Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford
Encyclopedia
Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford (née Harington) (1580–1627) was a major aristocratic patron of the arts and literature in the Elizabethan
and Jacobean
eras. Sidney Lee called her "the universal patroness of poets."
of Exton, and Anne Kelway; well-educated for a woman in her era, she knew French, Spanish, and Italian. She was a member of the Sidney/Essex circle from birth, through her father, first cousin to Sir Robert Sidney
and Mary, Countess of Pembroke
; she was a close friend of Essex's sisters Penelope Rich
and Dorothy Percy, Countess of Northumberland
(the latter named one of her daughters Lucy after the Countess).
Lucy married Edward Russell, 3rd Earl of Bedford
, on December 12, 1594, when she was thirteen years old and he was twenty-two. She had a reputation as a beauty, and "for getting her own way." Lucy's husband, the Earl of Bedford, got himself into serious trouble in 1601 when he rode with the Earl of Essex
in Essex's rebellion against Queen Elizabeth
. The Bedford fortunes revived when the reign of James I
and Anne of Denmark
began in 1603; The Earl and Countess were among the first English aristocrats to go to Scotland to pay court to the new monarchs.
and confidant of Queen Anne; she performed in several of the masque
s staged at Court in the early 17th century, including The Masque of Blackness
, Hymenaei
, The Masque of Beauty
, The Masque of Queens
, and The Vision of the Twelve Goddesses
. In one instance, she functioned as something similar to a theatrical producer: she instigated and organised the 1617 Court performance of Robert White's masque Cupid's Banishment, which was acted by students from the first English girls' school, the Ladies Hall
in Deptford
.
She was a noted patron of Ben Jonson
, who dedicated his play Cynthia's Revels
(1600
) to her and addressed his Epigrams nos. 76, 84, and 94 to her, extolling her patronage. By his own admission, Jonson portrayed her as Ethra in his lost pastoral, The May Lord — though he may also have depicted her as Lady Haughty, president of the Collegiates in Epicene
(1609
). When Jonson was imprisoned in 1605 for his role in the Eastward Ho scandal, he wrote a letter to an unknown lady, who is thought by some scholars to have been the Countess of Bedford.
Others
In addition to Jonson, Lucy supported other significant poets of her era, including Michael Drayton
, Samuel Daniel
, George Chapman
, and John Donne
. She might be the "Idea" of Drayton's pastoral Idea: The Shepherd's Garland (1593
) and of his sonnet sequence Idea's Mirror (1594 in poetry|1594]]). Drayton dedicated his Mortimeriados (1594) to her, as Daniel did his Vision of the Twelve Goddesses (1604
). Lucy patronised a range of lesser writers of her era, including the translator John Florio, who credited her help in his translation of the essays of Montaigne
. She "received more dedications than any other woman associated with the drama" in her era.
She was the godmother of Donne's second daughter, also named Lucy. Donne, indeed, seems to have been deeply involved with her on a psychological level — "Most of the poems of Donne's middle years relate, in one way or another, to this glamorous and intriguing woman." Her contradictions could be provocative: the Countess was a dedicated Calvinist
, and supported many Calvinist authors and thinkers — yet she allegedly performed bare-breasted in Court masques. Her relationships with some of her poets, including Donne and Drayton, were sometimes uneven; poets who dedicated their works to her could also complain of the loss of her favour.
She was also receptive to women poets, like Cecily Bulstrode
. Lucy occasionally wrote poems herself, only one of which is extant.
While best remembered for her patronage of writers, Lucy also supported musicians, John Dowland
being a noteworthy example. She is the dedicatee of Dowland's Second Book of Songs (1600
).
A few scholars have identified the Earl and Countess of Bedford as the allegorised couple in Shakespeare's
The Phoenix and the Turtle
, who left "no posterity" (line 59) — yet since the poem was published in 1601
, when the Countess was only twenty years old, the identification has struck others as unlikely.
and Moor Park
. As one of the most influential women at James's court, she was also involved in a range of political issues; in the later part of the reign she was among the most prominent supporters of Elizabeth of Bohemia
.
