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Bess of Hardwick: First Lady of Chatsworth
From the author of The Sisters, a chronicle of the most brutal, turbulent, and exuberant period of England's history. Bess Hardwick, the fifth daughter of an impoverished Derbyshire nobleman, did not have an auspicious start in life. Widowed at sixteen, she nonetheless outlived four monarchs, married three more times, built the great house at Chatsworth, and died one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in English history.
In 1527 England was in the throes of violent political upheaval as Henry VIII severed all links with Rome. His daughter, Queen Mary, was even more capricious and bloody, only to be followed by the indomitable and ruthless Gloriana, Elizabeth I. It could not have been more hazardous a period for an ambitious woman; by the time Bess's first child was six, three of her illustrious godparents had been beheaded.
Using journals, letters, inventories, and account books, Mary S. Lovell tells the passionate, colorful story of an astonishingly accomplished woman, among whose descendants are counted the dukes of Devonshire, Rutland, and Portland, and, on the American side, Katharine Hepburn.
In 1527 England was in the throes of violent political upheaval as Henry VIII severed all links with Rome. His daughter, Queen Mary, was even more capricious and bloody, only to be followed by the indomitable and ruthless Gloriana, Elizabeth I. It could not have been more hazardous a period for an ambitious woman; by the time Bess's first child was six, three of her illustrious godparents had been beheaded.
Using journals, letters, inventories, and account books, Mary S. Lovell tells the passionate, colorful story of an astonishingly accomplished woman, among whose descendants are counted the dukes of Devonshire, Rutland, and Portland, and, on the American side, Katharine Hepburn.
576 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
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About the author
Mary S. Lovell
29 books217 followersMary was an accountant and company director for 20 years before becoming a writer. She wrote her first book in 1981 at the age of 40, while recovering from a broken back which was the result of a riding accident. She returned to accountancy but during the following 5 years she also published two further non-fiction books that were written in her spare time.
She lives in the New Forest in Hampshire, England.
She lives in the New Forest in Hampshire, England.
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May 23, 2014After decades of reading biographies and collections of letters about the various men of the period, it's finally time for some of the women (outside of Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth and Mary Tudor) to get some attention.
Lovell had access to masses of data, and found more, but a great deal of it is in the form of financial records, and complicated legal documents. She does a good job of being upfront about her conjecture, usually in defense of, or sympathetic to, her subject, without descending into hagiography.
And what a fascinating person at a fascinating time! Bess knew everybody of importance at the Tudor court. She married four times, each bringing her more land and wealth, and spent a great deal of time looking out for her progeny--those who managed to survive infancy and childhood. A grimly high number didn't. Her biggest triumph, and biggest mistake, was Arbella Stuart, who many saw as Elizabeth Tudor's successor rather than James Stuart.
Lovel manages to furnish glimpses into all the personalities and lives, from the heartbreakingly awful maltreatment of Lady Jane Grey to Mary Stuart's deft efforts at dividing husband and wife in her effort to win sympathy from the Earl of Shrewsbury, given the unenviable task of being her gaoler for over fifteen years. Life at court and in the country, customs and manners, all get their due attention. There was a great deal more about the complications of personal finances than I had interest in, but another reader might lap all that painstaking research right up.
Lovell had access to masses of data, and found more, but a great deal of it is in the form of financial records, and complicated legal documents. She does a good job of being upfront about her conjecture, usually in defense of, or sympathetic to, her subject, without descending into hagiography.
And what a fascinating person at a fascinating time! Bess knew everybody of importance at the Tudor court. She married four times, each bringing her more land and wealth, and spent a great deal of time looking out for her progeny--those who managed to survive infancy and childhood. A grimly high number didn't. Her biggest triumph, and biggest mistake, was Arbella Stuart, who many saw as Elizabeth Tudor's successor rather than James Stuart.
Lovel manages to furnish glimpses into all the personalities and lives, from the heartbreakingly awful maltreatment of Lady Jane Grey to Mary Stuart's deft efforts at dividing husband and wife in her effort to win sympathy from the Earl of Shrewsbury, given the unenviable task of being her gaoler for over fifteen years. Life at court and in the country, customs and manners, all get their due attention. There was a great deal more about the complications of personal finances than I had interest in, but another reader might lap all that painstaking research right up.
March 9, 2015
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2014
Bess of Hardwick is one of my favourite non-royal women to read about from the Tudor period of English history. Canny, witty and ambitious, Bess was born into genteel poverty, and managed to raise herself to the heights of Elizabethan society and privilege by the time of her death of extreme old age. Read how she managed this in this very remarkable biography. Very much recommended!
For the complete review, please go here:
http://www.bubblews.com/news/3641787-...
For the complete review, please go here:
http://www.bubblews.com/news/3641787-...
July 17, 2015
I simply can not finish this. Lovell discusses Bess for one line then pours into Tudor era background information before returning to Bess about a page later (with this pattern repeating). Often times, this is further infused with speculative statements. I just can't deal with it...
May 23, 2019
This is much more interesting than Kate Hubbard's bio.
April 23, 2020
Bushels of thanks to the author for this intricate research into the life of dear Bess, a countess who was a contemporary of Queen Elizabeth 1. And honestly, Bess may not have been just "A" countess. If anyone were to mention to Queen Liz the word "countess," chances were that Liz would first think of Bess as "THE" countess.
Bess had 4 husbands, 3 of them rich, and they enabled her to own her own land. Lots of it. And she also enjoyed building huge manor houses. She became the richest woman in England, second to only the Queen in wealth.
Husband number 4 slowly went insane, but during this, he was the person in charge of Mary Queen of Scots' house arrest. Yes, the Scottish queen spent 15 years in one of the man's castles, before eventually Queen Liz decided to have Mary executed. Bess had everyday contact with Mary.
To explain the husband's mental deterioration, the author supposes that any man who had daily contact with the three most powerful women in England would come out of the ordeal, at the very least, "scorched."
It's wild for me to think that of all the years I've read about English history, this is my first time meeting Bess. A gross oversight! We need historians to make women more visible! Do not overlook them!
Bess had 4 husbands, 3 of them rich, and they enabled her to own her own land. Lots of it. And she also enjoyed building huge manor houses. She became the richest woman in England, second to only the Queen in wealth.
Husband number 4 slowly went insane, but during this, he was the person in charge of Mary Queen of Scots' house arrest. Yes, the Scottish queen spent 15 years in one of the man's castles, before eventually Queen Liz decided to have Mary executed. Bess had everyday contact with Mary.
To explain the husband's mental deterioration, the author supposes that any man who had daily contact with the three most powerful women in England would come out of the ordeal, at the very least, "scorched."
It's wild for me to think that of all the years I've read about English history, this is my first time meeting Bess. A gross oversight! We need historians to make women more visible! Do not overlook them!
