The following annotation was made by David Gurliacci (Tue 31 Dec 2002, 5:13 am) to the page for George Monck (http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclopedia/111/#c37), but it refers largely to Anne Monck:
Monk's marriage gave both the Puritans and the Victorian historian Henry B. Wheatley (and me) something to wag tongues about:
"Monk was fond of low company; both he and his vulgar wife were quite unfit for high - I cannot say refined - society, for there was but little refinement at court. Ann Clarges had been kind to Monk when he was a prisoner in the Tower, and he married her out of gratitude. She had been previously married to Thomas Ratford, of whose death no notice was given at the time of the marriage, so that the legitimacy of Christopher, afterwards second Duke of Albemarle, was seriously questioned. Aubrey relates a story which cannot well be true, but which proves the general feeling of doubt respecting the point. He says that Thomas Clarges came on shipboard to tell Monk that his sister had had a child. Monk cried out, 'What is it?' and on hearing the answer, 'A boy,' he said, 'Why, then, she is my wife.'"
"he married Anne Clarges, a woman of low extraction, often supposed to have been his mistress, ‘ever a plain homely dowdy,’ says Pepys, who, like other writers who mention her, is usually still less complimentary."
Artists were not paid to render their subjects "plain, homely, dowdy" -- even if they really were. That's why Cromwell's "warts and all" is so memorable.
There is a real mystery here. Ann met Colonel Monk when he was imprisoned in the Tower in 1646 when she did his linen. She split from her first husband Thomas Radford in 1649. If Ann Monk's first husband, Thomas Radford was still alive when she married General Monk in 1652 then she was a bigamist. This was tested in a court case in 1674 five years after her death and Radford could not be produced (21 years later) so it the accusation was found not proven. Even so sevweral witnesses said he was alive in 1664 and in 1667 and one that he even attended her funeral. However there was never any record of his burial. So what happened to him? How usual was this that there would be no burial record? Perhaps in the Great Fire. The Public record Office was safe in the White Tower so it would probably not be destroyed. All radford needed to do was to shop himself and the most powerful couple in the land would be destroyed. Did he ever try to blackmail them? Did they ever try to knock him off? Or did he maybe change his name?
Radford, maybe have been happy she be gone, as he had plenty of luscious choices for compensation,and getting divorced [annulled]was very expensive for the unheeled, and civil marriages were not well documented. Even in the 20th century married couples were not necessary married to each other, this would only come to light when somebody was looking for the gold and if gold was not available nobody bothered with the fine print. Lawyers would only invoke the law if there was a bone-us for them.
Sharing a life is only done if there are benefits for both parties, no matter to the outsider, how un-even they be and they always dissolve when one party gets no benefits.
The Three Spanish Gypsies, in the New Exchange, was the shop of the future " Monkey Duchess," the nickname given by her aristocratic friends to Anne Monk, Duchess of Albemarle. " She was the daughter of John Clarges, a farrier in the Savoy, and horse-shoer to Colonel Monk. In 1632 she was married, in the church of St Lawrence Poultney, to Thomas Radford, son of Thomas Radford, late a farrier, servant to Prince Charles, and resident in the Mews. She had a daughter who was born in 1634, and died in 1638. She lived with her husband at the Three Spanish Gypsies, in the New Exchange, and sold washballs, powder, gloves, and such things, and taught girls plain work. About 1647, being a sempstress to Colonel Monk, she used to carry him his linen. In 1648 her father and mother died. The year after she fell out with her husband, and they parted. But no certificate from any parish register appears reciting his burial. In 1652 she was married in the church of St George, Southwark, to General Monk, and in the following year was delivered of a son, Christopher, (afterwards the second and last Duke of Albemarle,) who was suckled by Honour Mills, who sold apples, herbs, and oysters."* What became of her first husband, and when he died, is not known. http://is.gd/hkAHL
Monk was ravenous, as well as his wife, who was a mean contemptible creature. They both asked, and sold all that was within their reach, nothing being denied them for some time; till he became so useless, that little personal regard could be paid him. ---History of His Own Time. G. Burnet, 1724
Phil Link to this
Her husband, George: http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclopedia/111/
vincent Link to this
National Portrait gallery: Annes miniature by Richard Earlom, after Unknown miniaturist
http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/person.asp?Li...
