Fighting for Hugh: The Wardship of ‘Younge Calueley’ of Lea Hall, Cheshire, 1620

Abstract

In January 1620, Sir George Calverley of Lea Hall, Cheshire, died intestate leaving behind him his widow, Lady Sidney Calverley, and five children. His eldest son, Hugh, aged six, was now a ward of court, the wardship falling to Prince Charles as Earl of Chester. Wardship was often problematic for widows regardless of their geographic location, but in counties where there was a particularly strong sense of community, kinship bonds and local rivalries could add an extra layer of anxiety and discord to their litigation. Lady Calverley confronted prejudice as widow, stepmother, and, being Welsh, as an outsider. Using court records and correspondence, this article examines the circumstances of Lady Calverley’s case and dissects how it unfolded through and beyond Prince Charles’s court of wards, an important but overlooked institution that to date has received no in-depth historical analysis. It illuminates the problems women faced in establishing themselves in close-knit communities, as well as how disadvantaged a widow could be in a patriarchal society despite the relative freedom she enjoyed as a feme sole.