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Black Diamonds: The Downfall of an Aristocratic Dynasty and the Fifty Years That Changed England
Black Diamonds provides a page-turning chronicle of the Fitzwilliam coal-mining dynasty and their breathtaking Wentworth estate, the largest private home in England.
When the sixth Earl Fitzwilliam died in 1902, he left behind the second largest estate in twentieth-century England, valued at more than £3 billion of today’s money—a lifeline to the tens of thousands of people who worked either in the family’s coal mines or on their expansive estate. The earl also left behind four sons, and the family line seemed assured. But was it? As Bailey retraces the Fitzwilliam family history, she uncovers a legacy riddled with bitter feuds, scandals (including Peter Fitzwilliam’s ill-fated affair with American heiress Kick Kennedy), and civil unrest as the conflict between the coal industry and its miners came to a head. Once again, Bailey has written an irresistible and brilliant narrative history.
When the sixth Earl Fitzwilliam died in 1902, he left behind the second largest estate in twentieth-century England, valued at more than £3 billion of today’s money—a lifeline to the tens of thousands of people who worked either in the family’s coal mines or on their expansive estate. The earl also left behind four sons, and the family line seemed assured. But was it? As Bailey retraces the Fitzwilliam family history, she uncovers a legacy riddled with bitter feuds, scandals (including Peter Fitzwilliam’s ill-fated affair with American heiress Kick Kennedy), and civil unrest as the conflict between the coal industry and its miners came to a head. Once again, Bailey has written an irresistible and brilliant narrative history.
576 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2007
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About the author
Catherine Bailey
51 books133 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 416 reviews
March 3, 2021
Catherine Bailey has a remarkable talent for bringing history to life. This book was music to my ears and I just loved every moment spent listening to it. Having read Fey's War: The True Story of a Mother, her Missing Sons and the Plot to Kill Hitler, I really wanted to read something else by this author andBlack Diamonds: The Rise and Fall of an English Dynasty was next on my list by this author.
Wentworth is in Yorkshire and was surrounded by 70 collieries employing tens of thousands of men. It is the finest and largest Georgian house in Britain and belonged to the Fitzwilliam family.
It is England's forgotten palace which belonged to Britain's richest aristocrats. Black Diamonds tells the story of its demise: family feuds, forbidden love, class war, and a tragic and violent death played their part. But coal, one of the most emotive issues in twentieth century British politics, lies at its heart.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and while I approached it thinking it would have the Downton Abbey vibe to it and be light and gossipy, I knew Catherine Bailey would bring her own twist to the story and enlighten and educate the reader along the way. The is a book where classes collide after years of miners and workers being oppressed. While the author informs us that vast amounts of Fitzwilliam papers and historical documents were destroyed she manages to weave together a very convincing and well thought out account from memories of living relatives to employees of the family and papers that survived through the years.
The miners struggles and their working conditions is very well documented as is the lives and opulence of the upper classes and the Fitzwilliam family. I was totally captured and brought back in time by Catherine Bailey's writing.. While this is quite a long book I honestly didn't want it to end.
Catherine Bailey's research and writing technique is excellent. She brings history alive with words and has crafted a story that is so easy to read, understand and keep track of.
I listened to this one on audible which was narrated beautifully. but I really wish I had a hard copy to hard as I spent a lot of time googling people and places and especially the Kennedy element of the story.
I can highly recommend this book. It’s now one for my favourites shelf and I will source a hard copy for my real life book shelf to sit alongside Fey's war.
This is the extraordinary story of how the fabric of English society shifted beyond recognition in fifty turbulent years in the twentieth century.
Wentworth is in Yorkshire and was surrounded by 70 collieries employing tens of thousands of men. It is the finest and largest Georgian house in Britain and belonged to the Fitzwilliam family.
It is England's forgotten palace which belonged to Britain's richest aristocrats. Black Diamonds tells the story of its demise: family feuds, forbidden love, class war, and a tragic and violent death played their part. But coal, one of the most emotive issues in twentieth century British politics, lies at its heart.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and while I approached it thinking it would have the Downton Abbey vibe to it and be light and gossipy, I knew Catherine Bailey would bring her own twist to the story and enlighten and educate the reader along the way. The is a book where classes collide after years of miners and workers being oppressed. While the author informs us that vast amounts of Fitzwilliam papers and historical documents were destroyed she manages to weave together a very convincing and well thought out account from memories of living relatives to employees of the family and papers that survived through the years.
The miners struggles and their working conditions is very well documented as is the lives and opulence of the upper classes and the Fitzwilliam family. I was totally captured and brought back in time by Catherine Bailey's writing.. While this is quite a long book I honestly didn't want it to end.
Catherine Bailey's research and writing technique is excellent. She brings history alive with words and has crafted a story that is so easy to read, understand and keep track of.
I listened to this one on audible which was narrated beautifully. but I really wish I had a hard copy to hard as I spent a lot of time googling people and places and especially the Kennedy element of the story.
I can highly recommend this book. It’s now one for my favourites shelf and I will source a hard copy for my real life book shelf to sit alongside Fey's war.
This is the extraordinary story of how the fabric of English society shifted beyond recognition in fifty turbulent years in the twentieth century.
April 20, 2016
Absolutely Outstanding!
I found the entire book to be an extraordinary read. Based upon historical fact, several chapters pertain to the unbelievable staggering wealth of the English aristocrats during the 1900’s, along with a heartbreaking depiction of the wretchedness and extreme hardships of the coal miners and their families. The Fitzwilliams’ who owned the Wentworth stately home are a fascinating family who also suffered from disappointments and tragedies throughout most of their lives. It was such a compelling read and one of the finest books I have ever read. Highly recommended and definitely a five star plus.
I found the entire book to be an extraordinary read. Based upon historical fact, several chapters pertain to the unbelievable staggering wealth of the English aristocrats during the 1900’s, along with a heartbreaking depiction of the wretchedness and extreme hardships of the coal miners and their families. The Fitzwilliams’ who owned the Wentworth stately home are a fascinating family who also suffered from disappointments and tragedies throughout most of their lives. It was such a compelling read and one of the finest books I have ever read. Highly recommended and definitely a five star plus.
