Philip Thicknesse
Encyclopedia
Captain Philip Thicknesse (1719 – 23 November 1792) was a British
author, eccentric and friend of the artist Thomas Gainsborough
.
Philip Thicknesse was born in Staffordshire
, England
, son of John Thicknesse, the Rector of Farthinghoe
, Northamptonshire
and Joyce (née Blencowe) Thicknesse and brought up in Farthinghoe. In later life he lived on the Royal Crescent
in Bath. Thicknesse obtained a commission as a Captain
of an independent company in Jamaica
after 1737, but transferred to a marine
regiment as a Captain-Lieutenant in 1740. He was Lieutenant-Governor of Landguard Fort
, Suffolk
(1753–1766).
He was a friend of the society artist Thomas Gainsborough and also his less well-known brother, the inventor Humphrey Gainsborough
. He was an author and wrote for The Gentleman's Magazine
. He also published The Speaking Figure and the Automaton Chess Player, Exposed and Detected, a not entirely accurate exposé of the chess-playing machine The Turk
.
In 1742 he eloped with Maria Lanove, a wealthy heiress, after he abducted her from a street in Southampton and took up residence in Bath with her, taking full advantage of the social whirl of life. In 1749 Maria and his children (now three of them) contracted diphtheria; she and two children died, leaving only a daughter, Anna, to survive. When Maria's parents died some time later (his mother-in-law committing suicide), he spent much time in trying to claim their fortune. Thicknesse then married Lady Elizabeth Tuchet, daughter of James Tuchet, 6th Earl of Castlehaven
and Hon. Elizabeth Arundell, on 10 May 1749 but she died in childbirth in 1762. His third wife was his late wife's companion, Anne Ford
, daughter of Thomas Ford, whom he married on 27 September 1762. Ann (1732–1824) was a gifted musician with a beautiful voice who was well-educated and knew five languages. She gave Sunday concerts at her father's house, but her ambition was to became a professional actress and, in spite of her father's disapproval, she left home to enter the stage. The couple spent a lot of time travelling in Europe.
Thicknesse died on one such journey near Boulogne
, Pas-de-Calais, France
, and was buried in this town. In his later life he had become an "ornamental hermit".
In his will he stipulated that his right hand be cut off, and that it should be delivered to his son, Lord Audley
, who was inattentive. The will stated that the reason was "to remind him of his duty to God after having so long abandoned the duty he owed to a father, who once so affectionately loved him."
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
author, eccentric and friend of the artist Thomas Gainsborough
Thomas Gainsborough
Thomas Gainsborough was an English portrait and landscape painter.-Suffolk:Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury, Suffolk. He was the youngest son of John Gainsborough, a weaver and maker of woolen goods. At the age of thirteen he impressed his father with his penciling skills so that he let...
.
Philip Thicknesse was born in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, son of John Thicknesse, the Rector of Farthinghoe
Farthinghoe
Farthinghoe is a village and civil parish in South Northamptonshire, England. It is located on the A422 road about north-west of Brackley and south-east of Banbury.At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 418 people.-Buildings:...
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
and Joyce (née Blencowe) Thicknesse and brought up in Farthinghoe. In later life he lived on the Royal Crescent
Royal Crescent
The Royal Crescent is a residential road of 30 houses laid out in a crescent in the city of Bath, England. Designed by the architect John Wood the Younger and built between 1767 and 1774, it is among the greatest examples of Georgian architecture to be found in the United Kingdom and is a grade I...
in Bath. Thicknesse obtained a commission as a Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
of an independent company in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
after 1737, but transferred to a marine
History of the Royal Marines
The Corps of Royal Marines, the infantry land fighting element of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy, was formed as part of the Naval Service in 1755. However, it can trace its origins back as far as 1664, when English soldiers first went to sea to fight the Dutch....
regiment as a Captain-Lieutenant in 1740. He was Lieutenant-Governor of Landguard Fort
Landguard Fort
Built just outside Felixstowe, Suffolk, at the mouth of the River Orwell, Landguard Fort was designed to guard the entrance to Harwich. The first fortifications from 1540 were a few earthworks and blockhouse, but it was James I of England who ordered the construction of a square fort with bulwarks...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
(1753–1766).
