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 1510 -
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| Name |
Margaret Elene MITCHELL |
| Born |
1510 |
Dunmow, Essex, England  |
| Gender |
Female |
| Person ID |
I10303 |
Young Kent Ancestors |
| Last Modified |
24 Apr 2010 |
| Family |
The Right Honourable Sir Raffe SADLER, b. 1507, Hackney, Middlesex, England , d. 30 Mar 1587, of Standen, Hertfordshire, England (Age 80 years) |
| Married |
1533 |
Stockwell, Surrey, England |
| Children |
| | 1. Sir Thomas SADLER, b. 1534, Standon, Hertfordshire, England , d. 5 Jan 1606, Standon, Hertfordshire, England (Age 72 years) |
| | 2. Edward SADLER, b. Abt 1537, Temple Dinsley, Hertfordshire, England , d. 4 Apr 1584, of Aspley, Bedfordshire, England (Age ~ 47 years) |
| | 3. Henry SADLER, b. 1539, Everley, Wiltshire, England , d. 17 Mar 1618, Hungerford Lodge, Berkshire, England (Age 79 years) |
| | 4. Ann SADLER, b. 1540 |
| | 5. Mary SADLER, b. 1541, Standon, Hertfordshire, England |
| | 6. Jane SADLER, b. 1542, Standon, Hertfordshire, England |
| | 7. Dorothy SADLER, b. 1543, Standon, Hertfordshire, England |
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| Last Modified |
20 Mar 2022 |
| Family ID |
F3179 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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| Notes |
- There was a mechanic named Mathew Barre, whose wife, by whom he had children, at one time washed the linen of the family of Cromwell, wherein dwelt Ralph Sadler, a man of some note, and now a member of Queen Elizabeth's Council. This Matthew went abroad, I know not from what cause, unless as some thought he suspected the chastity of his wife, and therefore he went away that he might not be compelled to witness that which he could neither endure nor prevent. When he had been gone some years, his wife, either hearing or pretending that he was dead, married Sir Ralph Sadler. Matthew at length returned, and when he found that his wife had married another, he re-claimed her. Sadler on the other hand, who had children by her, would not give her up. The matter was therefore referred to the highest tribunal, i. e. to the parliaments of the realm, as well under King Henry as under King Edward. It was there decreed that this woman, who was first married to Matthew and then to Sadler, and had had children by both, was, from thenceforth, to be deemed not the wife of Matthew the first husband, but of Sadler, he being the more powerful and rich; and therefore against the truth of the Gospel, the wife of the first husband, still alive, was adjudged to the second husband.”
“He left me two years after the birth of our daughters he tarried at cards living riotously and consuming his time unthriftily at unlawful games and never applying himself to his labour and handycraft, for the maintenance of his one wife and children's sustenance, I didst advertise him diverse times and reverently declared unto him, my husband the punishment and plague of God that hung over such as would not apply themselves to labour in their vocation, and exhorting him to live as become an honest poor man. Well, he did without my consent and knowledge suddenly depart from me, and, albeit becometh no christen man to give his Christian brother or sister occasion to fall into the wrath and displeasure of Almighty God, much less the husband his wyfe or the wyfe her husband whom God by his holy ordinance and godly institution of two fleshes hath made one, either to other to be a comfort and aid, to procreate children to God's glory and the increase of the Common Wealth, and to avoid fornication. He not having in memory or at the least not regarding this holy Sacrament, his duty to God, nor the faith and promise that he had made to his wyfe, but led with the spirit of the devil, did not only depart, but being departed from me, did not send any knowledge of his state, saving one time, a quarter of a year after his departure.”
He wandered from town to town, and continued in no place certain by the space of three years, and then came at length to Cardyffe in Wales, where remaining but one year he then departed into Ireland, and there was half a year.
