Elizabeth FitzHugh


Elizabeth FitzHugh was an English noblewoman. She is best known for being the grandmother of Catherine Parr, sixth queen consort to Henry VIII, and her siblings Anne Herbert, Countess of Pembroke, and William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton.

Family

Elizabeth was possibly born at the family's ancestral home, Ravensworth Castle in North Yorkshire, England. She was the daughter of Henry FitzHugh, 5th Baron FitzHugh of Ravensworth. and his wife Lady Alice Neville, daughter of Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury and Alice Montagu, 5th Countess of Salisbury suo jure, only daughter and heiress of Thomas Montacute, 4th Earl of Salisbury and Lady Eleanor Holland. Her paternal grandparents were William FitzHugh, 4th Baron FitzHugh and Margery Willoughby.
Through her grandfather, the Earl of Salisbury, she was a niece of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, and grandniece of Cecily Neville, Duchess of York.
Elizabeth had nine siblings, including Lady Alice FitzHugh and Richard, 6th Baron FitzHugh who married Elizabeth Burgh, daughter of Sir Thomas Burgh, 1st Baron Burgh of Gainsborough and his wife Margaret de Ros. Their son, George FitzHugh, inherited the barony but after his death in 1513, the barony fell in abeyance between Elizabeth and her older sister Alice. This abeyance continues today between the two families.
The current co-heirs to the barony are:
Elizabeth is said to have had an easy-going and pleasure-loving disposition. After her husband Sir William Parr died in 1483, Elizabeth, who was possibly around twenty three at the time, was left with four small children. As a widow, Elizabeth's life revolved around the court. Elizabeth served as lady-in-waiting to Richard III's queen consort, her cousin, Anne Neville. Elizabeth would be second in a four generation span of family that would serve England's queens which started in 1483 with her mother, the redoubtable Alice Neville, Lady FitzHugh. Her granddaughter, Anne Parr would continue the tradition by becoming lady-in-waiting to all six of Henry VIII's wives. Even Anne's sister, Catherine Parr, who later became queen served in the household of the Princess Mary until she caught the eye of King Henry.
After the overthrow of the House of York, Elizabeth made a second marriage with a protégé of Margaret Beaufort, Sir Nicholas Vaux, which is reputed to have saved the family fortunes.

Marriages and Issue

She married first William Parr, 1st Baron Parr of Kendal, a man maybe 28 years her senior. William was a Knight of the Garter who was held high in favour with King Edward IV, who by marriage was a cousin to him. He fought with the Nevilles on the Yorkist side at the Battle of Edgecote Moor. Elizabeth did not give birth to her first child until she was aged about sixteen.
Elizabeth and William had the following children:
After the death of Sir William Parr, Elizabeth married Sir Nicholas Vaux as his first wife. Their issue includes: