Elizabeth Hardwicke
1527-1608
Born: Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, England
Died: Hardwick, Derbyshire, England
1527-1608
Born: Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, England
Died: Hardwick, Derbyshire, England
Robert Barley<div>M, #101, b. 1527, d. 28 May 1543</div> <div>Robert Barley|b. 1527\nd. 28 May 1543|p11.htm#i101|Arthur Barley||p19931.htm#i199309||||||||||||||||</div><br>Last Edited=7 Jul 2006 <div> <span>Robert</span> <span>Barley</span> was born in 1527.<sup>1</sup> He was the son of <span>Arthur</span> <span>Barley</span>.<sup>1</sup> He married <span>Elizabeth</span> <span>Hardwicke</span>, daughter of <span>John</span> <span>Hardwicke</span>, in 1543.<sup>1</sup> He died on 28 May 1543.<sup>1</sup><br> Robert Barley lived at Barley, Derbyshire, England.</div><div>Citations<ol><li>[S97] Mary S. Lovell, <em>Bess of Hardwick: Empire Builder</em> (New York, U.S.A.: W. W. Norton, 2006), page 18-29. Hereinafter cited as <em>Bess of Hardwick.</em></li></ol></div>
<br><br><br><br><p align="justify"><font face="georgia" size="2"><strong>GEORGE TALBOT, sixth Earl of Shrewsbury</strong> (1528?-1590), elder son of Francis Talbot, fifth earl, by his first wife, Mary (d. 1538), daughter of Thomas Dacre, second lord Dacre de Gillesland, was born about 1528. He was present at the coronation of Edward VI, took part in the invasion of Scotland under the Protector, Somerset, was sent by his father in October 1557 to the relief of the Earl of Northumberland pent up in Alnwick Castle, and would seem to have remained for some months in service upon the border. Camden states that he had a force of five hundred horsemen under his command. He succeeded to the earldom on 25 Sept. 1560, was elected K.G. on 22 April 1561, and was appointed lord-lieutenant of Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire, some four years later. <br><br>Upon the death of his first wife, Gertrude, eldest daughter of Thomas Manners, first earl of Rutland, he allowed himself, in 'an evil hour,' to be fascinated by the charms of the celebrated 'Bess of Hardwick', whom he married in the early part of 1568. In the latter part of the same year the earl repaired to the court, where, in November, the queen assured him that 'er it were longe he shuld well perseve she dyd so trust him as she dyd few." This assurance assumed a concrete form in December, on the 13th of which month Shrewsbury wrote to his wife, 'Now it is sarten the Scotes quene cumes to Tutburye to my charge.' <br><br>In the choice of Shrewsbury, Elizabeth evinced her usual good judgment. He was a nobleman of the very first rank, of good character, and 'half a catholic.' There was therefore an appearance of respect to Mary in the choice of such a man to be her keeper. He had several houses and castles in the interior of the kingdom, in any of which she might be kept with little danger. His immense property would minimise the demands upon the roval treasury — some £2,000 a year being all that was allowed the earl for maintenance; and finally he 'had a spirit neither to be overawed nor corrupted.' Sixteen years of service, during which he combined an absolute loyalty to Elizabeth with an avoidance of unnecessary sternness towards his captive, approved the choice.<br><br>Shrewsbury received his ward at Tutbury on 2 Feb. 1569, but in the following June he removed to Wingfield Manor, whence a rescue was attempted by Leonard Dacre. In September the household was back again at Tutbury, where an additional guard, or rather spy, temporarily joined the family in the person of the Earl of Huntingdon. In November took place the revolt of the Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland, who purposed to march upon Tutbury, whereupon Mary was for the time being removed to Coventry, and did not return until the following January. In May 1570 Shrewsbury conducted her to Chatsworth, where he foiled another cabal for her release. Cecil and Mildmay visited Chats worth in October, and the removal to Sheffield Castle (Shrewsbury's principal seat), which took place shortly afterwards, was then concerted. At Sheffield, apart from occasional visits to the baths at Buxton, to Chatsworth, or to the old hall at Hardwick, she remained under Shrewsbury's guardianship for the next fourteen years.<br><br>During the winter 1571-2 the earl was in London, the queen during his absence being left in charge of Sir Ralph Sadler. He had been created a privy councillor in 1571, and he was appointed high steward for the trial of the Duke of Norfolk, whose sentence to death he pronounced 'with weeping eyes' on 16 Jan. 1572; Shrewsbury succeeded the duke as earl marshal. By 1574 he was already anxious to be released from his post as keeper, but Elizabeth would not hear of his request. He was greatly perturbed by the reports which reached the queen from spies in his household and by the conflicting instructions which he received. The regulations which he drew up from time to time for the conduct of the Scottish queen's attendants (who varied in number from about thirty to fifty) were, however, generally approved. <br><br>In 1577 the Countess of Shrewsbury was very desirous that her husband should move permanently with his captive from Sheffield to Chatsworth, where she was engaged upon her usual building and planting operations. From about this date the altercation with his wife which embittered the remainder of the earl's life seems to have commenced. In 1579 his allowance from the treasury was reduced by about a quarter. A report had been rife among his enemies that he had amassed an enormous sum (Mauvissiere named two hundred thousand crowns) by his custodianship. In August 1584 he was vastly relieved upon being allowed to hand over his charge to Sir Ralph Sadler. On 6 Sept. he took leave of Mary. He did not see her again until October 1586, when he went to her trial at Fotheringay; and afterwards in February 1587, when he was appointed to preside at her execution. From Sheffield he went straight to the court, where he was seen for the first time after an absence of many years. On 15 Sept. a minute of the council expressed the queen's satisfaction with the manner in which he had borne his trust, and shortly afterwards he obtained his complete discharge. The Spanish ambassador, Bernardino de Mendoza, detailed to Philip the earl's expressions of gratitude to Elizabeth 'de l'avoir delivre de deux demons, savoir, sa femme et la reine, d'Ecosse.'