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Format: Paperback
ISBN: ISBN: 9781836283799
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Mistress of Dartington Hall

July 28, 2025

1587. England is at war with Spain. The people of Devon wait in terror for King Philip of Spain’s mighty armada to unleash untold devastation on their land.

Roberda, daughter of a French Huguenot leader, has been managing the Dartington estate in her estranged husband Gawen’s absence. She has gained the respect of the staff and tenants who now look to her to lead them through these dark times.

Gawen’s unexpected return from Ireland, where he has been serving Queen Elizabeth, throws her world into turmoil. He joins the men of the west country, including his cousin, Sir Walter Raleigh, and his friend Sir Francis Drake, as they prepare to repel a Spanish invasion. Amidst musters and alarms, determined and resourceful Roberda rallies the women of Dartington. But, after their earlier differences, can she trust Gawen? Or should she heed the advice of her faithful French maid, Clotilde?

Later Roberda will have to fight if she is to remain Mistress of Dartington Hall, and secure her children’s inheritance.

Can she ever truly find fulfilment for herself?

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Reviews


A compelling and richly researched historical novel

Jon Marshall - History Roadshow

Mistress of Dartington Hall is the third novel in Rosemary Griggs's Daughters of Devon series, and once again, she brings the women of Tudor England out of the shadows and into the light. Set in 1587, with the threat of the Spanish Armada looming, the novel centres on Roberda, a French Huguenot noblewoman navigating life as the lady of Dartington Hall in South Devon.

Roberda is more than a wife or mother—she's a determined estate manager, navigating the legal and logistical challenges of keeping Dartington operational in her husband's absence. But when her estranged husband, Gawen, suddenly returns from Ireland, …

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