May 8, 2013
This first-class account of Bess of Hardwick: First Lady of Chatsworth reads like a morality tale about money, success and power.
Those who get it and keep it; those who get it and lose it; those who have a talent for letting it slip through their fingers; and the multifarious ways people with varying degrees of honour or dishonour behave around it.
If I was to sum Bess up for those who've never heard of her, I'd say she was a 16th century one woman estate and property corporation, plus social and dynastic engineer. She founded several of our great aristocratic families and greatest landowners. She was strong at a time when women were oppressed, manipulated and exploited.
She was a "Tudor entrepreneur", absorbing knowledge from each of her four husbands, and applying it practically to far greater effect than they ever did.Bess did make some mistakes - and one of these was her decision to hold captive her grand-daughter Arbella, who was in line to the throne, on an equal level with James I.
Bess was almost responsible for Arbella's existence, having carefully engineered the coupling of Arbella's parents for the very purpose of producing another heir to the throne.
But she imprisoned Arbella at Hardwick Hall, in almost the same manner as her 4th husband the Earl of Shrewsbury had tohold Mary Queen of Scots captive.
And not surprisingly, Arbella didn't like it.
Things didn't work out the way Bess hoped with Arbella - (which was that Arbella should become Queen of England after Elizabeth). If they had, it would have been Bess's most triumphant achievement.
Instead Arbella's fate was to make a forbidden marriage, to die a lonely, squalid death in the Tower, and to be written out of history.
Bess had plenty of bad luck and tragedy in her life but she always fought her corner and her personal strength brought her through.
This story reminds us, too, through the experiences of others in Bess’s social ambit, that in life there are those who do extremely well for many years, then make a massive error of judgement which ruins everything.
And there are others who spend years causing trouble and living fecklessly – who suddenly come upon a stroke of luck and find themselves in high favour.
But this can all be forfeited, once again, by poor judgement – or the intervention of fate.
All these elements of our own lives stand out in high relief against the political and social landscape of Tudor England – brutal punishment, hereditary succession, fortunes made and lost, sexual liaisons which threaten the throne, secret and fateful marriages and desperate bids for power.
If you love history, put this book on your TBR list!
Those who get it and keep it; those who get it and lose it; those who have a talent for letting it slip through their fingers; and the multifarious ways people with varying degrees of honour or dishonour behave around it.
If I was to sum Bess up for those who've never heard of her, I'd say she was a 16th century one woman estate and property corporation, plus social and dynastic engineer. She founded several of our great aristocratic families and greatest landowners. She was strong at a time when women were oppressed, manipulated and exploited.
She was a "Tudor entrepreneur", absorbing knowledge from each of her four husbands, and applying it practically to far greater effect than they ever did.Bess did make some mistakes - and one of these was her decision to hold captive her grand-daughter Arbella, who was in line to the throne, on an equal level with James I.
Bess was almost responsible for Arbella's existence, having carefully engineered the coupling of Arbella's parents for the very purpose of producing another heir to the throne.
But she imprisoned Arbella at Hardwick Hall, in almost the same manner as her 4th husband the Earl of Shrewsbury had tohold Mary Queen of Scots captive.
And not surprisingly, Arbella didn't like it.
Things didn't work out the way Bess hoped with Arbella - (which was that Arbella should become Queen of England after Elizabeth). If they had, it would have been Bess's most triumphant achievement.
Instead Arbella's fate was to make a forbidden marriage, to die a lonely, squalid death in the Tower, and to be written out of history.
Bess had plenty of bad luck and tragedy in her life but she always fought her corner and her personal strength brought her through.
This story reminds us, too, through the experiences of others in Bess’s social ambit, that in life there are those who do extremely well for many years, then make a massive error of judgement which ruins everything.
And there are others who spend years causing trouble and living fecklessly – who suddenly come upon a stroke of luck and find themselves in high favour.
But this can all be forfeited, once again, by poor judgement – or the intervention of fate.
All these elements of our own lives stand out in high relief against the political and social landscape of Tudor England – brutal punishment, hereditary succession, fortunes made and lost, sexual liaisons which threaten the throne, secret and fateful marriages and desperate bids for power.
If you love history, put this book on your TBR list!
February 27, 2013
3.5 stars. A very readable biography of this extraordinary woman who lived at the center of Tudor politics. Bess was one of Queen Elizabeth’s Women of the Bedchamber; she was friends with poor Jane Grey and her sisters; and Bess and her fourth husband were the appointed jailors of Mary Queen of Scots for fifteen long, troublesome years. Bess was grandmother to the unhappy Arbella Stuart.
From relatively humble beginnings, through four marriages to men of increasing wealth and influence, and through her own adroit management of her assets, Bess became the wealthiest woman in England, next to the Queen. As with all biographies of people who lived so long ago, much of the information about Bess is gleaned from her detailed financial records. (Imagine someone telling your life story based solely on your credit card statements.) This inevitably makes the book seem overly focused on money. Bess’s affection for certain family members, for instance, is largely assessed through how many gifts are recorded for that person.
I was most fascinated by the story of how Bess and the Earl of Shrewsbury struggled to keep a young, appealing Queen of Scots in close captivity, yet treat her with all the respect due a Queen. They frequently defended themselves from accusations that they were too sympathetic to her cause.
From relatively humble beginnings, through four marriages to men of increasing wealth and influence, and through her own adroit management of her assets, Bess became the wealthiest woman in England, next to the Queen. As with all biographies of people who lived so long ago, much of the information about Bess is gleaned from her detailed financial records. (Imagine someone telling your life story based solely on your credit card statements.) This inevitably makes the book seem overly focused on money. Bess’s affection for certain family members, for instance, is largely assessed through how many gifts are recorded for that person.
I was most fascinated by the story of how Bess and the Earl of Shrewsbury struggled to keep a young, appealing Queen of Scots in close captivity, yet treat her with all the respect due a Queen. They frequently defended themselves from accusations that they were too sympathetic to her cause.
January 15, 2012
Well researched book full of intricate details; an amazing accomplishment and a rare insight into the movers and shakers of the Elizabethan period.
September 3, 2020
This was a well-researched, readable biography of the indefatigable, redoubtable Bess of Hardwick, a friend of Queen Elizabeth I for 40+ years, wife of four husbands, mother of seven children, and stepmother of many more. Through her husbands, children, and stepchildren, Bess was related to most of the peerage of England. She lived in the houses of the Zouche family and of Lady Frances Brandon, mother of the Grey sisters, great-nieces of Henry VIII. She maintained lifelong friendships w/ Lady Frances and Lady Jane Grey, even having a painting of Lady Jane on her nightstand for many years. Her most famous descendant was her granddaughter, Arbella Stuart, a niece of Mary, Queen of Scots, and a potential heir to the throne of England.