September 25, 2016
I have intended to read this for a long time but - I was always going to have a mixed relationship with this book because I grew up in Wentworth and am very familiar with the history.
The male Wentworth line ran dry and the title passed matrilineally to the FitzWilliams. Ludicrously rich, the money came from coal. The 'Estate' employed and housed the people who worked the coal; most boys went 'down't' pit'. I recall slag heaps and mine shafts scarring the countryside and an almost feudal mentality. The class system was alive and thriving.
In my lifetime it all came apart, though I am sure it began before my arrival! As a child the Stable Block belonging to the Big House was a teacher's training college. The family still lived in part of the Big House and the deer park still had a ranger guarding against poaching. I developed a life-long concern with true justice (which does not and cannot always equate with the law of the land) in the shadow of this echo of privilege and the notion that an accident of birth could have one person seen as being of more value than another was abhorrent to me. I myself was cast as 'posh' in the area because I came from a middle class background and spoke 'nicely'. Being neither fish nor fowl among the local people was isolating - my brothers coped by acquiring local accents and some machismo; I got a dog and he was my favoured companion.
It's worth a read but it made me sad, this ;ittle trip down memory lane.
The male Wentworth line ran dry and the title passed matrilineally to the FitzWilliams. Ludicrously rich, the money came from coal. The 'Estate' employed and housed the people who worked the coal; most boys went 'down't' pit'. I recall slag heaps and mine shafts scarring the countryside and an almost feudal mentality. The class system was alive and thriving.
In my lifetime it all came apart, though I am sure it began before my arrival! As a child the Stable Block belonging to the Big House was a teacher's training college. The family still lived in part of the Big House and the deer park still had a ranger guarding against poaching. I developed a life-long concern with true justice (which does not and cannot always equate with the law of the land) in the shadow of this echo of privilege and the notion that an accident of birth could have one person seen as being of more value than another was abhorrent to me. I myself was cast as 'posh' in the area because I came from a middle class background and spoke 'nicely'. Being neither fish nor fowl among the local people was isolating - my brothers coped by acquiring local accents and some machismo; I got a dog and he was my favoured companion.
It's worth a read but it made me sad, this ;ittle trip down memory lane.
September 15, 2017
The GR book description says:
Black Diamonds tells of the Fitzwilliams' spectacular decline: of inheritance fights; rumours of a changeling and of lunacy; philandering earls; illicit love; war heroism; a tragic connection to the Kennedys; violent death; mining poverty and squalor; and a class war that literally ripped apart the local landscape.
The demise of Wentworth and the Fitzwilliams is a riveting account of aristocratic decline and fall, set in the grandest house in England.
The Wentworth Estate is located between Rotherham and Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England, northeast of Sheffield. In 1902, when the historical narrative commences, it was the largest privately owned house in all of England. The fall of the Fitzwilliams’ dynasty spanned a mere fifty years. We start with the sixth earl and conclude with the tenth. That which we are promised in the book description is delivered. The nationalization and demise of the British coal industry is a central theme too. The book moves forward chronologically beginning with the funeral of the sixth earl in February 1902.
What makes the book particularly good is that as the years pass the focus varies, even if the common denominator is the family’s wealth from the mining of coal. A book just on the nationalization of the British coal industry could easily be boring and dry. Here there are exciting events, personal tales and intriguing questions about the family to be investigated. Here follows one example. The father of the seventh earl, Lord Milton, died before the death of the sixth. So the grandson, not the son, of the sixth became the seventh earl. Am I confusing you? Don’t worry, it is very clear in the book. Circumstances under which the seventh was born are extremely peculiar. He was born in Canada in 1872 in an Indian settlement on Lake Superior. His father had epilepsy which made him an unacceptable heir; there was need for a male heir without the taint of epilepsy. The more you learn the more your interest is piqued. Has the baby who was to become the seventh earl been exchanged for a healthy male child? Something fishy was certainly going on! We are given the known facts; they certainly make for an intriguing mystery. Each reader must decide for them self. The story is engagingly told. My point is that as the years pass we encounter not one but several such captivating episodes. History comes in between so you have a solid base on which to stand, but the book does not put you to sleep.
How often is the story told of women placed in insane asylums for unjustified reasons, in truth for the convenience of relatives? This happened to men too.
I also very much enjoyed hearing the miners’ tales. We hear personal stories - the terrifying first day down in the black depths of the pits, initiation rites that will have you cringe, shoveling muck and driving the mine ponies. Jim was thirteen when he started. The very first day the so “kind and helpful deputy”, I am being sarcastic, showed Jim where his brother John Willy came to his death under the collapsed rubble of an explosion. Then, coming up to the surface after his first day, the pride he felt and his first step into manhood are wonderfully depicted. The contrast between his fear and his sense of achievement speaks volumes. This Jim became an author. See Bowers Row: Recollections Of A Mining Village by Jim Bullock. The tales of the miners give a good balance to the life of the wealthy set.
The book goes off on a tangent, with too many unrelated details about Kick Kennedy. She and Peter Fitzwilliam, the eighth earl, were considering marriage before . Why did they take off when the thunder storm over the Rhone Valley was forecasted?! What I found excessive and too much of a padding were the voluminous passages about Kick’s first marriage with the eldest son and heir apparent to the 10th Duke of Devonshire. I suppose writing about the Kennedys will catch readers’ attention, but there is a limit to how much should have been included here.
I listened to the audiobook wonderfully narrated by Gareth Armstrong. He reads at a perfect speed. He is simple to follow. He captures all sorts of different accents, the American accent of Kick Kennedy, the British accent and unique tone of Winston Churchill and the Yorkshire brogue of the colliers, to name but a few. This personalization improves the listening experience. Five stars is without a doubt warranted for the narration of the audiobook.
I liked this book a lot. It informs in an engaging way. Except for the discursions on Kick Kennedy, the book presents the information in a well laid out and concise fashion.
Black Diamonds tells of the Fitzwilliams' spectacular decline: of inheritance fights; rumours of a changeling and of lunacy; philandering earls; illicit love; war heroism; a tragic connection to the Kennedys; violent death; mining poverty and squalor; and a class war that literally ripped apart the local landscape.
The demise of Wentworth and the Fitzwilliams is a riveting account of aristocratic decline and fall, set in the grandest house in England.