He was a friend of the society artist Thomas Gainsborough and also his less well-known brother, the inventor Humphrey Gainsborough
Humphrey Gainsborough
Humphrey Gainsborough was a non-conformist minister, engineer and inventor.Humphrey Gainsborough was pastor to the Independent Church in Henley-on-Thames, England. He was the brother of the artist Thomas Gainsborough. He invented the drill plough , winning a prize of £60 from the Royal Society for...
. He was an author and wrote for The Gentleman's Magazine
The Gentleman's Magazine
The Gentleman's Magazine was founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1922. It was the first to use the term "magazine" for a periodical...
. He also published The Speaking Figure and the Automaton Chess Player, Exposed and Detected, a not entirely accurate exposé of the chess-playing machine The Turk
The Turk
The Turk, also known as the Mechanical Turk or Automaton Chess Player , was a fake chess-playing machine constructed in the late 18th century. From 1770 until its destruction by fire in 1854, it was exhibited by various owners as an automaton, though it was exposed in the early 1820s as an...
.
In 1742 he eloped with Maria Lanove, a wealthy heiress, after he abducted her from a street in Southampton and took up residence in Bath with her, taking full advantage of the social whirl of life. In 1749 Maria and his children (now three of them) contracted diphtheria; she and two children died, leaving only a daughter, Anna, to survive. When Maria's parents died some time later (his mother-in-law committing suicide), he spent much time in trying to claim their fortune. Thicknesse then married Lady Elizabeth Tuchet, daughter of James Tuchet, 6th Earl of Castlehaven
James Tuchet, 6th Earl of Castlehaven
James Tuchet, 6th Earl of Castlehaven was the son of James Tuchet, 5th Earl of Castlehaven and his wife Anne Pelson.He succeeded his father as Earl of Castlehaven and Baron Arundel on 9 August 1700....
and Hon. Elizabeth Arundell, on 10 May 1749 but she died in childbirth in 1762. His third wife was his late wife's companion, Anne Ford
Anne Ford
Anne or Ann Ford, after 1762 Mrs. Philip Thicknesse, was an 18th-century English musician and singer, famous in her time for a scandal that attended her struggle to perform in public.-Life and music:...
, daughter of Thomas Ford, whom he married on 27 September 1762. Ann (1732–1824) was a gifted musician with a beautiful voice who was well-educated and knew five languages. She gave Sunday concerts at her father's house, but her ambition was to became a professional actress and, in spite of her father's disapproval, she left home to enter the stage. The couple spent a lot of time travelling in Europe.
Thicknesse died on one such journey near Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
, Pas-de-Calais, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and was buried in this town. In his later life he had become an "ornamental hermit".
In his will he stipulated that his right hand be cut off, and that it should be delivered to his son, Lord Audley
George Thicknesse, 19th Baron Audley
George Thicknesse later Thicknesse-Touchet, 19th Baron Audley .George Thicknesse-Touchet was the son of Captain Philip Thicknesse and Lady Elizabeth Tuchet...
, who was inattentive. The will stated that the reason was "to remind him of his duty to God after having so long abandoned the duty he owed to a father, who once so affectionately loved him."
Books
- 1777: A Year's Journey through France and Part of Spain. 2 vols. Bath: printed by R. Cruttwell, for the author; and sold by Wm. Brown, London
- 1778: The New Prose Bath Guide : for the year 1778. [London?]: Printed for the author: and sold by Dodsley
- 1788: Memoirs and Anecdotes of Philip Thicknesse. [London?]: Printed for the Author, MDCCLXXXVIII. [1788] (A third volume was published in 1791)
External links
- Biography
- Pictures in the National Portrait Gallery, LondonLondonLondon 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...
- Manybooks.net entry
- Portrait of his wife nee Ann Ford