Black diamonds tells of the fitzwilliams spectacular decline. Black diamonds catherine bailey the black diamond of the title is coal. It is the finest and largest georgian house in britain and belonged to the fitzwilliam family. Ive just read catherine baileys black diamonds, a book intended to unravel a mystery about the history of wentworth house. Aug 22, 2011 summary of red deer readers discussion of black diamonds by catherine bailey it was a particularly good turnout on tuesday with 14 of us in the upstairs room at the red deer pub. The rise and fall of an english dynasty by catherine bailey and will follow a reallife wealthy family who made their. Apr 29, 2008 black diamonds is a fascinating social history of the fitzwilliam family who lived in the massive wentworth house in south yorkshire. That antagonism provides the backdrop for catherine baileys irresistible black diamonds, a dual history of the torrid unraveling of an aristocratic dynasty, the earls fitzwilliam, and the collapse of the yorkshire coal mining community that provided the familys wealth. Wentworth is today a crumbling and forgotten palace in yorkshire.
It is the finest and largest georgian house in britain andbelonged to the fitzwilliam family. Black diamonds the rise and fall of an english dynasty book. The rise and fall of an english dynasty reprint by bailey, catherine isbn. Oct 16, 20 black diamonds by catherine bailey is the story of both mining in the early twentieth century and the story of the downfall of a family that owned mines. However, the black color in the first group is not achieved naturally. Mar 01, 2007 black diamonds tells of the fitzwilliams spectacular decline. Wentworth, the seat of the fitzwilliam clan, is a georgian. She read history at oxford university and is an awardwinning television producer and director, making a range of critically acclaimed documentary films inspired by her interest in twentieth century history. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
With the novelistic flair and knack for historical detail catherine bailey displayed in her new york times bestseller the secret rooms, black diamonds provides a pageturning chronicle of the fitzwilliam coalmining dynasty and their breathtaking wentworth estate, the largest private home in england. Mar 11, 2007 black diamonds is about a white elephant of a house, the feuding family who owned it, and the 120 collieries which kept them both going. But coal, one of the most emotive issues in twentieth century british politics, lies at its heart. May 28, 2011 unlike dan cruickshanks previous case studies, wentworth woodhouse is better known thanks in the main to catherine baileys black diamonds which discusses the socioeconomic circumstances of coal mining on the estate during the twentieth century. Catherine baileys black diamonds is an extraordinary tale of family feuds, forbidden love, civil unrest and the downfall of a mining dynasty. Black diamonds is a fascinating social history of the fitzwilliam family who lived in the massive wentworth house in south yorkshire. This is the story of the fitzwilliam family of wentworth house in yorkshire, one of the wealthiest aristocratic families in england in the early 20th century. Jan 09, 2015 catherine bailey is the author of the secret rooms and black diamonds both histories of the british aristocracy. Catherine baileys black diamonds is an extraordinary tale of family. Black diamonds is about a white elephant of a house, the feuding family who owned it, and the 120 collieries which kept them both going. Yet just a hundred years ago is was the ancestral pile of the fitzwilliams an aristocratic clan whose home and life were fuelled by coal mining. I started reading black diamonds a long time ago, then life overtook me and it got forgotten.
Black diamonds by catherine bailey books the guardian. I loved her earlier book, the secret rooms, and this new one, black diamonds penguin, is just as good. Baileys subject this time is another aristocratic english family and their home the earls fitzwilliam and wentworth house, but unlike her previous book, this time shes not faced with a surfeit of family records, but rather a severe shortage of them. Black diamonds, as well as natural fancy black diamonds are real. Aug 23, 2015 wentworth woodhouse, near rotherham in south yorkshire, is tipped to be the focus of new bbc costume drama black diamonds, which will tell the tale of a wealthy coalmining dynasty. Black diamonds and how the other half lived books the. Natural fancy black diamonds, on the other hand, are found in the rough with the same black color they display when they are bought. I picked this book up as if youve read this blog for a while you know of my love of stately homes and their stories it centred around one of the biggest unknown stately homes in the uk. A pageturning chronicle of the fitzwilliam coalmining dynasty and their breathtaking wentworth estate, the largest private home in england.
