Glass was so expensive back in the day, so windows were a sign of wealth! This was literally Bess designing a building that said "look how rich I am, you peasants." Like a legend.
Hardwick Hall... more glass than wall. It even survived the Window Tax which came in later (along with the Dog Tax, the Horse Tax, Clock and Watch Tax) when everybody else was bricking up their windows.
With all the dirtbags in the world, how is it possible to narrow down possible subjects to a manageable lot? And I suspect your pool of candidates doesn’t even include any used car salesmen.
hahaha the pool is very much not manageable! my only two criteria are 1) they have to be deceased, and 2) the stories have to be fun to yell about instead of (or at least in addition to) horrifying or depressing. that narrows things down a little but dear god I'm never going to run out.
Bess of Hardwick is an absolute 🐐! She’s been one of my favorite dirtbags for years now and I’m so glad you featured her. This was amazing! So many good historical fiction/steamy romance novels have been written about her too
Having been round Hardwick Hall, I can confirm that it really is that batshit OTT amazing! Everything is luxe, the rooms are huge, the ceiling high, the windows immense, and there are massive tapestries all over the damn place - it must have cost a fortune to run!
Well worth the admission fee, if you are up that way. 🤩
Funnily enough, I’ve not been the Chatsworth. Dunno why. Just not got round to it, I think. Go past them both on the M1 pretty often, but I tagged along with my folks on a day out to Hardwick.
I would pay for the sheer appreciation of the delight you add to my inbox currently, but I’m also very much into the idea of deeply irregular bonus content and a March madness bracket!
Whatever the extra content, I think keeping it random and low pressure on yourself is key. Honestly, to me, “paid subscribers get to be delighted by completely random and irregular surprise content of dubious quality, and no I will not say more” is a much more exciting (and on-brand) prospect that promising a regular extra feature that you have to push yourself to deliver.
I clicked on the Pledge Support and did so. I'm in for "Deeply irregular bonus content of dubious quality, like “Allison’s Favorite Drawings of Saint Bernard Drinking From The Virgin Mary’s Tit, Ranked In Order Of Logistical Difficulty” Thanks.
Love this! I am now picturing Bess as some sort of Tudor Sarah Beeny.
As a paid subscriber, I would require nothing extra but I am absolutely here for any sort of “deeply irregular bonus content” that you wish to supply, especially if it involves pictures with captions of the same high standard as those found in your essays.
On a side note, I have just finished “A Tip For The Hangman” and I loved it. Thank you. (Although I was secretly hoping you might pull a “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” and change the ending.)
When I saw the title for this episode, I thought surely not THAT bess?! And then I got thinking (always a mistake), they are roughly the same age give or take, their portraits looks kind of similar... Around the time Mary Queen of Scots was under arrest perhaps Queen Elizabeth did a switch, just for kicks. That would explain why she's also got that lead paint all over her face - nothing to do with smallpox, it was a disguise! Who knows if they ever switched back?
ps for my paid subscription I would like a genuine Dirt Bag, containing a pint of gin. thank you.
You forgot to mention the fact(although everyone probably already knows this) that Lady Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk was the daughter of Princess Mary Tudor and therefore the niece of Henry the 8th, and first cousin to Edward, Bloody Mary, and Elizabeth the first....so being a "Lady in Waiting" to Frances Grey was also probably premeditated for the advantages it would have given her...after all she WAS(meaning Frances) royalty, and I am certain Bess was being shrewdly calculating(as she was her entire life) when she made sure she was placed in her service!
I live in the city of Derby and have been to Hardwick and Chatsworth a few times, and often through the grounds. I enjoyed your write up and subscribed.
I would be happy to pay something for your writing. My issue is sometimes time rather than the money so a piece every few weeks suits me.
(A bit off topic but Kathleen Kennedy, sister of JFK, is buried in the churchyard in Edensor at the entrance to Chatsworth House).
I love this post and I love you mentioned Gemma Chan! But also… Why did ma’am need so many windows? I guess wax candles were really a pain.
Glass was so expensive back in the day, so windows were a sign of wealth! This was literally Bess designing a building that said "look how rich I am, you peasants." Like a legend.
