I would like to thank the following people for help during the research phase of this book:
Derek Adlam, Curator, Portland Collection; Andrew, the late Duke of Devonshire, Deborah, the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire; Jeremy Ashbee, Asst Curator, Tower of London; Stuart Band, Archivist Devonshire Collection; Marian Benton, Hon. Sec., North Mymms Local History Society; Jean Bray, Archivist at Sudeley Castle; Dr Andrea Clarke, Curator 16th & 17th Century MSS at British Library; John Coulson, English Heritage; Rachel Cox, Archives Asst, Royal Archives; Dr Peter Cunich, History Dept, University of Hong Kong; Martin Durrant, V & A Museum; David Edge, Curator & Armourer at the Wallace Collection; Dudley Fowkes, Derbyshire Archaeological Society; Dr Kate Harris, Curator, Longleat Historic Collection; Alan Hargreaves; Val Higgs, local historian, Northaw, Herts; Colin Johnstone, Archivist, Bath & North East Somerset Record Office; Caroline Kelly, Asst Keeper MSS and Special Collections, Nottingham University; Joanne Kenyon, BBC; Bill Killick, North Mymms Historical Society; Alistair Lang, National Trust; Christine Leighton, Freelance expert – 16th-century MSS; Ann-Marie Leonard, English Heritage; Fiona Leslie, V & A Museum; Helen Marchant, Chatsworth House; Simon Neal, Latin translator; Charles Noble, Keeper of Devonshire Collection; Terence Pennell, former Chairman, North Mymms Local History Society; Rachel Pringle, Archivist, Somerset Archive and Record Service; Theresa Randall, Archivist, Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service; Michael Scott, Photographer, Folger Shakespeare Library; Linda Shaw, Asst Keeper, MSS and Special Collections, Nottingham University; Sir Roy Strong; A. G. Thomas, Building Manager, St Helen’s Church, Bishopgate; Laura Valentine, Royal Academy of Arts; Brian Warren, Hon. Archivist, Potters Bar & District Historical Society; Philippa Watts, freelance researcher; Hannah Westall, Archivist, Somerset Archive and Record Service; J. S. William, Bristol City Archivist; Heather Wolfe, Archivist, Folger Shakespeare Library; Dr Nigel Wright, House & Collections Manager, Hardwick Hall; Robert Yorke, Archivist, College of Arms.
I would like to add a special acknowledgement to David N. Durant, who laboured over Bess’s building accounts, transcribing great tranches of them, for his book about the building of Hardwick Hall. This saved me weeks of research time, which I was able to spend on transcribing other original documents. Mr Durant’s working notes are archived at Nottingham University library, where he has generously made them available to researchers and scholars. My own working notes will, in due course, find a similar home.