Abigail Masham (1670-6 December 1734) was an English courtier and a favorite of Queen Anne. Masham, a cousin of Sarah Churchill, rose from being a scullery maid at Queen Anne's court to being an influential favorite of the Queen's, helping to empower Tories in the government and depose her cousin Sarah's Whigs.
Biography[]
Abigail Hill was born in London, England in 1670, a cousin of Sarah Churchill and Robert Harley. Her family fell on hard times, as her father had gambled away his wealth in a game of whist, and her cousin secured her scullery work at the palace under Queen Anne. She helped deal with the Queen's gout and was named a Lady of the Bedchamber in recognition of her help. Because of the Whig Sarah's political differences with the Tory Queen Anne, Queen Anne came to favor the Tory Abigail, who married a gentleman of the Queen's household, Samuel Masham, 1st Baron Masham, in 1707. In 1710, Abigail used her influence to have her brother John Hill be given an important command under John Churchill, Sarah's husband. Abigail came to support the Jacobite cause, and she attempted to usurp Harley's power due to his inability to choose between the Jacobite and Hanoverian factions in British politics. Masham fell from power after the Queen's death in 1714, and she died in 1734.