<sup>1</sup><br><br>The complicated quarrel between the earl and his second wife had by now reached an acute stage. It seems to have been due, in part at least, to a refusal of the earl to listen to some plan for the better disposition of his property, in the interest, no doubt, of his wife's children by her former husband, Sir William Cavendish. Matters came to a head in 1583, when the countess caused to be repeated by her sons and by her agent, Henry Beresford, a scandal to the effect that an improper intimacy existed between Shrewsbury and the Queen of Scots. These calumnies so enraged Mary that in November 1584, after several menaces, she wrote Elizabeth a letter in which she boldly charged Lady Shrewsbury with having uttered a number of the coarsest and most outrageous scandals that were current about the English queen; but it is probable that this curious epistle, if it were ever despatched, was intercepted by Walsingham. Eventually Lady Shrewsbury thought fit to repudiate any knowledge of or connection with the scandal against the Scottish queen. In the meantime, towards the close of 1583, she definitely left her husband and settled at Chatsworth, where she continued to intrigue agninst her husband's influence at court. <br><br>Writing to Walsingham in July 1584, the earl complained that she had carried off a large amount of his property from Chatsworth, and had conveyed it to her son's house at Hardwick. He endeavoured at the same time, though without much success, to prevent his own children from obtaining access to her. The climax was not arrived at until 1586. On 8 May in that year the queen, by the advice of Leicester and the lord chancellor, drew up articles of a composition between the earl and his wife, but neither party was inclined to submit. Next month the earl wrote to Walsingham urging his suit for the banishment of his wife, 'now that she hath so openly manifested her devilish disposition . . .' in the defamation of his house and name. He also forwarded some notes of evidence to the effect that his countess had 'called him knave, fool, and beast to his face, and had mocked and mowed at him.'<sup>2</sup> In a bitter letter to his wife, in strains far different from those of his early letters, he reminds her how, when, as 'St. Loo's widow,' she was a byword for rapacity, he had covered those 'imperfections (by my intermarriage with you), and brought you to all the honours you now have.' Shortly after this the queen seems to have ultimately succeeded in patching up a kind of agreement between the pair.<br><br>The earl returned from London to Sheffield in July 1585, and thenceforth spent most of his time at his quiet manor of Hansworth, which stood within the boundary of Sheffield Park. There the queen wrote to him at the close of 1589 in terms of greater affection than it was her wont to use. After calling him her 'very good old man,' she desired to hear of his health, especially at the time of the fall of the leaf, and hoped that he might escape his accustomed enemy, the gout. At the same time she urged him to permit his wife 'some time to have access to him, which she hath now of a long time wanted.'<sup>3</sup> It is not probable that he complied with this suggestion, as it appears that he had for some time past been in a 'doating condition,' having fallen under the absolute sway of one of his servants, Eleanor Britton, whose rapacity, says Hunter, 'equalled anything we have ever read of.'<sup>4</sup> <br><br>Shrewsbury died at Sheffield Manor on Wednesday, 18 Nov. 1590, at seven in the morning. He was buried in Sheffield parish church on 10 Jan. 1591. Twenty thousand persons are said to have attended the funeral, at which three lost their lives. A sumptuous monument had been erected during the earl's lifetime, with a long Latin inscription by Foxe the martyrologist. The date and year of the earl's death are lacking, having never been supplied by the executors, 'whose neglect therein,' said Dugdale, 'he did prophetically foretel.'<sup>5</sup><br><br>By his first wife Shrewsbury had issue: Francis, lord Talbot, who married, in 1562, Anne, daughter of William Herbert, first earl of Pembroke, but died in his father's lifetime; Gilbert Talbot, seventh earl; Henry ; and Edward, who succeeded Gilbert as eighth earl; and three daughters; of these, Catherine (to whom Queen Elizabeth gave many tokens of friendship) married, in 1563, Henry, lord Herbert (afterwards second Earl of Pembroke); Mary married Sir George Savile of Barrowby, Lincolnshire; and Grace married Henry, son and heir of Sir William Cavendish of Chatsworth. By his second wife Shrewsbury had no issue.<br><br><br><br><font face="Arial" size="1">1. cf. Teulet, <em>Relations Politiquet</em>, 1862, v. 344; Labanoff, i. 108. <br> [AJ Transl. — "For having delivered him from two demons, that is to say, his wife and the Queen of Scots."]<br>2. <em>Calendar of State Papers, Domestic 1581-90</em>, pp. 451-55.<br>3. Ibid, p. 636.<br>4. Hunter's <em>Hallamshire</em>, ed. Gatty, 1869, p. 97.<br>5. Dugdale's <em>Baronage</em>, i. 334, where the inscription is given in full,<br> together with the provisions of the will, dated 24 June 1590.<br><br><br><hr><br><font face="Arial" size="1"> Source:<br><br> Seccombe, Thomas. "George Talbot, sixth Earl of Shrewsbury."<br> <u>Dictionary of National Biography</u>. Vol LV. Sidney Lee, Ed.<br> New York: The Macmillan Co., 1898. 314-316.<br><br></font></font></font></p>
Bess of Hardwick<div><div><div style="width: 282px"> <div><div></div>Bess of Hardwick, Countess of Shrewsbury by Rowland Lockey, 1592</div></div></div><p><strong>Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury</strong> (27 July 1527 – 13 February 1608<sup><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></sup>), known as <strong>Bess of Hardwick</strong>, was the third surviving daughter of John Hardwick, of Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire. She was married four times, firstly to Robert Barlow, who died in his teens; secondly to the courtier Sir William Cavendish; thirdly to Sir William St Loe; and lastly to George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, sometime keeper to the captive Mary, Queen of Scots. An accomplished needlewoman, Bess hosted Mary at Chatsworth House for extended periods in 1569, 1570, and 1571, during which time they worked together on the Oxburgh Hangings.<sup><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></sup> In 1601, Bess ordered an inventory of the household furnishings including textiles at her three properties at Chatsworth and Hardwick, which survives, and in her will she bequeathed these items to her heirs to be preserved in perpetuity. The 400-year-old collection, now known as the Hardwick Hall textiles, is the largest collection of tapestry, embroidery, canvaswork, and other textiles to have been preserved by a single private family.