2012 in review

I’d like to say a huge thank you to my readers for their support during Good Gentlewoman’s first year.  Actually, this blog isn’t officially a year old yet, just nine months in fact, but has already passed the 20,000 page view mark.

In 2012 there were 63 new posts – and 354 pictures uploaded, that’s about seven per week. The busiest day of the year was August 20, when the conundrum of Lady Dorothy Carey’s portrait received top viewing.

Top Good Gentlewoman of all time is Elizabeth Bourchier, the long suffering wife of Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell, who during her lifetime received an inordinate amount of bad press.  But not so on the pages of GG where she has received more than 1,500 page views.

In second place is poor Frances Winchcombe, the first wife of attainted politician Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke.  Read about her lonely life and Henry’s cruel comments when she died in 1718.

Also up there in the top ten posts is greedy Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine, mistress of Charles II about whom Barbara’s cousin John Wilmot, Lord Rochester wrote – ‘God bless our good and gracious king, whose promise non relies on; who never said a foolish thing, nor ever did a wise one.’

Do I have a favourite Good Gentlewoman? Well resourceful Mary Anne Ruthven has to be one of them – the wife of Bow Street detective and government spy, George Ruthven, she is my great-great-great grandmother.

2013 is all set to be a pretty spectacular year and I have some fascinating ladies waiting in the wings for you to meet. Thank you for your support and I look forward to meeting new readers.