Prominent as she was, both Lucy and her husband had serious financial problems throughout their lives. Lucy reportedly had debts of £50,000 in 1619, apart from the Earl's massive indebtedness.
Lucy, Countess of Bedford died in the same month as her husband, May 1627. None of their children survived infancy.
Elizabethan era
The Elizabethan era was the epoch in English history of Queen Elizabeth I's reign . Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history...
and Jacobean
Jacobean era
The Jacobean era refers to the period in English and Scottish history that coincides with the reign of King James VI of Scotland, who also inherited the crown of England in 1603 as James I...
eras. Sidney Lee called her "the universal patroness of poets."
Parentage and marriage
She was the daughter of Sir John HaringtonJohn Harington, 1st Baron Harington of Exton
John Harington was an English courtier and politician.-Life:He was the son of James Harington and was knighted in 1584...
of Exton, and Anne Kelway; well-educated for a woman in her era, she knew French, Spanish, and Italian. She was a member of the Sidney/Essex circle from birth, through her father, first cousin to Sir Robert Sidney
Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester
Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester , second son of Sir Henry Sidney, was a statesman of Elizabethan and Jacobean England. He was also a patron of the arts and an interesting poet...
and Mary, Countess of Pembroke
Mary Sidney
Mary Herbert , Countess of Pembroke , was one of the first English women to achieve a major reputation for her literary works, poetry, poetic translations and literary patronage.-Family:...
; she was a close friend of Essex's sisters Penelope Rich
Penelope Blount, Countess of Devonshire
Penelope Rich, Lady Rich, later styled Penelope Blount, Countess of Devonshire was an English noblewoman...
and Dorothy Percy, Countess of Northumberland
Dorothy Percy, Countess of Northumberland
Dorothy Percy, Countess of Northumberland was the younger daughter of Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex by Lettice Knollys, and the wife of Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland.-Family:...
(the latter named one of her daughters Lucy after the Countess).
Lucy married Edward Russell, 3rd Earl of Bedford
Edward Russell, 3rd Earl of Bedford
Edward Russell, 3rd Earl of Bedford was the son of Sir Francis Russell, Lord Russell and the grandson of Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford....
, on December 12, 1594, when she was thirteen years old and he was twenty-two. She had a reputation as a beauty, and "for getting her own way." Lucy's husband, the Earl of Bedford, got himself into serious trouble in 1601 when he rode with the Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
in Essex's rebellion against Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. The Bedford fortunes revived when the reign of James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
and Anne of Denmark
Anne of Denmark
Anne of Denmark was queen consort of Scotland, England, and Ireland as the wife of King James VI and I.The second daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark, Anne married James in 1589 at the age of fourteen and bore him three children who survived infancy, including the future Charles I...
began in 1603; The Earl and Countess were among the first English aristocrats to go to Scotland to pay court to the new monarchs.
Masquing
The Countess became a Lady of the BedchamberLady of the Bedchamber
This is an incomplete list of those who have served as Lady of the Bedchamber in the British Royal Household...
and confidant of Queen Anne; she performed in several of the masque
Masque
The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment which flourished in 16th and early 17th century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio...
s staged at Court in the early 17th century, including The Masque of Blackness
The Masque of Blackness
The Masque of Blackness was an early Jacobean era masque, first performed at the Stuart Court in the Banqueting Hall of Whitehall Palace on Twelfth Night, January 6, 1605. The masque was written by Ben Jonson at the request of Anne of Denmark, the queen consort of King James I, who wished the...
, Hymenaei
Hymenaei
Hymenaei, or The Masgue of Hymen, was a masque written by Ben Jonson for the marriage of Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, and Lady Frances Howard, daughter of the Earl of Suffolk, and performed on their wedding day, January 5, 1606...
, The Masque of Beauty
The Masque of Beauty
The Masque of Beauty was a courtly masque composed by Ben Jonson, and performed to inaugurate the refurbished banqueting hall of Whitehall Palace on January 10, 1608. It was a sequel to the preceding Masque of Blackness, which had been performed three years earlier, on January 6, 1605...
