Nicola here. Today I welcome historical author Elizabeth St.John to the Word Wenches. I first met Elizabeth at the Historical Novel Conference in Oxford a few years ago. I confess to stalking her a little (in a completely non-sinister way!) because I knew she had a family connection to Lydiard Park, the glorious 18th century stately home in Swindon near where I live, and I was desperate to meet her and chat about Lydiard and its history. It’s been a huge pleasure to get to know Elizabeth and discover her writing. Her books are set in the 17th century, in an intensely turbulent period of English history, and they are intricate, immersive and beautifully-written. I’ve just started reading Written In Their Stars and I am hooked. Elizabeth evokes a rich historical world that draws you in from the very start of the book. Here she is to tell us more about her writing.
Elizabeth, welcome to the Word Wench Blog! Please tell us about your personal connection to the family you are writing about.
The St.John family in The Lydiard Chronicles share a common great-grandmother with me: Margaret Beauchamp, who was also grandmother to Henry VII. The seventeenth century family thought she was a very useful ancestor to increase their standing in society, and didn’t hesitate to use their “royal connection” to further their position. Sir John St.John, the First Baronet, was particularly enthralled, and thus commissioned the Polyptych in 1615, which stands in St. Mary’s Church at Lydiard Park. It’s an extraordinary monument, full of beautiful portraits which inspired my work—plus a gorgeous family tree, complete with Margaret at the top.
The first two books in the Lydiard Chronicle series are The Lady of the Tower and By Love Divided. How do they set the scene for Written in their Stars?
When I first started writing the Chronicles, I wanted to create a series similar to Narnia—where stories could intersect, move through generations, and be read as individual novels as well as a saga. All of the stories are inspired by true accounts of the family which I discovered in diaries, letters and court documents. My first novel, The Lady of the Tower, follows the fate of Lucy St.John, who “was the most beautiful of all the sisters, at which they were somewhat jealous of her”, as said in her daughter’s diary. Lucy’s story twists and turns through her life in the Tower of London during the years when James I and Charles I are on the throne, and tells of the patronage, corruption and betrayals from the people she loves. By Love Divided is the story of Lucy’s children, Luce and Allen, who choose to fight on opposite sides of the Civil War, and follows the terrible choices they have to make for their beliefs. At its core, below the bleakness and brutality, it’s a story of the power of love conquering all. Written in their Stars, which again is drawn from Luce’s diaries, continues the family story and introduces a new character: cousin Nan Wilmot, the wife of Henry Wilmot, Earl of Rochester. This takes place during England’s commonwealth years and follows the restoration of Charles II to the throne, and also highlights the influence my family members had in changing England’s political landscape.
Please tell us more about Written in their Stars.
I’d love to share my blurb—I think it summarizes the story without giving away some of the spoilers that really raise the family stakes.
London, 1649. Horrified eyewitnesses to King Charles’s bloody execution, Royalists Nan Wilmot and Frances Apsley plot to return the king’s exiled son to England’s throne, while their radical cousin Luce, the wife of king-killer John Hutchinson, rejoices in the new republic’s triumph. Nan exploits her high-ranking position as Countess of Rochester to manipulate England’s great divide, flouting Cromwell and establishing a Royalist spy network; while Frances and her husband Allen join the destitute prince in Paris’s Louvre Palace to support his restoration. As the women work from the shadows to topple Cromwell’s regime, their husbands fight openly for the throne on England’s bloody battlefields.
But will the return of the king be a victory—or destroy them all? Separated by loyalty and bound by love, Luce, Nan and Frances hold the fate of England—and their family—in their hands.
Do you find the writing experience different when you are telling the story of your own ancestors as opposed to other historical figures?
That’s a great question. I do have to say I feel an emotional connection that transcends the centuries, and that certainly influences my writing. When I read their words, touch letters they have written, look at their portraits and walk within their homes, I cannot help but move into their world, knowing we share DNA! As a historical fiction writer, I feel a great responsibility to interpret events from original source documents, and to not rely on secondary retelling of events. So, when my ancestors encounter or become historical figures themselves (Sir Allen Apsley’s great friendship with Sir Walter Raleigh, for instance) I think there is a deeper empathy I can bring to historical figures through the connection with my own family and research.
Please tell us about your research for the series.
