Margaret Stafford was the illegitimate daughter of Edward Stafford, 3rd duke of Buckingham (February 3, 1478-May 17,1521). He planned to marry her to Thomas FitzGerald, son of Gerald Fitzgerald, 8th earl of Kildare (d.1513) and his second wife, whose wardship and marriage he obtained in October 1519.

There are several entries in Buckingham's accounts for 1519-1520 that may refer to Margaret Stafford, although they have been transcribed as "Mistress Mary." They are not likely to refer to the duke's legitimate daughter, Mary, after she became Lady Bergavenny.

• Payments were made on May 15, 1520 to William Heyton and William Buttre for cloth for Mistress Mary: tawny broadcloth, russet frieze, tawny camlet, black velvet, yellow sarcenet, and crimson and green satin, this last for a kirtle.
• There is also a payment to Mrs. Kendal, for part of the "board wages of Mistress Mary from 1 Dec. till a fortnight before my Lord went over the sea" (to the Field of Cloth of Gold at the end of May, 1520).

Margaret was probably the daughter of Margaret Geddynge, a gentlewoman and a member of the duke’s household as early as 1499/1500. She was one of the duchess’s ladies in waiting and in charge of the nursery at Thornbury.

By November 1520, Geddynge quarreled with the duchess and been discharged from her service, but by March 1521 she was back.

At the time of Buckingham’s death, Geddynge held the farm of demesne lands in Eastington and Gilkerton, Gloucestershire. After the duke’s execution, the matrimonial choices for his illegitimate daughter would have been severely limited.

Margaret married an obscure London vinter named William Cheney or Cheyne (c.1509-c.1534). Sir John Bulmer of Wilton, Yorkshire (c.1490 - 25 Aug 1537) then “bought” her from Cheney, apparently with Margaret’s approval.

As Bulmer's mistress, she lived about five miles from Wilton Castle at Pinchinthorpe Hall. They had 3 daughters:

• Martha -- sometimes called Mary (c.1531)
• Frances (c.1533)
• Anne (c.1535)

After Cheney died, she married Bulmer. Dates for their marriage vary from 1534 to early 1536, but a letter from Bulmer’s son, Ralph (c.1510 - 1558), casts doubts on its validity ... since Ralph seems to indicate that his mother was still living as late as 01 November 1536.

In any case, 1536 was a busy year. Bulmer’s first wife’s nephew, Sir Francis Bigod, was a leader of the Pilgrimage of Grace.

Margaret, is described by P.R.D. Davison in his history of the Bulmer family, Saxon Survivors? as “devastatingly attractive,” but with “a violent temper.” She urged her husband to join Bigod, and was heard loudly supporting a plan to capture and execute the duke of Norfolk.

Norfolk was the abusive husband of Elizabeth Stafford ... probably Margaret’s half sister.

According to Roland Connelly's Women of the Catholic Resistance in England 1540-1680, Margaret was known in local legend as Madge Wildfire and Black Meg. At the head of a citizen's army to support the rebels, she rode at her husband's side.

On May 7, both Bulmer and Margaret were indicted for treason, but later pardoned.

In January 1536/37, Margaret gave birth to John at Lastingham (d. 06 Feb 1608). Two months later, she and Bulmer were ordered to appear in London. Suspecting that to obey would put their lives in jeopardy, Margaret tried to convince Bulmer to flee the country. But he attempted to revive the Pilgrimage of Grace by planning an Easter uprising.

By April 8, Margaret was in London, under arrest. By April 21, she and Bulmer were in the Tower. Although Bulmer insisted they were legally married, documentation refers to Margaret as his “untrue” wife and blames her for the plot.

On May 16, she, Bulmer, his brother (another Ralph), and several others were tried and convicted of treason. Bulmer and Margaret pled guilty. She was burned to death at Smithfield. Bulmer was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Tyburn.

Biography: two chapters in Sharon Jansen’s Dangerous Talk and Strange Behavior.

Suppression

In February 1537 a new rising took place in Cumberland and Westmorland called Bigod's Rebellion (not authorised by Aske) under Sir Francis Bigod, of Settrington in the North Riding of Yorkshire. Upon this the king arrested Aske and several of the other leaders, such as Lord Darcy, Lord Hussey who was Chief Butler of England, Sir Robert Constable, and Bigod, who were all convicted of treason and executed. On March 1537 Thomas Moigne, Member of Parliament for Lincoln was hanged, drawn and quartered.[4] Lords Darcy and Hussey were both beheaded whilst Constable and Bigod were both hanged at Tyburn. Aske was also hanged in chains from the walls of York Castle as a warning to other would-be 'rebels'. In all, 216 were put to death; lords and knights, half a dozen abbots, 38 monks, and 16 parish priests, including :Sir Thomas Percy, Sir Stephen Hamerton, Sir William Lumley, Sir John Constable, Sir William Constable, Adam Sedbar, Abbot of Jervaulx, William Trafford, Abbot of Sawley, Matthew Mackarel, Abbot of Barlings and Bishop of Chalcedon, William Thirsk, Abbot of Fountains and the Prior of Bridlington were all executed and hanged at Tyburn between June and July 1537. Bowbearer of the Forest of Bowland Sir Nicholas Tempast was hanged at Tyburn[5] Sir John Bulmer and his wife Margaret Stafford were also executed, Sir John by being hanged, drawn and quartered whilst his wife was burnt at the stake in Smithfield, London. On November 1538 Keeper of the Sewer Sir Edward Neville was beheaded for his part in the conspiracy.[6] The loss of the leaders enabled the Duke of Norfolk to quell the rising and martial law was imposed upon the demonstrating regions, ending predication.