<sup><span>[</span>3<span>]</span></sup></p><p></p><span>First marriage</span><p>Born <strong>Elizabeth Hardwick</strong>, at the age of twelve she was sent to live in the London household of Lady Zouche at Codnor Castle<sup><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></sup>, where she contracted the first of four marriages, to 14-year-old Robert Barlow, heir to a neighbouring estate, and became <strong>Elizabeth Barlow</strong>. However, they were too young, and he too sick, to consummate their marriage before he died. As Robert's widow she was entitled to one-third of the revenues of the Barlow estate. It is thought she lived at the manor house Barlow Woodseats Hall during this period, before his death in 1544.</p><p></p><span>Second marriage</span><p>She remained single until <span><span>August 20</span>, 1547</span>, when she married the twice-widowed Sir William Cavendish, Treasurer of the King's Chamber,<sup><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></sup> who had two daughters and was more than twice her age, and became <strong>Lady Cavendish</strong>. Probably acting on her advice, Sir William sold his lands in the south of England and bought the Chatsworth estates in Derbyshire.</p><p>Eigh</p><div style="width: 202px"> <div><div></div>Bess of Hardwick, 1550s.</div></div><p>Eight children were born of the ten-year marriage, two of whom died in infancy. Of the six who survived three were sons (Henry 1550-1616, William 1551-1626 and Charles 1553-1617) and three daughters (Frances b.1548, Elizabeth 1555-1582 and Mary 1556-1632). William was the forebear of the Dukes of Devonshire and Charles of the Dukes of Newcastle <sup><span>[</span>4<span>]</span></sup>. Queen Elizabeth I was godmother to their first son, Henry, and Queen Mary I was godmother to their third son, Charles.<sup><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></sup> Sir William Cavendish died on October 25, 1557, leaving Bess widowed a second time. </p><span>Third marriage</span><p>In 1559, Bess married her third husband, Sir William St Loe (St Lowe, Saintlowe, or Sentloe), Captain of the Guard to Queen Elizabeth I, Chief Butler of England,<sup><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></sup> and owner of large West Country estates at Tormarton in Gloucestershire and Chew Magna in Somerset, whose principal residence was at Sutton Court in Stowey, and became <strong>Lady St Loe</strong>. When Sir William died without male issue in 1564/5, in suspicious circumstances (probably poisoned by his younger brother)<sup style="white-space: nowrap">[<em>citation needed</em>]</sup>, he left everything to Bess, to the detriment of his daughters and brother.<sup><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></sup> In addition to her own six children, Bess was now responsible for the two daughters of Sir William Cavendish from his first marriage, but Sir William St Loe's two daughters were adults and already well provided for.</p><p>Sir William St Loe's death left Bess one of the most eligible women in England. Not only was she a Lady of the Bedchamber with daily access and the favour of the Queen, but her income was calculated to amount to £60,000, which had the buying power of millions today. In her late 30s, she still retained her looks and good health, and a number of important men began courting her.</p><p></p><span>Fourth marriage</span><p>With the approval of Queen Elizabeth, who was not by habit a matchmaker, Bess was married in 1568 for the fourth time to the George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, one of the premier aristocrats of the realm, with seven children from his first marriage, and became <strong>Countess of Shrewsbury</strong>; two of his children married two of hers in a double ceremony in February 1568. Bess's daughter Mary Cavendish, aged 12, married Shrewsbury's eldest son Gilbert, aged 16; Bess's son Henry Cavendish, aged 18, married Shrewsbury's daughter Lady Grace Talbot, aged 8.</p><p></p><span>The Stuart connection</span><p>In 1574 Bess took advantage of a visit of the Countess of Lennox to marry her daughter Elizabeth to Charles Stuart, the younger son of the Lennoxes and brother of Henry, Lord Darnley, the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. The marriage ceremony took place without the knowledge of Shrewsbury, who — though he was well aware of the suggested match some time prior to this event — declined to accept any responsibility. As the Lennox family had a claim to the throne, the marriage was considered potentially treasonable as no royal assent had been obtained. The Countess of Lennox, mother of the bridegroom, went to the Tower for several months, and Bess was ordered to London to face an official inquiry, but she ignored the summons, and remained in Sheffield until the row died down. The child of the marriage was Arbella Stuart, who had a claim to the thrones of Scotland and England.</p><div><div style="width: 202px"> <div><div></div>Bess of Hardwick, Countess of Shrewsbury.</div></div></div><p>For many years (1569–1584), the Earl and Countess of Shrewsbury acted as 'guardians' to Mary, Queen of Scots, when the Queen was imprisoned on one or another of their estates, but it was not until Mary was removed to another jailer, Sir Amias Paulet, that she got into the trouble that cost her life. Around the same time Mary was removed from his custody, Shrewsbury and Bess separated for good — they had been apart off-and-on since about 1580, and even Queen Elizabeth had tried to get them to reconcile. Mary seems to have aggravated, if not created, their problems by playing them off against each other. The Countess believed he had been in a relationship with Mary, a charge which has never been proved or disproved, but seems unlikely given Shrewsbury's disposition and increasingly poor health. On his death in 1590, Bess became <strong>Dowager Countess of Shrewsbury</strong>.</p><p>A BBC documentary <sup><span>[</span>5<span>]</span></sup> claimed that Bess very much desired Arbella to become Queen, but it is fact that Bess was forced by order of the Queen to keep the girl away from Court and closely supervised in rural Derbyshire. Arbella blamed her grandmother for this, and the two fell out irrevocably when Arbella attempted to run away and marry a man who also had claim to the throne. Bess cut Arbella from her will and begged the Queen to take her granddaughter off her hands. Arbella's royal claim was never recognised but Bess eventually ended up with a descendant on the throne: Queen Elizabeth II.