Description
Our Inspiration
An elegant necklace of 10-11mm baroque pearls interspersed with small round gold plated hematite beads, on a gold plated magnetic ball clasp.
Mary Blacknall, Wife of Sir Ralph Verney 1616-1650
Mary Blacknall was born on 14th February 1616, she was married to Sir Ralph Verney, between 1632 and 1647, they had 8 children, 6 of whom died in infancy or childhood.
Mary was the light of Sir Ralph’s life and he nicknamed her Mischief, while she addressed Ralph in her letters as “my dearest Rogue”. When Sir Ralph fled into exile in 1643 during the Civil War, Mary accompanied him to France with their son Mun and daughter Margaret (Peg), their youngest, John, being left at Claydon with his aunts.
In 1646 the estate was in danger of sequestration. Mary was entrusted with the task of returning to England to try to get the order lifted, it was known that the Court tended to be more sympathetic to women. Through her courage and persistence during nearly 18 months in England, the estate, and with it the family’s fortunes, escaped ruin.
It was not, however, without personal cost as when Mary left France, she was expecting their youngest child Ralph. He was born while she was in England, but sadly died in October 1647 before Mary could take him back to France to meet his father. Mary had left the baby with friends while she visited Claydon and on the same day that she received the news of his death (and while she was writing to Sir Ralph to tell him), similar news arrived from her husband telling her that their daughter Peg had died in France.
Soon after her return to France in April 1648, Mary herself fell ill and died in May 1650. Sir Ralph was distraught, describing her loss as “ye greatest griefe that ever yet befell mee”, and had her body sent back to England to be buried at Claydon.
This portrait, attributed to Sir Anthony Van Dyck was painted in 1636 and shows Mary in a white dress and blue mantle with strings of pearls and pearl brooches. She is also wearing pearl earrings, necklace and hair decorations.
