Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey
Encyclopedia
Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey (25 February 1753, St James's – 23 July 1821, Cheltenham
) was one of the more notorious of the many mistresses of King George IV
when he was Prince of Wales
, "a scintillating society woman, a heady mix of charm, beauty, and sarcasm".
of Castlemartin
, Master of the Rolls.
Her disreputable-in-death father was third son of Sir William Twysden, 5th Baronet of Roydon Hall, East Peckham, Kent, by his wife and distant cousin Jane Twisden. The Twysden family was convincingly traced from one Roger Twysden living around 1400.
Barely a month past her 17th birthday, she married the 34 year-old new (4th) Earl of Jersey, George Villiers
, son and heir of William Villiers, 3rd Earl of Jersey
and his wife Lady Anne Egerton who, the year before, had been appointed a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to King George III.
Her husband was appointed Master of Horse to the Prince of Wales in 1795.
. It was not until 1794 that she lured the Prince of Wales away from his "wife", Maria Fitzherbert, with whom he had undergone a form of marriage in a clandestine illicit Church of England ceremony that all parties to it knew was invalid under the Royal Marriages Act 1772
, for him to take a suitable wife. He would, however, continue to be romantically involved with Mrs Fitzherbert until 1811.
Having encouraged the Prince of Wales to marry his first cousin, Caroline of Brunswick
in 1794, Lady Jersey nevertheless set out to make Caroline's life difficult. However, the now Princess of Wales
(Caroline) had very little regard for George IV, nor he for her, and after the birth of their child, they lived apart during their twenty-five year marriage, leaving a void Frances and other mistresses, including Mrs Fitzherbert, continued to fill.
Since Lady Jersey enjoyed the favour of Queen Charlotte
, even the displeasure of George III
was not enough to threaten Lady Jersey's position, and she continued to run the Prince of Wales' life and household for some time. In about 1803, her previously undisputed place as senior mistress to the Prince of Wales was challenged by his infatuation with Lady Hertford
. Eventually, he replaced Lady Jersey, and she would come to have no active involvement with the royal court.
According to Archaelogia Cantiana,
She had remained married to George Villiers throughout. In 1805 George Villiers died, after a long marriage which had produced ten children:
Her son George's wife, Sarah (also famous as Lady Jersey), was a leader of the ton
during the Regency of the Prince of Wales and his reign as George IV
.
Though it may be said the death of her husband—who had narrowly avoided imprisonment in 1802—in 1805 left her without means (to support her rank), her son increased her jointure to £3,500 per annum and settled her debts many times. "her attempts to economize appear to have been unavailing". She died on 25th July 1821 in Cheltenham
and was buried at Middleton Stoney
in the Villiers family vault.
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
) was one of the more notorious of the many mistresses of King George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
when he was Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
, "a scintillating society woman, a heady mix of charm, beauty, and sarcasm".
Early life
She was born Frances Twysden, second and posthumous daughter of the Rev. Dr Philip Twysden (c.1714–1752), Bishop of Raphoe (1746–1752) (died 2 November 1752, allegedly shot while attempting to rob a stagecoach in London) and his second wife Frances Carter (later wife of General Johnston), daughter of Thomas CarterThomas Carter (1690–1763)
Thomas Carter was a politician, a Member of Parliament, Master of the Rolls, Privy Councillor and Secretary of State for Ireland. He was "an able and intriguing man" - Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford.-Political career:...
of Castlemartin
Castlemartin House and Estate
Castlemartin is the name of a historic house and estate, and the townland in which they sit, on the banks of the River Liffey in Kilcullen, County Kildare, Ireland...
, Master of the Rolls.
Her disreputable-in-death father was third son of Sir William Twysden, 5th Baronet of Roydon Hall, East Peckham, Kent, by his wife and distant cousin Jane Twisden. The Twysden family was convincingly traced from one Roger Twysden living around 1400.
Barely a month past her 17th birthday, she married the 34 year-old new (4th) Earl of Jersey, George Villiers
George Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey
George Bussy Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey PC was a member of the British and Irish peerage and a courtier in the court of George III.-Parliament:...
