Ismania Catherine FitzRoy, Baroness Southampton (''née'' Nugent; 23 September 1838 – 18 August 1918) was an Irish aristocrat, the wife of

Charles FitzRoy, 3rd Baron Southampton Charles FitzRoy, 3rd Baron Southampton (28 September 1804 – 16 July 1872) was a British peer. Biography The son of George FitzRoy, 2nd Baron Southampton, he succeeded his father in 1810. He was the grandson of Charles FitzRoy, 1st Baron South ...

. She served as

Lady of the Bedchamber Lady of the Bedchamber is the title of a lady-in-waiting holding the official position of personal attendant on a British queen regnant or queen consort. The position is traditionally held by the wife of a peer. A lady of the bedchamber would gi ...

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 January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

Family and early life

Ismania Catherine Nugent was born on 23 September 1838 in

County Westmeath County Westmeath (; or simply ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It formed part of the historic Kingdom of ...

in Ireland. Her father was a Baron of the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

, Walter Nugent, 1st

Baron Nugent Baron Nugent is a title that has been created three times, twice in the Peerage of Ireland and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. All three creations are extinct. The first creation came in the Peerage of Ireland in 1767 in favour of Robe ...

, while her mother was his second wife, Georgiana Elizabeth Jenkinson.

Marriage

On 25 February 1862 she married Charles FitzRoy, 3rd

Baron Southampton Baron Southampton, of Southampton in the County of Southampton, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1780 for the soldier and politician Charles FitzRoy. He was the third son of Lord Augustus FitzRoy, second son of Char ...

, becoming his second wife. He had no children by his first wife. They had five children. *Hon. Mary Helen Augusta Ismay FitzRoy (1863 – 22 April 1952), married Sir Charles Edward FitzRoy, they had six children (including

Charles FitzRoy, 10th Duke of Grafton Charles Alfred Euston FitzRoy, 10th Duke of Grafton (4 June 1892 – 11 November 1970), known as Charles FitzRoy until 1936, was a British aristocrat, soldier, politician, and farmer. Background and education Grafton was born at Euston Hall ...

); *Hon. Frederica Louise FitzRoy (1864 – 9 April 1932), married Percy Edward Crutchley, had a son; *Hon. Blanche Georgiana FitzRoy (1865 – 22 November 1944), married Edward Sholto Douglas-Pennant, 3rd Baron Penrhyn, had five children; *Charles Henry FitzRoy, 4th Baron Southampton (11 May 1867 – 7 October 1958), married Lady Hilda Maria Dundas, had five children; * Hon. Edward Algernon FitzRoy (24 July 1869 – 3 March 1943), married Muriel Douglas-Pennant, Viscountess Daventry, had four children. He died after just ten years of marriage and as a result FitzRoy remained the Dowager Baroness for another 45 years.

Career

In 1878, some years after the death of her husband, she was appointed

and served in that capacity until 1901. For her service to the Queen she was awarded The

Royal Order of Victoria and Albert The Royal Order of Victoria and Albert is a British Royal Family Order instituted on 10 February 1862 by Queen Victoria, and enlarged on 10 October 1864, 15 November 1865, and 15 March 1880. No award has been made since the death of Queen V ...

. However she did not make an entirely good impression on another

lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting (alternatively written lady in waiting) or court lady is a female personal assistant at a Royal court, court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking nobility, noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was o ...

Marie Mallett who wrote in her diary in 1888 that Lady Southampton is most kind but her dullness is beyond description"''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Southampton, Ismania Catherine FitzRoy, Baroness 1838 births 1918 deaths 19th-century Irish women 20th-century Irish women British baronesses by marriage Daughters of barons Ismania Ladies of the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert Ladies of the Bedchamber People from County Westmeath Women of the Victorian era Court of Queen Victoria