Lavinia Spencer, Countess Spencer
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Lavinia Spencer, Countess Spencer (née Bingham; 1762 – 1831) was a British illustrator.


Early life and family

Born in 1762, Lady Lavinia Bingham was the eldest daughter of the Irish peer Charles Bingham, 1st Earl of Lucan and his wife, the
portrait miniature A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting from Renaissance art, usually executed in gouache, Watercolor painting, watercolor, or Vitreous enamel, enamel. Portrait miniatures developed out of the techniques of the miniatures in illumin ...
painter Margaret Smyth. She had three sisters and one brother,
Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language">Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'st ...
.


Marriage and issue

Despite the lack of a
dowry A dowry is a payment such as land, property, money, livestock, or a commercial asset that is paid by the bride's (woman's) family to the groom (man) or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price ...
, George Spencer, Viscount Althorp fell "out of his senses" with Lavinia and offered her marriage. His parents Lord and Lady Spencer permitted the match, perceiving that Lavinia was pretty, intelligent, and morally acceptable. The young couple married on 6 March 1782, and had nine children: * John Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer (1782–1845) * Lady Sarah Spencer (1787–1870), married William Lyttelton, 3rd Baron Lyttelton, and had issue. She became governess to the children of
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 ...
. *Hon. Richard Spencer (1789–1791), died in infancy. *Captain Hon. Sir Robert Cavendish Spencer (1791–1830), died unmarried at sea. *Lady Harriet Spencer (b. & d. 1793), died in infancy. *Lady Georgiana Charlotte Spencer (1794–1823), married Lord George Quin, son of
Thomas Taylour, 1st Marquess of Headfort Thomas Taylour, 1st Marquess of Headfort (18 November 1757 – 24 October 1829), styled Viscount Headford from 1766 to 1795, and known as The Earl of Bective from 1795 to 1800, was an Irish peer and politician. Early life Taylour was born on 1 ...
, and had issue. * Vice-Admiral Frederick Spencer, 4th Earl Spencer (1798–1857) *The Very Reverend Hon. George Spencer (later known as Father Ignatius Spencer (1799–1864), died unmarried. A rising politician, Althorp succeeded his father as the 2nd Earl Spencer in 1783. Earl and Countess Spencer resided at
Althorp Althorp (popularly pronounced ) is a Grade I listed stately home and estate in the civil parish of Althorp, in West Northamptonshire, England of about . By road it is about northwest of the county town of Northampton and about northwest ...
and
Spencer House, London Spencer House is a historic Townhouse (Great Britain), town house at 27 St James's Place in the St James's area of Westminster, Greater London, England. The house is Listed building#England and Wales, Grade I listed on the National Heritage Li ...
, eventually producing eight children. They entertained the era's most prominent political and intellectual leaders. The historian Malcolm Lester describes her as "a strong-minded and strong-willed woman of great erudition and charm howas perhaps the pre-eminent hostess in London society". The biographer Amanda Foreman, however, details less attractive traits, describing her as "moody, vindictive, hypocritical" and "neurotically jealous" of her sisters-in-law the Duchess of Devonshire and the Countess of Bessborough and "a calm liar who maintained a veneer of politeness to her in-laws while freely abusing them in conversation elsewhere."


Works

Her drawing ''A Pinch of Snuff'' was included in the 1905 book ''
Women Painters of the World ''Women Painters of the World, from the time of Caterina Vigri, 1413–1463, to Rosa Bonheur and the present day'', assembled and edited by Walter Shaw Sparrow, is a book that lists an overview of prominent women painters up to 1905, the year of ...
''.
Women painters of the world, from the time of Caterina Vigri, 1413-1463, to Rosa Bonheur and the present day
'', by Walter Shaw Sparrow, The Art and Life Library, Hodder & Stoughton, 27 Paternoster Row, London, 1905
She is known for engravings made after her drawings by the engraver Mariano Bovi. File:Lavinia Countess Spencer - A Pinch of Snuff.jpg, A Pinch of Snuff File:Lavinia Countess Spencer - Nice Supper.jpg, Nice Supper, engraved by Bovi


References


Works cited

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Spencer, Countess Spencer, Lavinia 1762 births 1831 deaths 18th-century British artists 19th-century British artists 18th-century British women artists 19th-century British women artists British illustrators British women illustrators British countesses Daughters of Irish earls
Lavinia In Roman mythology, Lavinia ( ; ) is the daughter of Latinus and Amata, and the last wife of Aeneas. Creation It has been proposed that the character was in part intended to represent Servilia Isaurica, Emperor Augustus's first fiancée. Story ...
Bingham family (Ireland) Wives of knights