Elizabeth Wynne Fremantle
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Wynne Fremantle (born 19 April 1778 at Falkingham, now Folkingham
, Lincolnshire, died 2 November 1857 in or near Nice
, France) was the main author of the extensive Wynne Diaries and wife of the Royal Navy officer Thomas Fremantle (1765–1819), a close associate of Nelson
.
. He got into financial difficulties in 1786, sold his Lincolnshire estate, and took his family abroad. Elizabeth married Fremantle in 1797, after he had rescued her and her family from Leghorn
(Livorno) during the 1796 French invasion of Italy and taken them to safety in Corsica
. The marriage took place in Naples
on 12 January 1797, at the house of the British envoy, Sir William
and Lady Hamilton
, who took care of the arrangements.
Thomas Fremantle bought the manor of Swanbourne
, Buckinghamshire
, for his family in 1798 for 900 guineas. Elizabeth lived there for the rest of her life. The Fremantles' children included Thomas
(1798–1890), a Tory politician later created 1st Baron Cottesloe, a daughter Emma (born 13 June 1799), Charles
(1800–1869), a Royal Navy officer after whom the city of Fremantle in Western Australia is named, and William Robert (c. 1809–1895), who became Anglican dean of Ripon
in Yorkshire.
Privately, Elizabeth lost sympathy with Lady Hamilton and Nelson
when their conspicuous affair became known: "I had a letter from my husband today.... Lady Nelson is sueing for a separate maintenance. I have no patience with her husband, at his age and such a cripple to play the fool with Lady Hammilton." Fremantle, in command of the Ganges, distinguished himself at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801 under Nelson's command. He was also prominent at Trafalgar
in 1805. Elizabeth bore her husband's absences at sea with difficulty, especially as her family grew. They kept up an intimate correspondence, which is spliced into the 1952 edition of the diaries. They received a good deal of hospitality from the family of Lord Buckingham
, who lived nearby at Stowe
. Buckingham as a figure close to the government was a help to Fremantle in his naval career.
The diaries, except for one notebook covering part of 1796, which was lost at sea, were preserved by the Fremantle family, but not published until the 1930s. Swanbourne House is still owned by the Fremantle family trust, but now occupied by a coeducational prep school
.
Folkingham
Folkingham is a village and civil parish at the northern edge of the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies on the A15 road of north of Bourne. The civil parish and ecclesiastical parish have the same boundaries. The 2001 census recorded a population of 729.-Village:The village...
, Lincolnshire, died 2 November 1857 in or near Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, France) was the main author of the extensive Wynne Diaries and wife of the Royal Navy officer Thomas Fremantle (1765–1819), a close associate of Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
.
Life
Known in the family as Betsey, she was born Elizabeth Wynne, the second daughter of Richard Wynne (1744–1799) and his wife Camille (born de Royer, died 1799), who were Roman Catholics. Wynne was a fast liver, later a friend of CasanovaGiacomo Casanova
Giacomo Girolamo Casanova de Seingalt was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice. His autobiography, Histoire de ma vie , is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of the customs and norms of European social life during the 18th century...
. He got into financial difficulties in 1786, sold his Lincolnshire estate, and took his family abroad. Elizabeth married Fremantle in 1797, after he had rescued her and her family from Leghorn
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
(Livorno) during the 1796 French invasion of Italy and taken them to safety in Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
. The marriage took place in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
on 12 January 1797, at the house of the British envoy, Sir William
William Hamilton (diplomat)
Sir William Hamilton KB, PC, FRS was a Scottish diplomat, antiquarian, archaeologist and vulcanologist. After a short period as a Member of Parliament, he served as British Ambassador to the Kingdom of Naples from 1764 to 1800...
and Lady Hamilton
Emma, Lady Hamilton
Emma, Lady Hamilton is best remembered as the mistress of Lord Nelson and as the muse of George Romney. She was born Amy Lyon in Ness near Neston, Cheshire, England, the daughter of a blacksmith, Henry Lyon, who died when she was two months old...
, who took care of the arrangements.
Thomas Fremantle bought the manor of Swanbourne
Swanbourne
Swanbourne is a village and also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located about two miles east of Winslow, three miles west of Stewkley, on the secondary road B4032.-History:...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, for his family in 1798 for 900 guineas. Elizabeth lived there for the rest of her life. The Fremantles' children included Thomas
Thomas Fremantle, 1st Baron Cottesloe
Thomas Francis Fremantle, 1st Baron Cottesloe PC, PC , JP , known as Sir Thomas Fremantle, Bt, between 1821 and 1874, was a British Tory politician.-Early life:...
(1798–1890), a Tory politician later created 1st Baron Cottesloe, a daughter Emma (born 13 June 1799), Charles
Charles Fremantle
Admiral Sir Charles Howe Fremantle GCB RN was a British Royal Navy officer. The city of Fremantle in Western Australia is named after him.-Early life:...
(1800–1869), a Royal Navy officer after whom the city of Fremantle in Western Australia is named, and William Robert (c. 1809–1895), who became Anglican dean of Ripon
Ripon
Ripon is a cathedral city, market town and successor parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located at the confluence of two streams of the River Ure in the form of the Laver and Skell. The city is noted for its main feature the Ripon Cathedral which is architecturally...
in Yorkshire.
Privately, Elizabeth lost sympathy with Lady Hamilton and Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
when their conspicuous affair became known: "I had a letter from my husband today.... Lady Nelson is sueing for a separate maintenance. I have no patience with her husband, at his age and such a cripple to play the fool with Lady Hammilton." Fremantle, in command of the Ganges, distinguished himself at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801 under Nelson's command. He was also prominent at Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
in 1805. Elizabeth bore her husband's absences at sea with difficulty, especially as her family grew. They kept up an intimate correspondence, which is spliced into the 1952 edition of the diaries. They received a good deal of hospitality from the family of Lord Buckingham
George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham
George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham, KG, PC was a British statesman. He was the second son of George Grenville and a brother of the 1st Baron Grenville.-Career:...
, who lived nearby at Stowe
Stowe
-Places:in Canada:*Stowe, Albertain Dominica:*Stowe, Dominicain the United Kingdom:*Stowe, Buckinghamshire**the location of Stowe House, Stowe Landscape Garden and Stowe School** former location of the Stowe Missal*Stowe, Herefordshire*Stowe, Lincolnshire...
. Buckingham as a figure close to the government was a help to Fremantle in his naval career.
The Wynne Diaries
The early parts of the Wynne Diaries, which run from 1789 to 1857 in 41 manuscript volumes, provide a vivid and informative account of a well connected English family in Europe (mainly in Germany and Italy). The bulk of them were written by Elizabeth, but diaries of her younger sisters Eugenia (born 1780) and Harriet (born 1786) have also survived. The first two years of Elizabeth's are in French and the rest in English, with some passages in French and German.The diaries, except for one notebook covering part of 1796, which was lost at sea, were preserved by the Fremantle family, but not published until the 1930s. Swanbourne House is still owned by the Fremantle family trust, but now occupied by a coeducational prep school
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
.