Hardwick Hall... more glass than wall. It even survived the Window Tax which came in later (along with the Dog Tax, the Horse Tax, Clock and Watch Tax) when everybody else was bricking up their windows.
With all the dirtbags in the world, how is it possible to narrow down possible subjects to a manageable lot? And I suspect your pool of candidates doesn’t even include any used car salesmen.
hahaha the pool is very much not manageable! my only two criteria are 1) they have to be deceased, and 2) the stories have to be fun to yell about instead of (or at least in addition to) horrifying or depressing. that narrows things down a little but dear god I'm never going to run out.
Bess of Hardwick is an absolute 🐐! She’s been one of my favorite dirtbags for years now and I’m so glad you featured her. This was amazing! So many good historical fiction/steamy romance novels have been written about her too
Totally agree, Zoë! She rocks!
Having been round Hardwick Hall, I can confirm that it really is that batshit OTT amazing! Everything is luxe, the rooms are huge, the ceiling high, the windows immense, and there are massive tapestries all over the damn place - it must have cost a fortune to run!
Well worth the admission fee, if you are up that way. 🤩
Now on my list for a visit!
Funnily enough, I’ve not been the Chatsworth. Dunno why. Just not got round to it, I think. Go past them both on the M1 pretty often, but I tagged along with my folks on a day out to Hardwick.
Can verify that Chatsworth is gorgeous too!
I would pay for the sheer appreciation of the delight you add to my inbox currently, but I’m also very much into the idea of deeply irregular bonus content and a March madness bracket!
Whatever the extra content, I think keeping it random and low pressure on yourself is key. Honestly, to me, “paid subscribers get to be delighted by completely random and irregular surprise content of dubious quality, and no I will not say more” is a much more exciting (and on-brand) prospect that promising a regular extra feature that you have to push yourself to deliver.
I clicked on the Pledge Support and did so. I'm in for "Deeply irregular bonus content of dubious quality, like “Allison’s Favorite Drawings of Saint Bernard Drinking From The Virgin Mary’s Tit, Ranked In Order Of Logistical Difficulty” Thanks.
Love this! I am now picturing Bess as some sort of Tudor Sarah Beeny.
As a paid subscriber, I would require nothing extra but I am absolutely here for any sort of “deeply irregular bonus content” that you wish to supply, especially if it involves pictures with captions of the same high standard as those found in your essays.
On a side note, I have just finished “A Tip For The Hangman” and I loved it. Thank you. (Although I was secretly hoping you might pull a “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” and change the ending.)
I would pay purely for the current content, but deeply irregular bonus content would also get me.
When I saw the title for this episode, I thought surely not THAT bess?! And then I got thinking (always a mistake), they are roughly the same age give or take, their portraits looks kind of similar... Around the time Mary Queen of Scots was under arrest perhaps Queen Elizabeth did a switch, just for kicks. That would explain why she's also got that lead paint all over her face - nothing to do with smallpox, it was a disguise! Who knows if they ever switched back?
ps for my paid subscription I would like a genuine Dirt Bag, containing a pint of gin. thank you.
You forgot to mention the fact(although everyone probably already knows this) that Lady Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk was the daughter of Princess Mary Tudor and therefore the niece of Henry the 8th, and first cousin to Edward, Bloody Mary, and Elizabeth the first....so being a "Lady in Waiting" to Frances Grey was also probably premeditated for the advantages it would have given her...after all she WAS(meaning Frances) royalty, and I am certain Bess was being shrewdly calculating(as she was her entire life) when she made sure she was placed in her service!
Don’t forget she married some of her kids to subsequent husband’s kids to increase their wealth & property! You go, Bess! One of my faves!
I laughed out loud through all of this, thank you.
I live in the city of Derby and have been to Hardwick and Chatsworth a few times, and often through the grounds. I enjoyed your write up and subscribed.
I would be happy to pay something for your writing. My issue is sometimes time rather than the money so a piece every few weeks suits me.
(A bit off topic but Kathleen Kennedy, sister of JFK, is buried in the churchyard in Edensor at the entrance to Chatsworth House).
Excellent!
How about sonnets? Allison’s Poetry Corner? Limericks will suffice. I like the March Madness idea.
I'm am here for any and all content! (And your books!)