</p><p></p><span>Buildings</span><p>Bess became famous for her building projects, especially two of them: Chatsworth, now the seat of the Dukes of Devonshire (whose family name is still "Cavendish," because they are descended from the children of her second marriage), and Hardwick Hall, of which it has been said for more than 400 years now: "Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall," because of the number and size of its windows. She was interred in a vault in Derby Cathedral, where there is a memorial to her. All three sites are popular with visitors, as is Old Hardwick Hall, Bess's birthplace.</p><p></p><span>Fiction</span><p>Bess of Hardwick is a character in The Other Queen, by Philippa Gregory, as well as the title character of A Woman of Passion by Virginia Henley. She is also the subject of Jan Westcott's novel, The Tower and the Dream. She also features prominently in the book The Captive Queen of Scots by Jean Plaidy.</p><p></p><span>Legacy</span><p>Her Children</p><ul><li>Son = William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire was the forebear of the Dukes of Devonshire= The title of the Dukes of Devonshire is still Extant. </li></ul><ul><li>Son = Sir Charles Cavendish married Catherine Ogle, 8th Baroness Ogle's, their son = William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne forbear of the Duke of Newcastle = The title of the Dukes of Newcastle is now Extinct since 1988, however the title of Earl of Lincoln is still Extant within the family due to a very distant relative, while the Barony of Ogle is in abeyence as there is more then one person who has a legal right to claim the title, also of this family line is the Earl of Portland whose titles are Extant. </li></ul><ul><li>Daughter = Elizabeth Cavendish married Charles Stuart, 1st Earl of Lennox their daughter = Lady Arbella Stuart, 2nd Countess of Lennox married William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, = The title of the Duke of Somerset is still Extant. </li></ul><ul><li>Son = Henry Cavendish married Grace Talbot = Illegitimate son = Henry Cavendish forbear of the Baron Waterpark = The title of the Baron Waterpark is still Extant. </li></ul><ul><li>Daughter = Mary Cavendish married Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury they had 5 children including </li><li>Lady Alatheia (or Alethea) Talbot, who married Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Norfolk, Duke of Norfolks Title = Extant </li><li>Mary Talbot who married William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, Earl of Pembroke's Title = Extant </li><li>Elizabeth Talbot married Henry Grey, 8th Earl of Kent, Earl of Kent from the Grey Family is now Extinct since 1740 </li></ul><ul><li>Daughter = Frances Cavendish married Sir Henry Pierrepont their children were as follows </li></ul><ul><li>Robert Pierrepont, 1st Earl of Kingston-upon-Hull married Gertrude Talbot, they had five sons including Henry Pierrepont, 1st Marquess of Dorchester and William Pierrepont, Robert was also the forbear for the Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull = The Title of the Dukes of Kingston-upon-Hull is now Extinct since 1773, also part of this family were the Earl Manvers whose Title became Extinct in 1955 due to the last earl having no sons. </li></ul><ul><li>Elizabeth Pierrepont married Sir Thomas Erskine, 1st Earl of Kellie forbear for the Earl of Kellie = The Title for the Earls of Kellie is still Extant. </li></ul><ul><li>Grace, Lady Manners married Sir George Manners, they had four children including John Manners, 8th Earl of Rutland </li></ul><p></p><span>Notes</span><div><ol><li><strong>^</strong> "Elizabethan-Era.org.uk"<span>. http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/bess-of-hardwick.htm</span>.<span><span style="display: none"> </span></span> </li><li>^ <sup><em><strong>a</strong></em></sup> <sup><em><strong>b</strong></em></sup> <sup><em><strong>c</strong></em></sup> <sup><em><strong>d</strong></em></sup> <sup><em><strong>e</strong></em></sup> <sup><em><strong>f</strong></em></sup> Digby, <em>Elizabethan Embroidery</em>, p. 58-63 </li><li><strong>^</strong> Levey, <em>Of Household Stuff</em>, p.10-11; Levey, <em>An Elizabethan Inheritance</em>, p. 20-39 <em>passim</em> </li><li><strong>^</strong> Girouard, Mark; The National Trust of England and Wales, David Durant (1989). <em><span>Hardwick Hall guidebook</span></em>. The National Trust of England and Wales. ISBN 978-1-84359-217-4.<span><span style="display: none"> </span></span> </li><li><strong>^</strong> "BBC Documentary Site"<span>. http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/bbb-hardwick.shtml</span>.<span><span style="display: none"> </span></span> </li></ol></div><p>And the tittle character of A woman of passion by Virginia Henley</p><p></p><span>Bibliography</span><ul><li>Digby, George Wingfield (1964). <em><span>Elizabethan Embroidery</span></em>. New York: Thomas Yoseloff.<span><span style="display: none"> </span></span> </li><li>Durant, David N. (1977). <em><span>Bess of Hardwick: Portrait of an Elizabethan Dynast</span></em>. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. ISBN 0-297-77305-4.<span><span style="display: none"> </span></span> </li><li>Durant, David N. (1977). <em><span>Bess of Hardwick: Portrait of an Elizabethan Dynast</span></em> (American Edition ed.). New York: Atheneum. ISBN 0-689-10835-4.<span><span style="display: none"> </span></span> </li><li>Eisenberg, Elizabeth (1985). <em><span>This Costly Countess: Bess of Hardwick</span></em>. Derby: Hall. ISBN 0-946404-95-X.<span><span style="display: none"> </span></span> </li><li>Hubbard, Kate (2001). <em><span>Material Girl: Bess of Hardwick: 1527-1608</span></em>. London: Short Books. ISBN 0-571-20800-2.<span><span style="display: none"> </span></span> </li><li>Kettle, Pamela (2000). <em><span>Oldcotes: The Last Mansion Built by Bess of Hardwick</span></em>. Cardiff: Merton Priory Press. ISBN 1-898937-39-7.<span><span style="display: none"> </span></span> </li><li>Levey, Santina; Peter Thornton (2001). <em><span>Of Houshold Stuff: The 1601 Inventory of Bess of Hardwick</span></em>. London: National Trust. ISBN 0-7078-0329-2.<span><span style="display: none"> </span></span> </li><li>Levey, Santina (1998). <em><span>An Elizabethan Inheritance: The Hardwick Hall Textiles</span></em>. London: National Trust. ISBN 1-905400-21-7.<span><span style="display: none"> </span></span> </li><li>Lovell, Mary S. (2006). <em><span>Bess of Hardwick: First Lady of Chatsworth: 1527-1608</span></em>. New York: Norton. ISBN 0-393-06221-X; ISBN 978-0316724821.