The Wentworth Estate is located between Rotherham and Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England, northeast of Sheffield. In 1902, when the historical narrative commences, it was the largest privately owned house in all of England. The fall of the Fitzwilliams’ dynasty spanned a mere fifty years. We start with the sixth earl and conclude with the tenth. That which we are promised in the book description is delivered. The nationalization and demise of the British coal industry is a central theme too. The book moves forward chronologically beginning with the funeral of the sixth earl in February 1902.
What makes the book particularly good is that as the years pass the focus varies, even if the common denominator is the family’s wealth from the mining of coal. A book just on the nationalization of the British coal industry could easily be boring and dry. Here there are exciting events, personal tales and intriguing questions about the family to be investigated. Here follows one example. The father of the seventh earl, Lord Milton, died before the death of the sixth. So the grandson, not the son, of the sixth became the seventh earl. Am I confusing you? Don’t worry, it is very clear in the book. Circumstances under which the seventh was born are extremely peculiar. He was born in Canada in 1872 in an Indian settlement on Lake Superior. His father had epilepsy which made him an unacceptable heir; there was need for a male heir without the taint of epilepsy. The more you learn the more your interest is piqued. Has the baby who was to become the seventh earl been exchanged for a healthy male child? Something fishy was certainly going on! We are given the known facts; they certainly make for an intriguing mystery. Each reader must decide for them self. The story is engagingly told. My point is that as the years pass we encounter not one but several such captivating episodes. History comes in between so you have a solid base on which to stand, but the book does not put you to sleep.
How often is the story told of women placed in insane asylums for unjustified reasons, in truth for the convenience of relatives? This happened to men too.
I also very much enjoyed hearing the miners’ tales. We hear personal stories - the terrifying first day down in the black depths of the pits, initiation rites that will have you cringe, shoveling muck and driving the mine ponies. Jim was thirteen when he started. The very first day the so “kind and helpful deputy”, I am being sarcastic, showed Jim where his brother John Willy came to his death under the collapsed rubble of an explosion. Then, coming up to the surface after his first day, the pride he felt and his first step into manhood are wonderfully depicted. The contrast between his fear and his sense of achievement speaks volumes. This Jim became an author. See Bowers Row: Recollections Of A Mining Village by Jim Bullock. The tales of the miners give a good balance to the life of the wealthy set.
The book goes off on a tangent, with too many unrelated details about Kick Kennedy. She and Peter Fitzwilliam, the eighth earl, were considering marriage before . Why did they take off when the thunder storm over the Rhone Valley was forecasted?! What I found excessive and too much of a padding were the voluminous passages about Kick’s first marriage with the eldest son and heir apparent to the 10th Duke of Devonshire. I suppose writing about the Kennedys will catch readers’ attention, but there is a limit to how much should have been included here.
I listened to the audiobook wonderfully narrated by Gareth Armstrong. He reads at a perfect speed. He is simple to follow. He captures all sorts of different accents, the American accent of Kick Kennedy, the British accent and unique tone of Winston Churchill and the Yorkshire brogue of the colliers, to name but a few. This personalization improves the listening experience. Five stars is without a doubt warranted for the narration of the audiobook.
I liked this book a lot. It informs in an engaging way. Except for the discursions on Kick Kennedy, the book presents the information in a well laid out and concise fashion.
March 4, 2026
Wentworth Woodhouse was in the news again recently because the Palladian pile, near Rotherham, has been sold to an investment company, a decision that dashes for ever the dreams of the trust that hoped to save it for the nation. I don’t suppose there are many readers who share my intense interest in both the South Yorkshire coalfields, and the sort of houses that come with a room for every day of the year. But if this weird Venn diagram does apply to you, I can recommend this book which tells the story not only of the family that built Wentworth, but also of the industry on which its wealth was built.
One scene which has stayed with me as one of the reasons I am so happy I was born and grew up in Republics: in 1912 George V and Queen Mary visited Wentworth, their host, its owner, the seventh Earl Fitzwilliam. Their stay began with a 13-course dinner served by liveried footmen; pudding involved sugar baskets that had taken three days to weave. The following morning, the couple visited several pit villages, a programme carried out even after the King had received the news that at nearby Cadeby colliery an explosion had killed dozens.
If it’s appalling to read of the “gratitude” of the people of Cadeby to the King that day – somehow he brought himself to shake hands with men whose faces were still black with dust – it’s even grimmer to read the thank you he wrote to Fitzwilliam once he’d returned south. He had been “comfortable” at Wentworth, and had enjoyed the “experience” of the West Riding. The disaster at Cadeby, however, had seemingly already slipped clean from his mind.
One scene which has stayed with me as one of the reasons I am so happy I was born and grew up in Republics: in 1912 George V and Queen Mary visited Wentworth, their host, its owner, the seventh Earl Fitzwilliam. Their stay began with a 13-course dinner served by liveried footmen; pudding involved sugar baskets that had taken three days to weave. The following morning, the couple visited several pit villages, a programme carried out even after the King had received the news that at nearby Cadeby colliery an explosion had killed dozens.
If it’s appalling to read of the “gratitude” of the people of Cadeby to the King that day – somehow he brought himself to shake hands with men whose faces were still black with dust – it’s even grimmer to read the thank you he wrote to Fitzwilliam once he’d returned south. He had been “comfortable” at Wentworth, and had enjoyed the “experience” of the West Riding. The disaster at Cadeby, however, had seemingly already slipped clean from his mind.
April 22, 2020
Big house, old family, big scandals, big falls, all dead now, house empty.
March 24, 2015
A fascinating book for fans of Downton Abbey, it's also a mystery: how can one of the wealthiest families in the UK die out over the course of 50 years? It is a social history of the time, as well as a history of a place, and the specific characters who inhabit it, While not evenly divided between storylines focusing on the Dukes and the locals, it does have the fresh voices of former employees adding color to the narrative. And it is an engrossing story.
The staggeringly rich are different from you and me: they are just as prone to making egregious errors in every aspect of their lives, but they are rather more protected from the consequences. So good I had requested Baily's other book, The Secret Rooms: A True Gothic Mystery, before I ever finished this one.
