Anne Vaughan, Duchess of Bolton (1689 – 20 September 1751), formerly Lady Anne Vaughan, was the wife of

Charles Powlett, 3rd Duke of Bolton Charles Powlett (sometimes spelled Paulet), 3rd Duke of Bolton (3 September 168526 August 1754), styled Earl of Wiltshire from 1685 until 1699, and Marquess of Winchester from 1699 until 1722, was a British landowner and Whig politician who sat ...

. Although her married name was Powlett (or Paulet), she is generally known by her maiden name of Vaughan, under which name she was a signatory to

Thomas Coram Captain Thomas Coram (c. 1668 – 29 March 1751) was an English sea captain and philanthropist who created the London Foundling Hospital in Lamb's Conduit Fields, Bloomsbury, to look after abandoned children on the streets of London. It is said ...

's petition of 1729, which led to the foundation of the

Foundling Hospital The Foundling Hospital in London, England, was founded in 1739 by the philanthropic sea captain Thomas Coram. It was a children's home established for the "education and maintenance of exposed and deserted young children." The word "hospital" w ...

. Lady Anne Vaughan was a daughter of

John Vaughan, 3rd Earl of Carbery John Vaughan, 3rd Earl of Carbery KB, PRS (baptised 8 July 1639 – 12 January 1713), styled Lord Vaughan from 1643 to 1686, was a Welsh nobleman and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Jamaica between 1675 and 1678. Life He ...

, and his second wife

Anne Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

, who died following her birth. On 21 July 1713, she married Charles Powlett or Paulet, son of

Charles Paulet, 2nd Duke of Bolton Charles Paulet, 2nd Duke of Bolton (1661 – 21 January 1722) was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Member of Parliament for Hampshire and a supporter of William III of Orange. Life He was the son of Charles Paulet, 1st Duke of Bolton, and Mary S ...

, but the marriage, forced on him by his father, was childless and unhappy. as soon as he succeeded to his father's title, the couple separated. In 1728, the duke began an affair with the actress,

Lavinia Fenton Lavinia Powlett, Duchess of Bolton (1708 – 24 January 1760), known by her stagename as Lavinia Fenton, was an English actress who was the mistress and later the wife of the 3rd Duke of Bolton. She was probably the daughter of a naval lieutenan ...

, which resulted in three illegitimate sons; he married Lavinia shortly after Anne's death. It was said of the duchess that "crammed with virtue and good qualities, she thought it impossible not to find gratitude, though she failed to give passion; and upon this she threw away her estate, was despised by her husband and laughed at by the public". She retired from public life, while her husband used her inheritance to fund a lavish lifestyle and support his illegitimate family. She was only the second of the aristocratic women to sign Coram's petition, and is thought to have encouraged her step-mother-in-law Henrietta, Dowager Duchess of Bolton, who signed three days later. Anne's noted philanthropy made her a good candidate for Coram to approach, since the aristocratic ladies lent their cachet to the project as well as supporting its 'Christian, virtuous and humanitarian aspects'. As the last of the line of the Vaughans of

Golden Grove, Carmarthenshire Golden Grove ( cy, Gelli Aur) is a mansion and estate in the Local government in Wales, Welsh county of Carmarthenshire, located southwest of Llandeilo. History There have been three mansions on the estate. The first was built in 1560 by the Va ...

, she bequeathed the estate to a relative, Richard Vaughan, who was then living at Shenfield in Essex. Anne's portrait, by Sir

Godfrey Kneller Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1st Baronet (born Gottfried Kniller; 8 August 1646 – 19 October 1723), was the leading portrait painter in England during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and was court painter to Kingdom of England, English and Br ...

, is held by

Carmarthenshire County Museum Carmarthenshire County Museum is a museum in the old county town of Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire in Wales. Location Carmarthenshire County Museum is located at Abergwili, Carmarthen, SA31 2JG. It is managed by Carmarthenshire County Council. ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bolton, Anne Vaughan, Duchess of 1689 births 1751 deaths English duchesses by marriage English women philanthropists Daughters of Irish earls