<span><span style="display: none"> </span></span> </li><li>Lovell, Mary S. (2005). <em><span>Bess of Hardwick: First Lady of Chatsworth: 1527-1608</span></em> (British Edition ed.). London: Little-Brown. ISBN 0-316-72482-3.<span><span style="display: none"> </span></span> </li><li>Pearson, John (1984). <em><span>The Serpent and the Stag</span></em>. New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston. ISBN 978-0030554315.<span><span style="display: none"> </span></span> </li><li>Plowden, Alison (1972). <em><span>Mistress of Hardwick</span></em>. London: BBC. ISBN 0-563-10664-6.<span><span style="display: none"> </span></span> </li><li>Westcott, Jan (1974). <em><span>The Tower and the Dream</span></em>. New York.: Putnam. ISBN 0-399-11128-X.<span><span style="display: none"> </span></span> [Biographical fiction] </li><li>Williams, Ethel (1977). <em><span>Bess of Hardwick</span></em>. Bath: Chivers. ISBN 0-85997-238-0.<span><span style="display: none"> </span></span> </li></ul></div>
<p><strong>Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury</strong> (July 27, 1527–February 13, 1608<sup>[1]</sup>), known as <strong>Bess of Hardwick</strong>, was the third surviving daughter of John Hardwick, of Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire. She was married four times, firstly to Richard Barlow, who died in his teens; secondly to the courtier Sir William Cavendish; thirdly to Sir William St Loe; and to lastly to the George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, sometime keeper to the captive Mary, Queen of Scots. An accomplished needlewoman, Bess hosted Mary at Chatsworth House for extended periods in 1569, 1570, and 1571, during which time they worked together on the Oxburgh Hangings. In 1601, Bess ordered an inventory of the household furnishings including textiles at her three properties at Chatsworth and Hardwick, which survives, and in her will she bequeathed these items to her heirs to be preserved in perpetuity. The 400-year-old collection, now known as the Hardwick Hall textiles, is the largest collection of tapestry, embroidery, canvaswork, and other textiles to have been preserved by a single private family.<sup>[</sup></p><p><sup>from Wikipedia</sup></p>
<span>Bess of Hardwick</span> <div>From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div><p><strong>Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury</strong> (c. 1521<sup></sup> – 13 February 1608), known as <strong>Bess of Hardwick</strong>, was the daughter of John Hardwick, of Derbyshire and Elizabeth Leeke, daughter of Thomas Leeke and Margaret Fox.<sup></sup> She was married four times, firstly to Robert Barlow, who died in his teens; secondly to the courtier Sir William Cavendish; thirdly to Sir William St Loe; and lastly to George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, sometime keeper to the captive Mary, Queen of Scots. An accomplished needlewoman, Bess hosted Mary at Chatsworth House for extended periods in 1569, 1570, and 1571, during which time they worked together on the Oxburgh Hangings.<sup></sup> In 1601, Bess ordered an inventory of the household furnishings including textiles at her three properties at Chatsworth, Hardwick and Chelsea, which survives, and in her will she bequeathed these items to her heirs to be preserved in perpetuity. The 400-year-old collection, now known as the Hardwick Hall textiles, is the largest collection of tapestry, embroidery, canvaswork, and other textiles to have been preserved by a single private family.<sup></sup></p><span>Early life</span> <p>"Bess of Hardwick" was born "Elizabeth Hardwick" to John Hardwick and his wife, Elizabeth Leake, in the early 1520s. The family lived on an estate of about 5,000 acres (20 km) in the parish of Ault Hucknall on the north-east border of the county, looking over Nottinghamshire. John Hardwick died around forty years of age, leaving a widow, son (and heir), and four daughters. His widow, Elizabeth, then married the son of a neighbouring family, the Leches of Chatworth. Bess grew up fairly educated, as compared to her female peers of the Elizabethan Era, as indicated by her later letters. She also became familiar with city life and the Tudor Court after being sent to live in the London household of Anne Gainsford at Codnor Castle at the age of twelve.<sup></sup> Here, she was influenced by Lady Zouche. Also, her marrying life now began.</p> <span>First marriage</span> <p>While in London, Bess contracted the first of four marriages, to 14-year-old Robert Barlow, heir to a neighbouring estate, and became <strong>Elizabeth Barlow</strong>. It is thought that the couple lived at his ancestral manor house, Barlow Woodseats Hall, before his death in 1544.<sup style="white-space: nowrap"><em></em></sup> The marriage was never consummated because of their youth and Robert's sickly health. As Robert's widow, Bess was entitled to one-third of the revenues of the Barlow estate.</p> <span>Second marriage</span> <p>On 20 August 1547, Bess married the twice-widowed Sir William Cavendish, Treasurer of the King's Chamber,<sup></sup> and became <strong>Lady Cavendish</strong>. The wedding took place at two in the morning, at the home of the Grey family, friends of the Cavendish duo. Sir William was more than twice Bess' age and the father of two daughters. His fortune had been made by the dissolution of monasteries; as an official of the Court of Augmentations, he was able to select choice properties for himself. Possibly acting on Bess' advice, Sir William sold his lands in the south of England and bought the Chatsworth estates in her home county of Derbyshire.</p> <p>Eight children were born of the marriage, two of whom died in infancy. Of the six who survived, three were sons (Henry, 1550-1616; William, 1551-1626; and Charles, 1553-1617) and three daughters (Frances, b.1548; Elizabeth, 1555-1582; and Mary, 1556-1632). William was the forebear of the Dukes of Devonshire and Charles of the Dukes of Newcastle.<sup></sup> Elizabeth I was godmother to their first son, Henry, and Queen Mary I of England was godmother to their third son, Charles.<sup></sup> Sir William Cavendish died on 25 October 1557, leaving Bess widowed a second time.</p> <span>Third marriage</span> <p>In 1559, Bess married a third time, to Sir William St. Loe (St Lowe, Saintlowe, or Sentloe), and became <strong>Lady St Loe</strong>. Her new husband was Captain of the Guard to Elizabeth I and Chief Butler of England.