Keywords: london, st martin's place, wc2 0he londonstmartinsplacewc20he united kingdom unitedkingdom drawing sketch monochrome Following the death of her husband during the Civil War, Lady Mary Bankes successfully defended the Corfe Castle during a siege in 1643. During a second siege in 1646 an act of betrayal by a member of her garrison led to their capture. They deliberately demolished the castle resulting in the dramatic ruin you see today.Much of the missing stone can be found in the houses of Corfe Castle Village. The tomb inscription of Mary, Lady Bankes: On the south wall of the chancel of Ruislip church, Middlesex, is a monument to Lady Bankes, with this inscription: To the memory of LADY MARY BANKES, the only daughter of Ralph Hawtery, of Riselip, in the county of Middlesex, esq. the wife and widow of the Honourable Sir John Bankes, knight, late Lord Chief Justice of his Majesty's Court of Common Pleas, and of the Privy Council of his Majesty King Charles I. of blessed memory, who, having had the honour to have borne with a constancy and courage above her sex a noble proportion of the late calamities, and the restitution of the government, with great peace of mind laid down her most desired life the 11th day of April 1661. Sir Ralph Banckes her son and heir hath dedicated this. She had four sons: 1. Sir Ralph; 2. Jerome; 3. Charles; 4. William (since dead without issue), and six daughters. by; after Henry Bone; John Hoskins,drawing,1821 Following the death of her husband during the Civil War, Lady Mary Bankes successfully defended the Corfe Castle during a siege in 1643. During a second siege in 1646 an act of betrayal by a member of her garrison led to their capture. They deliberately demolished the castle resulting in the dramatic ruin you see today.Much of the missing stone can be found in the houses of Corfe Castle Village. The tomb inscription of Mary, Lady Bankes: On the south wall of the chancel of Ruislip church, Middlesex, is a monument to Lady Bankes, with this inscription: To the memory of LADY MARY BANKES, the only daughter of Ralph Hawtery, of Riselip, in the county of Middlesex, esq. the wife and widow of the Honourable Sir John Bankes, knight, late Lord Chief Justice of his Majesty's Court of Common Pleas, and of the Privy Council of his Majesty King Charles I. of blessed memory, who, having had the honour to have borne with a constancy and courage above her sex a noble proportion of the late calamities, and the restitution of the government, with great peace of mind laid down her most desired life the 11th day of April 1661. Sir Ralph Banckes her son and heir hath dedicated this. She had four sons: 1. Sir Ralph; 2. Jerome; 3. Charles; 4. William (since dead without issue), and six daughters. by; after Henry Bone; John Hoskins,drawing,1821 |