Product Description

The Duke and Duchess of Beaufort survived the tumultuous and uncertain decades which followed the English civil war by creating a remarkable political partnership. Together they worked to restore their family's estates and political power base as well as their home, Badminton House in Gloucestershire. They also sought to tame political and religious passions and to bring order and stability to Restoration society, a goal which was shared by many members of the landed classes. This fascinating book uses their story to illuminate the profound cultural changes which took place after 1660. It also brings to life Henry Somerset (1629-1700) and Mary Capel Somerset (1630-1715), two complex and unique individuals. Henry, third Marquis of Worcester and first Duke of Beaufort, was a powerful regional magnate and an active member of Charles II's Privy Council. The book recounts his activities in public life in England and Wales. It also shows the Duke rebuilding his war-ravaged estates, contesting with his local rivals, and corresponding with his wife. Mary, meanwhile, distinguished herself in the newly emerging science of botany, growing and propagating an astonishing variety of exotic plants, and finding personal salvation in the natural world. Offering both an intimate portrait of a seventeenth-century marriage and an unusual view of the early days of Enlightenment science and rationalism, this book will captivate a wide audience of readers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #962644 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Review
"'Historians have written plenty of biographies of great men of the seventeenth century, but none depict a married couple on equal terms in the vivid way McClain does.' David Underdown, Yale University 'McClain presents the Duke and Duchess as flesh and blood individuals. One can't help but become engrossed in their lives' Mark A. Kishlansky, Harvard University"

Mark A. Kishlansky, Harvard University
'McClain presents the Duke and Duchess as flesh and blood individuals. One can't help but become engrossed in their lives'

From the Publisher
Review
'an intriguing portrait of an unusual marriage...careful unpicking of contemporary politics. Here McClain is at her best, shedding a clear light on the intricacies of court and country tensions, and on the resistance of the provinces towards the reimposition of control under the Stuart kings.' - Jenny Uglow, Sunday Times

Customer Reviews

Beaufort: the Duke and his Duchess
The Somerset family has evaded the attention of historians for far too long!(Excluding Horatia Durant's competent but crisply sanitised family history) The first Duke and his Duchess are perfect subjects to learn of, as way of introduction to a family that still prefers to remain above and beyond the remits of our present declassé world. Here is a rare double biography of two extraordinarily strong and vibrant personalities, who are treated with consistent equality, sensitivity and balance.

A finely crafted book that is a must for anyone interested in Welsh and English History and particularly, in life within an aristocratic family during the seventeenth century.