Myddelton, Jane (1645–1692)

views updated

Myddelton, Jane (1645–1692)

English noblewoman. Name variations: Jane Middleton. Born in 1645; died in 1692; daughter of Sir Robert Needham; married Charles Myddelton, in 1660.

Jane Myddelton, the daughter of Sir Robert Needham, was born in 1645 and as an adult gained notoriety for attracting many lovers. A rival of Barbara Villiers , countess of Castlemaine, she was known as the great beauty of Charles II's time, and those who came under her spell included a French nobleman from Grammont, the duke of Montagu, the duke of York, and Edmund Waller. She was granted a pension by James II before her death in 1692.

Lisa Frick , freelance writer, Columbia, Missouri