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Join us as Elizabeth St. John tells how, while delving into her own family history, she found ancestral memoirs that inspired her to begin writing a saga–the Lydirad Chronicles. The saga’s first novel, “The Lady of the Tower,” takes place between 1603 and 1630; the second, “By Love Divided, “ covers 1630 to 1646. Both novels are set in Lydiard Park, which is the site of St. John’s ancestral home, Lydiard House. Other locations include family residences within the Tower of London, Nottingham Castle, and Castle Fonmon in Wales.
St. John tells us, “More than thirty years ago, I came across a copy of, “Memoirs of the Life of Colonel Hutchinson” by his wife Lucy Hutchinson. Contained within is A Fragment, the Life of Lucy Hutchinson, written by herself. The story of her mother, Lucy St.John, served as inspiration for the first novel. Many details of Lucy’s life are unknown, but enough are recorded to server as signposts to her journey. The rest is historical fiction.”
St. John’s ancestral family dates back to the 10th century, and her focus for this series has been the 16th & 17th centuries. Many of her relatives had connections to the royalty of the day. Henry VII’s grandmother, Margaret Beauchamp, was St John’s grandmother, 13 times removed! Another of the family’s royal connections was the Duke of Buckingham, a favorite of King James I. St. John’s ancestor, Barbara St. John, married the Duke’s brother.