Launch: Rosemary Griggs’ The Dartington Bride
INTERVIEW BY ELLEN IRWIN
Rosemary Griggs has been researching Devon’s 16th-century history for years. She has discovered an intriguing network of families connected with Devon whose influence extends far beyond the county, and she delights in writing stories of the forgotten women of Devon’s Tudor history—“the daughters of Devon”. She also has a passion for bringing the past to life. Wearing the 16th-century clothing she creates, she speaks at museums and community groups, and leads heritage tours of the gardens at Dartington Hall.
How would you describe your novel in just a few sentences?
After a traumatic childhood in war-torn France, a young Huguenot woman named Roberda arrives in England full of hope for her wedding. But her ambitious bridegroom, Gawen, has little interest in taking a wife. Their differences will set them on an extraordinary path…
Roberda’s story sheds light on women’s lives and attitudes to marriage amongst wealthy 16th-century families, and how the first Huguenot refugees came to England.
How did you discover your heroine, Roberda? What inspired you to write a story about her journey out of France to marry into a prominent family from Devon, England?
I first met Roberda when researching for my debut novel, A Woman of Noble Wit, the story of Katherine Champernowne, Sir Walter Raleigh’s mother. Katherine was the aunt of Roberda’s husband, Gawen.
As I researched her life, I found it both intriguing and horrifying to learn that as a child, Roberda accompanied her father, a Huguenot general, into the midst of battle. Her mother, by all accounts a formidable woman, took all her children along as she actively supported her husband. I wanted to explore how these experiences might have shaped Roberda and influenced her ability to handle the challenging life that awaited her at Dartington Hall in Devon. England’s involvement in the French Wars of Religion is perhaps a less-known aspect of the Elizabethan era. My research into attitudes to French refugees arriving in England at that time revealed startling similarities to issues we face today. But it was when I discovered the specific difficulties Roberda faced in her marriage that I knew I had to tell her story.
In what way do you think your readers will connect with Roberda? Is there something about her that resonated with you in writing her story?
In the patriarchal society of the 16th century, women’s lives were very different from ours today. Nevertheless, I did feel a deep bond with Roberda as she experiences the emotions of love and loss, the challenges of childbirth and motherhood—just as I have. I think readers will respond to her as she grows from a frightened child to a resilient and compassionate woman who finds herself trapped in a difficult relationship, yet constantly tries to do her best.
You live in Devon and offer guided heritage tours at Dartington Hall, the 14th century manor house featuring in your novel (and after which your novel is named!). How do you think these truths have influenced your narrative voice and story?
My love for this wonderful old building set amongst rolling Devon hills, and the years I have devoted to researching Dartington’s rich history, have helped me see the world through Roberda’s eyes. I have walked in her shoes in the place where she spent so many years. It is a huge privilege to be able to share what I have discovered with visitors, and to bring the 16th-century residents to life in my writing.
Was there a unique bit of information or an individual you came across in your research of 16th-century Devon that you wanted to make sure you included in The Dartington Bride?
Many people mistakenly think of Elizabethan Devon as a rural backwater far from the excitement of the royal court. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Devon, with its long coastline and safe harbours, played a crucial role strategically, economically, and as the starting point for exciting voyages around the world. Devon families like the Champernownes were important players on the Elizabethan stage, and yet they remain relatively unknown. In The Dartington Bride I showcase the significant contribution Sir Arthur Champernowne made in supporting French Protestants.
How do you think your time spent in a Civil Service career might have influenced your historical fiction writing and storytelling?
During my career, I did a lot of writing. However, I was limited in my role as a senior Civil Servant, mainly writing briefings and speeches for government ministers. Now that I’m retired, I’m free to let my imagination fly. Amongst a varied list of policy postings, I worked for a time as a management trainer, focusing on what in those days was called “Equal Opportunities”. I think that, along with my own experience as a woman striving to balance a career alongside family commitments, has stimulated my fascination with the lives of women in other times.
I read that you have a passion for creating and wearing Tudor (particularly Elizabethan) dress. How has this work contributed to your telling of this tale?
The late Dame Hilary Mantel advised writers of historical fiction to “inhabit” the period they are writing about, using all five senses. For me, wearing authentic 16th-century clothing is one of the ways I “live in their time”. It teaches me things I couldn’t learn from books, and helps me understand the practical aspects of their lives and connect with women like Roberda. These details help me build a sense of Roberda’s time and place into my telling of her story.
What was the most significant challenge you had to overcome in your publication journey, and how did you achieve that?
Discovering how to promote my book so that many can enjoy it. I’ve learned scores of valuable lessons, mostly through trial and error.
What is the best writing advice you wish to share with aspiring authors?
Tell your story in your own way, and don’t give up.
What is the last great book you read?
I read a lot of non-fiction for research. The best I’ve read recently is Amy McElroy’s Women’s Lives in the Tudor Era, which I’d recommend to anyone who wants to understand the realities of life for women at that time.
For me a “great” novel is one that stays with you long after you reach the last page. Anne O’Brien’s The King’s Sister, the highly believable love story between Elizabeth Lancaster and John Holland, remains with me as I walk at Dartington, the house John Holland built.
Rosemary Griggs will be leading tours of Dartington’s beautiful listed gardens during the HNS UK 2024 conference in September.
