f country known as "The Dukeries," once embraced
by Sherwood Forest, and even now thickly wooded with magnificent oaks
and presenting charming forest scenery.

Its fastnesses were the home of the romantic Robin Hood and his
"merrie" band of robbers, the subject of legend and adventure. To-day
there are in this beautiful region, within two or three miles of each
other, the seats of the Duke of Portland at Welbeck Abbey, the Duke of
Newcastle at Clumber, the Earl Manvers (whose family formerly had the
title of Duke of Kingston) at Thoresby, and Worksop Manor, formerly the
seat of the Duke of Norfolk. It was this cluster of the homes of the
nobility that gave it the name of "The Dukeries."

Both Welbeck and Clumber belonged to the Dukes of Newcastle at one time;
but to elucidate their settlement upon these vast estates and the
subsequent division of the domains, through marriage, we must take up
the thread of Bess Hardwick's machinations.

She was the daughter of the Derbyshire squire of Hardwick, and in 1534
was married, when she was only 14 years of age, to Robert Barley, of
Barley, in the same county. It was not long before he passed over to the
majority, leaving his fascinating widow with a substantial jointure on
his property.

For twelve years she was a widow, and then she was married to Sir
William Cavendish, who himself had been married twice before.

He was a Hertfordshire magnate, but the strong will of his new wife
induced him to sell his estate in that county in order to provide money
for another scheme she had in view. It was the ambitious one of
purchasing Chatsworth and building the magnificent mansion which
tourists from all parts of the world find so much delight in visiting. A
house already existed at Chatsworth, but it was not pretentious enough
for the squire's daughter, and she prevailed upon her husband to have it
demolished. He had started to carry out her wishes when death overtook
him, and Bess was a widow for the second time.

The new house at Chatsworth was not finished; but she had a penchant for
building, and continued the work after his death till its completion.
There were three sons and three daughters of this marriage, concerning
the future wedded lives of which there were deep schemes and plots.

Another courtier fell beneath her wiles in Sir William St. Loe, Captain
of the Guard to Queen Elizabeth. He was so enamoured of her that he
endowed her with his estates, and disinherited hi