20^th April  10.30 and 2pm – Bess of Hardwick: ‘a woman of masculine understanding and conduct’ by  Gillian White

Bess of Hardwick is one of the most fascinating women of the sixteenth century. Four times married, she survived scandal and disgrace, and, through ambition and ability, climbed the social ladder to become England’s premier countess and, arguably, the second richest woman in the kingdom. She was by turns a builder, a dynast and an intriguer. A friend of Elizabeth I, sometime gaoler to Mary, Queen of Scots, and grandmother to a potential queen, Bess moved deftly in and out of the pages of Elizabethan history. This lecture tells Bess’s story: the story of a woman who simply did not know her place!

Visitors welcome to attend – £6. For further information about venue, future lectures and events email info@theartssocietyabingdon.org.uk. Lectures last about an hour, but leave time for announcements etc.