Frances Egerton, Countess of Bridgewater facts for kids

Frances Egerton, Countess of Bridgewater (born May 1583 – died 11 March 1636), also known as Lady Frances Stanley, was an important English woman. She was known for supporting artists and for having a large collection of books.

Frances was born in May 1583. She was the second daughter of Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby, and his wife, Alice Spencer. Her sisters were Anne and Elizabeth. After her father passed away in 1594, her mother married Thomas Egerton, 1st Viscount Brackley. Frances's mother then arranged for Frances to marry her stepbrother, John Egerton, around 1601. In 1617, King James I made her husband the first Earl of Bridgewater. This meant Frances became the Countess of Bridgewater.

Her Amazing Book Collection

Frances Egerton owned a very impressive collection of books. In 1627, her collection was cataloged, meaning all her books were listed. There were 241 different titles! Many of her books have her initials, F. B., written inside them.

Most of her books were about Christian faith and devotion. They were written by popular authors of the time, like William Perkins and Joseph Hall. But her collection also included history books and famous stories. Some of these were Aesop's Fables, Don Quixote, and The Faerie Queene. She even owned works by the famous playwright William Shakespeare.

This was Frances's own personal collection. It was kept separate from her husband's much larger library. After she died, her books were added to the main household library. Over many years, this huge collection grew even bigger and became known as The Bridgewater Library. Today, much of this historic collection is kept at the Huntington Library in California.

Friends in High Places: Literary Connections

Frances Egerton knew many important writers of her time. These included famous poets like John Donne and John Milton. She, her mother, and her sisters were even mentioned in a poem called The Holy Roode by John Davies of Hereford. Another poet, Thomas Newton, dedicated a poem to her mother and then wrote special verses for Frances and her sisters.

A musician named John Attey dedicated his music book, The First Booke of Ayres of Four Parts, to Frances and her husband. When Frances died, a long poem was written about her by Robert Codrington.

Perhaps the most famous connection was with John Milton. His play, called a masque, Comus, was written to celebrate her husband becoming the Lord President of Wales. This play was performed at Ludlow Castle in 1634. What's really cool is that Frances's three youngest children, John, Thomas, and Alice, actually performed in the leading roles!

Her Children

Frances Stanley and her husband, John Egerton, had many children. They had eleven daughters and four sons, including:

• Lady Frances Egerton (1603–1664), who married Sir John Hobart, 2nd Baronet.
• Lady Elizabeth Egerton, who married David Cecil, 3rd Earl of Exeter.
• Lady Arabella Egerton, who married Oliver St John, 5th Baron St John of Bletso.
• Lady Mary Egerton, who married Richard Herbert, 2nd Baron Herbert of Chirbury.
• Lady Penelope Egerton, who married Sir Robert Napier, 2nd Baronet.
• Lady Catherine Egerton, who married William Courten.
• Lady Magdalen Egerton, who married Sir Gervase Cutler.
• John Egerton, 2nd Earl of Bridgewater (1623–1686).
• Thomas Egerton.
• Lady Alice Egerton (died 1689), who married Richard Vaughan, 2nd Earl of Carbery.