Bess Of Hardwick: First Lady Of Chatsworth, 1527-1608 (2005) - Plot & Excerpts
My review on my blog 'Preludes'The key to a good biography is that it picks you up and drops you right in the middle of the protagonist's life and allows you to see the world with new eyes. In nothing is this more important than in historical biographies, where you're given the protagonist as a unique focus to anchor you as you look around the period of history that they grew in.The Tudor period is arguably the most famous in all of Britain's history: it held the devastation of the reformation, it encompassed the rise of the printing press, the discovery of 'new worlds', and the flourishing of great art and the rise of charismatic personalities that were rapidly brought to test by some of the most turbulent and back-stabbing political changes that the country had experienced. It was also, fundamentally, a watershed period for the rise of female agency and rule in areas that had previously been barred to them. With such a rich and well known period of history to navigate - with lists of influential names and machinations to remember - having an anchor to hold on to is what prevents everything from becoming all too academic and alien. Mary Lovell presents Bess of Hardwick as that anchor in her biography, and the great lady proves to be a fantastic guide.Bess of Hardwick was the first lady of Chatsworth house and rose to become the second richest and most powerful woman in the country, under Queen Elizabeth herself. She was born into genteel family that was far from wealthy by noblity's standards. She was first widowed at sixteen, going on to survive three more husbands. Her fourth marriage to the Earl of Shrewsbury was beset by problems as the couple struggled to keep together under their duty of the gaurdianship (and imprisonment) of Mary Queen of Scots for fifteen years, and the marriage eventually broke apart under her husband's declining mental health.Despite these challenges, Bess worked hard to secure the future of her children and to secure and grow her fortune, becoming a self taught enthusiastic businesswoman in what was very much a man's world. Forging her independence and relying on her own natural charisma and intelligence, she made sure that she was a valuable asset to the court and managed to weather through the reigns of four famous monarchs while many of her friends fell foul of their tempers. In this, despite her modest beginnings, Bess had fantastic success. She was a close personal friend of Elizabeth Ist (although even she was not immune to the effects of the virgin queen's moods) and her own granddaughter Arbella, through Bess' machinations, came tantalisingly close to taking the English throne.This is the wonderfully written history of the domestic, dynastic and political occupations of an 'ordinary' woman, and offers a unique and very accessible historical perspective. While this is doubtless a feminist history of a remarkable woman, Lovell manages to focus on the day to day realities of this woman's life: while Lovell is impressed and clearly affectionate about her subject, Bess is never coloured as either a martyr or a saint. What the book offers is a rarely glimpses level of detail and reality about what it meant to be a Tudor woman.Bess herself in the 1550sLovell's research is commendable: she has scanned through hundreds and hundreds of letters, household accounts and more to back up her biography with primary research. This gives her the authority to challenge many previous biographies and historical theories about Bess, and she does so with a sense of humble confidence. As with any good historical biography, pages of notes are provided so that, if you wish, you can check her references and do some research of your own.While this is - I believe - a 'proper' historical work, the narrative style is chronological and detailed while still keeping the emotional flourishes and conjecture that make for a very engaging read. It's impossible to close the final pages of this book without feeling a sense of companionship and admiration for Bess herself. As Alexander Waugh [The Independent on Sunday] commented about the book, it is 'one of those biographies in which the reader really doesn't want the subject to die'.I thoroughly recommend a read.
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.
What do You think about Bess Of Hardwick: First Lady Of Chatsworth, 1527-1608 (2005)?
(view spoiler)[Bettie's BooksThe rating, any status updates, and those bookshelves, indicate my feelings for this book. (hide spoiler)]
—Bettie☯
IMHO Mary S Lovell is the best biographer I have ever read. She has a gift for bringing people to life, and it is never more evident than in her story of this remarkable woman. This is my third time to read the book, and I doubt it is the last. Bess is a wonderful character, larger than life, and so interesting that if her life were written as a novel, no one would believe it. It helps that I love the Tudors, and Bess and Queen Elizabeth were great friends. Bess and her fourth husband, the Earl of Shrewsbury, were tasked with guarding Mary, Queen of Scots for 18 years, and it destroyed her marriage to the Earl.She lived for more than 80 years, and was the richest woman in the realm when she died. Four of her descendants were raised to the rank of Duke, and the current Duke of Devonshire is head of a great house. How this woman rose from very modest circumstances to great power is a fascinating story. I recommend this book highly.
—Kilian Metcalf
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.
—Lis
