good Queen Bess

good Queen Bess

1. Alternative letter-case form of Good Queen Bess.
   • a. 1705, Thomas Brown, “The Quaker’s-Meeting”, in The Third Volume of the Works of Mr. Thomas Brown, Containing, Amusements Serious & Comical, Calculated for the Meridian of London. […], London: […] S. B. [Samuel Briscoe?] and Sold by B. Bragg, […], published 1708, →OCLC, page 19:

     This Sect aroſe from [James] Nailer, as the Presbyterians and Independents from the Jeſuits: Theſe indeed may plead a greater Antiquity, as having their Riſe in the days of good Queen Beſs; but the ſhaking Congregation, not till the days of the Martyr.

   • 1709, the Bookseller, “The Epistle Nuncupatory, to the Author of A Tale of a Tub”, in [Charles Gildon], The Golden Spy: or, A Political Journal of the British Nights Entertainments of War and Peace, and Love and Politics: […], London: […] J[ames] Woodward […] and J[ohn] Morphew […], →OCLC, signature A4, recto:

     [T]o ſhew them their miſtake, I proteſt ſincerely, that had not the leaſt influence on my rejecting his Patronage, ſince I do not at all doubt, but that I might have ſpoke^[sic] as much Truth on both Heads, as generally has been ſpoken by moſt of our Modern Dedicators; Who often run the Pedegree of their Patrons up to the Conqueſt, (and we are beholden to them that they ſtop there) tho’ perhaps they wou’d be puzled themſelves to tell their Forefathers in the Pious Days of good Queen Beſs; […]

   • 1754 December 3, [David] Garrick, “Epilogue, […]”, in [John Brown], Barbarossa. A Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson and S[omerset] Draper […], published 1755, →OCLC, page [5]:

     The Ladies too were carp’d at, and their Dreſs, / He wants ’em all ruff’d up like good Queen Beſs!

   • 1827 March 10, Mike Lambourne, “Statue of Queen Elizabeth”, in The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction: […], volume IX, number 243, London: […] J[ohn] Limbird, […], →OCLC, page 177, column 1:

     The curious statue of good Queen Bess, of which our engraving is an exact representation, at present holds a far humbler situation than that to which it was exalted when it first came from the hands of the sculptor.

   • 1840 November, “The Art of Needlework”, in Theodore Hook, editor, The New Monthly Magazine and Humorist, volume LX (1840, part the third), number CCXXXIX, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 417:

     Needlework among the Egyptians—needlework in classical times—needlework of the bible—needlework of the dark ages—needlework of the times of romance and chivalry—needlework in connexion with costume—needlework in the days of good Queen Bess—needlework of the royal ladies of all ages—the Bayeux tapestry—the field of the cloth of gold—embroidery of ancient times and of the present day, &c. &c.;—these are but a few of the headings of the twenty-five chapters of this pleasant volume, […]

     The chapter is titled “The Days of ‘Good Queen Bess’” in the book.

   • a. 1851, Paul Trumpeter, quotee, “Customs House Quay, wooden dolly 1”, in Sitelines – Gateway to the Tyne and Wear’s Historic Environment Record‎^[1], Newcastle upon Tyne: Tyne and Wear Archaeology Officer, published 2017, archived from the original on 20 June 2025:

     Local historian Paul Trumpeter described the dolly as 'no slim, simpering, Goddess-looking creature, but a bluff, saucy, hearty-looking hussey, with a full flaunting petticoat something in the style of good Queen Bess'.