At the time of her death in February 1608, Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury, best known by her sobriquet "Bess of Hardwick", was one of the richest and powerful women in England, her fortunes having significantly risen throughout her lifetime.

Elizabeth Hardwick, better known as 'Bess of Hardwick', was one of the most intriguing figures in Tudor history. Born to a gentleman of Hardwick in Derbyshire, through a series of marriages, Bess rose through the ranks of Elizabethan society, her fourth and final marriage elevating her to Countess of Shrewsbury, and becoming the second wealthiest woman in England, only behind Queen Elizabeth I.

Elizabeth Hardwick (better known to history as 'Bess of Hardwick') was born in the 1520s (estimated dates range from 1520-21 to 1527).