Born: 27 October 1561, United Kingdom
Died: 25 September 1621
Country most active: United Kingdom
Also known as: Mary Herbert
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke, was a distinguished Englishwoman known for her poetry and literary support.
By the age of 39, she gained recognition alongside her brother, Philip Sidney, as well as renowned authors Edmund Spenser and William Shakespeare, listed in John Bodenham’s Belvidere collection.
Mary Herbert’s play, “Antonius,” is credited with revitalizing soliloquies based on classical models and influencing Samuel Daniel’s “Cleopatra” (1594) and Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra” (1607). She was also known for her translation of Petrarch’s “Triumph of Death,” contributions to the poetry anthology “Triumphs,” and her metrical translation of the Psalms.
Mary Sidney transformed Wilton House into the “Wilton Circle,” hosting literary figures like Edmund Spenser, Samuel Daniel, Michael Drayton, Ben Jonson, and Sir John Davies. Her patronage earned her the reputation of the greatest supporter of wit and learning in her time.
Her literary influence extended to editing her brother’s “Arcadia” and advocating for the ethical use of poetry for religious instruction.
Mary Herbert’s contributions to English literature, combined with her ties to Shakespeare, have led to her consideration in the Shakespeare authorship question.