<sup></sup> He owned large West Country estates at Tormarton in Gloucestershire and Chew Magna in Somerset, while his principal residence was at Sutton Court in Stowey. When he died without male issue in 1564/5, in suspicious circumstances (probably poisoned by his younger brother),<sup></sup> he left everything to Bess, to the detriment of his daughters and brother.<sup></sup> In addition to her own six children, Bess was now responsible for the two daughters of Sir William Cavendish from his first marriage. However, those two daughters were already adults and otherwise well provided for.</p> <p>Sir William St. Loe's death left Bess one of the wealthiest women in England. Her annual income was calculated to amount to £60,000, (£13.8 million as of 2012).<sup></sup> Further, she was a Lady of the Bedchamber with daily access to the Queen, whose favour she enjoyed. Still in her late 30s, Bess retained her looks and good health, and a number of important men began courting her.</p> <span>Fourth marriage</span> <p>Despite being courted by several suitors, Bess remained single for a relatively long time, until 1568, when she married for the fourth time to become <strong>Countess of Shrewsbury.</strong> Her new husband, George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, was one of the premier aristocrats of the realm, and the father of seven children by his first marriage. Indeed, two of his children were married to two of hers in a double ceremony in February 1568: Bess's daughter Mary Cavendish, aged 12, was given in marriage to Shrewsbury's eldest son Gilbert, aged 16; while Bess's son, Sir Henry Cavendish, aged 18, married Shrewsbury's daughter Lady Grace Talbot, aged 8.</p> <span>The Stuart connection</span> <p>In 1574 Bess took advantage of a visit of the Countess of Lennox to marry her daughter Elizabeth to Charles Stuart, the younger son of the Lennoxes and brother of Henry, Lord Darnley, the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. The marriage ceremony took place without the knowledge of Shrewsbury, who — though he was well aware of the suggested match some time prior to this event — declined to accept any responsibility. As the Lennox family had a claim to the throne, the marriage was considered potentially treasonable as no royal assent had been obtained. The Countess of Lennox, mother of the bridegroom, went to the Tower for several months, and Bess was ordered to London to face an official inquiry, but she ignored the summons, and remained in Sheffield until the row died down. The child of the marriage was Arbella Stuart, who had a claim to the thrones of Scotland and England.</p> <p>For many years (1569–1584), the Earl and Countess of Shrewsbury acted as 'guardians' to Mary, Queen of Scots, when the Queen was imprisoned on one or another of their estates, but it was not until Mary was removed to another jailer, Sir Amias Paulet, that she got into the trouble that cost her life. Around the same time Mary was removed from his custody, Shrewsbury and Bess separated for good — they had been apart off-and-on since about 1580, and even Queen Elizabeth had tried to get them to reconcile. Mary seems to have aggravated, if not created, their problems by playing them off against each other. The Countess believed he had been in a relationship with Mary, a charge which has never been proved or disproved, but seems unlikely given Shrewsbury's disposition and increasingly poor health. On his death in 1590, Bess became <strong>Dowager Countess of Shrewsbury</strong>.</p> <p>Arbella was at times invited to Elizabeth's court, but spend most of her time with her grandmother away from it. A BBC documentary <sup></sup> showed that Bess very much desired Arbella to become Queen, even imprisoning the young lady to prevent her from eloping. Arbella blamed her grandmother for this, and the two fell out irrevocably when Arbella attempted to run away and marry a man who also had claim to the throne. Bess cut Arbella from her will and begged the Queen to take her granddaughter off her hands. Arbella's royal claim was never recognised but Bess eventually ended up with a descendant on the throne: Queen Elizabeth II.</p> <span>Buildings</span> <p>Bess became famous for her building projects, especially two of them: Chatsworth, now the seat of the Dukes of Devonshire (whose family name is still "Cavendish", because they are descended from the children of her second marriage), and Hardwick Hall, of which it has been said: "Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall", because of the number and size of its windows. She was interred in a vault in Derby Cathedral, where there is a memorial to her.</p> <span>Fiction</span> <p>Bess of Hardwick is a character in <em>The Other Queen</em>, by Philippa Gregory, as well as the title character of <em>A Woman of Passion</em> by Virginia Henley. She also features prominently in the book <em>The Captive Queen of Scots</em> by Jean Plaidy, in the short story "Antickes and Frets" by Susanna Clarke, in her 2006 collection <em>The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories and The Secret Confessions of Anne Shakespeare</em> by Arliss Ryan.</p> <span>Offspring</span> <ul><li>William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire was the forebear of the Dukes of Devonshire. The title of Duke of Devonshire is still extant.</li></ul> <ul><li>Sir Charles Cavendish married Catherine Ogle, 8th Baroness Ogle. Their son William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne is the forbear of the Dukes of Newcastle. The title of Duke of Newcastle is extinct since 1988; however the title of Earl of Lincoln is still extant within the family due to a very distant relative, while the Barony of Ogle is in abeyance, as there is more than one person who has a legal right to claim the title. Also of this family line is the Earl of Portland, whose titles are extant.</li></ul> <ul><li>Elizabeth Cavendish married Charles Stuart, 1st Earl of Lennox. Their daughter, Lady Arbella Stuart, 2nd Countess of Lennox, married William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset. The title of Duke of Somerset is still extant.</li></ul> <ul><li>Henry Cavendish married Grace Talbot. An illegitimate son, Henry Cavendish, is the forbear of the Barons Waterpark. The title of Baron Waterpark is still extant.</li></ul> <ul><li>Mary Cavendish married Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury. They had five children, including:</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alethea_Howard,_Countess_of_Arundel" title="Alethea Howard, Countess of Arundel">Lady Alatheia (or Alethea) Talbot</a>, who married <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Howard,_21st_Earl_of_Arundel" title="Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel">Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Norfolk</a>. The title of Duke of Norfolk is extant.