The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-10-05
"Bess of hardmcke. "

On October 10 the Duke Of Devonsnire
will celebrate over all MS great estates
the birthday of that truly remarkable wo-
man known variously as "Bess OF HARD
wicke". and "Bess the Builder
Wide are the acres of the ducai mouse
Of Cavendish, and many the palaces and
castles of the race, but every STICK and
stone owned by his grace OF Devonsnire
is due. directly or indirectly, 10 Bess OF
HarGwicke. She was the founder Oh Inc
family in every sense OF the WoFu' anu
for this reason the feasting and Junketns
which will take place in Devonshire mousse,
in Chatsworth, in Lismore castle, In HARD
wicke, and Holker halls, and in all the otn-
er mansions of the duke. are but the SUIT
| able recognition of a great obligation
Before Bess Of Hardw:cke came the Cav
endishes were nobodies. Elizabeth Hard-
| w!cke was born September 10. l6l'-b, the
| daughter of one Master John Harwicke.
| small landed proprietor in Deroysnire-
| John Hardw:cke owned 100 acres, and was
| midway between yeoman and gentleman.
| Moreover, Bess was only his sixth daugh-
| ter, so that her life began opscureiy
| enough.
| She never received any education TO
| speak of. being barely able to read ard
write. But heaven, to compensate for otn-
| or lacks, had given this little woman tsne
| was. SAYS the chronicler. small and fralle
| vithal even as aspen leafe, but quick OF
| eye ard tongue') a considerable allowance
| of good looks, lofty ambition, ana
| brain of the first order. At the early age
| of fourteen she won and married the nrst
of her four husbands, Robert Barlowe, Oh
| RsrIoWe Hall. a consumptive country gen.
tieman. Her dowry was but thirty marks
| (about 5000 and this was not paid in money,
| but in sheep and kline. The consumptlVe
| Barlowe only survived MS marriage rev
| months. leaving all his property 10 MS
! voung widow. Next died Bess' father, and
| he also bequeathed his small estate TO
| the lucky sixth daughter. For some years
| the now well-to-do Mrs. Barlowe remained
| in single blessedness. Then Sir WlIl-ari
! Cavendish, an honest knight or SUFFOLK
| fell in love with her. She induced MIN 10
sell his property in the south of England
and purchase estates in Deroyshire. Ihese
she caused him to settle on her. thereby
having the foundation of the Derbysnire
acreage and from her sons by him de-
scended the dukes OF Devonshire and New
castle. the earls of Burlington, Lord Water
mar and the Cavendish- Bentincks. Sil
William Cavendish obligingly died in l50l
and so Bess of Hardwicke added third
estate TO her account. Next she welded
Sir William st. Joe, captain OF Queer
Elizabeth's buards and lord of rich LANDS
in GIoucest;reshire. H;h also she persuad
ed 10 settle everything upon her, and wher
| ba died four years later, she became ont
| of Eneland's greatest territorial masnates
Behold her now, far descended into th'
vale of years. but still buxom and al
tractive, winning the heart OF a fourtf
husband, this time no less a personas'
than George Talbot, sixth Earl OF Shrews
bury. The earl had already four children
| by his first wife, so that he could no
settle his estates on Countess Elizabeth
but he did the next best thing, bequeath
ing to her al his immense personal estate
and a magnificent town house. Moreover
he permitted her to marry two of hi
children 10 two of hers. Bess confidentl,
expected TO outlive Lord Shrewsbury. In
deed, favoritc saying with her was:
If I survive
I'll have five.
! Meaning, Of course, five husbands and nv
estates. AS matters turned out, she wa
disappointed All her life long she hat
been a great builder. No less than sever
of the stately homes of England owe thei
, erection to her skill and taste. In tn
course of watching the construction or w
! beck's abbey she caught cold, which set
tied on her lungs. and eventually kille
her.
| She left vast wealth and many squar
? miles of property, willing everything I
her sons by Sir William Cavend.sh. ANON
the great mansions built by her are Hard
w.cke, Chatsworth, Oldcotes. Holker. an
Welbeck---monuments we'll calculated t
give her lasting fame
The Duke of Devonshire proposes 10 non
| or his ancestress in good old-fashione
style. the OK will be roasted whole in ever
village Of the peak, a grand ball VIII D
: given to the country families of Derby
shire. bonfires will blaze over the mount
? aims of Waterford and Cork. while in Lowell
: | Bournemouth, the fashionable waterin
: place practically created by the late duke
| fetss will follow each other in bewilderin
! ! succession.
Altogether Bess OF Hardwicke's name
| ought to feel honC.ed by the approachin
| commemorative exercises.