Dec. 1690).
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Claudianus, Claudius, The rape of Proserpine. Translated out of Claudian in Latine, into English verse: by Leonard Digges, Gent (London: Printed by G[eorge] P[urslowe] for Edward Blount, and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Beare, 1617). Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A18949.0001.001 (accessed 9 Jan 2024)
13. ↑ Hasted, Edward. "Parishes: Chilham," in The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 7, (Canterbury: W Bristow, 1798), 263-292. British History Online. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol7/pp263-292. (accessed 9 Jan 2024)
14. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (has image), Find A Grave: Memorial #61429770 (accessed 9 January 2024), Memorial page for Lady Margaret Diggs Palmer (unknown-22 Sep 1619), citing St. Mary Churchyard, Chilham, Ashford Borough, Kent, England (plot: west end of north aisle); Maintained by Plantagenet Crown Dynasty (contributor 49922906).
15. ↑ "Wandsworth," in An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in London, Volume 2, West London, (London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1925), pp. 93-99. British History Online. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/london/vol2/pp93-99 (accessed 9 Jan 2024)

See also:

• FamilySearch profile
• Some Pictures from Chilham Church. (2012). A Clerk of Oxford. https://aclerkofoxford.blogspot.com/2012/01/some-pictures-from-chilham-church.html (accessed 9 Jan 2024)