| Full Name |
Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury (née Elizabeth Hardwick) |
| Date of Birth |
- |
| Place of Birth |
Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, England |
| Date of Death |
13 February 1608 |
| Place of Death |
Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, England |
| Citizenship / Country of Residence |
English (Kingdom of England) |
| Education |
Informal education |
| Profession |
Aristocrat, landowner, estate manager, builder |
| Years of Activity |
1543-1608 |
| Brief Information |
Bess of Hardwick was an influential English noblewoman during the Elizabethan era, known for her financial acumen and a series of four advantageous marriages that significantly increased her wealth and status. She oversaw extensive building projects, most notably Chatsworth House and the 'New' Hardwick Hall, and served as a custodian for Mary, Queen of Scots. Her life exemplifies female enterprise and power in 16th-century England, leaving a notable architectural and historical legacy. |