Mary Edwards (1705–1743)

**Mary Edwards** (kimanin 1704 - 23 ga Agusta 1743) magajiyar Ingila ce kuma mai kula da fasaha wadda aka ce ita ce mace mafi arziki a Ingila. An ruwaito cewa ta yi aure amma daga baya ta yi ƙoƙarin cire duk wata shaida ta bikin. Ta zauna tare da Lord Anne Hamilton tsawon shekaru da yawa kuma sun haifi ɗa, amma ya sake yin aure, ba tare da saki ba.

## Rayuwa

An haifi Edwards a Landan a kusan shekara ta 1704 ko 1705. Mahaifiyarta ta fito ne daga dangin Holland waɗanda suka yi asarar dukiya, mahaifinta, Francis Edwards ( *wanda ya* mutu a shekara ta 1729), memba ne na manyan mutane, yana da filaye a Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, London & Middlesex, Essex, Hertfordshire da Kent, kuma yana da hannun jari a Kamfanin New River da ke Islington. Mahaifinta ya mutu a shekara ta 1729, kuma tunda babu wasiyya, dukiyarsa za ta kasance ga bazawararsa da mahaifiyarta Anna Margaretta Vernatti. Duk da haka, mahaifiyarta ta yi watsi da ikirarinta ta kuma mika kadarorin ga Mary. An kiyasta cewa dukiyarta tana da shekaru kusan 23 tsakanin £50,000 zuwa £60,000 (kimanin £8m a shekara ta 2021), wanda hakan ya sa Mary ta zama mace mafi arziki a Birtaniya. 

Ta kamu da son Lord Anne Hamilton kuma an ce ta aure shi a shekara ta 1731 ko kafin haka, a wani aure na sirri da aka ce an yi a cikin ɗakin sujada na Gidan Yarin Fleet . An ruwaito a cikin Mujallar The Gentleman amma bayanan cocin ba su haɗa da cikakkun bayanai ba kuma Mary Edwards ta ƙi auren kuma ba ta taɓa amfani da sunan mahaifinsa ba.  Lord Anne ya ɗauki sunan Mary Edwards da hannunta a matsayin Lord Anne Edwards Hamilton. A shekara ta 1734 William Hogarth ya zana hoton danginsu tare da ɗansu Gerard Anne Edwards.  Daga baya suka rabu saboda Lord Anne yana zama mai cin amana da dukiyar "matarsa", kuma Mary Edwards ta ɗauki matakin ban mamaki na ƙin aurenta, ta ayyana kanta a matsayin mace mara aure kuma ta ɗauki matakai don ƙirƙirar shaida cewa babu wani aure da aka yi.  Ɗansu, Gerard Anne Edwards, ya zama baƙar fata, amma da alama an shirya wannan ne yayin da baftismarsa ta 1733 ta rubuta sunan mahaifinsa Edwards kuma mahaifiyarsa ba ta da aure. 

A shekara ta 1742 Hogarth ta sake zana ta—zanen yanzu yana cikin tarin Frick .  Hoton yana nuna matsayin Edwards da halinsa mai taurin kai; yana amfani da yawancin alamun iko waɗanda aka keɓe don zane-zanen maza. Ta nuna dukiyarta da lu'u-lu'u da yawa, an nuna ta da babban kare farauta maimakon kare mai kama da mace, kuma a bango akwai hotunan Alfred the Great da Sarauniya Elizabeth I, waɗanda suke da mahimmanci a tarihin Ingila. Takardar da ke bayanta ita ce sanarwar haƙƙin mutum ɗaya daga wasan kwaikwayo na Joseph Addison na 1712 Cato . 

Edwards yana da kusanci da Hogarth, kuma ya ba da umarnin wasu daga cikin muhimman ayyukansa.  Ta zama mai kula da fasaha, ta karya ka'idojin aiki.  Mary Edwards ta ba da umarnin gudanar da *bikin baje kolin Southwark* na Hogarth na 1733, da kuma zane-zanensa na 1742 *mai suna Taste in High Life*, wanda ya haskaka salon zamani da kuma kashe kuɗi fiye da kima.

A watan Oktoban 1742, "mijinta" ya auri Anna Powell, kuma babu wani zargi na rashin aure. ODNB ta ambaci wannan a matsayin shaida cewa duk da cewa ta zauna tare da Lord Anne Hamilton kuma ta haifi ɗa, ba su taɓa yin aure bisa doka ba.

## Mutuwa da gado
Edwards ta mutu a Kensington a shekarar 1743 kuma an binne ta kusa da mahaifinta a Cocin St Andrews da ke Welham. Ta kula sosai da ilimin ɗanta Gerard Anne Edwards (1734–1773), kuma ta ba shi duk dukiyarta. A shekara ta 1754 ya auri Lady Jane Noel, 'yar Baptist Noel, Earl na 4 na Gainsborough na farko halitta. Su ne iyayen Sir Gerard Noel, Baronet na 2, kakan Earls na Gainsborough na halitta ta biyu.

## Manazarta