Priscilla Anne Fane (''née'' Wellesley-Pole), Countess of Westmorland (1793 – 18 February 1879), styled Lady Burghersh between 1811 and 1841, was a British linguist and artist.

Life

Priscilla Anne Wellesley-Pole was the fourth child of the Honourable William Wellesley-Pole, later first Baron Maryborough and third

Earl of Mornington Earl of Mornington is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1760 for the Anglo-Irish politician and composer Garret Wellesley, 2nd Baron Mornington. On the death of the fifth earl in 1863, it passed to the Duke of Wellington; si ...

, by Katharine Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Admiral the Honourable John Forbes.

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister o ...

, was her uncle. Priscilla was a great favourite with her uncle, who had a high opinion of her political judgement, as did

Lord Melbourne William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, (15 March 177924 November 1848), in some sources called Henry William Lamb, was a British Whig politician who served as Home Secretary (1830–1834) and Prime Minister (1834 and 1835–1841). His first pre ...

who used her as intermediary when discussing with Wellington the possible formation of a coalition Government in 1837. In 1811, she married John Fane, Lord Burghersh, son of

John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland, (1 June 175915 December 1841), styled Lord Burghersh between 1771 and 1774, was a British Tory (political faction), Tory politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, who served in most of the cabine ...

, with whom she had five sons and one daughter: of her children only

Francis Fane, 12th Earl of Westmorland Colonel Francis William Henry Fane, 12th Earl of Westmorland CB, DL (19 November 18253 August 1891), styled Lord Burghersh between 1851 and 1859, was a British Army Officer and racehorse owner. Background and education Fane was the fourth but ...

and Lady Rose Weighell survived her. She became known as the Countess of Westmorland when her husband succeeded as eleventh Earl of Westmorland in 1841. She was an accomplished linguist and a distinguished artist. When Lady Burghersh, she exhibited six figure pieces in the Suffolk Street Exhibition between 1833 and 1841, and afterwards in 1843 and 1857 sent two scriptural subjects to the

British Institution The British Institution (in full, the British Institution for Promoting the Fine Arts in the United Kingdom; founded 1805, disbanded 1867) was a private 19th-century society in London formed to exhibit the works of living and dead artists; it w ...

. Her picture of Anne, Countess of Mornington, surrounded by her three distinguished sons,

Lord Wellesley Richard Colley Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley, (20 June 1760 – 26 September 1842) was an Anglo-Irish politician and colonial administrator. He was styled as Viscount Wellesley until 1781, when he succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of M ...

, the

Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister of ...

and Lord Cowley, has been engraved, and is well known. She received art lessons from William Salter and was his indulgent patron. When Salter was on his horse in

Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austra ...

, he happened to hear and then see the spectacle of a victory banquet in progress at the Duke of Wellington's house. Burghersh persuaded the Duke to let Salter commemorate the event, and Salter's masterpiece was created with 83 included portraits. She died at 29

Portman Square Portman Square is a garden square in Marylebone, central London, surrounded by elegant townhouses. It was specifically for private housing let on long leases having a ground rent by the Portman Estate, which owns the private communal gardens. ...

, London, 18 February 1879, and was buried at

Apethorpe Apethorpe (pronounced "Ap-thorp") is a village, civil parish,

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...

, 25 February. Her daughter, Lady Rose Weigall, edited two volumes of selections from her correspondence.

Works

* Republished Cornell University Library, 2009. *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Westmorland, Priscilla Anne Fane, Countess English artists 1793 births 1879 deaths English countesses Daughters of Irish earls

Priscilla Priscilla is an English female given name adopted from Latin ''Prisca'', derived from ''priscus''. One suggestion is that it is intended to bestow long life on the bearer. The name first appears in the New Testament of Christianity variously as ...

Women of the Regency era Wives of knights 18th-century British people 18th-century British women 19th-century British people 19th-century British women