
Lady Mary Derby (1824-1900) Occupied A Pivotal Position In Victorian Politics, Yet Her Activities Have Largely Been Overlooked Or Ignored. This Volume Places Mary Back Into The Political Position She Occupied And Offers The First Dedicated Account Of Her Career. Based On Extensive Archival Research, Including Hitherto Neglected Or Lost Sources, This Study Reconstructs The Political Worlds Mary Inhabited. Her Political Landscape Was Dominated By The Machinations And Intrigues Of High Politics And Diplomacy. As Jennifer Davey Uncovers, Mary's Political Skill And Acumen Were Highly Valued By Leading Politicians Of The Day, Including Benjamin Disraeli And William Gladstone, And She Played A Significant Role In Many Of The Key Events Of The Mid-victorian Era. This Included The Passing Of The Second Reform Act, The Formation Of Disraeli's 1874 Government, The Eastern Crisis Of 1875-1878, And Gladstone's 1880-1885 Government. By Exploring How One Woman Was Able To Exercise Influence At The Heart Of Victorian Politics, This Book Considers What Mary's Career Tells Us About The Nature Of Political Life In The Mid-nineteenth Century. It Sheds New Light On The Connections Between Informal And Formal Political Culture, Incorporating The Politics Of The Home, Letter-writing, And Social Relations Into A Consideration Of The Politics Of Parliament And Government. It Provides A Rich Investigation Of How A Woman, With Few Legal Or Constitutional Rights, Was Able To Become A Significant Figure In Mid-victorian Political Life.
This volume investigates how Lady Mary Derby navigated and influenced the male-dominated political landscape of Victorian Britain despite lacking formal constitutional rights. Jennifer Davey, a historian specializing in nineteenth-century political culture, utilizes extensive archival research to reconstruct Mary's career. The book argues that Mary's influence was central to key legislative and diplomatic events, challenging the historical tendency to overlook the role of women in high-level political decision-making.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Historians and scholars of the Victorian period recognize this work as a significant contribution to the study of informal political power structures. Readers frequently note the academic rigor of the research and the clarity with which the author connects domestic social spheres to parliamentary outcomes.
Page Count:
240
Publication Date:
2019-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0191089575
ISBN-13:
9780191089572
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