Lavinia Spencer, Countess Spencer (née Bingham; 1762 – 1831) was a British illustrator.

Early life and family

Born in 1762, Lady Lavinia Bingham was the eldest daughter of the Irish peer

Charles Bingham, 1st Earl of Lucan Charles Bingham, 1st Earl of Lucan (22 September 1735 – 29 March 1799), known as Sir Charles Bingham, 7th Baronet, from 1750 until 1776, was an Irish peer and politician. Background He was the second son of Sir John Bingham, 5th Baronet, a ...

and his wife, the

portrait miniature A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache, watercolor, or enamel. Portrait miniatures developed out of the techniques of the miniatures in illuminated manuscripts, and were popular among 16th-century eli ...

painter Margaret Smyth. She had three sisters and one brother,

Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Frankish language, Old Frankish and is a Compound (linguistics), compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' an ...

Marriage and issue

Despite the lack of a

dowry A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment b ...

, George Spencer, Viscount Althorp fell "out of his senses" with Lavinia and offered her marriage. His parents Lord and Lady Spencer permitted the match, perceiving that Lavinia was pretty, intelligent, and morally acceptable. The young couple married on 6 March 1782, and had nine children: *

John Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer John Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer, (30 May 1782 – 1 October 1845), styled Viscount Althorp from 1783 to 1834, was a British statesman. He was Chancellor of the Exchequer under Lord Grey and Lord Melbourne from 1830 to 1834. Due to his ...

(1782–1845) * Lady Sarah Spencer (1787–1870), married

William Lyttelton, 3rd Baron Lyttelton William Henry Lyttelton, 3rd Baron Lyttelton MP (3 April 1782 – 30 April 1837) was an English Whig politician from the Lyttelton family. Early life and education Born on 3 April 1782, William Lyttelton was the son of William Henry Lyttelt ...

, and had issue. She became governess to the children of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

. *Hon. Richard Spencer (1789–1791), died in infancy. *Captain Hon.

Sir Robert Cavendish Spencer Sir Robert Cavendish Spencer (1791–1830) was an English officer of the Royal Navy. Well connected by birth, he made a naval career, which attracted the sons of the nobility and also of those from naval backgrounds, to serve under him and, despi ...

(1791–1830), died unmarried at sea. *Lady Harriet Spencer (b. & d. 1793), died in infancy. Georgiana Charlotte Quin (1794-1823) by Henry Pierce Bone

*Lady Georgiana Charlotte Spencer (1794–1823), married Lord George Quin, son of

Thomas Taylour, 1st Marquess of Headfort Thomas Taylour, 1st Marquess of Headfort (18 November 1757 – 24 October 1829), styled Viscount Headford from 1766 to 1795, and known as The Earl of Bective from 1795 to 1800, was an Irish peer and politician. Early life Taylour was born on 1 ...

, and had issue. * Vice-Admiral Frederick Spencer, 4th Earl Spencer (1798–1857) *The Very Reverend Hon. George Spencer (later known as Father Ignatius Spencer (1799–1864), died unmarried. A rising politician, Althorp succeeded his father as the 2nd Earl Spencer in 1783. Earl and Countess Spencer resided at

Althorp Althorp (popularly pronounced ) is a Grade I listed stately home and estate in the civil parish of Althorp, in West Northamptonshire, England of about . By road it is about northwest of the county town of Northampton and about northwest of c ...

and

Spencer House, London Spencer House is a historic mansion located at 27 St James's Place in the St James's area of London, England. The house is Grade I listed on the National Heritage List for England. Early history The house was commissioned in 1756 by John Sp ...

, eventually producing eight children. They entertained the era's most prominent political and intellectual leaders. The historian Malcolm Lester describes her as "a strong-minded and strong-willed woman of great erudition and charm howas perhaps the pre-eminent hostess in London society". The biographer Amanda Foreman, however, details less attractive traits, describing her as "moody, vindictive, hypocritical" and "neurotically jealous" of her sisters-in-law the Duchess of Devonshire and the Countess of Bessborough and "a calm liar who maintained a veneer of politeness to her in-laws while freely abusing them in conversation elsewhere."

Works

Her drawing ''A Pinch of Snuff'' was included in the 1905 book ''

Women Painters of the World ''Women Painters of the World, from the time of Caterina Vigri, 1413–1463, to Rosa Bonheur and the present day'', assembled and edited by Walter Shaw Sparrow, lists an overview of prominent women painters up to 1905, the year of publication. Th ...

''.
Women painters of the world, from the time of Caterina Vigri, 1413-1463, to Rosa Bonheur and the present day
', by Walter Shaw Sparrow, The Art and Life Library, Hodder & Stoughton, 27 Paternoster Row, London, 1905 She is known for engravings made after her drawings by the engraver

Mariano Bovi Mariano Bovi (8 December 1757 – 9 April 1813) (also Marino, Mno, M.; Bova, Bove) was an Italian engraver, publisher and art dealer. Biography Mariano Bovi was born in Naples, Italy, on 8 December 1757. There is a record of him having at leas ...

. File:Lavinia Countess Spencer - A Pinch of Snuff.jpg, A Pinch of Snuff File:Lavinia Countess Spencer - Nice Supper.jpg, Nice Supper, engraved by Bovi

References

Works cited

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Spencer, Countess Spencer, Lavinia 1762 births 1831 deaths 18th-century British artists 19th-century British artists 18th-century British women artists 19th-century British women artists British illustrators British women illustrators British countesses Daughters of Irish earls Spencer family Bingham family (Ireland) Wives of knights