Beatrice ap Rice

Beatrice ap Rice or Rhys (d. after 1558) (maiden name unknown). Beatrice was the wife of David ap Rice/Rhys (d.1540+), a groom or yeoman of the chamber in Princess Mary’s household prior to 1525. Beatrice became Mary’s laundress in 1519 and was still with her when her household was dissolved in October 1533. She also held this post when Mary was queen.

• Source: A Who’s Who of Tudor Women, visited Aug. 2, 2013.

"Among the members of Mary's growing household were two who would be in her service for decades, Beatrice ap Rice, her 'lavender' or laundress and David ap Rice, who was at first a page but soon became a yeoman of the chamber." (Erickson, 41)

"To the children of her longtime servants Beatrice and David ap Rice Mary became a patron. She paid the girl's board in London and the boy's at Windsor, where he served in some capacity at court, and she continued this support until both children were able to make their way in the world." (Erickson, 190-1)

• Source: Carolly Erickson, Bloody Mary (2007).

See also: Privy purse expenses of the Princess Mary, daughter of King Henry the Eighth, afterwards Queen Mary, Frederic Madden, editor (1831).

The following About was composed by Dale C Rice.

Beatrice( Gardiner, unproved ) is believed to have Entered the service of Princess Mary Tudor ca 1521 and she served the Princess faithfully for 37 years, until Queen Mary Tudor died in 1558. Beatrice's Surname is not verified, but suspected to be grandaughter of Jasper Tudor, The King's Uncle.

She was married to an illegitimate son of Sir Rhys ap Thomas of Bosworth Field born ca 1447, who's name is Daffid ap Rhys (sic RICE) born ca 1490 to Sir Rhy's Gwenlian Mathews?, and They had two children, William born 1521 and Mary, born ca 1530 who married into the Thomas Jenkins family. Both children are mentioned in the Household accounts of the Princess Mary for various expenses she paid for their educations at DURHAM, for William. ( Family Lore says WM. is the son of Henry Tudor VIII) being born 9 mos. after the field of Cloth of Gold, but that is NOT PROVED). Beatrice's husband Daffid died in Ca 1540, leaving Beatrice to attend to Princess Mary for the rest of her natural life. I am DaleC.Rice who was told about the possible linkage of Wm. ap Rice born March 1521 as a possible son of Henry Tudor and Beatrice/ or Alex Saunders.

At a young age of about 10-12 Wm. became a groom, then after his education became a lower- level minster, he and wife Barbara, receiving 2 manors for his support of Mary during the assention crisis with Jane Grey. Wm. Married but there are no KNOWN children, and the estate passed to another Wm. Rice, a cousin, after his death in ca. 1590. He was a devoute Catholic and Ran afoul of the Protestant Queen, Elizabeth I, and was briefly held for saying unauthorized Mass, so he left the service of his Queen and went into seclusion and died shortly thereafter.