The Duchess Countess
The Duchess Countess

Author: Catherine Ostler

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2022-02-22

Total Pages: 432

ISBN-13: 1982179732

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This "funny, intelligent, witty, profound" (Andrew Roberts, New York Times bestselling author) look at the stylish and scandalous Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston--a woman whose adventurous life led to an infamous bigamy trial that was bigger news in British society than the American War of Independence--provides a clear-eyed and fascinating look into the sumptuous Georgian Era. As maid of honor to the Princess of Wales, Elizabeth Chudleigh enjoyed a luxurious life in the inner circle of the Hanoverian court. With her extraordinary style and engaging wit, she both delighted and scandalized the press and public. She would later even inspire William Thackeray when he was writing his classic Vanity Fair, providing the inspiration for the alluring social climber Becky Sharp. But Elizabeth's real story is more complex and surprising than anything out of fiction. A clandestine, candlelit wedding to the young heir to an earldom, a second marriage to a duke, a lust for diamonds, and an electrifying appearance at a masquerade ball in a gossamer dress--it's no wonder that Elizabeth's eventual trial was a sensation. Charged with bigamy, an accusation she vehemently fought against, Elizabeth refused to submit to public humiliation and retire quietly. Perfect for fans of The Duchess and Women of Means, this long overdue and evocative biography reappraises Elizabeth's remarkable story, and out of the past comes an incredibly modern woman who defied society's expectations of her.

Hidden Patrons
Hidden Patrons

Author: Amy Boyington

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2023-11-02

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 1350358649

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

An enduring myth of Georgian architecture is that it was purely the pursuit of male architects and their wealthy male patrons. History states that it was men who owned grand estates and houses, who commissioned famous architects, and who embarked upon elaborate architectural schemes. Hidden Patrons dismantles this myth - revealing instead that women were at the heart of the architectural patronage of the day, exerting far more influence and agency than has previously been recognised. Architectural drawing and design, discourse, and patronage were interests shared by many women in the eighteenth century. Far from being the preserve of elite men, architecture was a passion shared by both sexes, intellectually and practically, as long as they possessed sufficient wealth and autonomy. In an accessible, readable account, Hidden Patrons uncovers the role of women as important patrons and designers of architecture and interiors in eighteenth-century Britain and Ireland. Exploring country houses, Georgian townhouses, villas, estates, and gardens, it analyses female patronage from across the architectural spectrum, and examines the work of a range of pioneering women from grand duchesses to businesswomen to lowly courtesans. Re-examining well-known Georgian masterpieces alongside lesser-known architectural gems, Hidden Patrons unearths unseen archival material to provide a fascinating new view of the role of women in the architecture of the Georgian era.

A Land of Liberty?
A Land of Liberty?

Author: Julian Hoppit

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2000-06-22

Total Pages: 602

ISBN-13: 0191586528

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The Glorious Revolution of 1688-9 was a decisive moment in England's history; an invading Dutch army forced James II to flee to France, and his son-in-law and daughter, William and Mary, were crowned as joint sovereigns. The wider consequences were no less startling: bloody war in Ireland, Union with Scotland, Jacobite intrigue, deep involvement in two major European wars, Britain's emergence as a great power, a 'financial revolution', greater religious toleration, a riven Church, and a startling growth of parliamentary government. Such changes were only part of the transformation of English society at the time. An enriching torrent of new ideas from the likes of Newton, Defoe, and Addison, spread through newspapers, periodicals, and coffee-houses, provided new views and values that some embraced and others loathed. England's horizons were also growing, especially in the Caribbean and American colonies. For many, however, the benefits were uncertain: the slave trade flourished, inequality widened, and the poor and 'disorderly' were increasingly subject to strictures and statutes. If it was an age of prospects it was also one of anxieties.

A Political Biography of Delarivier Manley
A Political Biography of Delarivier Manley

Author: Rachel Carnell

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-09-30

Total Pages: 354

ISBN-13: 1317315421

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A Tory pamphleteer, playwright and satirical historian, Delarivier Manley was regarded by her contemporaries Jonathan Swift and Robert Harley as a key member of the Tory propaganda team. This biography offers details about her life, including evidence about three illegitimate children by John Tilly, Governor of Fleet Prison.