Eliza Courtney
Encyclopedia
Eliza Courtney was the 'natural'/illegitimate daughter of the Whig
politician and future Prime Minister Charles Grey
and the society beauty Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire
, while Georgiana was married to William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire
.
The Duchess was forced by her husband to relinquish Eliza, shortly after her birth, to be raised by Charles Grey's aunt and uncle. The Duchess came to visit Eliza in secret. She named her firstborn daughter Georgiana.
The name Courtney was derived from her maternal grandmother's brother, William Poyntz, having married a co-heiress of the ancient Cornish family of Courtney of Trethurfe and Courtney of Tremeer in 1762.
Eliza Courtney was born in France, in Aix-en-Provence
on 20 February 1792. She was brought to Falloden, Northumberland in northern England and adopted by her father's parents, her Grey grandparents
. Unlike the natural children of her biological mother's husband, the Duke of Devonshire
, Eliza was spared being part of the Devonshire House
set in London. Her mother, Georgiana, could not acknowledge her and saw her in secret until her death; several anguish-ridden poems from mother to daughter survive. Two are reproduced below:
And yet remote from public view flower there is of timid hue,
Beneath a sacred shade it grows,
But sweet in native fragrance blows.
From storms secure, from tempests free,
But ah! too seldom seen by me.
For scarce permitted to behold
With longing eyes each grace unfold.
My bosom struggles with its pain
And checks the wishes form'd in vain;
Yet when I perchance supremely blest,
I hold the floweret to my breast,
Enraptur'd watch its purple glow
And blessings (all I have) bestow.
The gentle fragrance soothes my care
And fervent is my humble prayer
That no dread evil may beset
My sweet but hidden violet.
Unhappy child of indiscretion,
poor slumberer on a breast forlorn
pledge of reproof of past transgression
Dear tho' unfortunate to be born
For thee a suppliant wish addressing
To Heaven thy mother fain would dare
But conscious blushes stain the blessing
And sighs suppress my broken prayer
But in spite of these my mind unshaken
In present duty turns to thee
Tho' long repented ne'er forgotten
Thy days shall lov'd and guarded be
And should th'ungenerous world upbraid thee
for mine and for thy father's ill
A nameless mother oft shall assist thee
A hand unseen protect thee still
And tho' to rank and wealth a stranger
Thy life a humble course must run
Soon shalt thou learn to fly the danger
Which I too late have learnt to shun
Meanwhile in these sequested vallies
Here may'st thou live in safe content
For innocence may smile at malice
And thou-Oh ! Thou art innocent
Georgiana was allowed to see her daughter occasionally when the Greys brought Eliza to London
, and acted as a sort of unofficial godmother
.
In 1808, Henrietta Ponsonby, Countess of Bessborough, sister to Georgiana and Eliza's unknown aunt, visited the Greys and was dismayed at what she observed:
Eliza was not informed of her true parentage until after the death of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire
. The name Courtney was derived from her maternal grandmother's brother, William Poyntz, having married a co-heiress of the ancient Cornish family of Courtney of Trethurfe and Courtney of Tremeer in 1762.
, married the Member of Parliament
and trader the Rt. Hon.
Edward "Bear" Ellice (1783–1863). Five years later, on December 10, 1814 in Scarborough, North Yorkshire
, Eliza married Lt. Col. Robert Ellice (1784–1856), a younger brother of her "brother-in-law" Edward Ellice. Their father was the Scots-born
Alexander Ellice (1743–1805) of Bath, London and Montreal
, a partner in the Schenectady
, New York
firm of Phyn, Ellice & Co.