JonTom Kittredge Link to this
The following annotation was made by David Gurliacci (Tue 31 Dec 2002, 5:13 am) to the page for George Monck (http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclopedia/111/#c37), but it refers largely to Anne Monck:
Monk's marriage gave both the Puritans and the Victorian historian Henry B. Wheatley (and me) something to wag tongues about:
"Monk was fond of low company; both he and his vulgar wife were quite unfit for high - I cannot say refined - society, for there was but little refinement at court. Ann Clarges had been kind to Monk when he was a prisoner in the Tower, and he married her out of gratitude. She had been previously married to Thomas Ratford, of whose death no notice was given at the time of the marriage, so that the legitimacy of Christopher, afterwards second Duke of Albemarle, was seriously questioned. Aubrey relates a story which cannot well be true, but which proves the general feeling of doubt respecting the point. He says that Thomas Clarges came on shipboard to tell Monk that his sister had had a child. Monk cried out, 'What is it?' and on hearing the answer, 'A boy,' he said, 'Why, then, she is my wife.'"
Pauline Link to this
Wife of George
"he married Anne Clarges, a woman of low extraction, often supposed to have been his mistress, ‘ever a plain homely dowdy,’ says Pepys, who, like other writers who mention her, is usually still less complimentary."
http://1911encyclopedia.org/M/index.htm
Vincent’s link above to her miniature in the National Portrait Gallery belies this description.
Nix Link to this
Anne's portrait --
Artists were not paid to render their subjects "plain, homely, dowdy" -- even if they really were. That's why Cromwell's "warts and all" is so memorable.
Sjoerd Link to this
The link has changed :
http://www.bigenealogy.com/familychests/duches-...
mark francis Link to this
There is a real mystery here. Ann met Colonel Monk when he was imprisoned in the Tower in 1646 when she did his linen. She split from her first husband Thomas Radford in 1649. If Ann Monk's first husband, Thomas Radford was still alive when she married General Monk in 1652 then she was a bigamist. This was tested in a court case in 1674 five years after her death and Radford could not be produced (21 years later) so it the accusation was found not proven. Even so sevweral witnesses said he was alive in 1664 and in 1667 and one that he even attended her funeral. However there was never any record of his burial. So what happened to him? How usual was this that there would be no burial record? Perhaps in the Great Fire. The Public record Office was safe in the White Tower so it would probably not be destroyed. All radford needed to do was to shop himself and the most powerful couple in the land would be destroyed. Did he ever try to blackmail them? Did they ever try to knock him off? Or did he maybe change his name?
CGS Link to this
Radford, maybe have been happy she be gone, as he had plenty of luscious choices for compensation,and getting divorced [annulled]was very expensive for the unheeled, and civil marriages were not well documented.
Even in the 20th century married couples were not necessary married to each other, this would only come to light when somebody was looking for the gold and if gold was not available nobody bothered with the fine print. Lawyers would only invoke the law if there was a bone-us for them.
Sharing a life is only done if there are benefits for both parties, no matter to the outsider, how un-even
they be and they always dissolve when one party gets no benefits.
Terry Foreman Link to this
Anne Clarges Monck
The Three Spanish Gypsies, in the New Exchange, was the shop of the future " Monkey Duchess," the nickname given by her aristocratic friends to Anne Monk, Duchess of Albemarle. " She was the daughter of John Clarges, a farrier in the Savoy, and horse-shoer to Colonel Monk. In 1632 she was married, in the church of St Lawrence Poultney, to Thomas Radford, son of Thomas Radford, late a farrier, servant to Prince Charles, and resident in the Mews. She had a daughter who was born in 1634, and died in 1638. She lived with her husband at the Three Spanish Gypsies, in the New Exchange, and sold washballs, powder, gloves, and such things, and taught girls plain work. About 1647, being a sempstress to Colonel Monk, she used to carry him his linen. In 1648 her father and mother died. The year after she fell out with her husband, and they parted. But no certificate from any parish register appears reciting his burial. In 1652 she was married in the church of St George, Southwark, to General Monk, and in the following year was delivered of a son, Christopher, (afterwards the second and last Duke of Albemarle,) who was suckled by Honour Mills, who sold apples, herbs, and oysters."* What became of her first husband, and when he died, is not known. http://is.gd/hkAHL
Bill Link to this
Monk was ravenous, as well as his wife, who was a mean contemptible creature. They both asked, and sold all that was within their reach, nothing being denied them for some time; till he became so useless, that little personal regard could be paid him.
---History of His Own Time. G. Burnet, 1724