Jane Kennedy (courtier)
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Jane, Janet, or Jean Kennedy (died 1589) was a companion of Mary, Queen of Scots, during her captivity in England.[1]
Jane was perhaps a daughter of Gilbert Kennedy, 3rd Earl of Cassilis, or more likely a relative.[2]
After the battle of Carberry Hill, Jane waited on Mary at Lochleven Castle where Mary was confined and signed abdication papers. Different accounts suggest that she either jumped from a wall while practicing for the Queen's escape, or leaped from a window to join the Queen as she fled the island, later helping row the boat to Kinross. Stories of Kennedy's role at Lochleven were publicized by Nicolas Caussin in La Cour Sainte (Paris, 1645), who included a detail that the queen's boat left without Jane Kennedy and she jumped into the loch from a castle window and swan after it.[3]
In England, Jane was listed as a "maid" in Queen Mary's household at Tutbury Castle in October 1569, her name recorded by a French scribe as "Gin Cannate".[4] At Sheffield Castle, in 1571, she was listed as a "maid of the chamber".[5] The Earl of Shrewsbury wrote to William Cecil about a suspected servant called Martin, mentioning he seemed to be forming a relationship with "Jane Kenyte, the Scottish queen's woman". Shrewsbury made him swear on the Bible to have no further dealings with her.[6] Mary made a will at Sheffield Manor, bequeathing 1000 Francs to "Jeanne Kenedy" in recompense for her service.[7]
In 1586, at Chartley Manor, Jane, described a Gentlewoman of the Queen's chamber, was responsible for Mary's jewels. An inventory of the jewels and silver in Jane's keeping was made when Mary was taken to Tixall for a fortnight and her possessions searched. Jane was also in charge of linen and laundry. Subsequently, Kennedy was one of four damoiselles remaining with Queen Mary, the others being Renée Rallay alias Beauregard, Gillis Mowbray, and Elspeth or Elizabeth Curle.[8]
At Fotheringhay Castle, Jane Kennedy and Elizabeth Curle helped Mary onto the scaffold. Mary intended to give Jane the gold cross from her neck but the executioner took it.[9] Then Jane tied her blindfold.[10][11] Jane and Elizabeth had been chosen for this duty by Mary herself.[12]
The two ladies are featured and named in the Blairs Memorial Portrait of Mary Queen of Scots; Jane holds a white cloth. Another version of the picture is in the Royal Collection.[13] One narrative of the execution describes the cloth as "a handkerchief of cambric all wrought over with gold needlework",[14] another, as a "Corpus Christi cloth".[15] A "Corpus Christi cloth" is used during the Catholic Mass to cover the consecrated host.[16]
