Lady Sarah Lennox
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Lady Sarah Lennox | |
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 Lady Sarah Bunbury Sacrificing to the Graces by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1765 | |
| Born | 14 February 1745 |
| Died | August 1826 (aged 81) |
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Lady Sarah Lennox (14 February 1745 – August 1826) was the most notorious of the famous Lennox sisters, daughters of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond and Sarah Cadogan.
Early life
[edit]Lady Sarah Lennox was born in 1745, the youngest surviving child of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond and his wife Sarah Cadogan.[1] She was born into great wealth and connections. Her paternal grandfather, Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, was an illegitimate son of King Charles II. Through this connection, the 1st Duke had been granted many titles in England and France, and perhaps more importantly, wealth through an annuity and a share of certain coal taxes in Newcastle. This coal allocation would become a significant source of the family's wealth, as mining and manufacturing grew during the Industrial Revolution.[2] The Lennox family's royal connections increased in 1727 when the 2nd Duke and Duchess's obtained court appointments under King George II and Queen Caroline.[3]
Though arranged, her parents had a loving marriage and the family was large; Sarah was one of twelve children, seven of whom survived to adulthood.[4] By the time she was six years old, however, both of her parents were dead. Consequently, she and her siblings Louisa and Cecilia was brought up by their elder sister Emily at Carton House in Ireland.[5] At age fourteen, Sarah returned to London with a dowry of £10,000 to find a worthy husband. She stayed at Holland House, the home of her other sister Caroline[citation needed]. Described by Caroline as "immensely pretty" and in possession of a "vastly engaging" manner, she was also at first awkward and clumsy.[6]
Having been a favourite of King George II since childhood, Sarah was invited to appear at court and there caught the eye of George, Prince of Wales (soon to be King George III), whom she had first met as a child. Over a two-year period, he fell in love with her and eventually confided his feelings with his advisor Lord Bute, who told him such plans with a non-royal spouse were not possible. Sarah, flattered by the attention and fond of the newly crowned king, was later surprised and disappointed to learn of his betrothal to Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.[7]
Family and marriages
[edit]At age seventeen, Sarah began worrying about finding a good match. Charles Bunbury, twenty-two year old MP for Suffolk, often attended political discussions at Holland House and began courting her. Though the eldest son of Reverend Sir William Bunbury, 5th Baronet, he was not considered by her family to be in possession of a large enough fortune to live in fashionable society. Nonetheless, her sister Caroline was ready for her matchmaking duties to be over and the match was approved. Sarah married Bunbury on 2 June 1762 at Holland House Chapel.[8] He succeeded his father as sixth Baronet in 1764.[citation needed]
Sarah helped her husband's political career and was an effective campaigner. In 1767, she reportedly secured 94 out of 100 votes while campaigning in Morpeth.[9]
Lady Sarah had an affair with Lord William Gordon, the second son of the Duke of Gordon, and gave birth to his illegitimate daughter in 1768. The child was not immediately disclaimed by Sir Charles, and received the name Louisa Bunbury. Nevertheless, Lady Sarah and Lord William eloped shortly afterwards, in February 1769, taking the infant with them. Lord William soon abandoned her. Sir Charles refused to take her back, and Lady Sarah returned to her brother's house with her child, while her husband introduced into Parliament a motion for a divorce on grounds of adultery, citing her elopement. Lady Sarah resisted the motion, and it was not until 14 May 1776 that the decree of divorce was issued.
Lady Sarah married an army officer, Hon. George Napier, on 27 August 1781 and had eight children:
- General Sir Charles James Napier (10 August 1782 – 29 August 1853); married Elizabeth Oakeley in April 1827. He remarried Frances Philipp in 1835.
- Emily Louisa Augusta Napier (11 July 1783 – 18 March 1863); married Lt.-Gen. Sir Henry Bunbury, 7th Baronet (nephew of her mother's first husband) on 22 September 1830
- Lieutenant-General Sir George Thomas Napier (30 June 1784 – 8 September 1855); married Margaret Craig on 22 October 1812. They had five children. He married Frances Blencowe in 1839.
- Lieutenant-General Sir William Francis Patrick Napier KCB (17 December 1785 – 12 February 1860); married Caroline Fox (granddaughter of his aunt Lady Caroline Fox) on 14 March 1812. They had five children.
- Richard Napier (1787 – 13 January 1868); married Anna Louisa Stewart, daughter of Sir J. Stewart, in 1817.
- Captain Henry Edward Napier RN (5 March 1789 – 13 October 1853); married Caroline Bennett. They had three children.
- Caroline Napier (1790–1810); died at the age of twenty.
- Cecilia Napier (1791–1808); died at the age of seventeen.
In popular culture
[edit]In 1999, a six-part mini-series based on the lives of Sarah Lennox and her sisters aired in the UK. It was called Aristocrats, and Sarah was played by actress Jodhi May.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ Tillyard 1994, p. 13.
- ^ Tillyard 1994, pp. 8–9.
- ^ Tillyard 1994, pp. 12–13.
- ^ Tillyard 1994, pp. 12–15.
- ^ Tillyard 1994, p. 76.
- ^ Tillyard 1994, p. 110.
- ^ Tillyard 1994, pp. 108–119.
- ^ Tillyard 1994, pp. 122–26.
- ^ Schneid Lewis 2003, p. 46.
- ^ "Aristocrats". IMDb. 10 October 1999.
- Works cited
- Schneid Lewis, Judith (2003). Sacred to Female Patriotism: Gender, Class, and Politics in Late Georgian Britain. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-94412-0.
- Tillyard, Stella (1994). Aristocrats: Caroline, Emily, Louisa, and Sarah Lennox, 1740–1826. London: Chatto & Windus.
- Ilchester, Countess, ed. (1901). The Life and Letters of Lady Sarah Lennox, 1745–1826. London: John Murray.
- "Review of The Life and Letters of Lady Sarah Lennox, 1745–1826 edited by the Countess of Ilchester and Lord Stavordale". The Quarterly Review. 195: 274–294. January 1902.
- Curtis, Edith R. (1946). Lady Sarah Lennox: An Irrepressible Stuart, 1745–1826. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.
- Hall, Thornton (2004). Love Romances of the Aristocracy.
- Napier, Priscilla (1971). The Sword Dance: Lady Sarah Lennox and the Napiers. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 9780070458871.
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