Person:Winifred Herbert (2)
Winifred Herbert
b.Abt 1680
d.1749
Parents and Siblings
(edit)
  1. William Herbert, 2nd Marquess of Powis1665 - 1745
  2. Winifred HerbertAbt 1680 - 1749
  3. Lady Frances Herbert
Spouse and Children
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Add another spouse & children
Facts and Events
Name Winifred Herbert
Married Name Winifred Maxwell, Countess of Nithsdale
Gender Female
Birth[1] Abt 1680
Marriage to William Maxwell, 5th Earl of Nithsdale
Death[1] 1749
Reference Number? Q8025410?


the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Winifred Maxwell, Countess of Nithsdale (née Lady Winifred Herbert; c. 1680–1749), is best known for arranging the daring escape of her husband, William Maxwell, 5th Earl of Nithsdale, from the Tower of London in 1716.

Her father was the 1st Marquess of Powis, and on 2 March 1699, she married the 5th Earl of Nithsdale, a Catholic nobleman. The couple had met at the French court, where Lady Winifred's father was in exile, while Nithsdale was paying his respects to the former King James II of England (James VII of Scotland). While resident at Terregles, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, the couple had five children.

In 1715, Nithsdale joined the Jacobite rebellion, but he was captured at the Battle of Preston and sent to the Tower of London. Having been tried for treason, he was sentenced to death. Winifred, who was at Terregles when she heard of the capture of her husband, followed him to London, making part of the journey on horseback in bitter winter weather. She presented a petition to George I which he refused to receive, and when she knelt before him and took hold of his coat he dragged her half across the room before he could break away. Knowing that there would be no pardon, the countess laid a meticulous plan to rescue her husband from the Tower of London.

The night before the day appointed for William's execution (24 February 1716), with the help of two other Jacobite ladies, Winifred effected his escape from the Tower. She had been admitted to his room, and by exchanging clothes with her maid (including the "Nithsdale Cloak", which is still held by the family), he escaped the attention of his guards. He fled to France, while the countess returned to Scotland to ensure the transfer of the estate to their son. She joined him in to France, and they went from there to Rome in the retinue of the Old Pretender. In Rome, she survived her husband by about five years.

This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original content was at Winifred Maxwell, Countess of Nithsdale. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with WeRelate, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
References
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Winifred Maxwell, Countess of Nithsdale, in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
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