Frances Knyvet

She was a daughter of Henry Knyvet (1537–1598) of Charlton Park, Wiltshire, and Elizabeth Stumpe (died 1585), the daughter of a wealthy clothier, James Stumpe, of Malmesbury.^[1][2]

Her first husband was Sir William Bevill (c. 1548 – 1600) of Killigarth near Polperro. While serving in Parliament in 1593 he was given leave to return home to attend his first wife's illness. She was Jane Arundell, a daughter of Thomas Arundell of Wardour.^[3] Bevill is said to have been gored to death by a bull on one of his farms.^[4] This story is probably derived from family heraldry featuring a carved bull at St Tallanus' Church, Talland.^[5]

In 1602, she married Francis Manners, later the 6th Earl of Rutland. The family home was Belvoir Castle. He was made a Knight of the Bath in January 1605.^[6]

She danced in masques at the court of Anne of Denmark.^[7] Named as "Lady Bevill", she appeared in The Masque of Blackness as Notis on 6 January 1605. Her sister, Catherine, Countess of Suffolk, portrayed Kathare.^[8] This masque, celebrating the creation of Prince Charles as Duke of York,^[9] is noted for the use of blackface makeup.^[10]

Her daughter, Katherine, married the royal favourite, George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham in 1620.^[11]

Frances, Lady Manners, died of smallpox in the summer of 1605.^[12] She was buried at St Mary the Virgin, Bottesford, Leicestershire. Her husband became Earl of Rutland in 1612.^{[citation needed]}