Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of, 1623?-1673

Margaret Lucas was born at St John's Abbey, Essex and was the youngest child of Thomas and Elizabeth Lucas. Although her parents were wealthy, they were completely untitled. She was privately tutored and in 1642 was sent to live with her sister in Oxford, where the royal court was residing. Margaret became a maid of honour to Queen Henrietta Maria, and in 1644, accompanied her mistress into exile in Paris.

The move to Paris proved to be the pivotal point in Margaret's life, for it was here that she met her future husband, William Cavendish, Marquess [and later, Duke] of Newcastle upon Tyne. The two were married by the end of 1645. After moving to Rotterdam and then Antwerp, husband and wife returned to England at the Restoration and set about the process of restoring the Cavendish estates.

Margaret was viewed by her contemporaries as being rather eccentric. She was extravagent and flirtatious, accused of using speech full of 'oaths and obscenity', and was noted for her unusual sense of fashion. This reputation for eccentricity survives today, when Margaret is widely referred to as 'Mad Madge'.

Margaret's most notable achievement was undoubtedly literary. She was a prolific author, publishing poems, plays, literary critiques, volumes of 'observations' - even works on natural philosophy.

Margaret was the 1st Duke's second wife. Though the duke had a family by his first wife, Elizabeth Basset, he was sadly unable to have children with Margaret, despite attempts to treat her failure to conceive.