, The Masque of Queens
The Masque of Queens
The Masque of Queens, Celebrated From the House of Fame is one of the earlier works in the series of masques that Ben Jonson composed for the House of Stuart in the early 17th century...
, and The Vision of the Twelve Goddesses
The Vision of the Twelve Goddesses
The Vision of the Twelve Goddesses was an early Jacobean era masque, written by Samuel Daniel and performed in the Great Hall of Hampton Court Palace on the evening of Sunday, January 8, 1604...
. In one instance, she functioned as something similar to a theatrical producer: she instigated and organised the 1617 Court performance of Robert White's masque Cupid's Banishment, which was acted by students from the first English girls' school, the Ladies Hall
Ladies Hall
Ladies Hall, Deptford, London was the first English girls' school. It was founded in approximately 1615 by Robert White. It was for aristocratic girls, and they performed before Queen Anne 4 May 1617....
in Deptford
Deptford
Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
.
Patron
JonsonShe was a noted patron of Ben Jonson
Ben Jonson
Benjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, which are considered his best, and his lyric poems...
, who dedicated his play Cynthia's Revels
Cynthia's Revels
Cynthia's Revels, or The Fountain of Self-Love is a late Elizabethan stage play, a satire written by Ben Jonson, The play was one element in the so-called Poetomachia or War of the Theatres between Jonson and rival playrwights John Marston and Thomas Dekker.-Performance:The play was first performed...
(1600
1600 in literature
The year 1600 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*January 1 - The Admiral's Men perform Dekker's The Shoemaker's Holiday at Court....
) to her and addressed his Epigrams nos. 76, 84, and 94 to her, extolling her patronage. By his own admission, Jonson portrayed her as Ethra in his lost pastoral, The May Lord — though he may also have depicted her as Lady Haughty, president of the Collegiates in Epicene
Epicoene, or the Silent Woman
Epicœne, or The silent woman, also known as The Epicene, is a comedy by Renaissance playwright Ben Jonson. It was originally performed by the Blackfriars Children, a group of boy players, in 1609...
(1609
1609 in literature
The year 1609 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*January 1 - the Children of the Blackfriars perform Middleton's A Trick to Catch the Old One at Court....
). When Jonson was imprisoned in 1605 for his role in the Eastward Ho scandal, he wrote a letter to an unknown lady, who is thought by some scholars to have been the Countess of Bedford.
Others
In addition to Jonson, Lucy supported other significant poets of her era, including Michael Drayton
Michael Drayton
Michael Drayton was an English poet who came to prominence in the Elizabethan era.-Early life:He was born at Hartshill, near Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England. Almost nothing is known about his early life, beyond the fact that in 1580 he was in the service of Thomas Goodere of Collingham,...
, Samuel Daniel
Samuel Daniel
Samuel Daniel was an English poet and historian.-Early life:Daniel was born near Taunton in Somerset, the son of a music-master. He was the brother of lutenist and composer John Danyel. Their sister Rosa was Edmund Spenser's model for Rosalind in his The Shepherd's Calendar; she eventually married...
, George Chapman
George Chapman
George Chapman was an English dramatist, translator, and poet. He was a classical scholar, and his work shows the influence of Stoicism. Chapman has been identified as the Rival Poet of Shakespeare's Sonnets by William Minto, and as an anticipator of the Metaphysical Poets...
, and John Donne
John Donne
John Donne 31 March 1631), English poet, satirist, lawyer, and priest, is now considered the preeminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are notable for their strong and sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs,...
. She might be the "Idea" of Drayton's pastoral Idea: The Shepherd's Garland (1593
1593 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Works published:* Anonymous, The Phoeix Nest, anthology with poems by Thomas Lodge, Nicholas Breton, Sir Walter Ralegh and others; three elegies on Sir Philip Sidney, the "Phoenix" of the title, open the...
