Hello and welcome!

I’m Julie Montagu, Countess of Sandwich, and I’m so glad that you’re here!

My fascination with the Gilded Age started with an incredible discovery at our family’s manor, Mapperton, in Dorset:

I came across hundreds of letters and diaries written by Alberta Sturges Montagu, an American heiress of the Gilded Age who became the 9th Countess of Sandwich, and my husband’s great grandmother.

Like Alberta, I’m an American who married into the British Aristocracy…though I’m by no means an heiress.

As I’ve gotten to know Alberta through her writings, I’ve become immersed in Gilded Age history, even going on to do a Master’s that focused heavily on her words and her life.

Now, I write about, speak about, and research the Gilded Age. Much of my archival work takes place at Mapperton, where we’re still discovering, cataloguing, and transcribing Alberta’s work.

This publication is an extension of my work on Gilded Heiresses—the American women who crossed the Atlantic to marry into the British aristocracy.

I’d love for you to join me along the way.

Where to find more

If you’re craving more on the Gilded Age, you can find my short documentaries on YouTube via The Gilded Heiresses channel.

Also, on the American Countess channel, you’ll find incredible tours of British estates and country houses where many on the Gilded Heiresses made their marks.

Finally, if you’re interested in what it’s like to live at Mapperton as American countess, our Mapperton Live! channel is a glimpse into modern aristocratic life—the kind where my husband (Luke, Earl of Sandwich) and I get our hands dirty fixing up the manor, rewilding the surrounding lands, and making incredible discoveries in every corner of the house.