Speaking of Mary, Queen of Scots, Bess is probably best known as the wife of Mary's jailer, George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, the unwilling "host" of Mary for nearly sixteen years. Mary was partially responsible for the bitter breakdown of George and Bess' marriage, along w/ George's increasing mental instability.
Bess is also well-known for building the original palace, Chatsworth, although she didn't spend a lot of time in it. Chatsworth is still in the Cavendish family, through the Dukes of Devonshire. Fascinating that this property was old when Bess built upon it, and has been owned by her family for nearly 500 years now!!! Mind-boggling to an American such as me. Bess's building projects and financial acumen are rare in most men and absolutely unheard of in an Elizabethan woman. There is so much of Bess to admire. She appears to have been generous and charming, as opposed to the termagant that she is often portrayed. The author theorizes that her daughter, Mary, who married Gilbert Talbot, Bess' stepson, was the termagant and since both Bess and Mary were Countesses of Shrewsbury in the 1500's, I can see how they got mixed up by various authors.
There is a lot of information about the Tudor age which I already knew, and detailed info on her belongings and furnishings of her various houses, which got tedious (to me) so I will give the book 4.3 stars, rounded down to 4. Bess was quite the woman!
Speaking of Mary, Queen of Scots, Bess is probably best known as the wife of Mary's jailer, George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, the unwilling "host" of Mary for nearly sixteen years. Mary was partially responsible for the bitter breakdown of George and Bess' marriage, along w/ George's increasing mental instability.
Bess is also well-known for building the original palace, Chatsworth, although she didn't spend a lot of time in it. Chatsworth is still in the Cavendish family, through the Dukes of Devonshire. Fascinating that this property was old when Bess built upon it, and has been owned by her family for nearly 500 years now!!! Mind-boggling to an American such as me. Bess's building projects and financial acumen are rare in most men and absolutely unheard of in an Elizabethan woman. There is so much of Bess to admire. She appears to have been generous and charming, as opposed to the termagant that she is often portrayed. The author theorizes that her daughter, Mary, who married Gilbert Talbot, Bess' stepson, was the termagant and since both Bess and Mary were Countesses of Shrewsbury in the 1500's, I can see how they got mixed up by various authors.
There is a lot of information about the Tudor age which I already knew, and detailed info on her belongings and furnishings of her various houses, which got tedious (to me) so I will give the book 4.3 stars, rounded down to 4. Bess was quite the woman!
December 4, 2019
I really enjoyed this biography of one of the greatest Tudor women, Bess of Hardwick. She was a self-made woman entrepreneur who rose from humble origins to become the wealthiest woman in England. Unlike many other biographies of early women, this author was able to find lots of primary source material (letters, business documents, etc) on which to base this biography. I found the documentation of the possible mental breakdown of Bess's fourth husband, the Earl of Shrewsbury, to be particularly fascinating.
April 16, 2011
Loved everything about this Tudor biography, Bess of Hardwick is impressively researched. The Author Mary S. Lovell writes the period with a sharp eye for detail and with a very comfortable narrative. These turbulent time were also brutal and this biography shows its a realistic one.
Lots happened in Bess of Hardwick life time, and its very descriptive. We are taken on a journey from her youth at Hardwick Old Hall, Derbyshire through her prosperity of four spouses, all detailed. The love of her life is singled out through beautiful letters, holding a sense of romance, when time and distance keep them apart, a longing to see each other, written terms of endearment with codes used. The book shows depth on Bess's last, powerful marriage, till death do us part; the break down, the famous separation, she was a woman to be reckoned with, the battle of the Shrewsburys.
We are shown all signs of the times, Bess outlived four monarchs, religion and politics which were hopelessly entangled, Bess survived by cultivating friendships on both sides. Protestant families granted lands by Henry VIII from the Dissolution of the Monasteries found their rise threatened by Catholics determined to retake the monarchy or die as martyrs. The Grey family who Bess knew, were power driven after the young Edward VI death, their plots were their daughters death warrant, an upraising, she was nothing more than a pawn, the poor blinded Lady Jane Grey was left groping for the block murmuring, "What am I to do? Where is it?", stills shocks. Mary Tudor return to the Catholic faith, her marriage to Philip of Spain was acknowledge but not accepted, these were bloody times. Elizabeth I is shown presiding over a Merry England with tight-fisted benevolence, this period also covers the Anthony Babington plot, Mary Queen of Scots involvement and death.
The Author throughout the whole of this book, has thoroughly absorbed the accounting books of Bess, told in a detailed and fascinating way. Expenditures, Bess's workings of her great estates and households for which were efficiently administered. Servants, food, materials for clothes, gold and silver thread for her needlework, education costs for her children, her obsession with Building work or the extra layout from being made a custodian to Mary Queen of Scots but not just personal matters; costs were a matter of corporate status as well. Those who held or aspired to authority, in which money plays a large part, needed to justify their claims by just such an expenditure, and competitive consumption came to be the order of the day, as each sought to demonstrate that his (or very occasionally her) cultural credentials were of the highest order. If you walked straight into Hardwick Hall those credentials are visual today, rich tapestries, plaster friezes, alabaster fireplaces which colour the rooms, to the hauntingly atmospheric Long Gallery.
Bess of Hardwick her manipulative charm attracted passionate supporters, she built and furnished beautiful houses, including the first Chatsworth. Grandmother to Lady Arbella Stuart who was for some time considered a possible successor to Elizabeth I, creative match-making issued in six ducal dynasties, three earldoms and a barony. Her great stone initials E.S set on the battlements of Hardwick Hall against the Derbyshire skyline awe the visitor with magnificent self-assertion today. Bess of Hardwick full of shrewdness, she became one of the richest and most remarkable women of Elizabethan England, and this biography outlines her many roads and buildings to success.
Overall I found this outstanding, the footnotes given at the bottom of certain pages are extremely helpful and informative, creating no confusion over whose, who, fathers their sons, uncles, cousins or mothers their daughter and aunts all had the same names so these are nicely separated out. Also words that are not familiar to us all nowadays, but were popular back then are all given meaning. Inspiring, interesting and an in-depth account, highly recommended reading.
Andrea Bowhill
Lots happened in Bess of Hardwick life time, and its very descriptive. We are taken on a journey from her youth at Hardwick Old Hall, Derbyshire through her prosperity of four spouses, all detailed. The love of her life is singled out through beautiful letters, holding a sense of romance, when time and distance keep them apart, a longing to see each other, written terms of endearment with codes used. The book shows depth on Bess's last, powerful marriage, till death do us part; the break down, the famous separation, she was a woman to be reckoned with, the battle of the Shrewsburys.
