Saints Be Praised in England: Pemberley

"They gradually ascended for half a mile, and then found themselves at the top of a considerable eminence, where the wood ceased, and the eye was instantly caught by Pemberley House, situated on the opposite side of a valley, into which the road with some abruptness wound. It was a large, handsome, stone building, standing well on rising ground, and backed by a ridge of high woody hills;—and in front, a stream of some natural importance was swelled into greater, but without any artificial appearance. Its banks were neither formal, nor falsely adorned. Elizabeth was delighted. She had never seen a place where nature had done more, or where natural beauty had been so little counteracted by an awkward taste. They were all of them warm in her admiration; and at that moment she felt that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something!"
Jane Austen,
Pride and Prejudice

It is thought that Jane Austen's inspiration for Pemberley was the Chatsworth House, in Derbyshire. After the country dance when he snubbed her, Elizabeth Bennet declared that she would never dance with Mr. Darcy. That was before she laid eyes on Pemberley.

This is how it looked last week when my mother and I visited.

We enjoyed a four day excursion, which ended with a day at the Chatsworth House.

Bess of Hardwick and her second husband William Cavendish bought Chatsworth in 1549 and started building in 1553. It is said Bess wanted a home where she could raise a future monarch.

William died in 1557. Bess finished the house in the 1560's and lived there with her 4th husband, the Earl of Shrewsbury.

Bess's second son William Cavendish inherited Chatsworth, and it is still inhabited by the Cavendish family, the 12th Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.

Mary, Queen of Scotts was in the custody of Bess's husband the Earl of Shrewsbury. She was "hosted" at Chatsworth for extended periods in 1569 - 1571. In 1587 Mary was executed by order of her cousin Queen Elizabeth, and had her head lopped off.

It is said the first blow of the ax missed her neck and that it took a second blow to end her life.

The executioner lifted her severed head into the air and declared, "God save the Queen!"

Unfortunately, she was wearing a wig. Her head fell to the ground, I imagine, to the executioner's horror.

Sculpure of man holding his skin.

She had short grey hair. She was 44 years old and had been held as a prisoner for 20 years.

I am going the way of Mary, hiding my grey hair.

However, planning to keep my head whenever possible.

Another tidbit about Mary, Queen of Scotts...

The executioners and her two servants helped remove her black outer gown, two petticoats, and her corset to reveal a deep red chemise — the liturgical colour of martyrdom in the Catholic Church. (Wikipedia)

As she disrobed she smiled faintly to the executioner and said, "Never have I had such assistants to disrobe me, and never have I put off my clothes before such a company." (Wikipedia)

I appreciate people who die cracking jokes.

This is a portrait of Georgiana (pronounced a lot like 'vagina') Cavendish, the Duchess of Devonshire. She was the first wife of the 5th Duke of Devonshire. Her father was the 1st Earl of Spencer, and Princess Diana is one of her descendents.

She and her husband lived for 25 years in a menage a trois with this woman, her best friend (seen above), Lady Elizabeth Foster. The Duchess, a biography by Amanda Foreman which was made into a film staring Keira Knightley, tells her story.

Future Duchess of Devonshire, the Countess of Burlington, Laura Cavendish.

Georgiana married the 5th Duke when she was seventeen years old in 1774.

Honeycomb as art.

She and the Duke met Lady Elizabeth Foster in 1782 and the three resided "happily" at Chatsworth.

This cuppola is massive.

Three years after the death of Georgiana, Bess Foster married the Duke.

I want this chess set.

The 6th Duke, the son of Geogiana, never married and made many changes to Chatsworth. He was known as the "Bachelor Duke."

Chinese painted wall paper, 200 years old (his idea).

Something we learned that surprised us, was that women who worked as ladies' maids earned their greatest incomes in their youth. They were prized for being 'in the know' about the latest fashion trends. As they aged they earned less and less until they were sent to the workhouse in their late 30's.