The Steadfast Loyalty of Mary, Countess of Shrewsbury, ‘the Only Contriver of Bedlam Opposition’

Abstract

Abstract Mary Countess of Shrewsbury is much less well-known than her mother, Bess of Hardwick, and her niece, Arbella Stuart, but she was also a woman of strong character. One of her most significant characteristics was her loyalty, both to her family, especially her husband Gilbert, her daughters, and her niece, and to the Catholic faith, to which she converted as an adult. Both the loyalty to family and to her faith caused great trouble to her, particularly in the reign of James I, where, on his orders, she spent many years in the Tower.