In this Book
- Lady Rachel Russell: "One of the Best of Women"
- Book
- 2019
- Published by: Johns Hopkins University Press
- Funder: Mellon/NEH / Hopkins Open Publishing: Encore Editions
- Program:
-
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
summary
Originally published in 1987. Lady Rachel Russell (1637–1723) was regarded as "one of the best women" by many of the most powerful people of her time. Wife of Lord William Russell, the prominent Whig opponent of King Charles II who was executed for treason in 1683, Lady Russell emerged as a political figure in her own right during the Glorious Revolution and throughout her forty-year widowhood. Award-winning historian Lois G. Schwoerer has written a biography that illuminates both the political life and the lives of women in late Stuart England. Lady Russell's interest in politics and religion blossomed during her marriage to Lord Russell and after his death: "as William became a Whig martyr, Rachel became a Whig saint." Her wealth, contacts, and role as her husband's surrogate gave her considerable influence to intercede in high government appointments, lend support in elections, and exchange favors with her friend Mary of Orange. In her domestic life she similarly took steps usually reserved to men, managing large estates in London and Hampshire and negotiating favorable marriage contracts for each of her three children. Although Lady Russell was unusual for her time, she was by no means unique. Other notable women shared her concerns and traits, although to differing degrees and effects. Schwoerer suggests that the horizons of women's lives in the seventeenth century may have extended farther than is often supposed.
Table of Contents
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- Half Title 1
- p. i
- Frontispiece
- p. ii
- Title Page
- p. iii
- Dedication
- p. v
- Acknowledgments
- pp. xi-xiii
- Note on Dating, Style, and Address
- pp. xv-xvi
- Introduction
- pp. xvii-xxviii
- Half Title 2
- p. xxix
- 1. Background and Beginnings
- pp. 1-19
- 4. Domestic Life, 1669–1683
- pp. 48-70
- 5. Politics, 1673–1683
- pp. 71-102
- 7. Widowhood, 1683–1688
- pp. 137-163
- 8. Prime Years, 1689–1702
- pp. 184-216
- 9. Declining Years and Death, 1702–1723
- pp. 217-240
- Appendix: The Family of Lady Rachel Russell
- pp. 241-242
- Abbreviations and Short Titles
- pp. 245-246
- Selected Bibliography
- pp. 295-308
Additional Information
ISBN
9781421432229
Related ISBN(s)
9780801835155, 9781421432236, 9781421432243
MARC Record
OCLC
1128072907
Pages
352
Launched on MUSE
2019-11-19
Language
English
Open Access
Yes
Creative Commons
CC-BY-NC-ND