Library copy
The staggeringly rich are different from you and me: they are just as prone to making egregious errors in every aspect of their lives, but they are rather more protected from the consequences. So good I had requested Baily's other book, The Secret Rooms: A True Gothic Mystery, before I ever finished this one.
Library copy
December 21, 2011
This book is primarily about an English Dynasty built on coal, but it is more about a period than about any one household. The family at the core of this book is one that is hard to get a good picture of because they have systematically burnt all their personal archives. Ms Bailey adds social and political events that were occurring during the period of the book (late 1800s to mid 1900s) to help flesh out the story of this dynasty.
I enjoyed the stories (truth can indeed be stranger than fiction) about the family itself but I struggled with the long stretches about the politics of socialism, unionism and the class system in Great Britain. Speeches and letters from Prime Ministers, Kings, union leaders, Lords and parliamentarians filled the middle section of the book. Valid background I suppose but a bit more than I felt I needed to get the picture.
The side stories about interesting characters and lives (including a very long segment on a member of the Kennedy family) that might have in some way connected to the core family weren't uninteresting, I just often wondered why I was reading about them. Which is my main complaint about this book - the thread of the story often was hard for me to follow and tangents were taken that didn't seem to add much to the overall picture being painted of an Earl, his holdings and his family.
I enjoyed the stories (truth can indeed be stranger than fiction) about the family itself but I struggled with the long stretches about the politics of socialism, unionism and the class system in Great Britain. Speeches and letters from Prime Ministers, Kings, union leaders, Lords and parliamentarians filled the middle section of the book. Valid background I suppose but a bit more than I felt I needed to get the picture.
The side stories about interesting characters and lives (including a very long segment on a member of the Kennedy family) that might have in some way connected to the core family weren't uninteresting, I just often wondered why I was reading about them. Which is my main complaint about this book - the thread of the story often was hard for me to follow and tangents were taken that didn't seem to add much to the overall picture being painted of an Earl, his holdings and his family.
June 20, 2016
A social history of coal mining, told through the eyes of one family, the owners of Wentworth, reputedly the biggest country seat in Britain. I absolutely loved this. It had all my favourite ingredients for a good history: social context; gossip and scandal; dynastic shenanigans; and what's more, it managed a very rare thing, it swayed me at one point from my own natural socialistic inclinations onto the side of the aristocracy!
I picked this up on one of my trips to Waterstones, when I like to browse those themed tables they have. I'd never heard of the book or the subject of it, the Fitzwilliams, I'd never come across the author before but I just got a good vibe about it - and I was right. The history of coal mining, the exploitation of the miners, the appalling conditions, terrible wages, the contrasting philosophies of the various owners, the long battle for nationalisation and the subsequent destruction of the industry are shown in parallel to the fate of the landed gentry, specifically the Fitzwilliams, who stood on the other side of the fence. In many ways the Fitzwilliams were a good example of landowners, they looked after their miners and their many other dependents, they put safety first, and they were generous in times of adversity. Of course they were also sickeningly rich, arrogant and elitist - oh yes, and the men were classic rakes. But what Ms Bailey does in her book is show both sides of fence, warts and all - baddies and goodies - and she doesn't fall into the sycophantic trap or the trap of making the rich guys the baddies and the poor guys the goodies. But she does judge, and I do like her for that.
But lest you think this is a big book about coal, think again. The Fitzwilliams had many skeletons in their closets, and lots of juicy scandal too, and as much of it as Ms Bailey has been able to uncover is here. You get the distinct impression that she has a good dollop more that she couldn't publish because it was only gossip without proof, which is quite frustrating, but believe me, there's plenty to keep you turning the pages.
I looked Wentworth up when I had finished this, and discovered to my surprise (and pleasure) that it is now open to the public once more, that the gardens which were so wilfully destroyed are now being restored. This book made me want to go there. I loved this book. Highly recommended.
I picked this up on one of my trips to Waterstones, when I like to browse those themed tables they have. I'd never heard of the book or the subject of it, the Fitzwilliams, I'd never come across the author before but I just got a good vibe about it - and I was right. The history of coal mining, the exploitation of the miners, the appalling conditions, terrible wages, the contrasting philosophies of the various owners, the long battle for nationalisation and the subsequent destruction of the industry are shown in parallel to the fate of the landed gentry, specifically the Fitzwilliams, who stood on the other side of the fence. In many ways the Fitzwilliams were a good example of landowners, they looked after their miners and their many other dependents, they put safety first, and they were generous in times of adversity. Of course they were also sickeningly rich, arrogant and elitist - oh yes, and the men were classic rakes. But what Ms Bailey does in her book is show both sides of fence, warts and all - baddies and goodies - and she doesn't fall into the sycophantic trap or the trap of making the rich guys the baddies and the poor guys the goodies. But she does judge, and I do like her for that.
But lest you think this is a big book about coal, think again. The Fitzwilliams had many skeletons in their closets, and lots of juicy scandal too, and as much of it as Ms Bailey has been able to uncover is here. You get the distinct impression that she has a good dollop more that she couldn't publish because it was only gossip without proof, which is quite frustrating, but believe me, there's plenty to keep you turning the pages.
I looked Wentworth up when I had finished this, and discovered to my surprise (and pleasure) that it is now open to the public once more, that the gardens which were so wilfully destroyed are now being restored. This book made me want to go there. I loved this book. Highly recommended.
March 5, 2015
Fans of "Downton Abbey" are led to believe that the Crawley family wealth comes from the earnings of the bucolic farms that surround Downton Abbey. However, if Julian Fellowes were more honest, he'd let viewers know that, in all probability, their large income was derived from coal just as it was for the Carnavon family in whose Highclere Castle the show is set. This book is the story of an even wealthier aristocratic family, the Fitzwilliams, who at the beginning of the twentieth century were the wealthiest family in England and whose wealth was derived from the labor of men and boys (some as young as eleven) who toiled underground for twelve to fifteen hours a day. Their county estate in south Yorkshire was called Wentworth and it was England’s largest private home, with 1,000 windows, and its park wall running for nine miles. When the sixth Earl Fitzwilliam died in 1902 he left four sons and his dynasty and fortune seemed secure. But the class war of the twentieth century combined with the family's own follies, brought it all crashing down around them.
The book gives a vivid picture of the yawning gap between the wealthy aristocracy and the workers who supported their lifestyle. Although the FItzwilliams were beneficent mine owners (unlike some of the purely corporate mining interests) the gap between the family and the miners was vast, and beginning in the 1920's with the rise of the Labour party, no amount of kindly charity from the big house was going to satisfy the workers' demands for a better life. Although the family survived the General Strike in 1926, the Depression and then World War II spelled the end of their financial empire.
The eighth Earl, Peter, was the last person of consequence to hold the title. He was a dashing war hero who today is largely remembered for being Kathleen Kennedy;s married lover who died with her in a plane crash in 1948. The book spends altogether too much time discussing Ms Kennedy's history and her relationship with Peter (about 100 pages!) that lends little to the understanding of the story of the family and its wealth. I can only guess it was included to appeal to the seemingly endless fascination with everything Kennedy on both sides of the Atlantic.
After his death the title went to Peters alcoholic uncle and then to a distant cousin who died without producing any sons, thus the title is today extinct. After a long decline into semi-ruin, Wentworth House is now owned by someone unrelated to the family and is open for tours costing from $15 to $38 per head and for rental as a wedding venue.
The book does an excellent job of detailing both the lavish lifestyle of the aristocracy as well as the grinding poverty of the mineworkers and the glee with which Labour party officials confiscated the mines - even to the point of strip mining on the grounds of Wentworth. It would be nice to say that as a result, the workers in the area are living better life today, thanks to the mas closing of collieries in the 1980's by Margaret Thatcher, the area has one of the highest rates of unemployment in Britain today.
The book gives a vivid picture of the yawning gap between the wealthy aristocracy and the workers who supported their lifestyle. Although the FItzwilliams were beneficent mine owners (unlike some of the purely corporate mining interests) the gap between the family and the miners was vast, and beginning in the 1920's with the rise of the Labour party, no amount of kindly charity from the big house was going to satisfy the workers' demands for a better life. Although the family survived the General Strike in 1926, the Depression and then World War II spelled the end of their financial empire.
The eighth Earl, Peter, was the last person of consequence to hold the title. He was a dashing war hero who today is largely remembered for being Kathleen Kennedy;s married lover who died with her in a plane crash in 1948. The book spends altogether too much time discussing Ms Kennedy's history and her relationship with Peter (about 100 pages!) that lends little to the understanding of the story of the family and its wealth. I can only guess it was included to appeal to the seemingly endless fascination with everything Kennedy on both sides of the Atlantic.
After his death the title went to Peters alcoholic uncle and then to a distant cousin who died without producing any sons, thus the title is today extinct. After a long decline into semi-ruin, Wentworth House is now owned by someone unrelated to the family and is open for tours costing from $15 to $38 per head and for rental as a wedding venue.
The book does an excellent job of detailing both the lavish lifestyle of the aristocracy as well as the grinding poverty of the mineworkers and the glee with which Labour party officials confiscated the mines - even to the point of strip mining on the grounds of Wentworth. It would be nice to say that as a result, the workers in the area are living better life today, thanks to the mas closing of collieries in the 1980's by Margaret Thatcher, the area has one of the highest rates of unemployment in Britain today.
April 10, 2015
To give this a 3 star rating? Yes, I'm conflicted. My enjoyment in the reading was nearly a 5. But I love historical text and this work held much of that social mores, economics of changing industry, class conflict, and governmental parsing and perceptions far beyond it's title designation.
It loses two whole stars in the progression of its parts. The transitions being the least of it. We have a long beginning regarding the 6th and 7th Earls Fitzwilliam, without a whiff of the history of that particular title, with only the single exception for the origins of the building of its seat, Wentworth House. Which is still, the largest "single" residence in Great Britain.
It hops several times to subjects quite apart. It includes entire sections upon the coal industry and the strikes. In the more modern sections, Part V and beyond, it takes another 50 page jump into another completely different dynasty- the Kennedy's and Kick in particular.
The sections on William, Lord Milton, heir to the 6th Earl and his son, Billy, who became the 7th Earl were the best in the book, IMHO.
The upbringing of Lord Milton and his purposed and continued separation from the entire huge group of his siblings and central family because of his illness? And that journey to the wilderness of Canada for that birth! Also Billy's "eyes" of perceptions during the King and Queen home visit to Wentworth House in 1912 at the exact time of the horrendous mining implodes. And also the photographs in this book- awesome.
The family charting in front was absolutely necessary. So many people, so much dysfunction. And for all their wealth, miniscule understanding of health or cure for nearly anything that ailed them. The numbers of populations that they employed! Collapse eventually, and not just for the Fitzwilliam family or Wentworth heirs.
This was fascinating to read, but if you are looking for a simple genealogy for this Earldom or the simplicity of family seat collapse, this one is not for you. It's far more a social and class history of the changing end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries in Yorkshire.
It loses two whole stars in the progression of its parts. The transitions being the least of it. We have a long beginning regarding the 6th and 7th Earls Fitzwilliam, without a whiff of the history of that particular title, with only the single exception for the origins of the building of its seat, Wentworth House. Which is still, the largest "single" residence in Great Britain.
It hops several times to subjects quite apart. It includes entire sections upon the coal industry and the strikes. In the more modern sections, Part V and beyond, it takes another 50 page jump into another completely different dynasty- the Kennedy's and Kick in particular.
The sections on William, Lord Milton, heir to the 6th Earl and his son, Billy, who became the 7th Earl were the best in the book, IMHO.
The upbringing of Lord Milton and his purposed and continued separation from the entire huge group of his siblings and central family because of his illness? And that journey to the wilderness of Canada for that birth! Also Billy's "eyes" of perceptions during the King and Queen home visit to Wentworth House in 1912 at the exact time of the horrendous mining implodes. And also the photographs in this book- awesome.
The family charting in front was absolutely necessary. So many people, so much dysfunction. And for all their wealth, miniscule understanding of health or cure for nearly anything that ailed them. The numbers of populations that they employed! Collapse eventually, and not just for the Fitzwilliam family or Wentworth heirs.
This was fascinating to read, but if you are looking for a simple genealogy for this Earldom or the simplicity of family seat collapse, this one is not for you. It's far more a social and class history of the changing end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries in Yorkshire.
