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    Chatsworth and the Duchesses of Devonshire
    Chatsworth and the Duchesses of Devonshire
    Chatsworth and the Duchesses of Devonshire
    Ebook107 pages1 hour

    Chatsworth and the Duchesses of Devonshire

    By Katherine Longhi

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    About this ebook

    As individuals, the Duchesses of Devonshire have made their mark on history, politics, and English high society. Collectively, they are a force which has made an indelible print on the conservation of their home at Chatsworth. There is no better place to try to get a sense of who these amazing women were than by visiting Chatsworth. With this book you will unlock their stories and get a room by room tour of Chatsworth. By the end you will have walked figuratively and possibly even literally in the Duchesses of Devonshire’s footsteps and can form your own judgements about these fascinating women.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherKatherine Longhi
    Release dateOct 31, 2014
    ISBN9781310310072
    Chatsworth and the Duchesses of Devonshire
    Author

    Katherine Longhi

    Katherine Longhi is a dual British/American national living in London with her Italian husband. Katherine is passionate about British royal history, especially stories which feature strong female personalities. Castles and Countesses is her first book series.

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      Book preview

      Chatsworth and the Duchesses of Devonshire - Katherine Longhi

      Chatsworth and the Duchesses of Devonshire

      By Katherine Longhi

      Copyright 2014 Katherine Longhi

      Smashwords Edition

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Other books in the Castles and Countesses series

      Hever Castle and Anne Boleyn

      Contents

      Getting to Chatsworth

      The Duchesses

      Chatsworth Interior Tour

      Chatsworth Garden Tour

      Visiting Further Afield

      Resources

      About the Author

      In memory of Duchess Deborah

      1920 - 2014

      ©Devonshire Collection, Chatsworth

      Reproduced by permission of Chatsworth Settlement Trustees

      I didn’t have the privilege to know her

      But I consider it a great privilege to write about her

      Introduction

      Chatsworth has been the home to so many magnificent women. For those women who have held the title duchess, don’t let the title fool you. It’s not just about dressing well and throwing parties. These women helped shape history (Bess of Hardwick and Mary Queen of Scots), politics (Georgiana Spencer), and were the guardians of the magnificent building with its art collections which you see today (Deborah Mitford.) But who were these women? It’s a good question and unfortunately, with the exception perhaps of the founding mother of the Devonshire dynasty Bess of Hardwick, they seem to get upstaged by their husbands - the Dukes.

      A great place to explore the lives of the Duchesses of Devonshire is their home at Chatsworth in Derbyshire, England. If you’ve managed to find your way to Chatsworth, then skip to the tour guide section of this book. Or if you have time, find a nice tree in the gardens to sit under and read up on the lives of the duchesses first.

      Disclosure: while I am not a historian, I am a passionate student of history. Bess of Hardwick was born almost five hundred years ago, which is a long time in history. Because of this, sometimes we don’t know exactly what happened. All we can do is conjecture based on the facts that we do know, and leave it up to historians (and dreamers!) to fill in the gaps.

      This is a book about the lives of the influential duchesses who were the chatelaines of Chatsworth, and a practical tour guide for your visit. At the end of the book you’ll find a bibliography and other resources to help you in your history studies. I invite you to form your own conclusions about the cast of characters that have called Chatsworth home and I hope that this is just the beginning of your historic journey.

      Godspeed.

      — Katherine Longhi

      Getting to Chatsworth

      Chatsworth is in the middle of England in Derbyshire. You can reach Chatsworth from London by taking the train from St Pancras to Chesterfield. From Chesterfield rail station you can take a public bus to Chatsworth or a taxi.

      In order to spend more time at Chatsworth, and less time figuring out how to get there from Chesterfield, I suggest that you book a taxi in advance. You can call either: A Line Cars on 01246 222444 or County Cars on 01246 557755

      If you are brave enough to drive, simply enter the post code DE45 1PP into your navigation system.

      If you are brave enough to drive without a navigation system (or fancy yourself James Bond, 007) take the M1 and exit at Junction 29, Chesterfield. The brown signs to the estate are easy enough to follow.

      No matter which way you drive, watch out for the sheep. The closer you get to Chatsworth, the more there are. The sheep are not afraid of cars therefore you should be afraid of hitting one. Nothing ruins a good day out more than starting it off with road kill.

      Tickets to Chatsworth can be purchased at a discount online which also includes free parking. Alternatively you can buy tickets when you enter the North Entrance Hall.

      Bess of Hardwick was born as Elizabeth Hardwick around 1521, although some believe that she was born as late as 1527. Bess’ origins were humble, however, through a series of four marriages she became one of the most wealthy and powerful women of her day. Bess was a builder, both of great buildings and a dynasty that would become the Dukedom of Devonshire. Bess was the original chatelaine of Chatsworth House and in her prime, only Queen Elizabeth I surpassed Bess in terms of power and wealth.

      There is not much to note about Bess’ early years. She was the fourth daughter of John Hardwick and Elizabeth Leake. When her father died, she was left with a tiny dowry (a terrible fate for a young girl at that time). John’s early death created a hardship for the family. To help turn things around, Bess’ mother married Ralph Leche and Bess’ childhood generally seemed happy. However, Ralph didn’t deliver on his end of the deal, and essentially deserted Elizabeth and the children. Bess learned the hard way from watching her mother not to be dependant on any man.

      Bess married her first husband, Robert Barlow, in 1543, when she was little more than a child. Each of Bess’ husbands brought something of value to Bess in the marriage - either wealth or standing, or both. Here’s a quick introduction to each of Bess’ husbands and what Bess gained from each marriage:

      -Robert Barlow: land, property, and pension

      -William Cavendish of Suffolk, treasurer of King’s Chamber: title Lady Elizabeth Cavendish, land, property, and wealth

      -Sir William St. Loe, captain of the guard serving Queen Elizabeth: position Lady of the Privy Chamber, land, property, and wealth

      -George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury: title Countess of Shrewsbury

      Bess met her first husband, Robert, when she was in service with the Zouche family. It was common for girls like Bess who were country gentry to enter into the services of more wealthy patrons like Lady Zouche. Bess’ role there was part maid and part

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