In 1699 Lady Winnifred Herbert married William Maxwell, the
fifth Earl of Nithsdale. Sixteen years later, William joined the Jacobite
rebellion and was captured at the battle of Preston. He was sent to the Tower
of London, tried for treason, and sentenced to death. Winnifred and her maid
rode unescorted to London to plead for William’s release. King George refused
to hear or read her petition. When Winnifred, kneeling at his feet, grasped the
hem of his cloak, the king dragged her halfway across the room. The night
before William was to be executed, Winnifred and her maid – wearing extra
clothing – visited him in the tower. They dressed him as a lady’s maid and had
him hold a handkerchief to his face as if he was crying. The guards, who
apparently didn’t bother with how many maids the countess had in tow, let
William pass in plain sight. William escaped to France, where Winnifred
eventually joined him.
No comments:
Post a Comment