List of Jewels given to Arbella Stuart
Unknown1608-02-23
Derbyshire Record Office
Matlock, United Kingdom
Arbella Stuart (1575-1615) was the granddaughter of Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury (c.1527-1608), also known as Bess of Hardwick. Through her four marriages and shrewd business sense, Bess became extremely wealthy and influential, second only in wealth and power to Queen Elizabeth I.
At the end of the 16th century, Arbella was next in line to the English throne after King James VI of Scotland. Her father, the Earl of Lennox, was the younger brother of James’s father and a grandson of Margaret Tudor. Arbella spent much of her early life with her grandmother, who groomed her to become Queen. Arbella was regarded as a traitor by King James, (by then also James I of England), after her unauthorised marriage in 1610 to William Seymour, grandson of Lady Catherine Grey, heiress to the English throne under Henry VIII’s will. Imprisoned in the Tower of London, Arbella died there in 1615.
This document lists the jewels belonging to Arbella Stuart given to her by 'the Lord Cavendish' (William Cavendish, first Earl of Devonshire, Bess of Hardwick’s second and favoured son). It is signed in the margin by Arbella herself. Although dated 1607, this reflects the dating practices at the time, as until 1752, the new year began on 25 March rather than 1 January as it does now. This means that the document is actually dated 23 February 1608, ten days after the death of Arbella's grandmother, Bess of Hardwick. The list may therefore be an inventory of jewels that Arbella inherited from her grandmother..
- Title: List of Jewels given to Arbella Stuart
- Creator: Unknown
- Date Created: 1608-02-23
- Location Created: Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, England
- Provenance: Stewart family (D1897/1)
- Subject Keywords: Jewelery, Fashion, Elizabethan women
- Transcript:These Jewels Chaines Pearle rings and other things here underwritten recewed by the lady Arbella Steward of the lord Cavendishe this xxiij daye of february in the fift[h] yeare of the raigne of our Soveraigne Lord King James 1607 A riche Sable the head and Clawes of goldsmith worke enamelled and sett wth diamonds and rubies Two borders of goldsmithes worke on[e] peece of one of them sett wth one peece set wth Two[?] p[ear]le a rubie another peece set with a diamond another peece set with a rubie and soe throughout the other of the borders sette with one peece set wth foure round p[ear]le another pee[ce] sett wth a diamond and soe throughout A Chaine of blood stone and goldsmyth worke Fowre score and eight buttons enameled wth blacke and three white snailes a peece Thirteene wyre work buttons Two more A Cloke[?] sett wth diamonds and rubies A globe set wth diamond and rubies wth a p[ear]le pendant A seale lyke a pillar sett wth rubie diamond and emerald Another border of goldsmyth worke one peece set wth a diamond another peece set wth five p[ear]le and soe throughout this of seaventeene peces Two rope of p[ear]le contayninge syxe score and five greater p[ear]le Another border of gold smyth worke of nintene peecs one peece set with foure p[ear]les and another peece set wth an emerald and soe throughout One crose set wth diamonds with a p[ear]le pendant Another greater crosse set wth diamond rubies and fyve round p[ear]le A Broorse set with rock rubie and an emerald & a diamond An ewre [ewer] of christall trimmed with gould and set wth rubies and tur…es [turquoise?] A salte [salt-cellar] of Agget [agate] trymmed wth gould and set wth emerald Three gold rings upon a pap[?] A greate table diamond in one ring a pointed diamond in another and a rock rubie in another Thirtie eight p[ear]le of black and white agaet enameled […] Three score eightene […] enameledHide TranscriptShow Transcript
Get the app
Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more
