Elizabeth Yorke, Countess of Hardwicke (1 October 1763 - 26 May 1858), née Lindsay, was a British playwright and member of the aristocracy.

Early life and education

Born 1 October 1763 to

James Lindsay, 5th Earl of Balcarres James Lindsay, 5th Earl of Balcarres (14 November 1691 – 20 February 1768) was a Scottish peer, the son of Colin Lindsay, 3rd Earl of Balcarres and Lady Margaret Campbell, daughter of the Earl of Loudoun. He became the 5th Earl of Balcarres on ...

and Anne Dalrymple, Hardwicke married

Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke, KG, PC, FRS (31 May 1757 – 18 November 1834), known as Philip Yorke until 1790, was a British politician. Background and education Born in Cambridge, England, he was the eldest son of Charles Yorke, L ...

, on 24 July 1782. She became Countess of Hardwicke in 1796 when her husband succeeded his uncle. The couple had eight children, four boys and four girls. All four boys died young. Hardwicke regularly wrote and produced plays and performances in

Wimpole Hall Wimpole Estate is a large estate containing Wimpole Hall, a country house located within the civil parish of Wimpole, Cambridgeshire, England, about southwest of Cambridge. The house, begun in 1640, and its of parkland and farmland are owned ...

but she was very conservative in her views and saw this less as a profession of writing than an example of her duty as a mother and charitable lady. In 1831 she was involved in the ''Irish Distress Committee'' raising money to relieve the suffering of poor

Irish people The Irish ( ga, Muintir na hÉireann or ''Na hÉireannaigh'') are an ethnic group and nation native to the island of Ireland, who share a common history and Culture of Ireland, culture. There have been humans in Ireland for about 33,000 years ...

and with the permission of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

published ''The court of Oberon'' which she had written in the 1790s. She also provided the illustrations for the book. She died on 26 May 1858 near

Tyttenhanger House Tyttenhanger House is a 17th-century country mansion, now converted into commercial offices, at Tyttenhanger, near St Albans, Hertfordshire. It is a Grade I listed building. History The Tyttenhanger estate was owned by the Abbey of St Albans until ...

at age 94. She is buried in Chicheley Chapel in

Wimpole Wimpole is a small village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, England, about southwest of Cambridge. Until 1999, the main settlement on the A603 was officially known and signed as ''New Wimpole and Orwell, Cambridge Road''. On 1 April 19 ...

commemorated on the monument she had erected to the memory of her husband and sons.

Bibliography

* The Court of Oberon, or The Three Wishes. A Drama in Three Acts, 1831

References and sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yorke, Elizabeth Scot Lindsay 1763 births 1858 deaths Hardwicke Daughters of Scottish earls British women dramatists and playwrights

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...