The Letter-Bag of Lady Elizabeth Spencer-Stanhope Part 32

[12] Charles, second son of George, 7th Baron Kinnaird, afterwards succeeded his father as 8th Baron owing to the death of his elder brother, who was killed by a tiger on the coast of Coromandel.

[13] Afterwards Sir Humphry Davy, the celebrated chemist, 1778-1829.

[14] See _Annals of a Yorks.h.i.+re House_ vol. i., page 320.

[15] Lady Anna Maria Stanhope, eldest daughter of Charles, 3rd Earl of Harrington, married Francis, 7th Duke of Bedford.

[16] Lord Alvanley, 1789-1849, entered the Coldstream Guards at an early age; but being possessed of a large fortune, he subsequently left the army, and gave himself up entirely to the pursuit of pleasure. He eventually dissipated his fortune, but throughout his life remained noted for his wit, his good humour, and his prominence in the world of fas.h.i.+on.

[17] Katharine, daughter of Robert Lowther, Esq., and sister of Sir James Lowther, married Henry Paulet, 6th Duke of Bolton, Admiral of the White; M.P. for Winchester, 1762-1765; Lord-Lieutenant of Hamps.h.i.+re and Governor of the Isle of Wight in 1782.

[18] George, 7th Baron Kinnaird, married Elizabeth, daughter of Griffin Ransom, Esq., of New Palace Yard, Westminster, Banker. Died 11th October, 1805.

[19] Archibald John, eldest son of Neil, 3rd Earl of Rosebery.

[20] Clementina, Lady Perth, a daughter of the 10th Lord Elphinstone. Her husband had died in 1800, and her daughter at this date was a child.

[21] _Annals of a Yorks.h.i.+re House_, vol. ii. page 328.

[22] See _Annals of a Yorks.h.i.+re House_, vol. ii. pages 52, 122, 294.

Walter Ramsden Beaumont Hawkesworth, High Sheriff of Yorks.h.i.+re whose father, Walter Ramsden, had a.s.sumed the surname and arms of Hawkesworth, pursuant to the will of his grandfather, Sir Walter Hawkesworth, and who himself, in 1786, a.s.sumed the surname and arms of Fawkes, pursuant to the will of his relation, Francis Fawkes of Farnley, who left him his estate.

[23] Edward, second son of the 1st Lord Vernon, Baron of Kinderton, and his second wife, Martha, third daughter of the Hon. S. Harcourt, and sister of Simon, 1st Earl Harcourt. Married, 1784, Anne, third daughter of Granville, 1st Marquis of Stafford, and upon inheriting the Harcourt estates a.s.sumed the surname of Harcourt.

[24] Sir James Graham, Bt. of Kirkstall, Co. York, born 1753, created a Baronet, 1808, M.P. for Carlisle and Recorder of Appleby. Died, 1825.

[25] Frederick Edward Vernon, afterwards Vernon-Harcourt, fourth son of the above; Admiral R.N.; married Marcis, daughter of Admiral J. R. Delap Tollemache.

[26] The Hon. Henrietta Maria Monckton, second daughter of Viscount Galway.

[27] George Granville Vernon, afterwards Vernon-Harcourt, eldest son of the Bishop of Carlisle, afterwards Archbishop of York. Married first Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Richard, 2nd Earl of Lucan; secondly, Frances Elizabeth, Countess-Dowager of Waldegrave.

[28] See _Annals of a Yorks.h.i.+re House_, vol. ii. page 291.

[29] General Count Woronzow, Amba.s.sador to England. A celebrated Russian General who played a prominent part in the overthrow of Bonaparte in 1814.

[30] See _Annals of a Yorks.h.i.+re House_, Vol. II., pages 151-152.

[31] Mark Singleton, Esq., married in 1785 to Lady Mary Cornwallis, only daughter of the 1st Marquess Cornwallis, Governor-General of India, who had died in India, 5th October 1805.

[32] Charlotte Augusta Matilda, Princess Royal of England (1766-1828). In 1797 she married the future Elector and King of Wurtemburg. She behaved with exceptional tact under the trying ordeal of receiving her country's foe, and Napoleon treated her with a courtesy and consideration which he seldom exhibited.

[33] Sir Robert Calder, Bt., 1745-1818, son of Sir James Calder of Muirton in Morays.h.i.+re. He entered the Navy at the age of fourteen, and in 1796 officiated as Captain of the Fleet, when he contributed to gain the famous victory off Cape St Vincent. In 1798 he was created a baronet, and in 1799 attained to the rank of rear-admiral. In 1805 he was sent to cruise off Finisterre in order to intercept the combined French and Spanish Fleet under Villeneuve, and an engagement took place on June 22nd, as a result of which Admiral Calder was severely censured, both for his mode of attack and his failure to complete the engagement on the following day. On his return to England he was tried by Court-martial, and was found guilty of not having done his utmost to take and destroy the enemy's s.h.i.+ps, owing to an error of judgment; and was severely reprimanded. Later, the opinion gained ground that he had been harshly treated. In 1810 he was appointed port-admiral at Plymouth.