</li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Talbot_Herbert" title="Mary Talbot Herbert" class="mw-redirect">Mary Talbot</a> who married <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Herbert,_3rd_Earl_of_Pembroke" title="William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke">William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke</a>. The title Earl of Pembroke is extant.</li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Grey,_Countess_of_Kent" title="Elizabeth Grey, Countess of Kent">Elizabeth Talbot</a> married <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Grey,_8th_Earl_of_Kent" title="Henry Grey, 8th Earl of Kent">Henry Grey, 8th Earl of Kent</a>. the title Earl of Kent from the Grey family is extinct since 1740.</li></ul> <ul><li>Frances Cavendish married Sir Henry Pierrepont their children were as follows</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Pierrepont,_1st_Earl_of_Kingston-upon-Hull" title="Robert Pierrepont, 1st Earl of Kingston-upon-Hull">Robert Pierrepont, 1st Earl of Kingston-upon-Hull</a> married Gertrude Talbot. They had five sons including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Pierrepont,_1st_Marquess_of_Dorchester" title="Henry Pierrepont, 1st Marquess of Dorchester">Henry Pierrepont, 1st Marquess of Dorchester</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Pierrepont_%28politician%29" title="William Pierrepont (politician)">William Pierrepoint</a>, Robert was also the forbear of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_of_Kingston-upon-Hull" title="Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull">Dukes of Kingston-upon-Hull</a>. The title of Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull is extinct since 1773. Also part of this family are the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Manvers" title="Earl Manvers">Earls Manvers</a>, whose title became extinct in 1955 due to the last earl having no sons.</li></ul> <ul><li>Elizabeth Pierrepont married Sir Thomas Erskine, 1st Earl of Kellie, forbear of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_of_Kellie" title="Earl of Kellie">Earls of Kellie</a>. The title of Earl of Kellie is still extant.</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace,_Lady_Manners" title="Grace, Lady Manners">Grace, Lady Manners</a> married Sir George Manners. They had four children, including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Manners,_8th_Earl_of_Rutland" title="John Manners, 8th Earl of Rutland">John Manners, 8th Earl of Rutland</a>.</li></ul>
<p><strong>Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury</strong> (July 27, 1527 – February 13, 1608), known as <strong>Bess of Hardwick</strong>, was the third surviving daughter of John Hardwick, of Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire. She was married four times, firstly to Richard Barlow, who died in his teens; secondly to the courtier Sir William Cavendish; thirdly to Sir William St Loe; and to lastly to the George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, sometime keeper to the captive Mary, Queen of Scots. An accomplished needlewoman, Bess hosted Mary at Chatsworth House for extended periods in 1569, 1570, and 1571, during which time they worked together on the Oxburgh Hangings. In 1601, Bess ordered an inventory of the household furnishings including textiles at her three properties at Chatsworth and Hardwick, which survives, and in her will she bequeathed these items to her heirs to be preserved in perpetuity. The 400-year-old collection, now known as the Hardwick Hall textiles, is the largest collection of tapestry, embroidery, canvaswork, and other textiles to have been preserved by a single private family.</p><div> <span>First marriage</span> </div><p>Born <strong>Elizabeth Hardwick</strong>, at the age of twelve she was sent to live in the London household of Lady Zouche at Codnor Castle, where she contracted the first of four marriages, to 14-year-old Robert Barlow, heir to a neighbouring estate, and became <strong>Elizabeth Barlow</strong>. However, they were too young, and he too sick, to consummate their marriage before he died. As Robert's widow she was entitled to one-third of the revenues of the Barlow estate.</p><p> </p><span>Second marriage</span> <p>She remained single until August 20, 1547, when she married the twice-widowed Sir William Cavendish, Treasurer of the King's Chamber,<sup><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></sup> who had two daughters and was more than twice her age, and became <strong>Lady Cavendish</strong>. Probably acting on her advice, Sir William sold his lands in the south of England and purchased the Chatsworth estates in Derbyshire.</p><p>Eight children were born of the ten-year marriage, two of whom died in infancy. Of the six who survived were three sons (Henry 1550-1616, William 1551-1626 and Charles 1553-1617) and three daughters (Frances b.1548, Elizabeth 1554-1582 and Mary 1556-1632). William was the forebear of the Dukes of Devonshire and Charles of the Dukes of Newcastle. Queen Elizabeth I was godmother to their first son, Henry, and Queen Mary I was godmother to their third son, Charles. Sir William Cavendish died on October 25, 1557, leaving Bess widowed for a second time. </p><span>Third marriage</span> <p>In 1559, Bess married her third husband, Sir William St Loe (St Lowe, Saintlowe, or Sentloe), Captain of the Guard to Queen Elizabeth I, Chief Butler of England, and owner of large West Country estates at Tormarton in Gloucestershire and Chew Magna in Somerset, whose principal residence was at Sutton Court in Stowey, and became <strong>Lady St Loe</strong>. When Sir William died without male issue in 1564/5, in suspicious circumstances (probably poisoned by his younger brother), he left everything to Bess, to the detriment of his daughters and brother. In addition to her own six children, Bess was now responsible for the two daughters of Sir William Cavendish from his first marriage, but Sir William St Loe's two daughters were adults and already well provided for.</p><p>Sir William St Loe's death left Bess one of the most eligible women in England. Not only was she a Lady of the Bedchamber with daily access and the favour of the Queen, but her income was calculated to amount to £60,000, which had the buying power of millions today. In her late 30s, she still retained her looks and good health, and a number of important men began courting her.