) and of his sonnet sequence Idea's Mirror (1594 in poetry|1594]]). Drayton dedicated his Mortimeriados (1594) to her, as Daniel did his Vision of the Twelve Goddesses (1604
1604 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Great Britain:* Sir William Alexander:** Aurora** A Paraenesis to the Prince...
). Lucy patronised a range of lesser writers of her era, including the translator John Florio, who credited her help in his translation of the essays of Montaigne
Michel de Montaigne
Lord Michel Eyquem de Montaigne , February 28, 1533 – September 13, 1592, was one of the most influential writers of the French Renaissance, known for popularising the essay as a literary genre and is popularly thought of as the father of Modern Skepticism...
. She "received more dedications than any other woman associated with the drama" in her era.
She was the godmother of Donne's second daughter, also named Lucy. Donne, indeed, seems to have been deeply involved with her on a psychological level — "Most of the poems of Donne's middle years relate, in one way or another, to this glamorous and intriguing woman." Her contradictions could be provocative: the Countess was a dedicated Calvinist
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
, and supported many Calvinist authors and thinkers — yet she allegedly performed bare-breasted in Court masques. Her relationships with some of her poets, including Donne and Drayton, were sometimes uneven; poets who dedicated their works to her could also complain of the loss of her favour.
She was also receptive to women poets, like Cecily Bulstrode
Cecily Bulstrode
Cecily Bulstrode , was a courtier and subject of poetry. She was the daughter of Edward Bulstrode and Cecily Croke; she was a cousin of Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford, in whose household she was a member in 1605. Two years later, she served as Queen consort Anne of Denmark's gentlewoman of the...
. Lucy occasionally wrote poems herself, only one of which is extant.
While best remembered for her patronage of writers, Lucy also supported musicians, John Dowland
John Dowland
John Dowland was an English Renaissance composer, singer, and lutenist. He is best known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come, heavy sleep" , "Come again", "Flow my tears", "I saw my Lady weepe" and "In darkness let me dwell", but his instrumental music has undergone a major revival, and has...
being a noteworthy example. She is the dedicatee of Dowland's Second Book of Songs (1600
1600 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Great Britain:* Robert Armin, Quips upon Questions; or, A Clownes Canceite on Occasion Offered * Nicholas Breton:** Melancholike Humours** Pasquils Mad-cap and his Message **...
).
A few scholars have identified the Earl and Countess of Bedford as the allegorised couple in Shakespeare's
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
The Phoenix and the Turtle
The Phoenix and the Turtle
The Phoenix and the Turtle is an allegorical poem about the death of ideal love by William Shakespeare. It is widely considered to be one of his most obscure works and has led to many conflicting interpretations. It has also been called "the first great published metaphysical poem". The title "The...
, who left "no posterity" (line 59) — yet since the poem was published in 1601
1601 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Great Britain:* Nicholas Breton, A Divine Poeme* Robert Chester, Loues martyr: or, Rosalins complaint...
, when the Countess was only twenty years old, the identification has struck others as unlikely.
Later life
Apart from literary matters, The Countess was a significant figure in the development of English country-house and garden design, centring on her estates at TwickenhamTwickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
and Moor Park
Moor Park, Farnham
Moor Park, Farnham, Surrey, England is a Grade II listed house set in some of grounds. It was formerly known as Compton Hall. The present house dates from 1630 but has been substantially altered, particularly in 1750 and 1800...
. As one of the most influential women at James's court, she was also involved in a range of political issues; in the later part of the reign she was among the most prominent supporters of Elizabeth of Bohemia
Elizabeth of Bohemia
Elizabeth of Bohemia was the eldest daughter of King James VI and I, King of Scotland, England, Ireland, and Anne of Denmark. As the wife of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, she was Electress Palatine and briefly Queen of Bohemia...
.
Prominent as she was, both Lucy and her husband had serious financial problems throughout their lives. Lucy reportedly had debts of £50,000 in 1619, apart from the Earl's massive indebtedness.
Lucy, Countess of Bedford died in the same month as her husband, May 1627. None of their children survived infancy.