[34] Lord Erskine.

[35] Lord Grenville.

[36] Lord Henry Petty.

[37] "And everyone that was in distress and everyone that was in debt and everyone that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him, and he became a Captain over them."

[38] William Henry, afterwards 3rd Baron Lyttleton. Born 1782, married 1813, Lady Sarah Spencer, eldest daughter of 2nd Earl Spencer, succeeded his half-brother in 1837.

[39] Osborne Markham, Esq., M.P., of Cufforth Hall, Co. York, born 1769, married first, June 10th, 1806, the Lady Mary Thynne, daughter of Thomas, 1st Marquis of Bath.

[40] "The Pilot that weathered the Storm" was a song composed by Canning to be sung on the birthday of William Pitt, May 28th, 1802.

[41] Edinburgh.

CHAPTER II

[1] Ralph Collingwood of East Ditchburn, _tempo_ Charles First, had two sons: first, Cuthbert Collingwood, from whom the family of Lord Collingwood is said to be descended; secondly, Edward Collingwood, from whom the family of Winifred Collingwood was descended, and who were known as the Collingwoods of Byker, Dissington, and Chirton.

[2] Robert Roddam, Senior Admiral of the Red, Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth, etc.; see _Annals of a Yorks.h.i.+re House_, vol. ii. pages 223, 248.

[3] Edward Collingwood, usually known as the Younger, of Chirton, Byker, and Dissington, uncle to Mrs Spencer-Stanhope. See _Annals of a Yorks.h.i.+re House_, vol. ii. page 164.

[4] A letter to J. E. Blackett, Esq., written November 2nd, 1805.

[5] The soundings gave but thirteen fathoms of water with the Trafalgar rocks to leeward.

[6] Governor-General of Andalusia.

[7] Viscount Castlereagh (1769-1822), who became, in 1821, 2nd Marquis of Londonderry, was War Minister from July 1805 to January 1806, and again from April 1807 to September 1809.

[8] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates._

"_Feb. 11th. Lord Collingwood's Annuity Bill._

"Mr Spencer Stanhope, who stated that he had long had the honour of being acquainted with Lord Collingwood and his family, recommended that instead of the limitations at present in the Bill, it should be arranged that in the case of the death of the meritorious officer, 1000 a year of the proposed annuity should descend to his widow and 500 per year to each of his daughters, to be held by them during their lives. This plan would be infinitely more suitable than that which the Bill contained as Lord Collingwood was not likely to have any more children and sure he was that it would be much more agreeable to the family of that n.o.ble Lord and of course to the feelings of that n.o.ble Lord himself. It would serve to relieve much of that anxiety which must naturally arise in the breast of a parent who is daily exposed to death in his country's cause, and who must be sorely afflicted by the idea that his death would leave his family with a very limited provision. Parliament, the Hon. Member had no doubt, would be happy and prompt to release the feelings of that n.o.ble Lord from such an afflicting prospect."

[9] Kindly lent to the author by Alfred Brewis, Esq., of Newcastle-on- Tyne.

CHAPTER III

[1] Charles William, Viscount Milton, afterwards 5th Earl Fitzwilliam; born May 4th, 1786, and at the age of twenty, in July 1806, married Mary, fourth daughter of Thomas, 1st Lord Dundas.

[2] George, afterwards 6th Earl of Carlisle, K.G., Lord-Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorks.h.i.+re; born, 1776; married, 1801, Georgiana, eldest daughter and co-heir of William, 5th Duke of Devons.h.i.+re, K.G.; died 1848.

[3] Caroline Isabella, eldest daughter of Frederick, 5th Earl of Carlisle; married John, 1st Lord Cawdor, and died in 1848.

[4] William Wilberforce, 1759-1833. Returned as M.P. for Hull 1780, for Yorks.h.i.+re 1784. Although a great friend of Pitt, he was independent of party. For nineteen years he fought for the abolition of the Slave Trade, and was successful in 1807. He then fought for the total abolition of slavery until compelled to retire from public life in 1825.

[5] Woolley Park, near Wakefield, then the seat of G.o.dfrey Wentworth, formerly Armytage, Esq., J.P. and D.L., who had a.s.sumed the surname and arms of Wentworth on succeeding to the property of Woolley on the death of his grandfather G.o.dfrey Wentworth, Esq. of Woolley and Hickleton, M.P. for York. The eldest daughter of the latter, Anna Maria, married Sir George Armytage, Bart, of Kirkless, Co. York, and her third son thus succeeded his grandfather in 1789.