Join Stowe House as last year's winner of the George Clarke Prize, Dr Amy Boyington, presents her fascinating research on the Women at Stowe. 

There are several influential women associated with eighteenth-century Stowe whose stories have long been overshadowed by their male relatives. For example, it is astonishing that so little is known about Anne, Viscountess Cobham, née Halsey (d.1760), especially as her substantial dowry enabled Lord Cobham to transform Stowe. And what about Anna, Lady Temple, née Chambers (1709?-1777), the wife of Earl Temple? She reputedly brought £50,000 to her marriage, thereby allowing Stowe to undergo a further transformation. She was also a published poet, and yet very little is known about her life. Finally, what about Lady Mary Elizabeth Nugent (1758-1812), the wife of George Grenville, Marquess of Buckingham? She is generally completely forgotten, and yet she was a talented artist and an active philanthropist both in the local Stowe area and elsewhere.

This talk aims to throw some much-needed light upon these women, focusing particularly on the lives of Anna, Countess Temple and her successor Mary, Marchioness of Buckingham. It seeks to highlight how they experienced and enjoyed Stowe, and whether they left a lasting legacy upon the estate.

Booking essential. Free of charge event. bit.ly/SHHistAmy