[4] Her father saw that she received a full education, which was unusual for women of the period,[5][6] and her mother ensured she was prepared to run a household effectively.

"[10] After some years of searching for a suitable match, she married Sir Lionel Tollemache in 1648,[11] a prudent choice for the daughter of a prominent Royalist given his apparent lack of political involvement, and one that created a stable marriage.

[14] At the start of their marriage, Sir Lionel and Lady Dysart lived at Fakenham Magna in Suffolk, a wooded countryside near his family estate at Helmingham Hall and removed from much of the upheaval of war.

[19] She became acquainted with the Parliamentarian Oliver Cromwell, probably when his army headquarters were located in nearby Kingston-upon-Thames in the summer of 1647, and the connection provided a cover for her own Royalist tendencies.

[5] She was in correspondence[b] with exiled supporters of Charles II and visited Europe often to convey letters to the King,[16] despite being frequently pregnant and under the close scrutiny of the Protectorate.

[27] In September 1658 one of her neighbours, Judith Isham, joked about her new title, writing that people "call her my Lady Dessert, she is soe takeing, expressing extraordinary sivility to every person".

[5][c] She and her husband were also granted the freehold of 75 acres surrounding Ham House in recognition of "the service done by the late Earl of Dysart and his daughter".

[33] In 1669, her husband Lionel died in France and Elizabeth became the sole owner of Ham House, along with other properties including Framsden Hall in Suffolk.

[39] A month after their marriage, they travelled north to Scotland for the opening of the Scottish Parliament where, in defiance of tradition, Elizabeth decided to accompany her husband.

[6] In January 1671, she wrote to her cousin, the Scottish architect William Bruce, seeking advice about a new gateway to the forecourt of Ham House in preparation for a planned visit by Charles II and his wife, Queen Catherine of Braganza.

[43] Shortly after the completion of the apartments, Elizabeth commissioned the creation of a bathroom in the basement of the home, an indication of her attention to hygiene.

[55] Several portraits of Elizabeth were painted throughout her life by a range of artists including Peter Lely, John Weesop, Joan Carlile and Benedetto Gennari.

Her patronage of Lely extended over decades, with four paintings of her, including the double portrait with John Maitland which remains on view at Ham House.