Mary Rich, Countess of Warwick

Mary Rich, Countess of Warwick (8 November 1625 – 12 April 1678) was a diarist and the seventh daughter of Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork, and his second wife, Catherine Fenton, only daughter of Sir Geoffrey Fenton, Principal Secretary of State for Ireland, and Alice Weston. She was born in 1625 in Youghal, County Cork, and after her mother's death in 1628, was raised by her relatives Sir Richard and Lady Clayton in Mallow, before becoming a maid of honour to Queen Henrietta Maria. In 1641 she married Charles Rich, 4th Earl of Warwick. They had two children, who died young. Rich is remembered for her love of literature and the diaries she kept from 1666 to 1677, which include many of the current events in 17th-century Ireland, alongside her domestic issues.

Life Childhood and adolescence Mary was noted from childhood onwards for her exceptional stubbornness and independence. Her father, who was probably the most formidable figure in Irish politics at the time, called her "my unruly daughter" and was unable to control her. He arranged a marriage for her with Lord Clanbrassil but Mary, who was only 13, refused to marry Clanbrassil on grounds of an "incurable aversion" to him, and no threat or argument would change her mind. Her father cut off her allowance, leaving her without any money to buy new clothes, but to no avail. Two years later, having been banished from her father's house to another abode near Hampton Court, she made a secret love marriage with Charles Rich, 4th Earl of Warwick, who was then a penniless younger son with no financial prospects, who had frequently visited her when she was recovering from an attack of measles.

In addition, Mary Rich wrote letters to various correspondents. According to Illustrious Irishwomen, these were often distinguished members of the literary world.

She also wrote Occasional Meditations. Described as rich in domestic detail, with vivid analogies and homely comparisons, these are an expression of a deeply religious woman, who achieved a distinctive sense of self as she strove to make her life one with God.

Extract The following is a sample piece from Mary Rich's diary: