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Mistress: A History of Women and their Country Houses
An insightful, hugely engaging new history of elite women and the country house from the sixteenth to the twentieth century
Grand houses can be found across the countryside of England and Wales. From the Stuart and Georgian periods to the Edwardian and Victorian, these buildings were once home to the aristocratic families of the nation. But what was life like for the mistresses of these great houses? How much power and influence did they really have?
Anthony Fletcher and Ruth M. Larsen explore the lives of country house mistresses. Focusing on eighteen women, and spanning five centuries, they look at the ways in which elite women not only shaped the house, household, and family, but also had an impact on society, culture, and politics within their estates and beyond. We meet Brilliana Harley, who defended her castle at Brampton Bryan; Frances Boscawen, who oversaw the building of Hatchlands; and Lady Mary Elcho, who preserved her secret life as mistress to Arthur Balfour. This is a fascinating account of the country house that puts women’s experiences centre stage.
Grand houses can be found across the countryside of England and Wales. From the Stuart and Georgian periods to the Edwardian and Victorian, these buildings were once home to the aristocratic families of the nation. But what was life like for the mistresses of these great houses? How much power and influence did they really have?
Anthony Fletcher and Ruth M. Larsen explore the lives of country house mistresses. Focusing on eighteen women, and spanning five centuries, they look at the ways in which elite women not only shaped the house, household, and family, but also had an impact on society, culture, and politics within their estates and beyond. We meet Brilliana Harley, who defended her castle at Brampton Bryan; Frances Boscawen, who oversaw the building of Hatchlands; and Lady Mary Elcho, who preserved her secret life as mistress to Arthur Balfour. This is a fascinating account of the country house that puts women’s experiences centre stage.
- GenresHistory
352 pages, Hardcover
Published September 23, 2025
53 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Fletcher
33 books4 followersAnthony Fletcher is a historian of the early modern period. He is a former professor at the Universities of Sheffield, Durham, Essex, and London.
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November 9, 2025
Mistress: A History of Women and their Country Houses by Anthony Fletcher and Ruth M. Larsen takes an often-surprising look not only at how country houses were run from the sixteenth to the twentieth century, but also at the family relationships that shaped life within them. The book explores the lives of eighteen women over a span of five centuries. The result is a work that is as informative as it is compelling. It made for such an engaging and fascinating read!
The topic of this nonfiction is something that was a bit out of my comfort zone and not something I'd naturally would be drawn to but I'm so happy that I gave it a shot. I was worried that it would be a dense read and that I'd have trouble to get through it but I shouldn't have worried so because it ended up being such a a fascinating read. I found myself not being able to stop reading and finished it fairly quickly.
The book introduced me to a variety of elite women, some of whom truly surprised me and whom I want to learn more about. For example I enjoyed reading about Maria Tuchet who became Maria Thynne when she secretly married Thomas Thynne in 1595 against the wishes of her husband's family. This led to a long legal dispute and may even have been the inspiration of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
Equally fascinating was the story of the Ladies of Llangollen, Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby. In the 18th century they challegend the norms for women of the day and left their families to live together in Wales in their home of Plas Newydd where they lived as lifelong companions. Whether they were a romantic couple is unknwon and debated since there is no historical record that provides explicit evidence but they clearly shared a deep, lifelong partnership.
What I loved most about this book was how it highlights women’s perspectives and their roles in the country houses they lived in and managed. The book also traced the continuously shifting eras from the Stuart and Georgian periods to the Victorian and Edwardian ages seamlessly and compellingly. It ended up being one of the more unexpected and fascinating reads of 2025!
The topic of this nonfiction is something that was a bit out of my comfort zone and not something I'd naturally would be drawn to but I'm so happy that I gave it a shot. I was worried that it would be a dense read and that I'd have trouble to get through it but I shouldn't have worried so because it ended up being such a a fascinating read. I found myself not being able to stop reading and finished it fairly quickly.
The book introduced me to a variety of elite women, some of whom truly surprised me and whom I want to learn more about. For example I enjoyed reading about Maria Tuchet who became Maria Thynne when she secretly married Thomas Thynne in 1595 against the wishes of her husband's family. This led to a long legal dispute and may even have been the inspiration of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
Equally fascinating was the story of the Ladies of Llangollen, Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby. In the 18th century they challegend the norms for women of the day and left their families to live together in Wales in their home of Plas Newydd where they lived as lifelong companions. Whether they were a romantic couple is unknwon and debated since there is no historical record that provides explicit evidence but they clearly shared a deep, lifelong partnership.
What I loved most about this book was how it highlights women’s perspectives and their roles in the country houses they lived in and managed. The book also traced the continuously shifting eras from the Stuart and Georgian periods to the Victorian and Edwardian ages seamlessly and compellingly. It ended up being one of the more unexpected and fascinating reads of 2025!
Displaying 1 of 1 review