Anne Clifford's Autobiographical Writing, 1590–1676

This edition of Anne Clifford’s (1590–1676) diaries and memoirs is the first to include all of her autobiographical writing. Clifford was a prominent noble woman who writes about her experiences in the courts of Elizabeth, James and Charles I. She tells the story of her decades long battle to secure her inheritance of the Clifford lands of the north, which included taking on powerful men like James I. She describes the challenges she faced when she finally inherited the Clifford lands, torn by civil war, poverty and neglect. Her writings about her life reveal her joys and griefs, including the loss of children. Anne Clifford was vulnerable and determined, charitable and canny. Her diaries and memoirs provide a window into the life and thoughts of this indomitable woman.