In March 1814, Lord Broughton
recorded meeting Eliza at dinner and described her as:
Robert Ellice had been promoted to the military rank
of "ensign
" on November 8, 1798; to the rank of Captain on May 4, 1801; to Major on May 12, 1808; to Lt. Colonel March 16, 1809; to Colonel August 12, 1819; to Major-General on July 22, 1830; to Lieutenant-General November 23, 1841; to Colonel of the 24th Regiment of Foot (the 2nd Warwickshire) on November 2, 1842; and to General on June 20, 1854. At some point he served in South America and was present at the capture of Buenos Aires
.
Ellice was acting Governor-General of Malta
for five-and-a-half months, from 13 May to 27 October of the year 1851.
In the 1856 Webster's, he is listed as having a residence at 57 Park Street, Mayfair
.
(1759–1801), who was the fifth son of the first Marquess of Hertford
by his marriage to Charlotte Cholmondeley, daughter of the first Marquess of Cholmondeley
. A younger brother of Col. Hugh Seymour was Colonel Sir Horace Seymour
(1791-1851), an ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales
. His grandson was Sir Horace James Seymour
GCMG
CVO
(1885-1978), a diplomat who was British Minister in Tehran
from 1936 to 1939 and British Ambassador to China, 1942 to 1946. One of Sir Horace's grandsons, James Seymour (born 1956) is married to Anya Hindmarch
.
; later still he inherited from his brother the Barony of Dacre
, as 23rd in line. Descendants include the present Lord Monk Bretton
; Sarah, Duchess of York
; and the late Viscount Hampden
. Eliza Ellice Brand died on March 8, 1899 at Pelham House, Lewes
.
In 1880 his son, Major Edward Charles Ellice, DSO
(1917/8), J.P., M.P. (1903-6, Liberal, St. Andrews Boroughs
), (1858-1934) succeeded his first cousin once removed, Edward Ellice II
, to the Ellice estate at Invergarry
, Inverness-shire.
In April 1889 Major Edward Charles Ellice married another first cousin once removed, Margaret Georgiana Freeman Thomas (died 1929), daughter of Frederick Freeman Thomas by his wife Mabel Brand, daughter of the 1st Viscount Hampden
. Like him Margaret Georgiana was a descendant of Eliza Courtney, through Eliza's second daughter Eliza. Her brother was Freeman Freeman-Thomas
, Viceroy of India and was created 1st Marquess of Willingdon
.
Their fifth son, Russell (1902- 1989) succeeded his father, his four elder brothers having perished young: three of them in the 1914-1918 war. [One was in the Cameron Highlanders
(killed in action), one was in the Grenadiers (killed in action) and the third was lost on HMS Bulwark
.]
, was born in 1823 in Florence
. Charles followed his father into the 24th Regiment of Foot and was sometime Quartermaster-General and then Adjutant-General to the Forces
. He married Louisa Caroline Lambton, a daughter of William Henry Lambton and niece of the 1st Earl of Durham
. Thom's Upper Ten Thousand
for 1876 lists him as of Horningsheath, Bury St Edmunds. He was subject of Vanity Fair treatment, October 20, 1877. Lt. Gen. Sir Charles Henry Ellice, KCB died in 1888.
"Norwood in Surrey" in this case is Upper Norwood
; South Norwood
; West Norwood
; or Sydenham
.
Eliza Courtney's descendants are Sarah, Duchess of York and her daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York, who are fifth and sixth in line to the British throne, respectively. She is also related to the late Diana, Princess of Wales and her sons Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry, who are the second and third in line to the British throne, respectively.
British Whig Party
The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
politician and future Prime Minister Charles Grey
Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey
Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, KG, PC , known as Viscount Howick between 1806 and 1807, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 22 November 1830 to 16 July 1834. A member of the Whig Party, he backed significant reform of the British government and was among the...
and the society beauty Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire
Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire
Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire , formerly Lady Georgiana Spencer, was the first wife of the 5th Duke of Devonshire, and mother of the 6th Duke of Devonshire. Her father, the 1st Earl Spencer, was a great-grandson of the 1st Duke of Marlborough. Her niece was Lady Caroline Lamb...
