Robert Petre, 7th Baron Petre
Encyclopedia
Robert Petre, 7th Baron Petre (1689 – 22 March 1713) was a British
peer
, the son of Thomas Petre, 6th Baron Petre
(1633–1706) and his wife Mary Clifton, daughter of Sir Thomas Clifton. He succeeded to his title, at the age of 17, upon the death of his father.
Robert is said to have spurned wearing a wig in the conventional way, spending instead six hours every day dressing his own hair. He caused an uproar of indignation and outrage in the family when, in 1711, being then only 20, in a freak of gallantry cut off a lock of hair from the head of a celebrated beauty, his distant cousin, Arabella Fermor, daughter of Henry Fermor of Tusmore, Oxfordshire
.
, a friend of the family, was prevailed upon to write one of his humorous heroic verses about the incident in the hope that laughter would defuse the situation. The result was The Rape of the Lock
(first published in ‘Lintot’s Miscellany’ in May 1712), which was an enormous public success, selling 3,000 copies in four days. The first version of the poem, however, so lampooned all those involved that it upset the Petres even more and Arabella, flattered to be cast as heroine by the distinguished Mr. Pope, is said to have become “very troublesome and conceited”. She became the wife of Francis Perkins
of Ufton Court
, near Reading, Berkshire
in about 1716 and died in 1738.
, but on the strength of his marriage on 1 March 1712, to Catherine Walmesley (1697–31 January 1785), an extremely rich Lancastrian heiress. She was an ardent Jacobite
who had been considered as a possible spouse for Bonnie Prince Charlie and even James Stuart “the Old Pretender”
.
, the family seat, but died of smallpox
, at the age of 23, before doing so. His 16 year old bride was 6 months pregnant. His son, Robert James Petre, 8th Baron Petre
, was born three months after his death.
. She was a woman of great charity and is said to have caused embarrassment to both families by cutting up her former husband’s parliamentary robes for distribution to the poor.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
peer
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
, the son of Thomas Petre, 6th Baron Petre
Thomas Petre, 6th Baron Petre
Thomas Petre, 6th Baron Petre was an English Catholic peer, the third son of Robert Petre, 3rd Baron Petre and Mary Brown. Inheriting the title from his elder brother, Petre held the title for 21 years....
(1633–1706) and his wife Mary Clifton, daughter of Sir Thomas Clifton. He succeeded to his title, at the age of 17, upon the death of his father.
Robert is said to have spurned wearing a wig in the conventional way, spending instead six hours every day dressing his own hair. He caused an uproar of indignation and outrage in the family when, in 1711, being then only 20, in a freak of gallantry cut off a lock of hair from the head of a celebrated beauty, his distant cousin, Arabella Fermor, daughter of Henry Fermor of Tusmore, Oxfordshire
Tusmore, Oxfordshire
Tusmore is a settlement about north of Bicester in Oxfordshire. It is the location of the Tusmore Park country house and estate.-Manor:Tusmore was settled in Saxon times...
.
The Rape of the Lock
Alexander PopeAlexander Pope
Alexander Pope was an 18th-century English poet, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer. He is the third-most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare and Tennyson...
, a friend of the family, was prevailed upon to write one of his humorous heroic verses about the incident in the hope that laughter would defuse the situation. The result was The Rape of the Lock
The Rape of the Lock
The Rape of the Lock is a mock-heroic narrative poem written by Alexander Pope, first published anonymously in Lintot's Miscellany in May 1712 in two cantos , but then revised, expanded and reissued under Pope's name on March 2, 1714, in a much-expanded 5-canto version...
(first published in ‘Lintot’s Miscellany’ in May 1712), which was an enormous public success, selling 3,000 copies in four days. The first version of the poem, however, so lampooned all those involved that it upset the Petres even more and Arabella, flattered to be cast as heroine by the distinguished Mr. Pope, is said to have become “very troublesome and conceited”. She became the wife of Francis Perkins
Perkins family of Ufton
The Perkins family owned Ufton Court at Ufton Nervet in the English county of Berkshire from 1581 until 1769, a span covering seven generations of the Perkins family, many headed by a Francis Perkins....
of Ufton Court
Ufton Court
Ufton Court is an Elizabethan manor house at Ufton Nervet in the English county of Berkshire. Today is it used by an educational charity, The Ufton Court Educational Trust. Other than historical education, the site hosts creative projects too including theatre and music courses.Parts of the house...
, near Reading, Berkshire
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
in about 1716 and died in 1738.
Marriage
As far we can tell, Robert lived at Ingatestone HallIngatestone Hall
Ingatestone Hall is a sixteenth century manor house in Essex, England. It was built by Sir William Petre, and his descendants live in the House to this day.Queen Elizabeth I of England spent several nights at the hall on her royal progress of 1561....
, but on the strength of his marriage on 1 March 1712, to Catherine Walmesley (1697–31 January 1785), an extremely rich Lancastrian heiress. She was an ardent Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
who had been considered as a possible spouse for Bonnie Prince Charlie and even James Stuart “the Old Pretender”
James Francis Edward Stuart
James Francis Edward, Prince of Wales was the son of the deposed James II of England...
.
Death
Lord Petre intended moving back to Thorndon HallThorndon Hall
Thorndon Hall is a Georgian Palladian country house within Thorndon Park, Ingrave, Essex, England, approximately two miles south of Brentwood and from central London....
, the family seat, but died of smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
, at the age of 23, before doing so. His 16 year old bride was 6 months pregnant. His son, Robert James Petre, 8th Baron Petre
Robert James Petre, 8th Baron Petre
Robert James Petre, 8th Baron Petre was a renowned horticulturist and a British peer.Lord Petre was the son of Robert Petre, 7th Baron Petre and his wife Catherine Walmesley , heiress of the Walmesley family of Lancashire...
, was born three months after his death.
Remarriage of Catherine
Lord Petre's widow remarried, in 1733, to Charles Stourton, 15th Baron StourtonCharles Stourton, 15th Baron Stourton
Charles Stourton, 15th Baron Stourton was the son of Charles Stourton , himself the third son of the twelfth Baron Stourton, William Stourton. Charles' mother was Katherine Frompton...
. She was a woman of great charity and is said to have caused embarrassment to both families by cutting up her former husband’s parliamentary robes for distribution to the poor.