Vera (TV series) Vera (TV series) Vera is a British crime drama series based on novels of the same name, written by crime writer Ann Cleeves. It was first broadcast on ITV on 1 May 2011, and to date, eight series have aired. The series stars Brenda Blethyn as the principal character, Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope. Vera is a middle-aged employee of the fictional Northumberland & City Police, who is obsessive about her work and driven by her own demons. She plods along in a constantly dishevelled state, but has a calculating mind and, despite her irascible personality, she cares deeply about
Philip Stanhope, 1st Earl of Chesterfield Philip Stanhope, 1st Earl of Chesterfield Philip Stanhope, 1st Earl of Chesterfield (1584 – 12 September 1656) was an English nobleman, aristocrat and royalist, who was created the first Earl of Chesterfield by King Charles I in 1628. Stanhope was the only son of Sir John Stanhope of Shelford, Nottinghamshire by his first wife, Cordell Allington, but was raised by his father's second wife, Catherine Trentham (d. 1621). Stanhope was knighted in 1605 by James I. On 7 November 1616, he was created Baron Stanhope and was further elevated as Earl of Chesterfield on 4 August 1628. Leading up to