A London Visit, 1591

On November 18th, 1590, George Talbot, sixth Earl of Shrewsbury died. His wife, Bess of Hardwick, became a widow for the fourth time. His death was no loss to her; it was a decided advantage, and she was not to miss him. The previous six years had been filled with unseemly public wrangling which culminated in their separation - a breach which Queen Elizabeth unsuccessfully tried to heal. Bess had termed him ‘my unfortunate husband’.

In return, he had called her ‘a woman of so base a parentage’ that, so far as he was concerned, ‘no curse of plague on earth could be more grievous’ than she and that he ‘could not satisfy her greedy appetite’ - this in reference to money. The marriage had been a business transaction; both thought they were getting a financial advantage. The breakdown was inevitable and, like so many, was caused by disputes over money, which Bess ultimately won; for by his death the Earl released the marriage portion due to her.