Ruth Larsen

Grand houses can be found across the countryside of England and Wales. But what was life like for the mistresses of these great houses? How much power and influence did they really have? Focusing on eighteen women, and spanning five centuries, Ruth looks at the ways in which elite women not only shaped the house, household, and family, but also had an impact on society, culture, and politics within their estates and beyond. We meet Brilliana Harley, who defended her castle at Brampton Bryan; Frances Boscawen, who oversaw the building of Hatchlands; and Lady Mary Elcho, who preserved her secret life as mistress to Arthur Balfour.