Bessy's father, Sir Nicholas Throckmorton
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Bess Throckmorton was nineteen when she first appeared at Court. She was the daughter of Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, Queen Elizabeth's first ambassador to Paris, and her brother was also a courtier. Both their parents were dead and they relied on the Court for their livelihood. Bess was intelligent, forthright, passionate and courageous. Though Raleigh was in his early forties, the two fell madly in love. In the summer of 1591, Bess discovered she was pregnant and they secretly married. They were together, but catastrophe loomed.
Raleigh's young wife, however, could no longer keep her pregnancy secret. Bess gave birth to a baby boy who was quickly put out to a wet nurse so she could resume her place as Lady-in-Waiting. When Sir Walter returned from the sea, he arranged for the baby and nurse to go to Durham House. However, on 31st May 1592, his marriage was discovered. The Queen had not granted permission for such a match and Raleigh was promptly arrested. Elizabeth expected Walter and Bess to sue for a pardon and, while their fate lay in the balance, she even confirmed the lease of Sherborne. However, the couple refused such a humiliating course of action and by 7th August, that same year, the Queen's favourite had fallen into five long years of disgrace.
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Elizabeth's refusal to forgive his marriage was a source of great bitterness to Raleigh; but, though he was no longer in favour, he still owned Durham House and Sherborne Castle and benefited from his monopolies. He had been shamed, but not ruined. However, he was still separated from his beloved wife. A situation which was only brought to and end by a stroke of luck.
Sir John Borough captured the Madre de Deos, a floating castle of 1,600 tons with seven decks manned by 800 crewmen. Hawkins estimated the haul at £500,000 and Lord Burghley sent Raleigh to Dartmouth to divide the spoils. Elizabeth benefited from most of the bounty. Raleigh secured no riches but, on 22nd December, Arthur Throckmorton was able to record in his diary that "my sister was delivered from the Tower." A grudgingly grateful Queen had, at last, allowed Sir Walter and Bess to start their new life together at Sherborne.
The couple's first child must have died, but Bess was soon pregnant again and their son, Wat, was born in 1593. In the same year, Raleigh started to build a grand new house, south of the old castle at Sherborne, on the site of a hunting lodge. Sir Walter settled down to the life of a country gentleman.
You shall now receive (my deare wife) my last words in these last lines. My love I send you that you may keep it when I am dead, and my councell that you may remember it when I am no more. I would not by my will present you with sorrowes (dear Besse) let them go to the grave with me and be buried in the dust. And seeing that it is not Gods will that I should see you any more in this life, beare it patiently, and with a heart like thy selfe.
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First, I send you all the thankes which my heart can conceive, or my words can rehearse for your many travailes, and care taken for me, which though they have not taken effect as you wished, yet my debt to you is not the lesse: but pay it I never shall in this world.
Secondly, I beseech you for the love you beare me living, do not hide your selfe many dayes, but by your travailes seeke to helpe your miserable fortunes and the right of your poor childe. Thy mourning cannot availe me, I am but dust.
Thirdly, you shall understand, that my land was conveyed bona fide to my childe: the writings were drawne at midsummer was twelve months, my honest cosen Brett can testify so much, and Dolberry too, can remember somewhat therein. And I trust my blood will quench their malice that have cruelly murthered me: and that they will not seek also to kill thee and thine with extreame poverty.
Teach your son also to love and feare God whilst he is yet young, that the feare of God may grow with him, and then God will be a husband to you, and a father to him; a husband and a father which cannot be taken from you.
Remember your poor childe for his father's sake, who chose you, and loved you in his happiest times. Get those letters (if it be possible) which I writ to the Lords, wherein I sued for my life: God is my witnesse it was for you and yours that I desired life, but it is true that I disdained my self for begging of it: for know it (my deare wife) that your son is the son of a true man, and one who in his owne respect despiseth death and all his misshapen & ugly formes.
I cannot write much, God he knows how hardly I steale this time while others sleep, and it is also time that I should separate my thoughts from the world. Begg my dead body which living was denied thee; and either lay it at Sherburne (and if the land continue) or in Exeter-Church, by my Father and Mother; I can say no more, time and death call me away.
The everlasting God, powerfull, infinite, and omnipotent God, That Almighty God, who is goodnesse it selfe, the true life and true light keep thee and thine: have mercy on me, and teach me to forgive my persecutors and false accusers, and send us to meet in his glorious Kingdome. My deare wife farewell. Blesse my poore boy. Pray for me, and let my good God hold you both in his armes.
Written with the dying hand of sometimes thy Husband, but now alasse overthrowne. Yours that was, but now not my own.
Walter Rawleigh
NOTE: Sir Walter Raleigh was not executed the following morning, but was confined in the Tower of London with his wife until 1616, when he was allowed to undertake an expedition to the Orinoco in search of gold. But this proved only a reprieve, and he was finally executed in 1618, in the same courtyard of the Tower where he had once witnessed the execution of his bitter and far more popular rival, Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex.
