Bess of Hardwick: First Lady of Chatsworth, 1527

Bess of Hardwick: First Lady of Chatsworth, 15271608
by Mary S. Lovell
After 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.|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...|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,
speculative statements. I just can't deal with it...|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-...|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, già 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.|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.