Ralph Leiche, of Chatsworth

of Chatsworth in the county of Derby

Chatsworth House, located in Derbyshire, is the 9th most visited historic site in England, with 652,969 visitors in 2009. The property where the house sits dates back to the 11th century when it belonged to a shared estate between a Norseman and a Saxon. After the Norman Conquest, it became royal property until the Leche family purchased it in the 15th century and built the first house on the land. The Cavendish family purchased the property in 1549 and built a new home beginning in 1553; the Chatsworth House continues to belong to the Cavendish family today. Visitors to the home may tour the house, the gardens, the farm, and the playground. Many tourists enjoy a traditional afternoon tea time when visiting as well.

The Hardwicks were established Derbyshire gentry who had inherited a modest manor house and c. 400 acres in and around Hardwick. But when John Hardwick died in 1528, (father of Bess Hardwick), and their lands were seized by the crown, Bess faced hardship.

Bess’s mother quickly remarried but her new husband, Ralph Leche of Chatsworth, Derbyshire, brought little land or money to the marriage, and three more daughters were born (Bess’s half-sisters Elizabeth, Jane, and Margaret).