Wedlock
are due to Catherine Goodwin, and for their generous help in checking my Cape botanical references, I am extremely grateful to Peter Goldblatt and Dr John Manning. For help in French translation my thanks are due to Rachel Hall. For his much-appreciated help in technological emergencies, my grateful thanks to Mike Cudmore. And for pointing me towards Mary Eleanor Bowes in the first place, heartfelt thanks to Simon Chaplin, curator of the Hunterian Museum.
    As always, I have been extremely lucky to work with some of the best people in publishing. First and foremost, I wish to thank my unbeatable agent Patrick Walsh for encouraging and guiding me throughout the journey of this book. I am grateful to all the staff at Weidenfeld & Nicolson who have welcomed me into their fold as one of the family and especially to my editor Kirsty Dunseath for her expert and sensitive oversight from start to finish. My thanks go also to copy-editor Marian Reid.
    Finally, I want to record my enormous gratitude to all my family and friends who are a constant source of support, keeping me generally on the right track and sometimes providing much appreciated diversions. I am only sorry I cannot name everyone individually. And, as ever, I want to thank Peter, my partner, first reader and - despite the subject of my book - now my husband, for his skilful judgement and unwavering faith in me and my work.

NOTES
ABBREVIATIONS
    ARB Andrew Robinson Bowes
ARS Andrew Robinson Stoney
BBP Baker Baker Papers
BL British Library
BM Bowes Museum
CWAC City of Westminster Archives Centre
DCRO Durham County Record Office
DCRO SEA Durham County Record Office, Strathmore Estate Archives
DUL Durham University Library
GL Guildhall Library
HL Huntington Library, San Marino, California
HMC Historical Manuscripts Commission
LMA London Metropolitan Archives
MEB Mary Eleanor Bowes
NA National Archives
NT National Trust
ODNB Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
RA Royal Archives
RS Royal Society
SPG Strathmore Papers, Glamis
SPWB St Paul’s Walden Bury
MONEY
    Making comparisons between the purchasing power of money in the eighteenth century and today is far from straightforward. However, since money is obviously a significant factor in this story, some comparisons are clearly helpful. Where I have given comparative figures these have been made using the Bank of England inflation calculator: www.bankofengland.co.uk/education/inflation/calculator/index1.htm
     
    All dates are given according to the new calendar. All descriptions of weather are from the meteorological reports published monthly in the Gentleman’s Magazine or other contemporary accounts.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
I. MANUSCRIPT SOURCES
    Baker Baker Papers, DUL
    Bowes Museum - ‘Memoranda relating to A R Bowes and the Countess of Strathmore’, cited as BMAlbum; correspondence and other material in Bowes Museum Archives
    Howard Letters 1760-1816, Arundel Castle
    Royal Archives, Windsor
    Royal Society of Archives
    St Paul’s Walden Bury Album, album of newspaper cuttings collected by MEB at St Paul’s Walden Bury
    Strathmore Estate Archives, Durham County Record Office
    Strathmore Papers, Glamis Castle (National Register of Scotland 885)
II. PUBLISHED SOURCES
    Anon, The British Code of Duel, a reference to the laws of honour, and the character of gentleman (London, 1824)
    Anon, A full and accurate report of the trial between the Reverend John Stephens, trustee to E. Bowes, commonly called Countess of Strathmore, and Andrew Robinson Stoney Bowes, Esq. her second husband, in the Court of Common Pleas, before the Right Hon. Alexander Lord Loughborough and a special jury, on Monday, May 19th, 1788 (London, 1788, third edition.)
    Anon, The Irish Register, or a list of the Duchess Dowagers, Countesses, Widow Ladies, Maiden Ladies, Widows, and Misses of large fortunes in England (London, 1742)
    Anon, The Monthly Chronicle of North-Country Lore and Legend (Newcastle upon Tyne, 1887)
    Anon, A New Collection of Trials for Adultery

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