‘Matchless Stoves’ : the pioneering garden technologies of Mary Somerset, the Duchess of Beaufort (1630–1715)

This article consolidates and furthers research relating to seventeenth-century garden technologies, specifically structures for housing plants. Using archival materials, (including letters, architectural plans, and herbarium specimens) alongside an art-historical analysis of paintings of the Badminton estate, I demonstrate how Mary Somerset (1630–1715) was a forerunner in employing cutting-edge heated ‘stove-houses’, which enabled her to successfully grow a large collection of tender and tropical plants. Significantly, Somerset’s stove-houses rivalled those of the monarchs at Hampton Court. Furthermore, this article draws attention to the fact that women played a significant role in pioneering new ways of growing tropical plants.