We are shown all signs of the times, Bess outlived four monarchs, religion and politics which were hopelessly entangled, Bess survived by cultivating friendships on both sides. Protestant families granted lands by Henry VIII from the Dissolution of the Monasteries found their rise threatened by Catholics determined to retake the monarchy or die as martyrs. The Grey family who Bess knew, were power driven after the young Edward VI death, their plots were their daughters death warrant, an upraising, she was nothing more than a pawn, the poor blinded Lady Jane Grey was left groping for the block murmuring, "What am I to do? Where is it?", stills shocks. Mary Tudor return to the Catholic faith, her marriage to Philip of Spain was acknowledge but not accepted, these were bloody times. Elizabeth I is shown presiding over a Merry England with tight-fisted benevolence, this period also covers the Anthony Babington plot, Mary Queen of Scots involvement and death.
The Author throughout the whole of this book, has thoroughly absorbed the accounting books of Bess, told in a detailed and fascinating way. Expenditures, Bess's workings of her great estates and households for which were efficiently administered. Servants, food, materials for clothes, gold and silver thread for her needlework, education costs for her children, her obsession with Building work or the extra layout from being made a custodian to Mary Queen of Scots but not just personal matters; costs were a matter of corporate status as well. Those who held or aspired to authority, in which money plays a large part, needed to justify their claims by just such an expenditure, and competitive consumption came to be the order of the day, as each sought to demonstrate that his (or very occasionally her) cultural credentials were of the highest order. If you walked straight into Hardwick Hall those credentials are visual today, rich tapestries, plaster friezes, alabaster fireplaces which colour the rooms, to the hauntingly atmospheric Long Gallery.
Bess of Hardwick her manipulative charm attracted passionate supporters, she built and furnished beautiful houses, including the first Chatsworth. Grandmother to Lady Arbella Stuart who was for some time considered a possible successor to Elizabeth I, creative match-making issued in six ducal dynasties, three earldoms and a barony. Her great stone initials E.S set on the battlements of Hardwick Hall against the Derbyshire skyline awe the visitor with magnificent self-assertion today. Bess of Hardwick full of shrewdness, she became one of the richest and most remarkable women of Elizabethan England, and this biography outlines her many roads and buildings to success.
Overall I found this outstanding, the footnotes given at the bottom of certain pages are extremely helpful and informative, creating no confusion over whose, who, fathers their sons, uncles, cousins or mothers their daughter and aunts all had the same names so these are nicely separated out. Also words that are not familiar to us all nowadays, but were popular back then are all given meaning. Inspiring, interesting and an in-depth account, highly recommended reading.
Andrea Bowhill
October 5, 2014
Having read books about Mary,Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I (and than about both of them by Jane Dunn) I was thrilled to finally put my hands on a book focused on a very important character who was standing in the shadow of these two famous historical characters and also played important role in the story: Bess of Hardwick, unwilling "hostess" to imprisoned scottish queen, who found herself as much imprisoned as her royal guest. The wealthiest woman in Tudor England right behind Elizabeth herself, Bess was forced (along with her husband) to always keep a watch over her unlucky visitor and her servants, which meant not only providing luxury for a huge group of people but also to always be close to scottish queen and stay in sort of house prison as her guards. If Bess and her husband always desired royal visit that would bring them patronage and favors, they did not count on such extended (15 years!) visit that would drain their finances and ultimately destroy their marriage.
Mary S. Lovell did excellent research into life of this formidable lady but the huge wealth of historical documents never stands on the way of the gripping story - instead of potentially boring list of informations, Lovell inspiredly portraits unusual person behind the facts: Bess started with nothing except her brain,charm and determination - she was no beauty,neither she had privileged background but somehow trough several marriages she accumulated wealth and connections,fighting the law and protecting interests of her ever-growing family with ferocity that was out of character for a meek and mild ladies of her time. Just for example,it was typical for widowed women to always have someone's "protection" and "guardians" when it came to estates and financial questions,well not Bess of Hardwick who took care of the business herself and nobody questioned her decisions as she invested left and right, balanced her unruly flock, political intrigues and court ups and downs.
Thought she might be chiefly remembered for her role in Mary,Queen of Scots story today, this book shows that this was just one of the many interesting chapters in the life of this interesting lady - there were lots of fascinating stories before and after scottish queen - amusing anecdote: when new Queen (Anne of Denmark) arrived in England,she was invited as a visitor to Bess palace but the Queen graciously declined,knowing her reputation as "hostess" to another Queen.
Mary S. Lovell did excellent research into life of this formidable lady but the huge wealth of historical documents never stands on the way of the gripping story - instead of potentially boring list of informations, Lovell inspiredly portraits unusual person behind the facts: Bess started with nothing except her brain,charm and determination - she was no beauty,neither she had privileged background but somehow trough several marriages she accumulated wealth and connections,fighting the law and protecting interests of her ever-growing family with ferocity that was out of character for a meek and mild ladies of her time. Just for example,it was typical for widowed women to always have someone's "protection" and "guardians" when it came to estates and financial questions,well not Bess of Hardwick who took care of the business herself and nobody questioned her decisions as she invested left and right, balanced her unruly flock, political intrigues and court ups and downs.
Thought she might be chiefly remembered for her role in Mary,Queen of Scots story today, this book shows that this was just one of the many interesting chapters in the life of this interesting lady - there were lots of fascinating stories before and after scottish queen - amusing anecdote: when new Queen (Anne of Denmark) arrived in England,she was invited as a visitor to Bess palace but the Queen graciously declined,knowing her reputation as "hostess" to another Queen.
September 13, 2009
Queen Elizabeth I said of Bess: "There is no Lady in this land that I better love and like", and indeed, that is well-deserved praise. Bess was an amazing woman, and ably disproves the modern idea that a woman could do nothing in Tudor/Elizabethan times. Here is a woman who single-handedly picked herself up from the poverty her father left her in, and not only created a personal fortune for herself (she was probably the richest woman in England when she died) but also established herself as the Queen's most faithful friend and companion and the matriarch of a dynasty whose blood flows through virtually every royal family of Europe. And also in mine; Bess in my direct blood ancestor.
June 9, 2009
Well researchd and well written. There aren't a lot of books about the lives of women in the Tudor era, other than royalty, because for the most part women's lives were not well documented or thought all that important apart from their roles in relation to the men in their family. Mary Lovell gives us a detailed look at the life of this exceptional woman who rose to the heights of society by dint of charm, intelligence and hardwork.
August 29, 2012
3.5. Even though I enjoyed this, there were lots of dry parts and I'm not a big NF fan for that reason. I knew the basics of Bess, but this covered her whole life. Vivid descriptions of her 4 marriages, castles and her relationships with all the royal parties. I didn't know about Arabella and their history, so I found that interesting.
December 4, 2015
I am fortunate to live not far from Chatsworth; it's legacy is still important in Derbyshire and the countryside is beautiful
April 11, 2018
Bess of Hardwick: Empire Builder by Mary S. Lovell is a very detailed biography of England’s most influential and richest woman (second to the Queen) of the 16th century. In this book, Lovell sets out to correct earlier biographies’ mistaken accounts of Bess and to reveal the highly intelligent, personable and politically savvy woman she was.