April 15, 2017
Can't recommend this book highly enough - it makes absolutely fascinating reading telling the true story of the tumultuous ups and downs of the Wentworth stately home and the vicissitudes of the aristocratic families lucky enough to live there. At the same time we are made aware of the grinding poverty of the miners, the appalling conditions that was the lot of the working man and the reality of life before, during and after both world wars. It documents the fall of the aristocracy and the introduction of social reform and the welfare state and is an immensely thought provoking read.
Catherine Bailey is a talented author that has the ability to bring history alive. I've been gripped by this book - it's poignancy and atmosphere have remained with me and I can't stop thinking about it.
Catherine Bailey is a talented author that has the ability to bring history alive. I've been gripped by this book - it's poignancy and atmosphere have remained with me and I can't stop thinking about it.
September 26, 2025
Interesting stuff, and nice insight into a lost era of Britain. The shocking lack of source material means the author has to heavily pad the book out with info on historical events. While these were deeply researched and helped to give more context to the times, it did make it very disjointed. Wayyyyyy too many pages spent on Kathleen Kennedy though.
August 14, 2015
Finished this a few days ago and am finally getting around to writing up my thoughts about it.
Black Diamonds certainly proved that “money can’t buy happiness” as the saying goes. The Fitzwilliam family was extremely wealthy and yet seemed to have more than its share of strife, mystery, and bad behavior. Their beautiful family home, Wentworth House, is now in the hands of outsiders after being in the family’s possession for 250 years. Their once profitable mines, employing thousands and bringing in millions, are now mostly closed after going through strikes, disasters (including a major explosion that occurred at the time of a royal visit), and nationalization.
There were questions about the status of two of the heirs. Billy was born in the wilds of Canada after his father insisted on taking his wife to the back of beyond for the birth. It seems likely, though unproven, that he was a “changeling.” Questions and acrimony continued for years, and some family members never did believe that Billy was the rightful heir.
At the time of the Great War, Toby Fitzwilliam—supposedly in line to become the 10th Earl –found himself embroiled in a family quarrel that ended in his being deemed illegitimate. He’d always been told that he was the rightful heir and yet suddenly his mother stopped talking to him, completely turned her back on him, and refused to ever see him again. She died before a reconciliation could take place. Toby’s heartbreak was not just his own. Because the title of 10th Earl passed to his son-less brother, the title is now defunct.
Besides these two contested successions, the book told a very sad story of a boy who may have been an illegitimate son of one of the family. He was never recognized, was mute, and was confined to an institution for 50 years, where no one ever visited him.
Kathleen Kennedy was featured in the book as well. There was a lengthy section on her romance with, and marriage to, a non-family member. After her husband’s death, she fell in love with Peter Fitzwilliam and died with him in a plane crash. I’d head for years about her tragic death (part of the famous Kennedy tragedies) but I had no idea that her story was part of Wentworth’s saga.
In addition to all these personal stories of the family, Black Diamonds showed the appalling lives of the coal miners whose work provided the wealth of the Fitzwilliams. There was interesting commentary about the 1926 General Strike, the decline of the aristocracy in general, and the increased democratization of Britain in the post-Great War period.
A very interesting book and well worth the read.
Black Diamonds certainly proved that “money can’t buy happiness” as the saying goes. The Fitzwilliam family was extremely wealthy and yet seemed to have more than its share of strife, mystery, and bad behavior. Their beautiful family home, Wentworth House, is now in the hands of outsiders after being in the family’s possession for 250 years. Their once profitable mines, employing thousands and bringing in millions, are now mostly closed after going through strikes, disasters (including a major explosion that occurred at the time of a royal visit), and nationalization.
There were questions about the status of two of the heirs. Billy was born in the wilds of Canada after his father insisted on taking his wife to the back of beyond for the birth. It seems likely, though unproven, that he was a “changeling.” Questions and acrimony continued for years, and some family members never did believe that Billy was the rightful heir.
At the time of the Great War, Toby Fitzwilliam—supposedly in line to become the 10th Earl –found himself embroiled in a family quarrel that ended in his being deemed illegitimate. He’d always been told that he was the rightful heir and yet suddenly his mother stopped talking to him, completely turned her back on him, and refused to ever see him again. She died before a reconciliation could take place. Toby’s heartbreak was not just his own. Because the title of 10th Earl passed to his son-less brother, the title is now defunct.
Besides these two contested successions, the book told a very sad story of a boy who may have been an illegitimate son of one of the family. He was never recognized, was mute, and was confined to an institution for 50 years, where no one ever visited him.
Kathleen Kennedy was featured in the book as well. There was a lengthy section on her romance with, and marriage to, a non-family member. After her husband’s death, she fell in love with Peter Fitzwilliam and died with him in a plane crash. I’d head for years about her tragic death (part of the famous Kennedy tragedies) but I had no idea that her story was part of Wentworth’s saga.
In addition to all these personal stories of the family, Black Diamonds showed the appalling lives of the coal miners whose work provided the wealth of the Fitzwilliams. There was interesting commentary about the 1926 General Strike, the decline of the aristocracy in general, and the increased democratization of Britain in the post-Great War period.
A very interesting book and well worth the read.
September 30, 2024
I grew up in a mining village not far from Wentworth, so I found this book very interesting. I really didn’t know much about the story and history of the Fitzwilliam family.
The connection to the Kennedy’s was fascinating.
I’m looking forward to visiting the estate on my next trip home.
The connection to the Kennedy’s was fascinating.
I’m looking forward to visiting the estate on my next trip home.
March 18, 2017
A fantastic read/listen, and I learnt so much and understand so much more than I did. I'm not going to review it but instead point to Marguerite Kaye's review - it says it all and so much better than I ever could. I actually loved this so much that I sent it, via audible's free gift scheme, to three friends who were coal miners themselves or of coal mining families. A fascinating and interesting social history that was so compelling I was glued to it. And, like Marguerite Kaye, I would now love to visit the restored Wentworth gardens.
August 7, 2011
Few books of fiction could be as intriguing and interesting as the true story of this family. Set against the backdrop of the sweeping social and economic changes which took place during the 19th century and the first half of the 20th, it charts the spectacular fall from grace of one of the richest aristocratic families in Britain.
