Henrietta Wentworth, 6th Baroness Wentworth

Henrietta Maria Wentworth, 6th Baroness Wentworth (11 August 1660–23 April 1686) was an English peeress and a mistress of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth.

Wentworth was the only child of Thomas Wentworth, 5th Baron Wentworth and his wife, Philadelphia Carey. She spent her early years at the family home, Toddington Manor in Bedfordshire. In 1667, she inherited the barony of Wentworth from her grandfather, Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Cleveland (her father having held the title by writ of acceleration and predeceasing his own father).

In 1674, Lady Wentworth attended a masque at court and it was here that she was probably introduced to Monmouth. However, there is no relationship mentioned between the two until 1680, when she became involved in scandal: Lady Wentworth was set to marry Richard Tufton, 5th Earl of Thanet but Monmouth proposed himself instead. Although Lady Wentworth's mother swiftly brought her back to Toddington, Monmouth followed her there and moved in with her.

When Monmouth was implicated in the Rye House plot in 1683, he initially resided at Toddington but later went into exile to Holland and Lady Wentworth joined him, being received by the Prince of Orange as Monmouth's mistress. On the accession of his despised uncle, James II in 1685, the duke decided on launching a rebellion but was unable to raise any money. He had to borrow £6000 from a Dutch merchant but only after Lady Wentworth had pledged her jewellery as security.

With enough cash for a few small ships, arms and a few hundred men, Monmouth sailed for South West England but was later defeated at the Battle of Sedgemoor (see Monmouth Rebellion). At Monmouth's execution on Tower Hill shortly after, Francis Turner and Thomas Ken (the Bishops of Ely and Bath and Wells, respectively) refused to administer the eucharist to the duke as he refused to acknowledge that his relationship with Lady Wentworth had been sinful.

A month after the execution, Lady Wentworth returned to England but died the following April. She was buried at Toddington church and her mother erected a monument to her in the north transept. Her barony passed to her aunt, Lady Hurley.

ee also

*Baron Wentworth

ource

* [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/29048?docPos=3 Clifton, Robert - "Wentworth, Henrietta Maria, suo jure Baroness Wentworth (1660–1686), royal mistress" - Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]