, son and heir of William Villiers, 3rd Earl of Jersey
William Villiers, 3rd Earl of Jersey
William Villiers, 3rd Earl of Jersey PC was an English peer, the son of William Villiers, 2nd Earl of Jersey.Among other achievements, Villiers was a founding Governor of the Foundling Hospital, a charity which received its royal charter on 17 October 1739 to operate an orphanage for abandoned...
and his wife Lady Anne Egerton who, the year before, had been appointed a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to King George III.
Her husband was appointed Master of Horse to the Prince of Wales in 1795.
Royal affairs
The future George IV began his affair with Lady Jersey, then a 40 year-old grandmother and mother of ten, in 1793. She was also romantically involved with other members of the English aristocracy, including Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of CarlisleFrederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle
Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle, KG, KT, PC was a British diplomat and the son of Henry Howard, 4th Earl of Carlisle and his second wife Isabella Byron....
. It was not until 1794 that she lured the Prince of Wales away from his "wife", Maria Fitzherbert, with whom he had undergone a form of marriage in a clandestine illicit Church of England ceremony that all parties to it knew was invalid under the Royal Marriages Act 1772
Royal Marriages Act 1772
The Royal Marriages Act 1772 is an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain which prescribes the conditions under which members of the British Royal Family may contract a valid marriage, in order to guard against marriages that could diminish the status of the Royal House...
, for him to take a suitable wife. He would, however, continue to be romantically involved with Mrs Fitzherbert until 1811.
Having encouraged the Prince of Wales to marry his first cousin, Caroline of Brunswick
Caroline of Brunswick
Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was the Queen consort of King George IV of the United Kingdom from 29 January 1820 until her death...
in 1794, Lady Jersey nevertheless set out to make Caroline's life difficult. However, the now Princess of Wales
Princess of Wales
Princess of Wales is a British courtesy title held by the wife of The Prince of Wales since the first "English" Prince of Wales in 1283.Although there have been considerably more than ten male heirs to the throne, there have been only ten Princesses of Wales. The majority of Princes of Wales...
(Caroline) had very little regard for George IV, nor he for her, and after the birth of their child, they lived apart during their twenty-five year marriage, leaving a void Frances and other mistresses, including Mrs Fitzherbert, continued to fill.
Since Lady Jersey enjoyed the favour of Queen Charlotte
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was the Queen consort of the United Kingdom as the wife of King George III...
, even the displeasure of George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
was not enough to threaten Lady Jersey's position, and she continued to run the Prince of Wales' life and household for some time. In about 1803, her previously undisputed place as senior mistress to the Prince of Wales was challenged by his infatuation with Lady Hertford
Isabella Ingram-Seymour-Conway, Marchioness of Hertford
Isabella Anne Ingram-Seymour-Conway, Marchioness of Hertford was an English courtier and mistress of King George IV when he was Prince of Wales...
. Eventually, he replaced Lady Jersey, and she would come to have no active involvement with the royal court.
According to Archaelogia Cantiana,
"The home of the Bishop's daughter Frances, Lady Jersey, a favourite of George IV, became a society gambling rendezvous, at which the reputations of her cousins were in no way enhanced.
She had remained married to George Villiers throughout. In 1805 George Villiers died, after a long marriage which had produced ten children:
- Lady Charlotte Anne Villiers (1771–1808), married Lord William RussellLord William Russell (aristocrat)Lord William Russell , a member of the British aristocratic family of Russell and longtime Member of Parliament, did little to attract public attention after the end of his political career until, in 1840, he was murdered in his sleep by his valet.-Life:Russell was the posthumous child of Francis...
in 1789, and had issue. - Anne Barbara Frances Villiers (1772–1832), married William Henry LambtonWilliam Henry LambtonWilliam Henry Lambton was a British Member of Parliament, representing the City of Durham, a role in which he was succeeded by his brother. He was the son of John Lambton, who preceded him in representing Durham in the House of Commons....
and had issue, including John Lambton, 1st Earl of DurhamJohn Lambton, 1st Earl of DurhamJohn 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...
; married secondly Hon. Charles Wyndham, son of Charles, 2nd Earl of EgremontCharles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of EgremontCharles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont, PC and Catherine née Seymour, succeeded his uncle, Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset, as 2nd Earl of Egremont in 1750...