, while Georgiana was married to William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire, KG was a British aristocrat and politician. He was the eldest son of the William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire by his wife the heiress Lady Charlotte Boyle, suo jure Baroness Clifford of Lanesborough, who brought in considerable money and estates to...
.
The Duchess was forced by her husband to relinquish Eliza, shortly after her birth, to be raised by Charles Grey's aunt and uncle. The Duchess came to visit Eliza in secret. She named her firstborn daughter Georgiana.
The name Courtney was derived from her maternal grandmother's brother, William Poyntz, having married a co-heiress of the ancient Cornish family of Courtney of Trethurfe and Courtney of Tremeer in 1762.
Upbringing
Aix-en-Provence
Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
on 20 February 1792. She was brought to Falloden, Northumberland in northern England and adopted by her father's parents, her Grey grandparents
Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey
Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey, KB PC was one of the most important British generals of the 18th century. He was the fourth son of Sir Henry Grey, 1st Baronet, of Howick in Northumberland. He served in the Seven Years' War, American War of Independence and French Revolutionary War...
. Unlike the natural children of her biological mother's husband, the Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire, KG was a British aristocrat and politician. He was the eldest son of the William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire by his wife the heiress Lady Charlotte Boyle, suo jure Baroness Clifford of Lanesborough, who brought in considerable money and estates to...
, Eliza was spared being part of the Devonshire House
Devonshire House
Devonshire House in Piccadilly was the London residence of the Dukes of Devonshire in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was built for William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire in the Palladian style, to designs by William Kent...
set in London. Her mother, Georgiana, could not acknowledge her and saw her in secret until her death; several anguish-ridden poems from mother to daughter survive. Two are reproduced below:
And yet remote from public view flower there is of timid hue,
Beneath a sacred shade it grows,
But sweet in native fragrance blows.
From storms secure, from tempests free,
But ah! too seldom seen by me.
For scarce permitted to behold
With longing eyes each grace unfold.
My bosom struggles with its pain
And checks the wishes form'd in vain;
Yet when I perchance supremely blest,
I hold the floweret to my breast,
Enraptur'd watch its purple glow
And blessings (all I have) bestow.
The gentle fragrance soothes my care
And fervent is my humble prayer
That no dread evil may beset
My sweet but hidden violet.
Unhappy child of indiscretion,
poor slumberer on a breast forlorn
pledge of reproof of past transgression
Dear tho' unfortunate to be born
For thee a suppliant wish addressing
To Heaven thy mother fain would dare
But conscious blushes stain the blessing
And sighs suppress my broken prayer
But in spite of these my mind unshaken
In present duty turns to thee
Tho' long repented ne'er forgotten
Thy days shall lov'd and guarded be
And should th'ungenerous world upbraid thee
for mine and for thy father's ill
A nameless mother oft shall assist thee
A hand unseen protect thee still
And tho' to rank and wealth a stranger
Thy life a humble course must run
Soon shalt thou learn to fly the danger
Which I too late have learnt to shun
Meanwhile in these sequested vallies
Here may'st thou live in safe content
For innocence may smile at malice
And thou-Oh ! Thou art innocent
Georgiana was allowed to see her daughter occasionally when the Greys brought Eliza to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and acted as a sort of unofficial godmother
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
.
In 1808, Henrietta Ponsonby, Countess of Bessborough, sister to Georgiana and Eliza's unknown aunt, visited the Greys and was dismayed at what she observed:
Eliza was not informed of her true parentage until after the death of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire
Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire
Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire , formerly Lady Georgiana Spencer, was the first wife of the 5th Duke of Devonshire, and mother of the 6th Duke of Devonshire. Her father, the 1st Earl Spencer, was a great-grandson of the 1st Duke of Marlborough. Her niece was Lady Caroline Lamb...