Elizabeth Hardwick was born in Derbyshire, England in 1527 and is known as the builder of two great English estates: Hardwick Hall and Chatsworth. Through her political savvy and brilliant financial astuteness, she also built a dynasty (or empire, as the American subtitle declares) through her children by founding the dukedoms of Devonshire, Portland and Newcastle and the Barons Waterpark. Despite her beginnings as a daughter in a family of rather poor, but respectable gentry, there is no aristocratic family in England, including the current occupants of Buckingham Palace, who cannot trace their DNA back to Bess. She would be very pleased.
I’m not going to even begin to summarize the 400+ pages of this book. It’s very detailed and it’s very apparent that the author is a master researcher, having spent the better part of five years tracking down letters, financial documents, legal documents, anything she could find having to do with Bess and her family. For the most part, Lovell’s biography is engrossing and well-written and rarely comes across as an “info dump” despite the prodigious amount of information she amassed. For me, the most tedious sections of the book were extensive quotations from Bess’s inventories of clothes or other belongings. While it’s interesting to learn what 16th century gentlewomen considered valuable and fashionable, I can read only so many descriptions of beaded or gold-threaded fabrics before my eyes cross. Likewise, Lovell often quoted letters extensively (usually dealing with family squabbles) and although it’s fascinating to read a letter written in 16th century lingo (they do sound somewhat Shakespearean!), I can read only so much before I start skimming. Lovell pointed out mistakes other biographers had made, often confusing one Elizabeth (Bess) Cavendish with another, since the name Elizabeth was used often. However, she is not an apologist for Bess, noting that in order for a woman to be as influential and powerful as Bess became, she had to probably be a hard-headed and forceful negotiator, which would probably leave some people (men, their poor egos crushed) feeling wronged. Lovell attempts to show Bess as not a caricature of a shrewish woman or a gold-digging sex goddess (she was married four times) as some earlier biographers have, but as a complex, highly intelligent, highly motivated woman who was a strong businesswoman and a passionate lover; a woman so disappointed in her first-born son she removed him from her will, but who was also incredibly generous and gave money and food to the poorer citizens of Derbyshire.
I started reading this book as a physical book, but bought the ebook because I was traveling solo at the time and could not lug one more thing around, including a 5lb book. I regret that choice. There are extensive footnotes, pictures and two family trees included in this book and the footnotes cannot be read at the time I came across them in the text; I found them all grouped at the end of my ebook in order, but without page numbers to refer back to the text. Also, the family trees are illegible on my Nook and on my phone, even after enlarging them. This is why I am not a fan of ebooks for nonfiction (and usually not even fiction): nothing tops the user-friendly format of a physical book, even if they are bulky.
A word of caution for American readers (or anyone not familiar with British aristocracy): the amount of names dropped in this book is confusing as hell. Because Bess is an aristocrat and (eventually) becomes the Countess of Shrewsbury, extended family relations matter. Who marries whom, who Bess’s aunt’s cousin’s brother is and their financial connections is important. Plus, all those titles! I couldn’t keep straight that the Earl of Shrewsbury also had a real name (George Talbot) because the title (Shrewsbury) is also used as a last name (the Shrewsburys) and I forgot that Bess’s last name is Talbot, along with being the Countess of Shrewsbury, when she married George. It’s very confusing for an American reader who doesn’t understand all this royalty business and how one becomes an Earl or whatever and what it actually means. Keeping track of all the aristocratic titles and lineage was a headache and I basically gave up and concentrated on keeping track of Bess and her immediate family, friends and enemies (sometimes those were all the same people). A helpful addition to this book would be a summary of the Queen’s family (because this was Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen, but I didn’t realize that until the end of the book and then all I could remember were vague facts from the movie with Cate Blanchett) and an overview of the cast of prominent characters with the names and titles and how they were connected to Bess.
I was interested in this book due to my (somewhat) familiarity with Derbyshire. Because my American friends live in that area, I’ve visited Derbyshire (the English Midlands) fairly extensively. I’ve been to Derby Cathedral and seen Bess of Hardwick’s tomb. I’ve also been to Chatsworth, one of the great estates she is credited with having created. Unfortunately, the Chatsworth I visited is not the same home she and her second husband (William Cavendish) designed and built. Before she died, Bess finished building a new Hardwick Hall very close to the Hardwick Hall (Old Hardwick Hall) where she was born. Aside from necessary upkeep and restoration, the Hall has been maintained exactly as it was when Bess was alive. I did not have the opportunity to visit Hardwick Hall (either one) and, having now finished this book, am displeased that I missed that historical opportunity.
Bess of Hardwick is a fascinating account of a powerful woman of the 16th century. Due to its specificity, I would recommend it mostly to those who are interested in this historical period in English history or anyone traveling to the English Midlands, specifically Derbyshire.
Elizabeth Hardwick was born in Derbyshire, England in 1527 and is known as the builder of two great English estates: Hardwick Hall and Chatsworth. Through her political savvy and brilliant financial astuteness, she also built a dynasty (or empire, as the American subtitle declares) through her children by founding the dukedoms of Devonshire, Portland and Newcastle and the Barons Waterpark. Despite her beginnings as a daughter in a family of rather poor, but respectable gentry, there is no aristocratic family in England, including the current occupants of Buckingham Palace, who cannot trace their DNA back to Bess. She would be very pleased.
I’m not going to even begin to summarize the 400+ pages of this book. It’s very detailed and it’s very apparent that the author is a master researcher, having spent the better part of five years tracking down letters, financial documents, legal documents, anything she could find having to do with Bess and her family. For the most part, Lovell’s biography is engrossing and well-written and rarely comes across as an “info dump” despite the prodigious amount of information she amassed. For me, the most tedious sections of the book were extensive quotations from Bess’s inventories of clothes or other belongings. While it’s interesting to learn what 16th century gentlewomen considered valuable and fashionable, I can read only so many descriptions of beaded or gold-threaded fabrics before my eyes cross. Likewise, Lovell often quoted letters extensively (usually dealing with family squabbles) and although it’s fascinating to read a letter written in 16th century lingo (they do sound somewhat Shakespearean!), I can read only so much before I start skimming. Lovell pointed out mistakes other biographers had made, often confusing one Elizabeth (Bess) Cavendish with another, since the name Elizabeth was used often. However, she is not an apologist for Bess, noting that in order for a woman to be as influential and powerful as Bess became, she had to probably be a hard-headed and forceful negotiator, which would probably leave some people (men, their poor egos crushed) feeling wronged. Lovell attempts to show Bess as not a caricature of a shrewish woman or a gold-digging sex goddess (she was married four times) as some earlier biographers have, but as a complex, highly intelligent, highly motivated woman who was a strong businesswoman and a passionate lover; a woman so disappointed in her first-born son she removed him from her will, but who was also incredibly generous and gave money and food to the poorer citizens of Derbyshire.