“I was left in the most extreme poverty, lusty of bodie and young in years, so that, if God had not had the more favour to me, like enough it had been that I might have been enticed to lewdness. Howbeit I in the meantime, considering my duty to God, and the promise that I and my husband did make either to other, did not only behave myself very honestly and virtuously in labouring for my living, for the avoidance of sin, but also, as became a faithful wife, did make diligent search and manifold inquisition of the state of my husband, first remaining twelvemonth at Dunmow, where we were married, and then declaring my miserable and pitiful state to divers of my friends. One affirmed that he heard it said that Matthew, my husband, was dead. He advised and counselled me too become a nun; whereupon I, by their suite, was brought to the nunnery in Clerkenwell beside London, and there being not only in service but also in favour with the Prioress then being, a woman of gravity and wisdom, by reason that she behaved her self very honestly, I did upon my pitiful case and desire that I might have been a nun, the Prioress declaring unto me the state of religion how that it was not prepared nor ordained for young persons such as were like to procreate children, and meet to live abroad in the world, but for aged people; in no-wise would consent thereto, but councilled and exhorted me not to forsake the world, alledging that if I did continue in my honest behaviour I might, with God's grace, be matched with some honest person, in matrimony; and would have then preferred me to an honest service in the City of London: but I, regarding my faith given to my husband, and desirous to be ascertained first of his life or death, procuring divers of my friends living in London which knew my husband, who by reason of their sciences and occupations had occasion yearly to resort to the notable faires kept in the most part of the country, to make diligent search for Mathew, I departed thence to Sevenoaks in Kent, where, as I said, Mathew was borne, and where Richard Barre and Peter Barr, his bretheren, and diverse other of his kinsfolks dwelled. I tarried the space of one year with Richard Barre and Peter Barr, who in the mean time, at my request, did not only go but also sent to diverse places to inquire of their brother but could have no manner of knowledge of him. Whereupon I repaired to the nunnery again, and there continuing a certain space, a man of Sarnm describing to me and my friends diverse notable tokens and signs of my husband, declaring also his name and occupation, affirmed certainly that he was dead. Whereupon I was after by the Prioresse prefered to the service of one Mrs. Prior, mother-in-law to the Lord Cromwell, Earle of Essex, in whose family I met my husband.”
I was a young man, desirous to lead in this world a life acceptable unto God, and perciveing the honest behaviour and virtuous qualities of Elene, for those causes only desired to be joined in matrimony with her; and after long suite not concealing nor dissembling any part of her state from me, but fully confessing and opening the circumstances of all her living from her childhood, at length, which was about four years after the departure of her husband, and eleven years past and more, I married her, and having continued as man and wyfe unto this present time, unto whom she during all the tyme of eleven years hath not only behaved her self obediently, reverently, and faithfully, as becometh an honest woman to her husband, but also hath wisely disposed and ordered my house, and all things thereunto belonging, as appertaineth to a wife and sage matron, and besides hath brought me forth nine children, whereof two be dead and seven be yet living, that is to say, Thomas Sadler, Edward Sadler, Henry Sadler, Ann Sadler, Mary Sadler, Jane Sadler, and Dorothy Sadler, and those hath brought up in the fear and love of God, like a virtuous Mother.
Mathew, within two years after the marriage had between myself and Elene had knowledge thereof, and hath been diverse times since at London, whereas he might have so opened the matter that might have come to our ears, yet as he himself confesseth he never sent unto her, nor disclosed that he was her husband till within four years last past, first as he saith declaring the same to her uncle John Mitchell of London, who now is dead, which by my wife’s troth never to come to her knowledge; and another time to Griffith, the king’s servant, now dwelling at the sign of The Bell and Sarazen's Head, by Fenchurch in London, who when he saw him, as Mathew sayeth, wondered, and said that one told him that he saw him buried; and the third time within this twelve month: whereupon Mathew was apprehended and brought to Lord Wriothesley, in whose house, for I was at that time and long since occupied in affairs in the borders adjoining unto Scotland, Mathew Barre hath been hitherto kept to the intent the whole truth might be perfectly examined. And for as much as it appeareth to be no feined thing, but that Mathew was married to Elene, as is aforesaid, whereby the said marriage had between your said Counseillour and her, by the Ecclesiastical laws, cannot be good and of force, and so by the Common laws of your Realm the said children begotten between your said counseillour and the said Elene should be taken for bastards, yet because it is manifest that the second marriage was only had through the evil behaviour and lewd demeanour of Mathew, and that I did the same, with a good and pure conscience, thinking that Mathew Barre be dead.
I maketh most humble petition unto your most godly Majesty, that it may please the same that it may be enacted, ordeyned, and established by your most royall Majestie, with the consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporall, and of the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that the saide Thomas Sadler, Edward Sadler, Henry Sadler, Anne Sadler, Mary Sadler, Jane Sadler, and Dorothy Sadler, and every of them, shall at all times hereafter for ever be had, reputed, taken, esteemed and adjudged legitimate and lawful children begotten of the body of ye said Ralph Sadler, and shall be inheritable as well to the same Ralph Sadler as to all and singular his ancestors, and to all other person and persons, and every of them, to be inheritable to other in like manner, form, and condition, to all intents, constructions, and purposes, as they had been ingendered, begotten, and borne, in lawfull, perfect, and indissolvable matrimony ; and as if the said Elene had never been married to any other than only to the said Ralfe ; and as though the said Elene had been lawfully married, in perfect and indissolvable marriage, to the said Ralph ; and as though the said Mathew and Elene had never entermarried, or contracted any matrimony together, any law, statute, act, ordinance, constitution, canon, decree, custom, use, or any other thing or matter whatsoever to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding.
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It was believed that Margaret had either been married or affianced to a Mr. Barre, whom she believed to be dead at the time she married Ralfe Sadleir; but Mr. Barre returned home after a long absence abroad, and Sir Ralph was obliged to obtain a private Act of Parliament in 1546, in order to legitimatize his children, as noted in the above petition.
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