. The name Courtney was derived from her maternal grandmother's brother, William Poyntz, having married a co-heiress of the ancient Cornish family of Courtney of Trethurfe and Courtney of Tremeer in 1762.
Husband
In 1809 her "quasi-sister" (but actual aunt) Lady Hannah Althea Grey, widow of George Edmund Byron BettesworthGeorge Edmund Byron Bettesworth
George Edmund Byron Bettesworth was a British Naval Officer. During his service he participated in a notable single ship action, and had been wounded 24 times, which is probably a record.-HMS Phoebe:...
, married the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and trader the Rt. Hon.
The Right Honourable
The Right Honourable is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Anglophone Caribbean and other Commonwealth Realms, and occasionally elsewhere...
Edward "Bear" Ellice (1783–1863). Five years later, on December 10, 1814 in Scarborough, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, Eliza married Lt. Col. Robert Ellice (1784–1856), a younger brother of her "brother-in-law" Edward Ellice. Their father was the Scots-born
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
Alexander Ellice (1743–1805) of Bath, London and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, a partner in the Schenectady
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
firm of Phyn, Ellice & Co.
In March 1814, Lord Broughton
John Hobhouse, 1st Baron Broughton
John Cam Hobhouse, 1st Baron Broughton GCB, PC, FRS , known as Sir John Hobhouse, Bt, from 1831 to 1851, was a British politician and memoirist.-Background and education:...
recorded meeting Eliza at dinner and described her as:
Robert Ellice had been promoted to the military rank
Military rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
of "ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
" on November 8, 1798; to the rank of Captain on May 4, 1801; to Major on May 12, 1808; to Lt. Colonel March 16, 1809; to Colonel August 12, 1819; to Major-General on July 22, 1830; to Lieutenant-General November 23, 1841; to Colonel of the 24th Regiment of Foot (the 2nd Warwickshire) on November 2, 1842; and to General on June 20, 1854. At some point he served in South America and was present at the capture of Buenos Aires
British invasions of the Río de la Plata
The British invasions of the Río de la Plata were a series of unsuccessful British attempts to seize control of the Spanish colonies located around the La Plata Basin in South America . The invasions took place between 1806 and 1807, as part of the Napoleonic Wars, when Spain was an ally of...
.
Ellice was acting Governor-General of Malta
Governor-General of Malta
-Governors of Malta, 1813-1964:*Lieut.-General Sir Thomas Maitland *General Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings *Major-General Sir Frederick Cavendish Ponsonby *Lieut.-General Sir Patrick Stuart *Right Honourable Richard More O'Ferrall -Governors of Malta, 1813-1964:*Lieut.-General...
for five-and-a-half months, from 13 May to 27 October of the year 1851.
In the 1856 Webster's, he is listed as having a residence at 57 Park Street, Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
.
Georgiana
Her daughter Georgiana was born on 12 October 1817. On 4 November 1846 she married Hugh Horatio Seymour (1821–1892). Seymour was the son of Lt. Col. Hugh Henry Seymour (1790–1821), himself son of Admiral Lord Hugh SeymourLord Hugh Seymour
Vice-Admiral Lord Hugh Seymour was a senior British Royal Navy officer of the late 18th century who was the fifth son of Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford and became known for being both a prominent society figure and a highly competent naval officer...
(1759–1801), who was the fifth son of the first Marquess of Hertford
Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford
Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford KG, PC, PC was a British courtier and politician.He was born in Chelsea, London the son of Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Lord Conway and Charlotte Shorter and died in Surrey, England...
by his marriage to Charlotte Cholmondeley, daughter of the first Marquess of Cholmondeley
George Cholmondeley, 1st Marquess of Cholmondeley
George James Cholmondeley, 1st Marquess of Cholmondeley KG, GCH, PC , styled Viscount Malpas between 1764 and 1770 and known as The Earl of Cholmondeley between 1770 and 1815, was a British peer and politician.-Background and education:...
