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I was born into a very wealthy family in North Wales in I have royal links to Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth I. When my parents died the whole of the family property in Anglesey was passed on to me, I became very wealthy at a very young age. During my life I married 4 times, all of my husbands were influential men in Welsh affairs. My six children went on to found several dynasties of the Welsh upper classes. My first husband was John Salisbury of Llewenni, Denbighshire. Our marriage lasted nine years and we had two sons – Thomas and John. John Salisbury died in My second husband was Sir Richard Clough, who was a wealthy merchant from Denbighshire. This portrait of me was painted for him. During our married life we lived mostly abroad in Antwerp, Belgium, which is where my painting was painted in My daughter Anne was born in the same year. Apart from a brief visit to Spain, we remained in Antwerp until 1569 when my husband visited Hamburg in Germany where he died in 1570.

My third marriage was to Maurice Wynn of Gwydir. I became a widow for the third time in 1580 when Maurice Wynn died. By this time I was the mother of six children - two Salisburys, two Cloughs and two Wynns. Edward Thelwell, descended from Teutons and Normans who were granted the country of Dyffryn Clwyd by King Edward I, became my fourth husband. Much happened in my life during the year My first grandchild to survive infancy was born. My oldest son, Thomas Salisbury, was executed with others for alleged treason and my second son, John Salisbury was also married. Katheryn’s life came to an end on the 27 th August She was 56 years old. She was buried at Llanefydd Church however no monument marks her resting place. She was later called ‘Mam Cymru’, the Mother of Wales, because of the vast number of children, step children and grand children that she had. Many stories have been told which refer to Katheryn of Berain’s life. There are legends about the many boyfriends that she had in addition to her four husbands. One story tells of how she poured molten lead into the ears of a boyfriend that she got tired of and how she buried him in the Orchard at Berain. Who knows? To visit a website to find out more about Katheryn’s life click here. Back to Creative Writing Task

This is a very formal ¾ portrait. It was painted for Katheryn’s second husband, Sir Richard Clough. Next

This is a very formal ¾ portrait it was painted for Katheryn’s second husband, Sir Richard Clough. The main purpose of this type of portrait was to show the importance or wealth of a family. Next

How is Katheryn standing? Next

How is Katheryn standing? Do you think that she is comfortable? Next

How is Katheryn standing? Do you think that she is comfortable? Do you think that she is happy? Next

How is Katheryn standing? Do you think that she is comfortable? Do you think that she is happy? How do you think that Katheryn wishes to be portrayed? Next

Click on different parts of the picture to find out more.

How would you describe Katheryn’s expression? Next

How would you describe Katheryn’s expression? What do you think she is thinking about? Next

How would you describe Katheryn’s expression? Why do you think that she is so pale? What do you think she is thinking about? Next

How would you describe Katheryn’s expression? Why do you think that she is so pale? What do you think she is thinking about? Katheryn has a high forehead, thin eyebrows and pale, ivory skin, all of which were considered signs of beauty. It is believed that women during the Tudor times plucked back their hairline in order to achieve a fashionably high forehead. Suntans were associated with peasants working in fields and so a pale complexion was achieved by using face powder. The wearing of make up in England began around the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Face powder was often made from white lead, which was poisonous and made its users ill. The make up was preserved by covering it with a thin layer of egg white glaze.

Do you think that Katheryn’s clothes were comfortable? Next

Katheryn is probably wearing her best clothes. Her dress is very dark and sombre, with highly decorative embroidered sleeves and collar. Do you think that Katheryn’s clothes were comfortable? Next

Katheryn is probably wearing her best clothes. Her dress is very dark and sombre, with highly decorative embroidered sleeves and collar. Do you think that Katheryn’s clothes were comfortable? To find out more about 16 th century costume click here. The collar of her dress is called a ruff. The ruff was a mark of aristocratic privilege. As the century progressed, ruffs grew larger and larger, until it was difficult to see how the wearers could have moved at all.

Why do you think that Katheryn’s left hand is resting on a skull? Next

The skull is a symbol of mortality. It has a hidden meaning and makes us think about death. It known as a momento mori – a reminder that death comes to us all and makes us think about the short time we live on this earth. Why do you think that Katheryn’s left hand is resting on a skull?

What clues do Katheryn’s jewellery give us about her? Next

What clues do Katheryn’s jewellery give us about her? The locket she is wearing round her neck could have contained something dear to her, for example – a lock of hair from Sir Richard Clough. Next

The locket she is wearing round her neck could have contained something dear to her, for example – a lock of hair from Sir Richard Clough. What clues do Katheryn’s jewellery give us about her? Her headdress is very ornate and is set with jewels.

Katheryn is holding a small book in her right hand that might have a lock. The book may have been a bible, a prayer book or possibly a diary for her private thoughts. Next

Katheryn is holding a small book in her right hand that might have a lock. The book may have been a bible, a prayer book or possibly a diary for her private thoughts. What do you think Katheryn might have written in her book?

What do you think is hanging on the end of Katheryn’s chain belt? Next

What do you think is hanging on the end of Katheryn’s chain belt? It is possible that the pendant hanging on the end of Katheryn’s belt is a pomander. Pomanders were filled with mixed aromatic substances such as scented petals and herbs. It was thought that these would freshen the air and protect their owner from diseases such as the Plague. To visit a website to find out how to make a pomander click here.

If I could speak what story would I have to tell? My locked book is my diary. What do you think is written there? Write a page in my diary. For more information about writing a diary click here.

You can see from my painting that I like jewellery very much. Design and make a new piece of jewellery for me. I am very proud of my Welsh heritage and would like my jewellery to include some symbols of Wales – daffodils, dragons, leeks etc.. To visit a website to find out more about 16 th century jewellery click here.

Read My Story to find out more about my life and the people in my family. Then open up the Family Tree Smart Notebook file (familytree.notebook) and try to complete my family tree by putting the correct names into the correct positions. Good luck! To read My Story click here. Family Tree Activity

The Life of Katheryn of Berain More information

About the painting – Date painted: 1568 Media: oil on oak panel Size: 97.2 x 68.6 cm Acquired in: 1957; Purchased. It is likely that this portrait was painted in the Northern Netherlands by the Friesian artist Adriaen van Cronenburgh.

An effective piece of diary writing will - be written in the first person (I). mostly be in the past tense. describe events in the order that they happened. use paragraphs for changes in time, event and action. Use factual information from your research and your own thoughts about Katheryn to write extracts from her diary. Remember a diary not only records events and moments in history, but also records personal feelings. To read Katheryn’s story click here. Back to Creative Writing Task