Mary Sackville, Countess of Dorset (born Lady Mary Compton; 1669 – 6 August 1691) was a 17th century aristocrat, being a courtier at the royal court of

Queen Mary II Mary II (30 April 166228 December 1694) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, co-reigning with her husband, William III & II, from 1689 until her death in 1694. Mary was the eldest daughter of James, Duke of York, and his first wife A ...

. She was one of the

Hampton Court Beauties The Hampton Court Beauties are a series of eight portraits by Sir Godfrey Kneller, commissioned by Queen Mary II of England, depicting the most glamorous ladies from the court of William III. They adorn the state rooms of King William III at ...

, painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller for Queen Mary. She was Lady of the Bedchamber to the Queen.

Biography

Mary Compton’s father was

James Compton, 3rd Earl of Northampton James Compton, 3rd Earl of Northampton FRS (19 August 1622 – 15 December 1681), was an English peer, politician and author, who fought for the Royalists during the First English Civil War. He succeeded his father Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl o ...

, her mother being Mary Noel, daughter of

Baptist Noel, 3rd Viscount Campden Baptist Noel, 3rd Viscount Campden (1611 – 29 October 1682) was an English politician. He was Lord Lieutenant of Rutland, Custos Rotulorum of Rutland and the Member of Parliament for Rutland. Early life Baptist Noel was born at Exton Hall, R ...

. In 1685 she married

Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset and 1st Earl of Middlesex, KG (24 January 164329 January 1706) was an English poet and courtier. Early life Sackville was born on 24 January 1643, son of Richard Sackville, 5th Earl of Dorset (1622–1677) ...

. They lived at

Copt Hall Copped Hall, also known as Copt Hall or Copthall, is a mid-18th-century English country house close to Waltham Abbey, Essex, which has been undergoing restoration since 1999. Copped Hall is visible from the M25 motorway between junctions 26 and ...

, Waltham Abbey,

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

Death

Mary Sackville died of

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

in 1691, aged 22 years.

Issue

Mary and her husband had two children: #

Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset Lionel Cranfield Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset (18 January 168810 October 1765) was an English political leader and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Life He was the son of the 6th Earl of Dorset and 1st Earl of Middlesex, and the former Lady Mary ...

(1688 – 1765); created Duke of Dorset in 1720. Died at age 77. # Lady Mary Sackville (1688 – 1705); first wife of Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort. Not much is known whether she had issue.

References

External links

"Portrait of Mary Compton, Countess of Dorset (1669-1691)"
Circle of Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723) ''Christie's''
"Mary (née Compton), Countess of Dorset"
''National Portrait Gallery'' 1669 births 1691 deaths 17th-century English women Mary Daughters of British earls Deaths from smallpox English countesses Ladies of the Bedchamber Mary Date of birth unknown Infectious disease deaths in England Place of birth missing Place of death missing {{England-earl-stub