ON THIS DAY - 04 May 1608
- thedudleywomen
- May 4
- 2 min read
On This Day (04 May) in 1608, the funeral was held for Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury, also known as 'Bess of Hardwick', at All Hallow's Church, Derby.
During her lifetime, Bess had risen significantly in Tudor society; she had been born into a family of respective Derbyshire gentry, before joining the household of Frances Brandon, Marchioness of Dorset at Bradgate House, Leicestershire, where she met her second husband Sir William Cavendish, who later became Treasurer of the Household. Through her four marriages, in particular her second and fourth, to George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, Bess rose through the ranks of English nobility, becoming second richest woman in England, behind the queen herself.
Bess was ambitious, resourceful, persistent and resilient, whose success expanded to multiple businesses, as well as gaining the reputation of a builder of great Elizabethan houses, including Chatsworth and 'New' Hardwick Hall.
Bess had died at her beloved 'New' Hardwick Hall on 13 February 1608, after suffering from deteriorating health, including respiratory issues. Her embalmed body had lay in state for more than two months at Hardwick, before her funeral was held.
Bess's funeral was held on 04 May 1608, at the Church of All Saints, Derby (now known as Derby Cathedral), then known as 'All Hallows'. During her lifetime, Bess commissioned her own monument, complete with tomb effigy, reportedly designed by Robert Smythson, the surveyor and builder of New Hardwick Hall. In her will, Bess requested that her funeral not be conducted "with too much vain", although she had allocated £2000 to cover the expenses.
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