The writing is absorbing and presents what is quite a complex chronological chain of events in a very logical and naturally flowing order, so that the reader is totally drawn into the saga of this fascinating family. Of course it would be impossible to chart this period of history without making some kind of social comment, which Bailey does without being too judgemental or subjective.
The writing is absorbing and presents what is quite a complex chronological chain of events in a very logical and naturally flowing order, so that the reader is totally drawn into the saga of this fascinating family. Of course it would be impossible to chart this period of history without making some kind of social comment, which Bailey does without being too judgemental or subjective.
January 17, 2016
There's an interesting story in this non-fiction piece. But, it gets buried in too many innocuous details. Had it been edited better, I may have enjoyed it.
February 21, 2021
If ever there was a book which proved fact is bigger, better, stranger than fiction then this is it!
A tail of one of Britain's wealthiest dynasties from their highest highs to their lowest lows.
The book brilliantly sets out the social differences of the time, the age old fight between capitalism and socialism. It also shows that wealth and titles really don't bring happiness. The weight of expectation surrounding the Fitzwilliam name, the in fighting to protect their name is shown in its brutal truth in this book.
Pre WW1 the British aristocracy would do whatever was necessary to protect themselves. Post WW1 they all came home to a very different Britain and so begins a slow and painful demise of one the most powerful families in Britain. Add to that the incredible links and direct connections to an incredibly rich, young, up and coming American Dynasty called The Kennedy's and you have an absolute must read book!
Why this book hasn't been turned into a film I don't know, and if it has can some please tell me the title!!
A tail of one of Britain's wealthiest dynasties from their highest highs to their lowest lows.
The book brilliantly sets out the social differences of the time, the age old fight between capitalism and socialism. It also shows that wealth and titles really don't bring happiness. The weight of expectation surrounding the Fitzwilliam name, the in fighting to protect their name is shown in its brutal truth in this book.
Pre WW1 the British aristocracy would do whatever was necessary to protect themselves. Post WW1 they all came home to a very different Britain and so begins a slow and painful demise of one the most powerful families in Britain. Add to that the incredible links and direct connections to an incredibly rich, young, up and coming American Dynasty called The Kennedy's and you have an absolute must read book!
Why this book hasn't been turned into a film I don't know, and if it has can some please tell me the title!!
January 25, 2018
This is a book which actually took my breath away as I had not expected it to be remotely as interesting as it ended up being. Not only does the work concern itself with the story of the 19th and 20th century doings of the FitzWilliam tragedy (which in themselves are enough for the old adage that one needs not invent fiction but only look into history for a good, if tragic, story), but also the history of mining in that time and the related politics.
What joins this story is how in the period of the decline of aristocratic values some people follow a higher standard and others do not -- and it is beautifully demonstrated how this has nothing to do with neither class nor upbringing nor fortune, and everything with the innate generosity in a soul. Indeed, this book re-affirmed some of my values with regards to what is reasonable as well as what is not -- and it is wonderful to think that other people can deduce the exact opposite from the very same facts.
What joins this story is how in the period of the decline of aristocratic values some people follow a higher standard and others do not -- and it is beautifully demonstrated how this has nothing to do with neither class nor upbringing nor fortune, and everything with the innate generosity in a soul. Indeed, this book re-affirmed some of my values with regards to what is reasonable as well as what is not -- and it is wonderful to think that other people can deduce the exact opposite from the very same facts.
January 18, 2018
Overall an excellent read that keep my interest! There were a few parts I skimmed over but there was tons of great information. Family secrets, political and class unrest, wars, illegitimacy, illicit romantic liaisons...it’s all here. Negatives include a little time jumping and maybe more info on the coal mining aspects than some people would desire. The chapters on Kick Kennedy, her life and courtship with her husband Billy (not A Fitzwilliam) seemed a little long considering it’s not a book about them but I personally enjoyed reading it all. I would have liked even more photos and more information on the family’s early history. This is my second book by Catherine Bailey and I have loved them both.
April 7, 2024
The story of Wentworth Woodhouse is one saturated with intrigue, decadence, discord, and tragedy over many centuries. This is a well-charted and easily-paced history of a house that under different circumstances would be considered one of the jewels of Britain alongside Blenheim, Howard, and Chatsworth. Having had the opportunity to visit the estate and state rooms in 2023 (kept empty because of the insurance costs of furniture and art, mostly without modern plumbing or electricity, wall cracks pervasive throughout, and the smell of damp almost overwhelming wherever you walked), it was fascinating yet heartbreaking to see a once unparalleled estate forgotten by time and suffering from disrepair.
November 17, 2020
A convoluted but enjoyable listen about the history of an aristocratic English family and its relationship to the land it owns and the people it, well, owns. Definitely one for readers who like a large dose of history and are prepared to follow a story down a few rabbit holes.
June 1, 2020
Coal owners versus coal miners and the managements of coal industries. This book among other things, looked at economic conditions at the industries, working hours, and wages of coal workers.
February 20, 2015
Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. Catherine Bailey chronicles the rise and fall of the Fitzwilliam coal mining dynasty in Yorkshire England.
The Fitzwilliam family was at one time, one of the wealthiest families in all of England.
So how does this extensive fortune and massive house end up on the real estate market in 2014 in need of mass repairs?
Well that’s what Bailey decides to find out.
But what I love about Bailey is that she always finds interesting aspects of British history. The scandal and the drama of real life plays out effortlessly in her writing. I find myself drawn in and captivated by what she is conveying.
I loved reading about the rich and famous of the British aristocracy, anything with the worlds elite is always interesting since it’s out of the realm of everyday life.
If you enjoy history, particularly British history, this is a great read. It has a little bit of a Downton Abbey feel which I liked and if you are interested in the period of lifestyles of the rich and aristocratic than this is a wonderful read.
This book was a little different for me than The Secret Rooms. With The Secret Rooms we jumped right into the story and the family history/scandal etc.
Black Diamonds started off like that, but then there was this big chunk after the first couple of chapters about the coal mining industry and the strikes.
I’ll be honest, that whole coal mining background and history was really boring for me. Part of me just wanted to skip over it and move on to the actual story about the Fitzwilliam family but at the same time I figured it wouldn’t be in there if there was no relevance to the overall story. So I pushed on.
