Rhoda Delaval Astley (1 July 1725 – 1757) was an English aristocrat and artist. She was married to Edward Astley, with whom she had a daughter and three sons. Lady Astley studied painting with

Arthur Pond Arthur Pond (–1758) was an English painter and engraver. Life Born about 1705, he was educated in London, and stayed for a time in Rome studying art, in company with the sculptor Roubiliac. He became a successful portrait-painter. From ...

, who painted her portrait.

Seaton Delaval Hall Seaton Delaval Hall is a Grade I listed country house in Northumberland, England, near the coast just north of Newcastle upon Tyne. Located between Seaton Sluice and Seaton Delaval, it was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh in 1718 for Admiral George ...

passed from the Delaval family to the Astley family through her descendants.

Early life

Rhoda Delaval was born on 1 July 1725 to Captain Francis Blake Delaval (the elder) and Rhoda Apreece and baptized at

St George's, Hanover Square St George's, Hanover Square, is an Anglican church, the parish church of Mayfair in the City of Westminster, central London, built in the early eighteenth century as part of a project to build fifty new churches around London (the Queen Anne C ...

in London on 22 July 1725. She was their oldest daughter of 12 children. Her siblings were Anne Hussey, Mary Elizabeth, Sarah, Robert, George, Henry, Ralph, Francis, Edward, Thomas,

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

. Two years after her birth, her brother, Sir Francis Blake Delaval (the younger) (1727–1771) was born. A brother George, who died as a young adult, also pursued the art of painting with her instructor,

. She was known to be a talented, beautiful woman. One of her sisters was Sarah, Countess of Mexborough.

Marriage and children

On 23 May 1751, she married Edward Astley, who became the 4th Baronet of

Melton Constable Melton Constable is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 518 in 225 households at the 2001 census. The population had increased to 618 at the 2011 Census. For the purposes of ...

. They lived at

11 Downing Street 11 Downing Street (sometimes referred to as just Number 11) is the official residence of Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer (who traditionally also has the title of Second Lord of the Treasury). The residence, in Downing Street in London, wa ...

when in London. Astley gave birth to four children, one daughter and three sons. Editha Rhoda was born 14 April 1755 and died by 12 May, when she was brought to be buried. Edward was born and died by 1757 and Francis was born in 1757. Jacob Henry was born 12 September 1756. She died in 1757 following the birth of Francis and was buried 21 October 1757 at

Widcombe, Bath Widcombe is a district of Bath, England, immediately south-east of the city centre, across the River Avon. The electoral ward was merged with Lyncombe at the boundary changes effected at the elections held on 2 May 2019; the two places have h ...

with her son Edward and daughter Edith Rhoda at a church near the manor. Edward Astley lived at

with his children after her death. Her letters, before and after her marriage, describe the personal daily lives of the people she knew in Northumberland. As the result of Edward and Rhoda's marriage,

came into the Astley family in 1814 through Jacob, when none of her brothers produced a male heir.

Artist

Periodically between 1744 and 1750, Astley studied art under Arthur Pond, who also painted her portrait. She purchased prints for about £1,500 () from Pond. The

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: *National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra *National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London, with s ...

has the painting of her drawing with pastels. Her painting of Sir Jacob Astley, 1st Baron Astley of Reading was made from a 17th-century original painting. She made a painting of herself and her brother entitled ''Painting and Poetry'', patterned after

Bernardino Luini Bernardino Luini (c. 1480/82 – June 1532) was a north Italian painter from Leonardo's circle during the High Renaissance. Both Luini and Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio were said to have worked with Leonardo directly; he was described as having ...

. The painting of Anne Hussey Delaval (1737–1812), Lady Stanhope in the National Trust is attributed to Rhoda Delaval and is loan by Lord Hastings. Lady Anne Delaval Stanhope was Astley's sister. She had been commissioned, for a total of about £300 (), to paint portraits of her sisters and brothers. Seaton Delaval Seaton Delaval is a village in Northumberland, England, with a population of 4,371. The largest of the five villages in Seaton Valley, it is the site of Seaton Delaval Hall, completed by Sir John Vanbrugh in 1727. In 2010 the armed robbery of ...

Early life

Marriage and children

Artist

References