Philip Stanhope (1732-1768)
Encyclopedia
Philip Stanhope was the illegitimate son of Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield
to whom the famous Letters to His Son were addressed. Born in England, his mother was a French governess, Madelina Elizabeth du Bouchet.
for Liskeard
and St Germans
. The government in 1764 wishing to get possession of his seat, asked him to vacate it, and after some negotiation he agreed, on receiving payment of £1,000, which was half the amount he (or his father) had paid for it. He was also successively Resident at Hamburg (1752-1759), Envoy Extraordinary to the Diet of Ratisbon, (1763), and finally on April 3, 1764 was appointed to the Court of Dresden
, Germany
.
in the spring of 1750, while on the Grand Tour
. He was just 18, and she 20. Believed by many to be the illegitimate daughter of an Irish gentleman by the name of Domville, Eugenia was described by one observer as “plain almost to ugliness” although possessing “the most careful education and all the choicest accomplishments of her sex”. Their two sons, Charles and Philip, were born in London in 1761 and 1763 respectively, and it was not until 25 September 1767 that he and Eugenia were married in Dresden
. Stanhope went to great lengths to keep the relationship a secret from his father, to the extent of engaging a separate habitation for his wife and children.
He had never lived up to the expectations of his father, unable (by temperament or choice) to acquire the graces that Lord Chesterfield tried so hard to impart. He did not rise as expected in the Diplomatic service
s, preferring instead, an unpretentious domestic life. Often in ill health, he died of dropsy in St Gervais France
on 16 November 1768, aged just 36, and is buried at Vaucluse
. It was generally believed that only after the death of his beloved son did Lord Chesterfield learn of the existence of Philip’s wife and children. He received them kindly and took upon himself the cost of education and maintenance of his grandsons, becoming very attached to them.
When Lord Chesterfield died in 1773, his will caused much gossip: while providing for the two grandsons - ₤100 annuity each, plus ₤10,000 - he left Eugenia Stanhope nothing. Faced with the problem of supporting herself, she sold Chesterfield’s letters to a publisher (J. Dodsley) for fifteen hundred guineas. Chesterfield had never intended them for publication and the result was a storm of controversy due to their perceived “immorality”, which ensured several reprints, and their steady sale for at least the next one hundred years. Eugenia died at her home in Limpsfield
, Surrey
in 1783, having acquired property and a comfortable fortune. Eugenia also wrote The deportment of a married life: laid down in a series of letters, which was published in 1798. In a codicil
to her will she directed her sons “to live in strict unity and friendship with one another, not to dissipate their fortunes and to beware of all human beings.”
Philip and Eugenia's sons were educated in the law. Philip married Elizabeth Daniel and had two daughters, the survivor of whom, Eugenia Keir, née Stanhope, died at Madeira
in 1823, with no surviving issue. The latter Philip died aged 38 in 1801. Charles died in 1845 without issue aged 83, bequeathing most of his estate, which included Lord Chesterfield's bequests to both himself and his late brother, and his mother's properties, to the sons of Elizabeth Daniel's brother Edward Daniel, Barrister at Law.
Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield
Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield PC KG was a British statesman and man of letters.A Whig, Lord Stanhope, as he was known until his father's death in 1726, was born in London. After being educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, he went on the Grand Tour of the continent...
to whom the famous Letters to His Son were addressed. Born in England, his mother was a French governess, Madelina Elizabeth du Bouchet.
Career
Despite his father taking great pains to educate him, and also using his influence to obtain various diplomatic appointments for what he hoped would be a high-flying career, Stanhope was treated with disdain by many, because of his illegitimacy. He was a Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Liskeard
Liskeard (UK Parliament constituency)
Liskeard was a parliamentary borough in Cornwall, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, and then one member from 1832 until 1885, when the borough was abolished.- History :...
and St Germans
St Germans (UK Parliament constituency)
St Germans was a rotten borough in Cornwall which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in the English and later British Parliament from 1562 to 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-History:...
. The government in 1764 wishing to get possession of his seat, asked him to vacate it, and after some negotiation he agreed, on receiving payment of £1,000, which was half the amount he (or his father) had paid for it. He was also successively Resident at Hamburg (1752-1759), Envoy Extraordinary to the Diet of Ratisbon, (1763), and finally on April 3, 1764 was appointed to the Court of Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Family
Stanhope had met his wife Eugenia Peters in RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in the spring of 1750, while on the Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
. He was just 18, and she 20. Believed by many to be the illegitimate daughter of an Irish gentleman by the name of Domville, Eugenia was described by one observer as “plain almost to ugliness” although possessing “the most careful education and all the choicest accomplishments of her sex”. Their two sons, Charles and Philip, were born in London in 1761 and 1763 respectively, and it was not until 25 September 1767 that he and Eugenia were married in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
. Stanhope went to great lengths to keep the relationship a secret from his father, to the extent of engaging a separate habitation for his wife and children.
He had never lived up to the expectations of his father, unable (by temperament or choice) to acquire the graces that Lord Chesterfield tried so hard to impart. He did not rise as expected in the Diplomatic service
Diplomatic service
Diplomatic service is the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country to communicate with the governments of other countries. Diplomatic personnel enjoy diplomatic immunity when they are accredited to other countries...
s, preferring instead, an unpretentious domestic life. Often in ill health, he died of dropsy in St Gervais 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...
on 16 November 1768, aged just 36, and is buried at Vaucluse
Vaucluse
The Vaucluse is a department in the southeast of France, named after the famous spring, the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.- History :Vaucluse was created on 12 August 1793 out of parts of the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, and Basses-Alpes...
. It was generally believed that only after the death of his beloved son did Lord Chesterfield learn of the existence of Philip’s wife and children. He received them kindly and took upon himself the cost of education and maintenance of his grandsons, becoming very attached to them.
When Lord Chesterfield died in 1773, his will caused much gossip: while providing for the two grandsons - ₤100 annuity each, plus ₤10,000 - he left Eugenia Stanhope nothing. Faced with the problem of supporting herself, she sold Chesterfield’s letters to a publisher (J. Dodsley) for fifteen hundred guineas. Chesterfield had never intended them for publication and the result was a storm of controversy due to their perceived “immorality”, which ensured several reprints, and their steady sale for at least the next one hundred years. Eugenia died at her home in Limpsfield
Limpsfield
Limpsfield is a village and parish in the east of the county of Surrey, England near Oxted at the foot of the North Downs. It lies between the A25 to the south and the M25 motorway to the north, near the Clackett Lane service station...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
in 1783, having acquired property and a comfortable fortune. Eugenia also wrote The deportment of a married life: laid down in a series of letters, which was published in 1798. In a codicil
Codicil (will)
A codicil is a document that amends, rather than replaces, a previously executed will. Amendments made by a codicil may add or revoke small provisions , or may completely change the majority, or all, of the gifts under the will...
to her will she directed her sons “to live in strict unity and friendship with one another, not to dissipate their fortunes and to beware of all human beings.”
Philip and Eugenia's sons were educated in the law. Philip married Elizabeth Daniel and had two daughters, the survivor of whom, Eugenia Keir, née Stanhope, died at Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
in 1823, with no surviving issue. The latter Philip died aged 38 in 1801. Charles died in 1845 without issue aged 83, bequeathing most of his estate, which included Lord Chesterfield's bequests to both himself and his late brother, and his mother's properties, to the sons of Elizabeth Daniel's brother Edward Daniel, Barrister at Law.