Elizabeth Cavendish, Duchess Of Devonshire
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Elizabeth Christiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (''née'' Hervey; 13 May 1758 – 30 March 1824) was an English aristocrat and letter writer. She is best known as Lady Elizabeth Foster, the close friend of
Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (née Spencer; ; 7 June 1757 – 30 March 1806), was an English aristocrat, socialite, political organiser, author, and activist. Born into the Spencer family, married into the Cavendish family, she wa ...
. Elizabeth supplanted the Duchess, gaining the affections of
William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire, (14 December 1748 – 29 July 1811), was a British nobleman, aristocrat, and politician. He was the eldest son of William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, by his wife, the heiress Charlotte Cavendi ...
and later marrying him. Several of her letters are preserved.


Life

Known as Bess, she was born Elizabeth Christiana Hervey on 13 May 1758, in a small house in
Horringer Horringer, formerly also called Horningsheath, is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. It lies on the A143 about two miles south-west of Bury St Edmunds. The population in 2011 was 1055. Herit ...
, St Edmundsbury,
Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...
. She was daughter of Frederick Hervey,
Bishop of Derry The Bishop of Derry is an episcopal title which takes its name after the monastic settlement originally founded at Daire Calgach and later known as Daire Colm Cille, Anglicised as Derry. In the Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in ...
, who later became the fourth Earl of Bristol, and his wife, Elizabeth Davers (1733–1800), daughter of Sir Jermyn Davers, 4th Baronet. She had three brothers, including John, Lord Hervey and Frederick, 1st Marquess of Bristol; and two sisters, Lady Mary Erne and Louisa, Countess of Liverpool. In 1776, Elizabeth married Irishman John Thomas Foster (1747–1796). He was a first cousin of the brothers John Foster, Baron Oriel, last Speaker of the (united) Irish House of Commons, and Bishop (William) Foster. The Fosters had two sons, Frederick (3 October 1777 – 1853) and
Augustus John Foster Sir Augustus John Foster, 1st Baronet, (1 or 4 December 1780 – 1 August 1848) was a British people, British diplomat and politician. Born into a notable British family, Foster served in a variety of diplomatic functions in continental Europe ...
(1780–1848). Their only daughter, also named Elizabeth, was born prematurely on 17 November 1778 and lived only eight days. When her father succeeded as the earl in 1779, she became ''Lady'' Elizabeth Foster. The couple resided after 1779 with her parents at
Ickworth House Ickworth House is a English country house, country house at Ickworth, near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, England. It is a Neoclassical architecture, neoclassical building set in parkland. The house was the residence of the Marquess of Bristol, M ...
in
Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...
. The marriage was not a success, and the couple separated within five years, after Bess received reports of an "intrigue" between Foster and her maid, Madam Wagniere. Despite knowing that she would be destitute, Bess wrote to Foster, "it is my fixt wish & determination not to return to you." Foster retained custody of their sons and did not allow the boys to see Bess for 14 years. In May 1782, Bess met the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire in
Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...
, and quickly became Georgiana's closest friend. From this time, she lived in a triad with Georgiana and her husband, William, the 5th Duke of Devonshire, for about 25 years. She bore two illegitimate children by the Duke: a daughter, Caroline St Jules, and a son, Augustus (later Augustus Clifford, 1st Baronet), who were raised at
Devonshire House Devonshire House in Piccadilly, was the London townhouse of the Dukes of Devonshire during the 18th and 19th centuries. Following a fire in 1733 it was rebuilt by William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire, in the Palladian style, to designs ...
with the Duke's legitimate children by Georgiana. Georgiana grew ill and died in 1806; three years later, Bess married the duke and became the Duchess of Devonshire. He died two years later. Bess is also said to have had affairs with several other men, including Cardinal
Ercole Consalvi Ercole Consalvi (8 June 1757 – 24 January 1824) was a deacon and cardinal of the Catholic Church, who served twice as Cardinal Secretary of State for the Papal States and who played a crucial role in the post-Napoleonic reassertion of the legit ...
,
John Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset, KG (25 March 174519 July 1799) was the only son of Lord John Philip Sackville, second son of Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset. His mother was the former Lady Frances Leveson-Gower. He succeede ...
, Count Axel von Fersen,
Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond Field marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond, 3rd Duke of Lennox, 3rd Duke of Aubigny, (22 February 1735 – 29 December 1806), styled Earl of March until 1750, of Goodwood House in Sussex and of Richmond ...
, and Valentine Quin, 1st Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl. Quin joined the Duchess as her travelling physician in
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
in December 1820, and afterwards attended her in that city during her fatal illness in March 1824. Lady Elizabeth was a friend of the French author
Madame de Staël Madame may refer to: * Madam, civility title or form of address for women, derived from the French * Madam (prostitution), a term for a woman who is engaged in the business of procuring prostitutes, usually the manager of a brothel * ''Madame'' ( ...
, with whom she corresponded from about 1804. Bess died on March 30, 1824, eighteen years to the day of Georgiana's death.


Film portrayals

Lady Elizabeth Foster was depicted by
Hayley Atwell Hayley Elizabeth Atwell (born 5 April 1982) is an English and American actress. After appearing in various West End productions, Atwell gained popularity for her roles in period dramas, appearing in the films ''Brideshead Revisited'' (2008), '' ...
in the 2008 film '' The Duchess''.


Children

With John Thomas Foster: * Frederick (3 October 1777 – 1853) * Elizabeth (17 November 1778 – 25 November 1778) * Sir Augustus Foster, Bt (1780–1848) With
William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire, (14 December 1748 – 29 July 1811), was a British nobleman, aristocrat, and politician. He was the eldest son of William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, by his wife, the heiress Charlotte Cavendi ...
(prior to their marriage): * Caroline Rosalie Adelaide (1785–1830), who later, as Caroline St Jules, married
The Hon. ''The Honourable'' (Commonwealth English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of cert ...
George Lamb George Martin Lamb (born 20 December 1979) is an English former radio and television presenter, farmer and businessman. In 2012, he presented the Channel 4 game show ''The Bank Job''. He is the son of actor Larry Lamb. Education Born in Hammer ...
, youngest son of Peniston Lamb, Viscount Melbourne * Sir Augustus William James Clifford, Bt (1788–1877), married Albina Jane Hobart, granddaughter of George Hobart, 3rd Earl of Buckinghamshire; father of Vere Foster


References


Bibliography

* Vere Foster (editor), ''The Two Duchesses.., Family Correspondence relating to..'', Blackie & Son, London, Glasgow & Dublin, 1898. :::Vere Foster (1819–1900), her grandson, was a renowned Irish
philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
and
educationalist Education sciences, also known as education studies or education theory, and traditionally called ''pedagogy'', seek to describe, understand, and prescribe education including education policy. Subfields include comparative education, educationa ...
. * Brian Masters, ''Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire'', Hamish Hamilton, 1981, (pages 298–299, re. Wintour). * Amanda Foreman, ''Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire'' (1998). * Caroline Chapman & Jane Dormer, ''Elizabeth and Georgiana'', John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2002.


Footnotes


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Devonshire, Elizabeth Cavendish, Duchess Of 1758 births 1824 deaths Daughters of British earls English duchesses by marriage
Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ...
Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ...
People from Horringer