Dunham Massey in Cheshire
If you have read some of my previous blog posts you may know that I am currently writing a non-fiction book about women in the English Country House. I thought I would introduce the historical female characters who I am writing about in my book. These women were incredible characters, their strength in the face of tragedy and their desire to make an impact on the world around them, provide stories which are begging to be told.
My book is focused on the 19th century as a whole, with my oldest woman born in 1780 and my youngest dying in 1905 although there will be some historical context from the 18th and 20th centuries as we trace the world they were born into and the world they left behind.
So, with no further ado, lets meet my four incredible women, who, as I get to know them more, feel like friends . . .
Lady Mary Isham
b.1787 - d.1878
Mary was born at Elm Park in Co. Armagh in Ireland to Deborah de Robillard Champagne and Samuel Close. She met Col. Justinian Isham of Lamport Hall in Northamptonshire who was stationed in Ireland at the time as captain of the militia. They were married in 1812 and in 1818 they moved to Lamport Hall when Justinian inherited the estate and his baronetcy. Throughout their time at Lamport, Justinian was known as 'the silent baronet' due to the fact he was more interested in his library and Mary was more interested in developing the Hall. She was a strong woman, confident in her beliefs and opinions, but she was also an incredibly generous woman, giving thousands of pounds to local charities and acting as patron to charities and societies. During her time at Lamport Hall she managed the rebuild of the Hall, estate and parkland, she ensured their tenants were well looked after and she also raised a family. We will follow Mary's entire life, looking at her achievements and the incredible tragedy she suffered.
Lady Mary Isham of Lamport Hall, Northamptonshire
(reproduced with permission of Lamport Hall Preservation Trust)
Harriet Leveson-Gower, Countess Granville
b.1785 - d.1862
Harriet is probably one of the most well-known women in my book, or rather her mother was. Born in 1785 at Devonshire House in London to Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire and William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire, she was the second daughter and was supposed to have been a boy. She was raised in the curious household of the Devonshire's, observing the odd relationship between her mother, father and Lady Elizabeth Foster, her father's mistress. She married in 1809, aged 24 to Granville Leveson Gower who had been a friend of the family for many years and who for almost a decade had been the lover of Harriet's Aunt, Lady Bessborough. This seems like an unusual set up, but considering the upbringing Harriet had, it's unlikely that she would have thought too much about it. She even welcomed her Aunt and husbands two illegitimate children into her home. I am exploring the nature of Harriet's upbringing and her unusual marriage, looking at how this influenced her later life and her position as a wife and mother.
Katherine Grey, Countess of Stamford and Warrington
b.1826 - d.1905
Katherine is my youngest woman and one of the least known, but her story is remarkable. She was born into a circus family in London and grew to become one of the most famous circus performers in London by the 1850's. She performed as a bare-back horse rider with her sister at Astley's Circus and she was spotted by the eligible George Harry Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford and Warrington who, captivated by her incredible beauty, whisked her out of her circus life, married her, and took her away to Dunham Massey, his principal estate in Cheshire. However, not everyone thought that the marriage was appropriate and the young couple found themselves having to defend their marriage, although, as a young Earl with no immediate family to control him, George Harry was used to doing whatever he wanted. They were snubbed by the gentry and even Queen Victoria before deciding they would move to Enville Hall in Staffordshire, another of the Earl's properties, where they lived happily for twenty years. In my book we look at George Harry's upbringing, his marriage to Katherine and the early years of their marriage at Dunham Massey.
Elizabeth Manners, Duchess of Rutland of Belvoir Castle
(reproduced with permission of Her Grace, Duchess of Rutland)
Elizabeth Manners, Duchess of Rutland
b.1780 - d.1825
Elizabeth is one of my favourite characters that I am writing about - although I have to admit I love them all! She was born at Castle Howard in North Yorkshire to the 5th Earl and Countess of Carlisle. She was vaguely related through marriage to Harriet whose sister Georgiana was married to Elizabeth's eldest brother George. Elizabeth married John Henry Manners, the 5th Duke of Rutlnd in 1799 when she was just 19 and moved to Belvoir Castle in Rutland. She was hugely disappointed when she arrived at the Castle, finding an outdated and dilapidated house in need of renovation and money. She took it as her mission to improve the Castle and throughout her relatively short life she worked continuously to develop the Castle that you see today. She was also unfortunately the recipient of several tragic events - losing three of her children, her eldest daughter and two baby boys, as well as a fire in 1816 which ravaged the Castle, burning away lots of her hard work. She is an incredible woman - probably the strongest of the bunch, and I can't wait for you to get to know her more.
So that's it! These are the four main women in my book. I will be making references to other women throughout the book to lend context to the period but these four women will form the bulk of the story. We will be looking at upbringing, marriage, home life, children and tragedy - following their lives and challenging our stereotypes of women of the period.
I can't wait for you to be able to read this book . . . . I just hope you like it!!
p.s.:
Please do share this webpage with your friends and family if you know they like country house history or you think they would enjoy my book!
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