I started reading this book as a physical book, but bought the ebook because I was traveling solo at the time and could not lug one more thing around, including a 5lb book. I regret that choice. There are extensive footnotes, pictures and two family trees included in this book and the footnotes cannot be read at the time I came across them in the text; I found them all grouped at the end of my ebook in order, but without page numbers to refer back to the text. Also, the family trees are illegible on my Nook and on my phone, even after enlarging them. This is why I am not a fan of ebooks for nonfiction (and usually not even fiction): nothing tops the user-friendly format of a physical book, even if they are bulky.
A word of caution for American readers (or anyone not familiar with British aristocracy): the amount of names dropped in this book is confusing as hell. Because Bess is an aristocrat and (eventually) becomes the Countess of Shrewsbury, extended family relations matter. Who marries whom, who Bess’s aunt’s cousin’s brother is and their financial connections is important. Plus, all those titles! I couldn’t keep straight that the Earl of Shrewsbury also had a real name (George Talbot) because the title (Shrewsbury) is also used as a last name (the Shrewsburys) and I forgot that Bess’s last name is Talbot, along with being the Countess of Shrewsbury, when she married George. It’s very confusing for an American reader who doesn’t understand all this royalty business and how one becomes an Earl or whatever and what it actually means. Keeping track of all the aristocratic titles and lineage was a headache and I basically gave up and concentrated on keeping track of Bess and her immediate family, friends and enemies (sometimes those were all the same people). A helpful addition to this book would be a summary of the Queen’s family (because this was Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen, but I didn’t realize that until the end of the book and then all I could remember were vague facts from the movie with Cate Blanchett) and an overview of the cast of prominent characters with the names and titles and how they were connected to Bess.
I was interested in this book due to my (somewhat) familiarity with Derbyshire. Because my American friends live in that area, I’ve visited Derbyshire (the English Midlands) fairly extensively. I’ve been to Derby Cathedral and seen Bess of Hardwick’s tomb. I’ve also been to Chatsworth, one of the great estates she is credited with having created. Unfortunately, the Chatsworth I visited is not the same home she and her second husband (William Cavendish) designed and built. Before she died, Bess finished building a new Hardwick Hall very close to the Hardwick Hall (Old Hardwick Hall) where she was born. Aside from necessary upkeep and restoration, the Hall has been maintained exactly as it was when Bess was alive. I did not have the opportunity to visit Hardwick Hall (either one) and, having now finished this book, am displeased that I missed that historical opportunity.
Bess of Hardwick is a fascinating account of a powerful woman of the 16th century. Due to its specificity, I would recommend it mostly to those who are interested in this historical period in English history or anyone traveling to the English Midlands, specifically Derbyshire.
April 17, 2020
I really only knew of Bess of Hardwick as a background character in Mary Queen of Scots' story, and there she usually shows up just as the strong-minded, shrewish, jealous wife of the queen's long-time jailer. I always knew that had to be a flawed portrait, and this readable biography amply demonstrates how interesting she really was. Tough, yes, and a very good businesswoman, but also kind and intelligent. And her life provides an interesting lens through which to view the lives and experiences of Tudor noblewoman.
June 27, 2016
It's hard to review this book except to say that people who like Elizabethan history will probably like it. Bess was the second richest woman (and second most powerful) during the reign of Elizabeth.
She is perhaps best known for her (primarily her husband's) "imprisonment" of Mary, Queen of Scots. Her husband, the 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, thought it was an extreme honor when Elizabeth appointed him as guardian of Mary. However, she was under his "protection" for 15 years and her expenses were barely, if at all, reimbursed by Elizabeth.
Bess's part in this was, at first, to be a kind of friend to Mary, embroidering together, lightly gossiping, but eventually, after Mary's several escape attempts and numerous smuggled out letters, both in English and code, she grew to hate her. She felt her husband was unduly influenced by what people called "the most beautiful woman in the world." Not that she thought there was anything between them, just that Mary influenced her husband to lighten his grip on her which allowed her to more successfully plot.
Bess had 4 husband, the Earl being the last. She became a widow early when her 13-year-old husband died shortly after their wedding. (He was extremely sickly and his death was not unexpected. No one even began to think of Bess as a murderess.) Her second husband was twice her age but taught her how to manage their lands, balance the books, turn an investment profitably and these qualities are what made Bess eventually so rich. Believing in her, Sir William Cavendish left all his possessions to her, a rare thing to do in Elizabethan England. Bess married for love next. Sir William St. Loe was probably poisoned by his brother who thought that he was being left out of the family money, but again, her husband protected Bess by leaving everything to her. By this time she was rich enough not to have to worry for the rest of her life. However, she married George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, and it appears to have been initially a love match.
Into that marriage came Mary, Queen of Scots, with her wiles and her plots. In a few years, Bess and George were living in separate homes, rarely seeing each other. To most historians it is obvious that Mary caused the split. Not too long after the separation, George began to experience personality changes which may have been the result of TIAs or porphyria. This made him paranoid. He also complained constantly that he was being drained of all his weath by Mary. Upon his death, he was found to be worth much less than when he married Bess, so although people thought he was simply complaining, he may have been right. Elizabeth at least seemed to think that he had more than enough money to support Mary and quite often "forgot" to pay him for Mary's upkeep.
Although she is often seen as a shrew, Lovell shows us many instances of charity, towards her family, friends and strangers. Bess loved her family, especially her grandchildren, but was the center of constant plots by 2 of her sons to get their debts paid. Only one son showed the same business sense Bess had and, of course, he was constantly attacked by his brothers.
Bess also knew how to defend herself. Her son-in-law constantly brought lawsuits against her claiming that property she owned had originally been his, or had been sold/given to him. Bess won most of the lawsuits that came her way during her life.
She is a fascinating person, the equal of Elizabeth I in being an outstanding woman for her time. She was very familiar with the court and had served Elizabeth at one time.
Bess shows a different side to the Elizabethan Era, one that shows that not all women were chattels at that time. She deserves to be noticed now.
She is perhaps best known for her (primarily her husband's) "imprisonment" of Mary, Queen of Scots. Her husband, the 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, thought it was an extreme honor when Elizabeth appointed him as guardian of Mary. However, she was under his "protection" for 15 years and her expenses were barely, if at all, reimbursed by Elizabeth.
Bess's part in this was, at first, to be a kind of friend to Mary, embroidering together, lightly gossiping, but eventually, after Mary's several escape attempts and numerous smuggled out letters, both in English and code, she grew to hate her. She felt her husband was unduly influenced by what people called "the most beautiful woman in the world." Not that she thought there was anything between them, just that Mary influenced her husband to lighten his grip on her which allowed her to more successfully plot.