. A younger brother of Col. Hugh Seymour was Colonel Sir Horace Seymour
Horace Seymour
Colonel Sir Horace Beauchamp Seymour was a Peelite Member of Parliament for Lisburn, Antrim, Oxford, Bodmin and Midhurst....
(1791-1851), an ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
. His grandson was Sir Horace James Seymour
Horace James Seymour
Sir Horace James Seymour GCMG CVO was a British diplomat, Ambassador to China from 1942 to 1946.-Early life and family:The elder son of Hugh Francis Seymour and the grandson of Col...
GCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
CVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(1885-1978), a diplomat who was British Minister in Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
from 1936 to 1939 and British Ambassador to China, 1942 to 1946. One of Sir Horace's grandsons, James Seymour (born 1956) is married to Anya Hindmarch
Anya Hindmarch
Anya Susannah Hindmarch MBE is an English fashion accessories designer.-Biography:Born in Maldon, Essex, to a self-made man, Hindmarch was educated at Elm Green Preparatory School, a preparatory School in Little Baddow. At 16 Hindmarch was given an old Gucci handbag by her mother...
.
Eliza
Eliza had another daughter, also named Eliza, the following year, in 1818. This Eliza married Henry Bouverie William Brand (1814–1892) in 1838. After a distinguished speakership of the House of Commons, Eliza's husband was created Viscount HampdenViscount Hampden
Viscount Hampden is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation came in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1776 for the diplomat and politician Robert Hampden, 4th Baron Trevor...
; later still he inherited from his brother the Barony of Dacre
Baron Dacre
Baron Dacre is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of England, every time by writ. The first creation came in 1321 when Ralph Dacre was summoned to Parliament as Lord Dacre. He married Margaret, 2nd Baroness Multon of Gilsland, heiress of a large estate in Cumbria centred on...
, as 23rd in line. Descendants include the present Lord Monk Bretton
John Charles Dodson, 3rd Baron Monk Bretton
John Charles Dodson, 3rd Baron Monk Bretton is an agriculturist, Sussex landowner, UK peer of the realm, and long serving member of the House of Lords.John Dodson succeeded his father, John William Dodson, in 1933....
; Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York is a British charity patron, spokesperson, writer, film producer, television personality and former member of the British Royal Family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whom she married from 1986 to 1996...
; and the late Viscount Hampden
Anthony David Brand, 6th Viscount Hampden
Anthony David Brand, 6th Viscount Hampden , was a stock broker, Sussex land owner, South Downsman, hereditary peer, and land agent.-Early career:...
. Eliza Ellice Brand died on March 8, 1899 at Pelham House, Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
.
Robert
Eliza's first son, Robert, was born on January 1, 1816. In March 1853, he married Eglantine Charlotte Louisa Balfour (died April 18, 1907), third daughter of Lt-General Robert Balfour of Balbirnie. Robert Ellice died on December 19, 1858.In 1880 his son, Major Edward Charles Ellice, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(1917/8), J.P., M.P. (1903-6, Liberal, St. Andrews Boroughs
St Andrews Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)
St Andrews Burghs was a district of burghs constituency, representing various burghs of Fife, Scotland, in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, from 1832 to 1918.-Area covered:...
), (1858-1934) succeeded his first cousin once removed, Edward Ellice II
Edward Ellice (Scottish politician)
Edward Ellice, the younger was a Scottish Liberal Party politician.He was the eldest son of Edward Ellice, from his first marriage to Hannah Althea Grey, the youngest sister of Earl Grey, and was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge...
, to the Ellice estate at Invergarry
Invergarry
Invergarry is a village in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Great Glen, near where the River Garry flows into Loch Oich.Near the centre of the village is the junction between the A82 road and the A87 road which branches off to the west towards Skye.The ruined Invergarry Castle is situated...
, Inverness-shire.
