Matilda’s Top Women In History

In 1776 the work of the English parliament and law courts paused for a week to hear the unusual case of a woman being tried for bigamy. Elizabeth Chudleigh had married the Duke of Kingston, but before that she had married - and never divorced - the Earl of Bristol. The entire country was agog to see the outcome - was she a Duchess or a Countess? For Elizabeth, there was more at stake than just a title - her husband the Duke had left her an enormous fortune, and his relatives wanted it back. Sources/Further Reading:Chudleigh, Elizabeth: An Authentic Detail of Particulars Relative to the Late Duchess of KingstonGervat, Claire: Elizabeth - the Scandalous Life of the Duchess of KingstonOstler, Catherine: The Duchess Countess, the Woman Who Scandalised 18th Century LondonA Most Scandalous Lady https://janeaustenslondon.com/2016/01/22/a-most-scandalous-lady/The Bigamous Duchess of Kingston https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/manuscriptsandspecialcollections/exhibitions/online/fromparchmenttopixels/duchessofkingston.aspxWikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Pierrepont,_Duchess_of_Kingston-upon-Hull

Nancy Wake was a New Zealand born Australian journalist working in France when Germany invaded her beloved adopted country. Unwilling to watch as France became overrun with foreign soldiers, she joined up with the secret band of guerrilla fighters known as the French Resistance. Embedded with a group of fighters in the mountains of Central France, Nancy played an invaluable role in obtaining weapons and money for the Resistance as well as laying explosives and leading a charge on a machine gun station. Sources/Further ReadingFitzsimmons, Peter: Nancy Wake - A Biography of Our Greatest War HeroineWake, Nancy: The White MouseBraddon, Russell: Nancy Wake - SOE’s greatest HeroineThe Story of Nancy Wake https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-collection/stories/nancy-wake/Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_WakeAustralian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P332

Nancy Wake was a New Zealand born Australian journalist working in France when Germany invaded her beloved adopted country. Unwilling to watch as France became overrun with foreign soldiers, she joined up with the secret band of guerrilla fighters known as the French Resistance. Embedded with a group of fighters in the mountains of Central France, Nancy played an invaluable role in obtaining weapons and money for the Resistance as well as laying explosives and leading a charge on a machine gun station.Sources/Further ReadingFitzsimmons, Peter: Nancy Wake - A Biography of Our Greatest War HeroineWake, Nancy: The White MouseBraddon, Russell: Nancy Wake - SOE’s greatest HeroineThe Story of Nancy Wake https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-collection/stories/nancy-wake/Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_WakeAustralian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P332

Lady Caroline Lamb is famous - or infamous - for her affair with the poet Lord Byron and for being the wife of Queen Victoria’s favourite Prime Minister Lord Melbourne. But she was also a novelist in her own right, helping to create a new genre of fiction called the silver fork novel which allowed ordinary people a glimpse into the lives of the rich aristocracy. Throughout her life she suffered from mental illness, possibly bi-polar disorder, which in a time with limited understanding of mental illness and limited treatment made life difficult for herself and those around her. Her mother referred to Caroline as the ‘joy and torment of my life’ and many others probably felt the same.Sources/Further Readinghttps://scispace.com/pdf/the-madness-of-writing-lady-caroline-lamb-s-byronic-identity-28d17t2bmv.pdfhttps://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/jun/17/duke-wellington-mud-streaked-waterloo-cloak-up-for-auctionDouglass, Paul: Lady Caroline LambFraser, Antonia: Lady Caroline Lamb, A Free SpiritCaro: The Lady Caroline Lamb Website https://sites.google.com/sjsu.edu/caro/biographyWikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Caroline_Lamb

Lady Caroline Lamb is famous - or infamous - for her affair with the poet Lord Byron and for being the wife of Queen Victoria’s favourite Prime Minister Lord Melbourne. But she was also a novelist in her own right, helping to create a new genre of fiction called the silver fork novel which allowed ordinary people a glimpse into the lives of the rich aristocracy. Throughout her life she suffered from mental illness, possibly bi-polar disorder, which in a time with limited understanding of mental illness and limited treatment made life difficult for herself and those around her. Her mother referred to Caroline as the ‘joy and torment of my life’ and many others probably felt the same.Sources/Further Readinghttps://scispace.com/pdf/the-madness-of-writing-lady-caroline-lamb-s-byronic-identity-28d17t2bmv.pdfhttps://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/jun/17/duke-wellington-mud-streaked-waterloo-cloak-up-for-auctionDouglass, Paul: Lady Caroline LambFraser, Antonia: Lady Caroline Lamb, A Free SpiritCaro: The Lady Caroline Lamb Website https://sites.google.com/sjsu.edu/caro/biographyWikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Caroline_Lamb

Jadwiga of Poland was a woman, but she ruled with the title of King. Although short lived, her reign is seen as a pivotal one in the history of Poland as it ushered in an age of increasing wealth and military might. Known for her diplomatic skills and ability to negotiate, Jadwiga was beloved by her people and venerated by her church.Sources/Further ReadingHalecki, Oskar: A History of PolandZamoyski, Adam: Poland, A HistoryKellogg, Charlotte: Jadwiga, Polands Great QueenWikipedia: Jadwiga of Poland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jadwiga_of_Poland#HolinessOgrodnik-Fujcik, Katarzyna: The Four Great-Grandaughters of King Ladislaus the Elbow High https://historytheinterestingbits.com/tag/jadwiga-of-poland/Encyclopedia.com: Jadwiga https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/jadwiga-1374-1399A Young Girl And A Mighty Queen: The Exceptional Jadwiga of Anjou - An interview With Prof Tomasz Grafhttps://polishhistory.pl/a-young-girl-and-a-mighty-queen-the-exceptional-jadwiga-of-anjou/