Hello
His epitaph is rather unusual as the Duke himself composed the
inscription for the tomb where he and his wife now lie. As she had
died first, despite being about thirty years younger, it describes the
Duchess' virtues in detail, while the Duke is just called 'loyal'.
This presumably means loyal to the throne since he was a leading
royalist and, as the epitaph mentions, had to go into exile while
Cromwell was in power.
"Here lyes the Loyall Duke of Newcastle and his Dutches, his second
wife, by whome he had noe issue; her name was Margarett Lucas,
youngest sister to the Lord Lucas of Colchester, a noble familie ; for
all the brothers were valiant, and the sisters virtuous. This Dutches
was a wise, wittie, and learned lady, which her many books doe well
testifie. She was a most virtuous and a loving and careful wife, and
was with her lord all the time of his banishment and miseries; and
when he came home never parted from him in his solitary confinement."
One writer describes "a magnificent tomb of alabaster and marble, with
the recumbent figure of a cavalier and his lady, the former grasping
in his hand a truncheon, while she holds a book in hers."
Margaret, Duchess of Newcastle
http://www.bigenealogy.com/familychests/page90.htm
(Please note they have mistyped 1645, the year the Duke, then still a
Marquis, first saw Margaret.)
You'll also find the epitaph here:
Autobiographies before 1700
http://www.pomerleau.org/cindy/Chapter2.html
I hope this helps. Please let me know if you would like me to clarify
anything.
Regards - Leli
search "first OR 1st duke of newcastle" "westminster abbey"
://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22first+OR+1st+duke+of+newcastle%22++westminster+abbey&btnG=Google+Search&meta= |