</p><p> </p><span>Fourth marriage</span> <p>With the approval of Queen Elizabeth, who was not by habit a matchmaker, Bess was married in 1568 for the fourth time to the George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, one of the premier aristocrats of the realm, with seven children from his first marriage, and became <strong>Countess of Shrewsbury</strong>; two of his children married two of hers in a double ceremony in February 1568. Bess's daughter Mary Cavendish (aged 12) married Shrewsbury's eldest son Gilbert (aged 16), and Bess's son, Henry Cavendish (aged 18), married Shrewsbury's daughter Lady Grace Talbot (aged 8).</p><p> </p><span>The Stuart connection</span> <p>In 1574 Bess took advantage of a visit of the Countess of Lennox to marry her daughter Elizabeth to Charles Stuart, the younger son of the Lennoxes and brother of Henry, Lord Darnley, the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. The marriage ceremony took place without the knowledge of Shrewsbury, who — though he was well aware of the suggested match some time prior to this event — declined to accept any responsibility. As the Lennox family had a claim to the throne, the marriage was considered potentially treasonable as no royal assent had been obtained. The Countess of Lennox, mother of the bridegroom, went to the Tower for several months, and Bess was ordered to London to face an official inquiry, but she ignored the summons, and remained in Sheffield until the row died down. The child of the marriage was Arbella Stuart, who had a claim to the thrones of Scotland and England.</p><div><div style="width: 202px"><div></div></div></div><p>For many years (1569–1584), the Earl and Countess of Shrewsbury acted as 'guardians' to Mary, Queen of Scots, when the Queen was imprisoned on one or another of their estates, but it was not until Mary was removed to another jailer, Sir Amias Paulet, that she got into the trouble that cost her life. Around the same time Mary was removed from his custody, Shrewsbury and Bess separated for good — they had been apart off-and-on since about 1580, and even Queen Elizabeth had tried to get them to reconcile. Mary seems to have aggravated, if not created, their problems by playing them off against each other. The Countess believed he had been in a relationship with Mary, a charge which has never been proved or disproved, but seems unlikely given Shrewsbury's disposition and increasingly poor health. On his death in 1590, Bess became <strong>Dowager Countess of Shrewsbury</strong>.</p><p>A BBC documentary claimed that Bess very much desired Arbella to become Queen, but it is fact that Bess was forced by order of the Queen to keep the girl away from Court and closely supervised in rural Derbyshire. Arbella blamed her grandmother for this, and the two fell out irrevocably when Arbella attempted to run away and marry a man who also had claim to the throne. Bess cut Arbella from her will and begged the Queen to take her granddaughter off her hands. Arbella's royal claim was never recognised but Bess eventually ended up with a descendant on the throne: Queen Elizabeth II.</p><p> </p><span>Buildings</span> <p>Bess became famous for her building projects, especially two of them: Chatsworth, now the seat of the Dukes of Devonshire (whose family name is still "Cavendish," because they are descended from her children from her second marriage), and Hardwick Hall, of which it has been said for more than 400 years now: "Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall," because of the number and size of its windows. She was interred in a vault in Derby Cathedral, where there is a memorial to her. All three sites are popular with visitors, as is Old Hardwick Hall, Bess' birthplace.</p><p> </p><span>Fiction</span> <p>Bess of Hardwick is a character in The Other Queen, by Philppa Gregory. She is also the subject of Jan Westcott's novel, The Tower and the Dream.</p><p> </p><span>Legacy</span> <p>Her Children</p><ul><li>Son = William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire was the forebear of the Dukes of Devonshire= The title of the Dukes of Devonshire is still Extant. </li></ul><ul><li>Son = Sir Charles Cavendish married Catherine Ogle, 8th Baroness Ogle's, their son = William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne forbear of the Duke of Newcastle = The title of the Dukes of Newcastle is now Extinct since 1988, however the title of Earl of Lincoln is still Extant within the family due to a very distant relative, while the Barony of Ogle is in abeyence as there is more then one person who has a legal right to claim the title, also of this family line is the Earl of Portland whose titles are Extant. </li></ul><ul><li>Daughter = Elizabeth Cavendish married Charles Stuart, 1st Earl of Lennox their daughter = Lady Arbella Stuart, 2nd Countess of Lennox married William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, = The title of the Duke of Somerset is still Extant. </li></ul><ul><li>Son = Henry Cavendish married Grace Talbot = Illegitimate son = Henry Cavendish forbear of the Baron Waterpark = The title of the Baron Waterpark is still Extant. </li></ul><ul><li>Daughter = Mary Cavendish married Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury they had 5 children including </li><li>Lady Alatheia (or Alethea) Talbot, who married Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Norfolk, Duke of Norfolks Title = Extant </li><li>Mary Talbot who married William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, Earl of Pembroke's Title = Extant </li><li>Elizabeth Talbot married Henry Grey, 8th Earl of Kent, Earl of Kent from the Grey Family is now Extinct since 1740 </li></ul><ul><li>Daughter = Frances Cavendish married Sir Henry Pierrepont their children were as follows </li></ul><ul><li>Robert Pierrepont, 1st Earl of Kingston-upon-Hull married Gertrude Talbot, they had five sons including Henry Pierrepont, 1st Marquess of Dorchester and William Pierrepont, Robert was also the forbear for the Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull = The Title of the Dukes of Kingston-upon-Hull is now Extinct since 1773, also part of this family were the Earl Manvers whose Title became Extinct in 1955 due to the last earl having no sons. </li></ul><ul><li>Elizabeth Pierrepont married Sir Thomas Erskine, 1st Earl of Kellie forbear for the Earl of Kellie = The Title for the Earls of Kellie is still Extant. </li></ul><ul><li>Grace, Lady Manners married Sir George Manners, they had four children including John Manners, 8th Earl of Rutland </li></ul><p> </p>