In April 1889 Major Edward Charles Ellice married another first cousin once removed, Margaret Georgiana Freeman Thomas (died 1929), daughter of Frederick Freeman Thomas by his wife Mabel Brand, daughter of the 1st Viscount Hampden
Henry Brand, 1st Viscount Hampden
Henry Bouverie William Brand, 1st Viscount Hampden GCB, PC , was a British Liberal politician. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1872 to 1884.-Background and education:...
. Like him Margaret Georgiana was a descendant of Eliza Courtney, through Eliza's second daughter Eliza. Her brother was Freeman Freeman-Thomas
Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon
Major Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon was a British Liberal politician and administrator who served as Governor General of Canada, the 13th since Canadian Confederation, and as Viceroy and Governor-General of India, the country's 22nd.Freeman-Thomas was born in England and...
, Viceroy of India and was created 1st Marquess of Willingdon
Marquess of Willingdon
Marquess of Willingdon was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 26 May 1936 for the Liberal politician and colonial governor Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Earl of Willingdon. He was Governor-General of Canada from 1926 to 1931 and Viceroy of India from 1931 to 1936...
.
Their fifth son, Russell (1902- 1989) succeeded his father, his four elder brothers having perished young: three of them in the 1914-1918 war. [One was in the Cameron Highlanders
Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1793. In 1961 it was merged with the Seaforth Highlanders to form the Queen's Own Highlanders...
(killed in action), one was in the Grenadiers (killed in action) and the third was lost on HMS Bulwark
HMS Bulwark (1899)
HMS Bulwark belonged to a sub-class of the Formidable-class of pre-dreadnought battleships of the Royal Navy known as the London-class.-Technical description:...
.]
Charles
Eliza's second son, Charles HenryCharles Ellice
General Sir Charles Ellice GCB is a former Adjutant-General to the Forces.-Military career:Born in Florence in Italy, Charles Ellice was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards in 1839....
, was born in 1823 in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. Charles followed his father into the 24th Regiment of Foot and was sometime Quartermaster-General and then Adjutant-General to the Forces
Adjutant-General to the Forces
The Adjutant-General to the Forces, commonly just referred to as the Adjutant-General , is one of the most senior officers in the British Army. He is in charge of administration, personnel and organisational matters. The Adjutant-General usually holds the rank of General or Lieutenant-General...
. He married Louisa Caroline Lambton, a daughter of William Henry Lambton and niece of the 1st Earl of Durham
John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham
John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham GCB, PC , also known as "Radical Jack" and commonly referred to in history texts simply as Lord Durham, was a British Whig statesman, colonial administrator, Governor General and high commissioner of British North America...
. Thom's Upper Ten Thousand
Upper ten thousand
Upper Ten Thousand, or simply, The Upper Ten, is a phrase coined in 1852 by American poet Nathaniel Parker Willis to describe the upper circles of New York, and hence of other major cities....
for 1876 lists him as of Horningsheath, Bury St Edmunds. He was subject of Vanity Fair treatment, October 20, 1877. Lt. Gen. Sir Charles Henry Ellice, KCB died in 1888.
Death
She died a widow in Norwood, Surrey, aged 67."Norwood in Surrey" in this case is Upper Norwood
Upper Norwood
Upper Norwood is an elevated area in south London, England within the postcode SE19. It is a residential district largely in the London Borough of Croydon although some parts extend into the London Borough of Lambeth, London Borough of Southwark and the London Borough of Bromley. Upper Norwood...
; South Norwood
South Norwood
South Norwood is an urban town and in south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a suburban development 7.8 miles south-east of Charing Cross. South Norwood is an electoral with a resident population in 2001 of just over 14,000...
; West Norwood
West Norwood
West Norwood is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth.It is primarily a residential suburb of south London but with some light industry near Knights Hill in the south....
; or Sydenham
Sydenham
Sydenham is an area and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham; although some streets towards Crystal Palace Park, Forest Hill and Penge are outside the ward and in the London Borough of Bromley, and some streets off Sydenham Hill are in the London Borough of Southwark. Sydenham was in...