Bess had 4 husband, the Earl being the last. She became a widow early when her 13-year-old husband died shortly after their wedding. (He was extremely sickly and his death was not unexpected. No one even began to think of Bess as a murderess.) Her second husband was twice her age but taught her how to manage their lands, balance the books, turn an investment profitably and these qualities are what made Bess eventually so rich. Believing in her, Sir William Cavendish left all his possessions to her, a rare thing to do in Elizabethan England. Bess married for love next. Sir William St. Loe was probably poisoned by his brother who thought that he was being left out of the family money, but again, her husband protected Bess by leaving everything to her. By this time she was rich enough not to have to worry for the rest of her life. However, she married George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, and it appears to have been initially a love match.
Into that marriage came Mary, Queen of Scots, with her wiles and her plots. In a few years, Bess and George were living in separate homes, rarely seeing each other. To most historians it is obvious that Mary caused the split. Not too long after the separation, George began to experience personality changes which may have been the result of TIAs or porphyria. This made him paranoid. He also complained constantly that he was being drained of all his weath by Mary. Upon his death, he was found to be worth much less than when he married Bess, so although people thought he was simply complaining, he may have been right. Elizabeth at least seemed to think that he had more than enough money to support Mary and quite often "forgot" to pay him for Mary's upkeep.
Although she is often seen as a shrew, Lovell shows us many instances of charity, towards her family, friends and strangers. Bess loved her family, especially her grandchildren, but was the center of constant plots by 2 of her sons to get their debts paid. Only one son showed the same business sense Bess had and, of course, he was constantly attacked by his brothers.
Bess also knew how to defend herself. Her son-in-law constantly brought lawsuits against her claiming that property she owned had originally been his, or had been sold/given to him. Bess won most of the lawsuits that came her way during her life.
She is a fascinating person, the equal of Elizabeth I in being an outstanding woman for her time. She was very familiar with the court and had served Elizabeth at one time.
Bess shows a different side to the Elizabethan Era, one that shows that not all women were chattels at that time. She deserves to be noticed now.
April 19, 2009
This is a non-fiction account of Elizabeth 'Bess' Hardwick/Cavendish/St Low that rivaled Elizabeth I's grandeur or wealth, but it does not get stuck in a rut of just stating facts. It is told as a well-researched story and gives a lot of background also to the period of Mary Queen of Scots captivity in England. The 'gaoler' (person paid to be ther keeper/jailer) being Bess's husband, the Earl of Shrewsbury thus brings about the effects to their marriage. From Bess's humble beginnings and her first marriages and children, it goes on to the difficulties of her final marriage between George, Earl of Shrewsbury and Bess, and how George deals with Mary, Queen of Scots vs. Elizabeth, Queen of England, and balancing the Queens with his Wife.
Bess is also the grandmother to the famous Arbella Stuart, and has taken her under her wing after poor little Arbella's parents have each died.
Bess has gone through many tragedies of losing loved ones, and has fought in court for what was hers. She was a very strong woman and stood up for herself even in such a man-driven world such as it was to the extreme back then.. except of course for Elizabeth being such a wonderful monarch. But she was definitely Henry VIII's daughter, and very shrewd.
I loved this book, it was an excellent biography with a lot of insight into the society of an Elizabethan; very enjoyable as a non-fiction book. Through this book I have new-found admiration of Bess of Hardwick.
Bess is also the grandmother to the famous Arbella Stuart, and has taken her under her wing after poor little Arbella's parents have each died.
Bess has gone through many tragedies of losing loved ones, and has fought in court for what was hers. She was a very strong woman and stood up for herself even in such a man-driven world such as it was to the extreme back then.. except of course for Elizabeth being such a wonderful monarch. But she was definitely Henry VIII's daughter, and very shrewd.
I loved this book, it was an excellent biography with a lot of insight into the society of an Elizabethan; very enjoyable as a non-fiction book. Through this book I have new-found admiration of Bess of Hardwick.
May 3, 2012
A near contemporary of Elizabeth I, Bess of Hardwick lived a life which makes a great one-volume tour through the late Tudor period. Four husbands, six children, and a dangerous combination of ambition & financial expertise gave her a life to make the pages keep turning (er, clicking), even for those of us who usually prefer fiction. Lovell's prose style is readable and fun -- like a good novelist, she believes in Ominous Foreshadowing -- though the book is a lengthy one with many tempting notes to check out.
I got this on Kindle in order to have it with me on a trip to the UK this summer. Although I love the Kindle reading experience & probably did much more underlining than I might have in a hardback, I can't completely recommend buying the book in this format. The family trees included were way too faint to be read easily on my Kindle 2, and I might have had an easier time keeping everyone straight if I'd been able to check them.
That said, I will definitely consider reading more Mary S. Lovell. I can't remember reading nonfiction with so much pure pleasure in a long time.
I got this on Kindle in order to have it with me on a trip to the UK this summer. Although I love the Kindle reading experience & probably did much more underlining than I might have in a hardback, I can't completely recommend buying the book in this format. The family trees included were way too faint to be read easily on my Kindle 2, and I might have had an easier time keeping everyone straight if I'd been able to check them.
That said, I will definitely consider reading more Mary S. Lovell. I can't remember reading nonfiction with so much pure pleasure in a long time.
September 26, 2014
A fascinating woman – outlived four husbands and inherited fortunes from all of them, to become the second richest woman in the land after Queen Elizabeth. Her fourth husband, George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, was for many years responsible for keeping Mary Queen of Scots under a sort of house arrest, while Bess was busy creating Chatsworth and Hardwick Hall. Quite a story.
I suspect that the book is also a meticulous piece of research; I’d have liked it to be edited to remove some of the repetitions: George’s descent into dementia and his son Gilbert’s ability to run up debts are hammered home rather heavily. But that’s a small quibble about what is otherwise an absorbing history.
I suspect that the book is also a meticulous piece of research; I’d have liked it to be edited to remove some of the repetitions: George’s descent into dementia and his son Gilbert’s ability to run up debts are hammered home rather heavily. But that’s a small quibble about what is otherwise an absorbing history.
September 20, 2008
Fascinating book that pieces together 1gth-17th century life from mundane things like shopping lists. The details and the life and culture were fascinating. The tie-in's with Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots just add to it all. I first became curious about this woman when I toured her various homes in Derbyshire 2006. Her name kept popping up, and I just had to know more about this woman. I suppose if you weren't already mesmerized by this place and time period, this book would be less interesting, but I loved it.
