Jane Cavendish

Lady Jane Cavendish (1621–1669) was a poet and playwright, the daughter of William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle and later the wife of Charles Cheyne, Viscount Newhaven. Along with her literary achievements, Cavendish helped manage her father's properties while he spent the English Civil War in exile; she was responsible for a variety of military correspondences and for salvaging many of her family's valuable possessions. Later in life, she became an important community member in Chelsea, using her resources to make improvements on Chelsea Church and otherwise benefit her friends and neighbours. Marked by vitality, integrity, perseverance and creativity, Jane's life and works tell the story of a Royalist woman's indomitable spirit during the English Civil War and the English Restoration.