Penelope Wriothesley ¹

  General Notes:

Penelope was the daughter of the 3rd Earl of Southampton and Elizabeth Vernon. She married William, 2nd Baron Spencer in 1617. The couple had thirteen children.

Penelope and William, 2nd Baron Spencer were invited to live in the mansion at Althorpe by William's father, Robert 1st Baron Spencer, of Wormleighton, after the death of his wife Margaret. He handed over the day-to-day administration of the housekeeping to Penelope. She introduced and implemented a more comprehensive, precise, and accessible bookkeeping system at Althorpe. Other introductions by Penelope were forks, to be used with knives at meal times and an installation of a belly pulley in her bedroom. She also helped William make structural plans to enlarge Althorpe. With the help of Penelope, Althorpe was running more efficiently and effectively.

Penelope became distraught over the death of her husband in 1636. She refused several proposals and remained a widow for thirty-one years. In honor of the her husband, the man she truly loved, she erected a grand monument of black and white marble in Brington church.

Penelope married William Spencer 2nd Baron Spencer, son of Robert Spencer 1st Baron Spencer and Margaret Willoughby, in 1617. (William Spencer 2nd Baron Spencer was born on 4 Jan 1591 in Althorp, Daventry District, Northamptonshire, England, died on 19 Dec 1636 in England and was buried in St Mary the Virgin with St John Churchyard, Great Brington, Daventry District, Northamptonshire, England.)