I have been extremely fortunate that significant primary research about the St. John family exists, and I’ve spent many happy hours in the National Archives and the British Library poring over original wills, letters and court documents. For all of my books, I have had generous support from the descendants of the characters—the current Earl and Countess Bathurst at Cirencester Park have been wonderful in welcoming me into their home and making available research time with their extraordinary collection of portraits, for instance. For The Lady of the Tower, I was able to work with Historic Royal Palaces and be invited in “behind the scenes” within the Queens House at the Tower of London, which is an unforgettable experience. And while researching Written in their Stars, the Bursar at Ditchley Park, which was the home of Nan Wilmot, gave me unlimited access to the house and park to enjoy the family portraits and explore the grounds.
My original interest, though, was sparked by the rich archives of The Friends of Lydiard Park, the charitable foundation which was formed over fifty years ago to secure and promote the St.John and connected family research at Lydiard House. Over the years, the trustees of the Friends have been incredibly generous in making their time available for endless questions, the documents available for deep scrutiny, and unlimited access to the House and its contents to simply just sit and absorb.
There are some extraordinary historical characters who people the pages of your novels. Do you have a particular favourite?
Several! I’d have to say the “two Barbaras”: Barbara St.John Villiers, Lucy St.John’s sister and antagonist in The Lady of the Tower; and Barbara Villers, Lady Castlemaine (pictured), her granddaughter and an influential supporting character in Written in their Stars. And Nan—Anne St.John Wilmot, wife of Henry Wilmot, the first Earl of Rochester, and mother of John Wilmot. She elbowed her way to the forefront of Written in their Stars as spymistress to King Charles, and never left.
You have a long and vivid family history to draw upon. What is it about the 17th century that particularly inspires you? Could you foresee writing about another era in your family history?
We do have a long recorded history, dating back to the 12th century, and there are many extraordinary stories to be told. Lucy’s story captured my imagination and dropped me firmly in the 17th century, which to be honest, I was not that familiar with. Now, it’s a passion to introduce readers to perhaps the most under-exposed and exciting period of English history. As for other eras, I would love to explore the medieval St. Johns. They had lands and castles spanning England and Wales and were advisors to monarchs across the centuries. I’m sure there are some secrets to uncover there!
You are also Ambassador for the Friends of Lydiard Park, which is an independent charity that supports the conservation and enhancement of Lydiard House and Park. Please tell us more about that.
I’m thrilled to represent The Friends of Lydiard Park across the world, for we have members from pretty much all corners of the globe. Founded in 2005, it is the successor to the Friends of Lydiard Tregoz, whose 40 years of published research raised awareness and appreciation of this unique historic estate. The Friends were instrumental in Lydiard's major landscape restoration project (2004-2007) and today play an active and important role in the protection, promotion, conservation and interpretation of the House and Park, as well as St. Mary's Church Lydiard Tregoze.
We have some exciting developments planned for 2020, including developing local “living history” initiatives, and an extensive archival project that will facilitate access to centuries’ worth of research. More information can be found on the Friends’ website at www.friendsoflydiardpark.org.uk.
Thank you so much for sharing your passion for history with us today, Elizabeth! Elizabeth is offering an e-book set of The Lydiard Chronicles to one lucky commenter who posts on the blog between now and midnight Thursday. Her question is"If you were going to write about one of your ancestors, who would you choose and why?"
Bio: Elizabeth St.John spends her time between California, England, and the past. An award-winning author, historian and genealogist, she has tracked down family papers and residences from Nottingham Castle, Lydiard Park, to the Tower of London. Although the family sold a few castles and country homes along the way (it's hard to keep a good castle going these days), Elizabeth's family still occupy them - in the form of portraits, memoirs, and gardens that carry their imprint. And the occasional ghost. But that's a different story...
Links:
Amazon Author Page: www.tinyurl.com/AmazonElizStJohn
The Lady of the Tower: www.tinyurl.com/TLCLOT
By Love Divided: www.tinyurl.com/TLCBLD
Written in their Stars: www.tinyurl.com/TLCWIT
Website: www.ElizabethJStJohn.com
Follow me on Twitter @ElizStJohn
Facebook: Elizabeth J StJohn
Buy Links:
Kobo, Apple, Nook: https://books2read.com/u/mZBDw5
Amazon: https://geni.us/MyBookWITS