September 19, 2024
A good book, I suppose you have to have an interest in Bess to even pick it up but if you do this at least tells the story. There are some dubious cash values that made me question their accuracy but I suppose you cannot make direct calculation, worth and value not always being the same. Besides this I have no doubt about the accuracy of the history told which is more than can be said of some history books I have read. Tomorrow I am going to visit Hardwick.
July 20, 2023
This has been sitting on my list for so long (not least because when contemplating your next read, the thought of a 500+ page biography of a woman you know little about can be off-putting) but I am honestly just grateful to have read it. For a biography it is surprisingly easy reading, light and entertaining, and full of compassion for the subject. Reading it, I fell completely in love with Bess, and I genuinely could not recommend this book more.
June 12, 2024
A good autobiography, rather stilted in its writing . Bess of Hardwick was an intriguing lady.
July 12, 2025
Loved this! Bess was an incredible woman and her life was so interesting - now in the mood to visit Chatsworth.
May 6, 2022
This was a really interesting biography of a member of Queen Elizabeth I's court and what it was like to be a woman during Tudor & Elizabethan times. Bess of Hardwick was a sort of anomaly in that while not formally educated she was a quick learner and very knowledgable of the legal system, and this helped her hold on to her wealth and bolster her into the nobility. Male historians labeled her as "shrewd" but Lovell paints a woman just trying to liver her best life.
August 5, 2012
Questa è una delle rare situazioni in cui vorrei avere le mezze stelline.
È una biografia ben scritta, che riesce a tenere il filo e spiegare bene tutte le intricate relazioni familiari di una donna sposatasi quattro volte; è ben ricercato (verso la fine la Lovell spiega di aver vissuto cinque anni in compagnia di Bess), e scende in tutti i dettagli necessari per dare un quadro completo della vita in epoca elisabettiana.
C'è un ma: alla fine della fiera mi sembra che siano usciti meglio delineati tre dei mariti di Bess (William Cavendish, William St Loe e George Talbot; il primo morì quasi subito) che non Bess stessa - questo vale in particolare per il quarto, Conte di Shrewsbury e soprattutto carceriero di Maria Stuarda (per la quale Lovell ha un giudizio impietoso: she placed her own neck on the scaffold) per quindici anni, che lo portarono quasi alla rovina finanziara e alla distruzione del suo matrimonio: gli ultimi dieci anni, infatti, lui e Bess vissero separati.
Bess stessa appare sicuramente come un personaggio straordinario, gi�� solo per la durata della sua vita, ottant'anni, moltissimi per l'epoca, tant'è che sopravvisse a quasi tutti gli amici e conoscenti della sua generazione (compresa Elisabetta stessa, che morì cinque anni prima, nel 1603); e poi per la grande capacità di accumulare ricchezza e possedimenti senza mai incorrere in debiti, e per aver dato vita a una vera e propria dinastia nel Derbyshire e nello Yorkshire (tanti dei suoi discendenti divennero duchi che la zona in cui risiedevano veniva chiamata The Dukeries), con tutti i sei figli avuti dal secondo matrimonio, da cui discendono, tra gli altri, gli attuali duchi del Devonshire; per la sua grande passione per l'architettura e l'arredamento, visibile ancora oggi nel suo più grande risultato, Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall, l'unica casa veramente sua, che costruì su un suo terreno e con i suoi soldi (le altre case in cui visse, Tutbury, il Castello di Sheffield in compagnia di Maria Stuarda, Chatsworth House, etc., erano dei mariti).
Eppure... sembra che qui e là i mariti le rubino la scena, forse perché lei era meno teatrale (negli ultimi anni George Shrewsbury non fece altro che lagnarsi con la regina dei litigi con Bess, e non tornò mai a vivere con lei nonostante le richieste di Elisabetta stessa, dopo aver passato quindici anni a lagnarsi del fatto che il mantenimento di Maria Stuarda lo stava facendo diventare povero), più pragmatica e più impegnata a sposare i figli e le figlie e ad arricchirsi - a fare insomma, più che a dire.
Ero partita cauta con questo libro perché non conoscevo l'autrice e perché mi stanco abbastanza presto di cose ambientate in epoca Tudor, ma mi sono dovuta ricredere. Tre e mezzo ben meritate.
È una biografia ben scritta, che riesce a tenere il filo e spiegare bene tutte le intricate relazioni familiari di una donna sposatasi quattro volte; è ben ricercato (verso la fine la Lovell spiega di aver vissuto cinque anni in compagnia di Bess), e scende in tutti i dettagli necessari per dare un quadro completo della vita in epoca elisabettiana.
C'è un ma: alla fine della fiera mi sembra che siano usciti meglio delineati tre dei mariti di Bess (William Cavendish, William St Loe e George Talbot; il primo morì quasi subito) che non Bess stessa - questo vale in particolare per il quarto, Conte di Shrewsbury e soprattutto carceriero di Maria Stuarda (per la quale Lovell ha un giudizio impietoso: she placed her own neck on the scaffold) per quindici anni, che lo portarono quasi alla rovina finanziara e alla distruzione del suo matrimonio: gli ultimi dieci anni, infatti, lui e Bess vissero separati.
Bess stessa appare sicuramente come un personaggio straordinario, gi�� solo per la durata della sua vita, ottant'anni, moltissimi per l'epoca, tant'è che sopravvisse a quasi tutti gli amici e conoscenti della sua generazione (compresa Elisabetta stessa, che morì cinque anni prima, nel 1603); e poi per la grande capacità di accumulare ricchezza e possedimenti senza mai incorrere in debiti, e per aver dato vita a una vera e propria dinastia nel Derbyshire e nello Yorkshire (tanti dei suoi discendenti divennero duchi che la zona in cui risiedevano veniva chiamata The Dukeries), con tutti i sei figli avuti dal secondo matrimonio, da cui discendono, tra gli altri, gli attuali duchi del Devonshire; per la sua grande passione per l'architettura e l'arredamento, visibile ancora oggi nel suo più grande risultato, Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall, l'unica casa veramente sua, che costruì su un suo terreno e con i suoi soldi (le altre case in cui visse, Tutbury, il Castello di Sheffield in compagnia di Maria Stuarda, Chatsworth House, etc., erano dei mariti).
Eppure... sembra che qui e là i mariti le rubino la scena, forse perché lei era meno teatrale (negli ultimi anni George Shrewsbury non fece altro che lagnarsi con la regina dei litigi con Bess, e non tornò mai a vivere con lei nonostante le richieste di Elisabetta stessa, dopo aver passato quindici anni a lagnarsi del fatto che il mantenimento di Maria Stuarda lo stava facendo diventare povero), più pragmatica e più impegnata a sposare i figli e le figlie e ad arricchirsi - a fare insomma, più che a dire.
Ero partita cauta con questo libro perché non conoscevo l'autrice e perché mi stanco abbastanza presto di cose ambientate in epoca Tudor, ma mi sono dovuta ricredere. Tre e mezzo ben meritate.
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