The coal mining background was important and relevant to the novel but for me it just drug on a little too long. I would have broken it up maybe between the chapters.
See my full review here
The Fitzwilliam family was at one time, one of the wealthiest families in all of England.
So how does this extensive fortune and massive house end up on the real estate market in 2014 in need of mass repairs?
Well that’s what Bailey decides to find out.
But what I love about Bailey is that she always finds interesting aspects of British history. The scandal and the drama of real life plays out effortlessly in her writing. I find myself drawn in and captivated by what she is conveying.
I loved reading about the rich and famous of the British aristocracy, anything with the worlds elite is always interesting since it’s out of the realm of everyday life.
If you enjoy history, particularly British history, this is a great read. It has a little bit of a Downton Abbey feel which I liked and if you are interested in the period of lifestyles of the rich and aristocratic than this is a wonderful read.
This book was a little different for me than The Secret Rooms. With The Secret Rooms we jumped right into the story and the family history/scandal etc.
Black Diamonds started off like that, but then there was this big chunk after the first couple of chapters about the coal mining industry and the strikes.
I’ll be honest, that whole coal mining background and history was really boring for me. Part of me just wanted to skip over it and move on to the actual story about the Fitzwilliam family but at the same time I figured it wouldn’t be in there if there was no relevance to the overall story. So I pushed on.
The coal mining background was important and relevant to the novel but for me it just drug on a little too long. I would have broken it up maybe between the chapters.
See my full review here
January 20, 2012
At first I was really excited about this book, but just over half way I got quite fed up with it and found finishing it a struggle. Considering how I started with it I am left feeling quite disappointed.
To me the problem is that towards the beginning there’s a perfect balance of family “gossip” and contextual history but the more you do into the book the “gossip” element gets less and the history part increases. Now obviously I’d expect and indeed enjoy some history/setting for all this but for me it just tips too far that way. There are a lot of ‘just’ history books about this period I could buy after all. I do know the author struggled from a lot of the documentation being destroyed but I would have rather had a shorter book than what feels at times like padding.
For example later in the book we get just a couple pages on Peter’s marriage to Obby, it comes very suddenly and is barely touched on before moving on somewhere else. Then there are pages and pages dedicated to Kathleen Kennedy (JFK’s sister), she does have a place in the story but I couldn’t help feeling the author got overexcited about her and went off-track because there wasn’t really the need for all the information given.
This lack of direction to the end, is not helped by a messy ending. The author attempts to tie together the beginning and end, seeming to forget that there's been over 400 pages in-between with no reminder of these points to the reader. I don't want anyone to think it's a bad book, I would say it's an average read that could have been better.
To me the problem is that towards the beginning there’s a perfect balance of family “gossip” and contextual history but the more you do into the book the “gossip” element gets less and the history part increases. Now obviously I’d expect and indeed enjoy some history/setting for all this but for me it just tips too far that way. There are a lot of ‘just’ history books about this period I could buy after all. I do know the author struggled from a lot of the documentation being destroyed but I would have rather had a shorter book than what feels at times like padding.
For example later in the book we get just a couple pages on Peter’s marriage to Obby, it comes very suddenly and is barely touched on before moving on somewhere else. Then there are pages and pages dedicated to Kathleen Kennedy (JFK’s sister), she does have a place in the story but I couldn’t help feeling the author got overexcited about her and went off-track because there wasn’t really the need for all the information given.
This lack of direction to the end, is not helped by a messy ending. The author attempts to tie together the beginning and end, seeming to forget that there's been over 400 pages in-between with no reminder of these points to the reader. I don't want anyone to think it's a bad book, I would say it's an average read that could have been better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2022
Structurally, this book is a mess, goes off into tangents, and has an annoying way of setting up scenarios by telling the ending first and then trying to get you to wade through the narrative because you're supposed to be held in suspense.
Don't know why it diverged into talking so long about Kick Kennedy's first marriage.
One major problem is the author's interest in perpetuating stereotypes and using descriptions or quotes that incorporate the most racist and sexist language. "Half-breeds" is used without examination, a "spinster is -- what else -- "pinch faced," and how many times do we have to hear that the heir is "fat"? Joe Kennedy's foul mouth is quoted, and even a racist slogan of a candy bar, apropos of nothing.
This book was written before Wentworth House became open to the public. Now it appears to be undergoing restoration for public enjoyment.
Don't know why it diverged into talking so long about Kick Kennedy's first marriage.
One major problem is the author's interest in perpetuating stereotypes and using descriptions or quotes that incorporate the most racist and sexist language. "Half-breeds" is used without examination, a "spinster is -- what else -- "pinch faced," and how many times do we have to hear that the heir is "fat"? Joe Kennedy's foul mouth is quoted, and even a racist slogan of a candy bar, apropos of nothing.
This book was written before Wentworth House became open to the public. Now it appears to be undergoing restoration for public enjoyment.
April 25, 2017
I loved the content matter and appreciated the depth of research in this book.
The reason I didn't give it five stars is because I needed to take notes to keep up with all the Williams, since the family kept naming all their sons William...
Also, I would have been fine with fewer details regarding some of the information around the battle of the coal unions.
That is however just a personal choice: I am sure many readers would rate it five stars because of these details.
The reason I didn't give it five stars is because I needed to take notes to keep up with all the Williams, since the family kept naming all their sons William...
Also, I would have been fine with fewer details regarding some of the information around the battle of the coal unions.
That is however just a personal choice: I am sure many readers would rate it five stars because of these details.
July 30, 2019
The story of Wentworth House and the Fitzwillam dynasty is a fascinating one. I found the section on Peter and Kick particularly interesting. But this book is way too long and could have done with a much tighter edit. The way in which it jumped around; and backwards and fowards in time made it confusing it parts. However, I kept reading to the end and was glad I had, as I learned a lot about early and mid twentieth century life and politics.
June 1, 2011
Totally absorbing, possibly because I grew up not too far from Wentworth. As an account of life in the mining communities of S. Yorks and an insight into the relics of feudalism (however benevolent) this could not fail to interest most readers with a modicum of stamina and an interest in social history.
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