. - George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey (1773–1859), married Sarah Sophia FaneSarah Villiers, Countess of JerseySarah Sophia Child Villiers, Countess of Jersey , was an English noblewoman, the daughter of John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland and Sarah Anne Child. Her mother was the only child of Robert Child, the principal shareholder in the banking firm Child & Co...
daughter of John Fane, 10th Earl of WestmorlandJohn Fane, 10th Earl of WestmorlandJohn Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland KG, PC , styled Lord Burghersh between 1771 and 1774, was a British Tory politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, who served in most of the cabinets of the period, primarily as Lord Privy Seal.-Background:Westmorland was the son of John Fane, 9th...
and Sarah Anne Child, only child of Robert Child, the principal shareholder in the banking firm Child & CoChild & CoChild & Co. is a private banking house in the United Kingdom, part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group. It is based at 1 Fleet Street in the City of London....
. - Lady Caroline Elizabeth Villiers (1774–1835), married firstly Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of AngleseyHenry Paget, 1st Marquess of AngleseyField Marshal Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, KG, GCB, GCH, PC , styled Lord Paget between 1784 and 1812 and known as The Earl of Uxbridge between 1812 and 1815, was a British military leader and politician, now chiefly remembered for leading the charge of the heavy cavalry against...
and had issue. She divorced him in the Scottish courts in 1809 and married secondly, George Campbell, 6th Duke of ArgyllGeorge Campbell, 6th Duke of ArgyllGeorge William Campbell, 6th Duke of Argyll GCH, PC , styled Earl of Campbell from 1768 to 1770 and Marquess of Lorne from 1770 to 1806, was a Scottish Whig politician and nobleman.-Background:...
. - Lady Georgiana Villiers, d. young.
- Lady Sarah Villiers (b. 1779), married Charles Nathaniel Bayley in 1799.
- Hon. William Augustus Henry Villiers (1780–1813), died unmarried in America, having assumed the surname of Mansel in 1802, pursuant to the will of Louisa Barbara, Baroness VernonBaron ManselBaron Mansel, of Margam in the County of Glamorgan, was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created on 1 January 1712 for Sir Thomas Mansel, 5th Baronet, previously Member of Parliament for Cardiff and Glamorganshire. His ancestor had been created a Baronet, of Margam in the County of...
. - Lady Elizabeth Villiers, d. unmarried 1810.
- Lady Elizabeth Frances Villiers (1786–1866), married John Ponsonby, 1st Viscount PonsonbyJohn Ponsonby, 1st Viscount PonsonbyJohn Ponsonby, 1st Viscount Ponsonby, GCB was a longtime British diplomat and politician.-Political career:Ponsonby, eldest son of the 1st Baron Ponsonby, and brother of Sir William Ponsonby , was born about 1770. He served as a Member of Parliament in the Irish House of Commons for Tallow...
, in 1803. - Lady Harriet Villiers (1788–1870), married Richard BagotRichard Bagot (bishop)Richard Bagot was an English cleric.He was a son of William Bagot, 1st Baron Bagot of Blithfield Hall, Staffordshire...
, Bishop of OxfordBishop of OxfordThe Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford...
in 1806, and had issue.
Her son George's wife, Sarah (also famous as Lady Jersey), was a leader of the ton
Ton (le bon ton)
The ton is a term commonly used to refer to Britain’s high society during the Georgian era, especially the Regency and reign of George IV. It comes from the French word meaning "taste" or "everything that is fashionable" and is pronounced the same way as tone...
during the Regency of the Prince of Wales and his reign as George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
.
Though it may be said the death of her husband—who had narrowly avoided imprisonment in 1802—in 1805 left her without means (to support her rank), her son increased her jointure to £3,500 per annum and settled her debts many times. "her attempts to economize appear to have been unavailing". She died on 25th July 1821 in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
and was buried at Middleton Stoney
Middleton Stoney
Middleton Stoney is a village and civil parish about west of Bicester, Oxfordshire.-History:Aves ditch is pre-Saxon and may have been dug as a boundary ditch...
in the Villiers family vault.
See also
- Lady Jersey sets her cap at the Prince
- The Rt. Hon Thomas Carter M.P. Master of the Rolls Privy Councillor Secretary of StateThomas Carter (1690–1763)Thomas Carter was a politician, a Member of Parliament, Master of the Rolls, Privy Councillor and Secretary of State for Ireland. He was "an able and intriguing man" - Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford.-Political career:...
- Carter-Campbell of Possil