.
Eliza Courtney's descendants are Sarah, Duchess of York and her daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York, who are fifth and sixth in line to the British throne, respectively. She is also related to the late Diana, Princess of Wales and her sons Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry, who are the second and third in line to the British throne, respectively.
Biography
- Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda ForemanAmanda Foreman (biographer)Amanda Lucy Foreman is a British/American biographer and historian.-Family:Her father was the renowned screenwriter and film producer Carl Foreman who had to move to England in order to work after being blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studios during the McCarthyism of the 1950s...
, HarperCollinsHarperCollinsHarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
, London, 1998. ISBN 0-00-655016-9 - Privilege and Scandal: The Remarkable Life of Harriet Spencer, Sister of Georgiana by Janet Gleeson, Crown Publishers, New York, 2006. ISBN 978-0-307-38197-2
- Brian Masters, Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire, Hamish Hamilton, 1981.
- The Earl of BessboroughVere Ponsonby, 9th Earl of BessboroughCaptain Vere Brabazon Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough was a British businessman and politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 14th since Canadian Confederation....
(editor), Georgiana, John Murray, London, 1955. - Anthony BrandAnthony David Brand, 6th Viscount HampdenAnthony David Brand, 6th Viscount Hampden , was a stock broker, Sussex land owner, South Downsman, hereditary peer, and land agent.-Early career:...
, Henry and Eliza, printed privately in Haywards Heath, 1980 (197 pages, paperback). Letters between her daughter and son-in-law. - Peter Townend (ed), Burke's PeerageBurke's PeerageBurke's Peerage publishes authoritative, in-depth historical guides to the royal and titled families of the United Kingdom, such as Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, and of many other countries. Founded in 1826 by British genealogist John Burke Esq., and continued by his son, Sir John...
and Baronetage, 105th edition, London 1970 (1978, 3rd impression). - see the film The DuchessThe Duchess (film)The Duchess is a 2008 British drama film based on Amanda Foreman's biography of the 18th-century English aristocrat Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. It was released in September 2008 in the UK...
, 2008.
External links
- http://www.windeatt.f2s.com/poets/Kennicot_B.htmlPoem by Benjamin KennicottBenjamin KennicottBenjamin Kennicott was an English churchman and Hebrew scholar.He was born at Totnes, Devon. He succeeded his father as master of a charity school, but the generosity of some friends enabled him to go to Wadham College, Oxford, in 1744, and he distinguished himself in Hebrew and divinity...
, D.D. (1718-1783) ]describing the near death of Kelland Courtney's wife in 1743. - Link to note on Envoy Stephen Poyntz, PC
- Eliza's brother-in-law, the Bear.
- Eliza's nephew-by-marriage Edward ElliceEdward Ellice (Scottish politician)Edward Ellice, the younger was a Scottish Liberal Party politician.He was the eldest son of Edward Ellice, from his first marriage to Hannah Althea Grey, the youngest sister of Earl Grey, and was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge...
(1810-1880), son of the Bear. See Edward Ellice II. - Edward Ellice's first wife
Other
- Phyn, Ellice and Company of Schenectady, by R. H. Fleming in Contributions to Canadian Economics, Vol. 4, 1932 (1932), pp. 7–41.
- The New Annual Army List and Militia List for 1854, the 17th annual volume, by Major Henry G. Hart, John Murray, Albermarle street, London, 1854.
- Webster's Royal Red Book; or Court and Fashionable Register, for January, 1856, Webster & Co., 60 Piccadilly, London.
- The Upper Ten Thousand, for 1876, A biographical handbook of all the titled and official classes of the Kingdom with their addresses, compiled and edited by Adam Bisset Thom, Kelly & Co., London. (First published 1875).
- Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, 1952, edited L. G. Pine, London, (sub. Ellice of Invergarry, page 744-745)
Ancestors
| Eliza Courtney (Mrs Robert Ellice) (1792-1859) | Father: Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, KG, PC , known as Viscount Howick between 1806 and 1807, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 22 November 1830 to 16 July 1834. A member of the Whig Party, he backed significant reform of the British government and was among the... (1764-1845). |
Paternal Grandfather: Sir Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey, KB PC was one of the most important British generals of the 18th century. He was the fourth son of Sir Henry Grey, 1st Baronet, of Howick in Northumberland. He served in the Seven Years' War, American War of Independence and French Revolutionary War... , KB. (d.1807) |
Paternal Great-Grandfather: Sir Henry Grey, 1st Bt. of Howick Howick, Northumberland Howick is a village in Northumberland, between Boulmer and Craster. It is just inland from the North Sea, into which Howick burn flows, from Howick Hall... (d.1749). |
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Hannah, daughter of Thomas Wood of Falloden, Northumberland. |
|||
| Paternal Grandmother: Elizabeth Grey (d.1822) |
Paternal Great-Grandfather: George Grey of Southwick. |
||
| Paternal Great-Grandmother: Mrs. Grey |
|||
| Mother: Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire , formerly Lady Georgiana Spencer, was the first wife of the 5th Duke of Devonshire, and mother of the 6th Duke of Devonshire. Her father, the 1st Earl Spencer, was a great-grandson of the 1st Duke of Marlborough. Her niece was Lady Caroline Lamb... (1757-1806). |
Maternal Grandfather: 1st Earl Spencer John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer was a British peer and politician.Spencer was born in 1734, at his family home, Althorp. He was the son of Hon. John Spencer and Georgiana Carolina Carteret , and a grandson of the 3rd Earl of Sunderland... (d.1783). |
Maternal Great-Grandfather: Hon. John Spencer John Spencer (British politician) John Spencer was a British politician and an ancestor of the Earls Spencer.-Biography:Born the Hon. John Spencer, he was the youngest son of the 3rd Earl of Sunderland and his wife, Lady Anne Churchill. In 1732, he succeeded his cousin, William Godolphin, Marquess of Blandford as Member of... , son of 3rd Earl of Sunderland Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland Sir Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland KG PC , known as Lord Spencer from 1688 to 1702, was an English statesman... . |
|
| Maternal Great-Grandmother: Georgiana Carteret, daughter of 2nd Earl Granville John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville, 7th Seigneur of Sark, KG, PC , commonly known by his earlier title as Lord Carteret, was a British statesman and Lord President of the Council from 1751 to 1763.-Family:... . |
|||
| Maternal Grandmother: (Margaret) Georgina Poyntz (d.1814). Her brother William Poyntz (1734-1809) married in 1762, Isabella (d.1805), daughter and co-heiress of Kelland Courtney of Painsford, Ashprington Ashprington Ashprington is a village and civil parish in the South Hams district of Devon, England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 428. The village is not far from the River Dart, and is about three miles south of Totnes.... , Devon, and Trethurfe, Cornwall. (Distant scion of family of John Courtenay (of Tremere) John Courtenay (of Tremere) The Courtenay family of Tremere were a cadet line of the influential Devon family seated at Powderham and part of the House of Courtenay. The family is descendants of Sir Philip Courtenay, the son of Hugh de Courtenay, the 10th Earl of Devon... (Tremeer)). Isabella Courtney's only brother died in 1761, thus at some point William Poyntz and the Earl of Cork & Orrery became representatives of the family of Courtney of Trethurfe and Courtney of Tremeer. |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Rt. Hon. Stephen Poyntz (1685-1750), of Midgham, Berkshire. Ambassador. Son of William Poyntz, upholsterer. |
||
| Maternal Great-Grandmother: Anna (d. 1771), daughter of Brigadier-general hon. Lewis Mordaunt, and maid of honour to Queen Caroline. |