Wentworth is in yorkshire and was surrounded by 70 collieries employing tens of thousands of men. When the recent proposed sale of wentworth woodhouse was announced and the house was linked to jane austens pemberley, i thought it was time to find out more. Bailey, a journalist and documentary filmmaker, was fascinated by wentworth house, a vast edifice in south yorkshire with a room for each day of the year and a front that exceeded the length of buckingham palace. I got this book on a whim, expecting the story of the fitzwilliam family and their amazing yorkshire palace, wentworth woodhouse, to be a lady montdoreish look. Mar 07, 20 ive just read catherine baileys black diamonds, a book intended to unravel a mystery about the history of wentworth house.
Nov 23, 2015 black diamonds and how the other half lived catherine baileys account of wentworth woodhouse and yorkshire mining life rings with reminders of how britain really worked before the first world war. The palladian pile, near rotherham, has been sold to an investment company, a decision that. Catherine baileys black diamonds is an extraordinary tale of family feuds, forbidden love, civil unrest and the downfall of a mining dynasty wentworth in yorkshire was surrounded by 70 collieries employing tens of thousands of men. Wentworth in yorkshire was surrounded by 70 collieries employing tens. If books had human characteristics, black diamonds would suffer from a severe identity crisis. To get a glimpse of some of the characters of the village of wentworth and the places they lived and worked plus the family and servants of the big house itself take a look at our wentworth book. Most of baileys book details the often strained relationships between the mine owners. Black diamonds by catherine bailey meaghan walsh gerard. Aug 24, 2015 the series called black diamonds will be based on the book black diamonds. The book starts with a mystery that would have defeated most authors. With the novelistic flair and knack for historical detail catherine bailey displayed in her new york times bestseller the secret rooms, black diamonds provides a. However what emerges is a family with little familial affection and loyalty there is much greed. The authors research was made more difficult by the secrecy and deliberate destruction of many of the historical documents relating to the fitzwilliams. This is the extraordinary story of how the fabric of english society shifted beyond recognition in fifty turbulent years in the twentieth century.
The visit of george v to wentworth meant to heal some of the wounds of the industrial upheavals of 1911 by producing newspaper pictures of the king with miners was an important indication of. Yet just 100 years ago it was the ancestral pile of the fitzwilliams an aristocratic clan whose home and life were fuelled by coal mining. Aug 23, 2015 the broadcaster has reportedly commissioned a pilot based on catherine baileys book, black diamonds, about the fitzwilliam family, who made billions from the mining industry in the 19th century. Black diamonds and how the other half lived history books the. Downton abbey to be rivalled by new bbc period drama black. In 1972, 16 tons of muniments were hauled from the big house and systematically burnt in a bonfire that lasted three weeks. Wentworth woodhouse, near rotherham in south yorkshire, is tipped to be the focus of potential new drama black diamonds. Nov 27, 2019 a guide to visiting wentworth woodhouse in yorkshire, england. Wentworth, the seat of the fitzwilliam clan, is a georgian gem at the heart of a. Feb 03, 2015 if the earls fiztwilliam, the family in black diamonds, are a couple of ranks below the dukes of rutland in secret rooms, their mansion wentworth house is perhaps even grander than. It is all about wentworth woodhouse and the village and villagers of wentworth over the last 100 years and runs alongside black diamonds.
Wentworth woodhouse is the largest private home in the united kingdom and it has the longest facade of any country home in europe. If books had human characteristics, black diamonds would suffer from. If made, the programme, based on the book by catherine bailey, will most. Dec 30, 2014 troops guard wentworth house, home of the fitzwilliam family, during the coal riots of 1893. Mar 06, 2008 black diamonds tells the story of its demise. It is englands forgotten palace which belonged to britains richest aristocrats. Well share some of the fascinating history of this house and its occupants, tell you all you need to know to visit wentworth. The book was a huge hit with the group and was described by many as very readable, a fantastic read, totally engaging. Wentworth in yorkshire was surrounded by 70 collieries employing tens of thousands of men. The house and the its owners, the fitzwilliam family, are the subject of catherine baileys black diamonds. Photo courtesy of penguin books not all that glitters is gold. When the sixth earl fitzwilliam died in 1902, he left behind the second largest estate in twentiethcentury england and the family line seemed assured.