16 APRIL 1614: THE DEATH of Jane Wentworth, Lady Cheyne of Toddington. She was one of seventeen children, the eldest daughter of Sir Thomas Wentworth, Baron Wentworth of Nettlestead and Margaret Fortescue, a distant cousin of Sir Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire (father of Queen Anne) and Sir Thomas Parr of Kendal (father of Queen Katherine). By her father, Lady Cheyne was a cousin to the Seymours, whose mother was Margery Wentworth (aunt to Jane’s father).

She was married to Sir Henry Cheyne (Cheyney or Cheney) of Shurland who was created Baron Cheney of Toddington by Queen Elizabeth. He was “the extravagant Lord Cheney” who tore down his ancestral home, Peivre, and built a mansion. Henry was born on 31 May 1540 to Sir Thomas Cheyne of Blackfriars and Shurland and his second wife, Anne Broughton. Lord Cheyne’s father fought in France in 1544 while Queen Katherine Parr was Regent of the realm. After the death of Henry VIII, Thomas was the one who made arrangements for the coronation of Edward VI, son and heir of King Henry VIII and his third queen, Jane Seymour. Ironically, he ended up being part of the proceedings against Lord Seymour of Sudeley, uncle to Edward VI and the fourth husband of the late dowager queen, Katherine Parr. Thomas’ wife, Anne Broughton, was the daughter of Sir John of Toddington and the future Lady Anne (Sapcote) Russell, Countess of Bedford who had served as a lady to the late queen Katherine. She brought Toddington to the Cheyne family.

Queen Elizabeth was received at Toddington twice.

Lady Cheney is recorded in a lawsuit against Robert Pearce to recover the deeds and for an adjunction. The lawsuit seems to pertain to Toddington Manor, lands in the parish of Chalegrave and the manor of Chalgrave, late the estate of her husband, Lord Cheyne.

Lord Cheyne died on 3 September 1587. His remains were buried in Toddington Church where there are three mutilated tombs to the Cheyne family. Lady Cheyne erected a tomb for him. The effigy is in highly decorated armor. The head is on a cushion and on a mat rolled up, continued the whole length.

Through Lady Cheyne, Toddington passed to her great nephew, Thomas Wentworth, 4th Baron of Nettlested

Upon her death, Lady Cheyne was also buried in the Church. The effigy is still there, but is much worn away; the head which rested on a pillow is badly damaged. In pointed frontlet, veil, and wimple, and mantle faced with ermine. The arms of Wentworth and twenty-three quarterings are present. The head of the tomb is preserved and is inscribed:

“Here lyth Da Jane late wife of Sr Henrie Cheyne, Knight Ld Cheyne of Todington and eldest daughter of Sr Thomas Wentworth, Knight, Lo. Wentworth and Lord Chamberlaine to king Edward the sixt, who deceased the 16 daie of April A D 1614”

“Here lies my bodie in corrvptions bed, my sovle by faith and hope to heaven is led. Imprisoned by life, death set me free, then welcome death, step to æternity”

Sources

CHEYNEY (CHEYNE), Henry (1540-87), of Toddington, Beds. and Shurland, Kent.

CHEYNE, Sir Thomas (1482/87-1558), of the Blackfriars, London and Shurland, Isle of Sheppey, Kent.

Three Branches of the Family of Wentworth I. Wentworth of Nettlestead, Suffolk. II. Wentworth of Gosfield, Essex. III. Wentworth of Lillingstone Lovell, Oxfordshire By William Loftie Rutton · 1891.

The Topographer and Genealogist, Volume 1, 1846

The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom: Eardley of Spalding to Goojerat. 6. Gordon to Hustpierpoint By George Edward Cokayne, Vicary Gibbs, Herbert Arthur Doubleday, Duncan Warrand, Thomas Evelyn Scott-Ellis Baron Howard de Walden, Geoffrey Henllan White · 1926

Calendars of the Proceedings in Chancery, in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth To which are Prefixed Examples of Earlier Proceedings in that Court, Namely, from the Reign of Richard the Second to that of Queen Elizabeth, Inclusive · Volume 1 By Great Britain. Court of Chancery · 1827

The Reliquary & Illustrated Archæologist, Volume 6, 1900

The Strife of the Roses and Days of the Tudors in the West By William Henry Hamilton Rogers · 1890